The New York State Sportswriters Association has chosen its All-State High School Football teams for 2012, and two Whitehall players were recognized for their outstanding play on the gridiron.
Senior running back Josh Hoagland was named to the Class D all-state first-team offense and junior Brandon Steves received honorable mention for his play at linebacker.
Hoagland was the team’s offensive catalyst, running for 1,496 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns last season season.
A two-way starter who made several key plays on defense, Hoagland received the Harrison K. Bird award as the team’s most valuable player and was named to the Section II Class D all star team.
A starter since his sophomore year, Hoagland rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season three times, and will graduate as one of the most accomplished players in the program’s history.
He has received interest from several colleges, including the University of Connecticut and St. Lawrence University.
Steves was also a two-way starter for the Railroaders and was perhaps the team’s best offensive lineman.
It was at linebacker, however, where he really excelled. Steves was the unit’s emotional leader and rarely came off the field despite several lower body injuries that persisted throughout the season.
He finished the season with more than 100 tackles and will be leaned on heavily next season for his leadership abilities and on-field play.