A year ago, Derek Vaddis wasn’t nearly the first option at receiver for the North Hunterdon football team.
Again this year, quarterback Luke Martini had multiple guys he could throw to, and even more he could hand off to.
Still, Vaddis was able to accumulate over 1,000 yards receiving on a team that also had a pair of thousand-yard rushers. Specifically, he made 55 catches to lead the Lions with 1,054 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But he also contributed significantly on the other side of the ball. Though he “only” logged 46 tackles – at safety with a great group in front of him that didn’t require him to make many stops – he made his minutes count, snatching eight interceptions on the season, third highest individual total in the state. (Adam Meiner of Ridge led New Jersey with ten picks.)
For his efforts, Vaddis has been named the Big Central’s 2022 Two-Way Player of the Year by Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with North Hunterdon WR/S Derek Vaddis:
Honorable Mentions:
Vaddis is probably the only person Alex Uryniak of North Hunterdon wouldn’t mind losing out to. But Uryniak also excelled on both sides of the ball. As part of a two-headed monster – not by design, but by necessity – Uryniak carried for 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns, filling in quite well when Kente Edwards missed the better part of four games, two of them entirely. At linebacker, he led the Lions with 180 tackles, registering 22 TFLs and seven sacks, along with an interception.
Malcolm Stansbury of Edison may follow his brother to New Hampshire and play defense, or could end up at other places where he has offers, like Maine or Monmouth. The senior WR/DB had 52 catches on offense for 652 yards and four touchdowns, and was a shutdown corner on defense as well, with 59 tackles, 2 TFLs and a pair of interceptions. A four-year starter, Stansbury also is a two-year captain.
Hunter Seubert of Watchung Hills is the coach’s son, so Rich Suebert may have prepped him early on to play on the line. Indeed, he was a rare four-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines, a rare feat at any level. This year’s Warrior O-line didn’t surrender a single sack, paving the way for 145 rushing yards per game, and 24 scores on the ground. On defense, Suebert had 63 tackles, a pick, three sacks, nine tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.