By SETH STASKEY – Times Leader Sports Editor (sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com) , Times Leader
Zak Stiles was referred to by his head coach, Brett McLean, as the “heart-and-soul of the entire Red Devils’ program” last season.
The Red Devils’ senior will be hoping to make a similar impact at Waynesburg University where he recently signed to continue both his academic and football careers.
A three-year mainstay for the Red Devils, Stiles was an impact player on both lines, but it was his work on the defensive front, which caught the eye of the collegiate scouts.
En route to earning all-district and all-Times Leader, the 5-11, 205 pounder recorded 84 tackles from his defensive end spot. Not bad for a kid who was cleared to play just three days before the start of the season after undergoing reconstructive shoulder surgery on a torn labrum.
“Zak couldn’t have been a better player for us, and I don’t mean just on the field,” McLean said. “He was a great leader and really worked hard in the off-season.”
McLean foresees Stiles moving down on the defensive front to maybe more of a tackle, which is where he would have liked to have used him last season, but couldn’t because of necessity.
“I think he’s going to be a natural down lineman for (Waynesburg),” McLean said.
Stiles, who is an avid weightlifter, has packed on some 30 pounds since last summer and McLean believes his best days are still in front of him because of that kind of desire.
“He’s really exploding now,” McLean said. “He’s working hard every day, and I know how hungry he is to get to college and play. I think the Waynesburg coaching staff is going to be excited with the kind of shape he’s in when he gets there.”
Along with his football prowess, Stiles was a member of the Red Devils’ boys’ basketball team.
Zak comes by his football prowess honestly. His father, Bruce, who is the Red Devils’ defensive coordinator, was a college football player himself at Salem University.
“Zak definitely knew the way because I am sure he listened to his dad a lot,” McLean said.
Stiles, who spends a lot of time working on his family’s farm, plans to major in mathematics and hopes to one day teach.
Zak is the son of Bruce and Leslie Stiles.
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