Six Finalists Announced for Bill Fralic Memorial Football Award

The award that was created to honor a former Penn Hills great is meant to recognize the best lineman in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.

Derry's Dylan Pitzer, shown celebrating a touchdown against Deer Lakes earlier this season was one of six finalists for the Bill Fralic Memorial Award. Fralic was a standout offensive lineman for Penn Hills before going on to play at Pitt and for the Atlanta Falcons. / Josh Rizzo

The Bill Fralic Memorial Award announced six finalists for the award given to the WPIAL's top two-way lineman through the William P. Fralic Foundation.

The foundation's website says the award is given to an outstanding footberall player who is a leader in his school and on his team. The winner will have demonstrated dominance on offense, defense or both.

There was one finalist chosen per classification. The nominees were as follows:

Class 6A: Lincoln Hoke, North Allegheny

Class 5A: Roberson Louis-Jeune, Gateway

Class 4A: Jayden Shaffer, New Castle

Class 3A: Dylan Pitzer, Derry

Class 2A: Connor Bogdanski, Apollo-Ridge

Class A: Avaughn Pompey, Clairton

Clairton's Avaughn Pompey (No. 55) watches as two of his teammates grab ahold of a running back during a win over Riverview earlier this season. Pompey was named one of the six finalists for the Bill Fralic Memorial Award. / Josh Rizzo

About the finalists

Hoke, who is the son of former Steelers lineman Chris Hoke, helped North Allegheny reach the WPIAL Class 6A championship game before losing to Central Catholic.

Louis-Jeune was a three-time all-conference center for the Gators.

Shaffer was Parkway Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Pitzer, whose brother wrestles at Pitt and is a dominant wrestler himself, was the Interstate Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Bogdanski helped Apollo-Ridge reach the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Pompey is part of a Clairton defense that recorded eight consecutive shutouts. He has 33 tackles and will hope to help the Bears beat Laurel in the WPIAL Class A title game.

About Bill Fralic

Fralic was a 1981 graduate of Penn Hills High School who is regarded as one of the best lineman to ever come out of Southwestern Pennsylvania. After a strong high school career, Fralic went to Pitt and played with Dan Marino.

Fralic was an All-American during his junior and senior seasons for the Panthers while playing at offensive tackle.

Fralic was picked No. 2 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1985 NFL Draft. He would play with the Falcons until 1992.

Fralic wrapped up his career in 1993 with the Detroit Lions. Fralic had a colorful career was one of six football players involved in a 20-man battle royal at Wrestlemania II.

Staying in touch with his roots

Next to Penn Hills' football stadium, the school has an indoor practice facility and weight room bearing his name. When the Indians' football team reached the PIAA Class 5A title game in 2018, Fralic paid for the rooms of all 62 players and staff.

Penn Hills beat Manheim Central 36-31 in the state championship game that season to cap a 16-0 season. Fralic, 56, died from cancer a week after the win.

Who were the previous winners?

The award was first given out in 2019 and won by Thomas Jefferon's Logan Danielson.

Pine-Richland's Miguel Jackson (2020), Central Valley's Sean FitzSimmons (2021), Penn-Trafford's Joe Enick (2022), McKeesport's Courtney Dunn (2023) and Upper Sst. Clair's Nate Stohl (2024) have also won the award.

--Josh Rizzo |rizzo42789@gmail.com| @J_oshrizzo