Raider of the lost art
JACKSON TWP — Connor Lyczek was not the all-purpose yardage or tackle leader for Seneca Valley in football last fall.
He is not the leading scorer for the Raiders in basketball this winter.
The 6-foot, 185-pound senior may well be the MVP of both teams, however.
“That kid is in the middle of everything,” Raider basketball coach Kevin Trost said. “He plays with so much grit. He's a grinder and that's what I love about him.”
The starting point guard on the basketball team, Lyczek is consistently the second-leading scorer on the Raiders, behind Cole Brooks. He's scored more than 20 points in numerous games and often leads the team in assists and rebounds.
In football, he scored touchdowns three different ways — rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return — this past season. Defensively, he had 14 solo tackles and three interceptions from his cornerback position.He returned punts as well.“I played quarterback a couple of times when we ran the Wildcat offense,” Lyczek said, smiling. “I've always liked to do a variety of different things in sports.“The more things you can do, the more valuable you are to your team.”Raider football coach Ron Butschle said Lyczek has a penchant for making the big play at the right time.“He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown against Baldwin, then had two big interceptions in that game,” Butschle said. “We lined him up all over the field, had him do all kinds of things.“He's 185 pounds, but he's so strong. He's a humble kid whose hustle is always going to be there. Connor is going to make a great college athlete because he's going to keep getting better. He never stops working.”Lyczek recently committed to Clarion University to play football. The Golden Eagles recruited him as a cornerback.He will have plenty of competition there. Clarion has 22 defensive backs on its roster, 20 of whom are freshmen or sophomores this year.Lyczek doesn't care.“Naturally, I'm hoping to play as a freshman,” he said. “They're in a rebuilding mode up there and I feel like I have a chance.“If they want to red-shirt me, switch me to offense, play special teams, whatever, I'll do it. My goal is to help Clarion win a PSAC championship before I'm done. That hasn't happened up there in a while.”Since winning its first seven games in 2015, Clarion has lost 36 of its last 48 games. The Golden Eagles were 3-8 last year.Lyczek also considered Edinboro, Marietta and Washington & Jefferson before choosing Clarion. Seneca Valley teammate Jimmy Royal, a 275-pound defensive end, will be joining him there.“I've been playing football since I was 7,” he said. “I was a running back for a long time before being moved to receiver.“Football's always been my No. 1 sport, but I started playing basketball in fourth grade and love that, too. The collegiate attention I've gotten has been for football, though.”Lyczek ran the 100 and 400 meters for Seneca Valley track and field before last spring's season was canceled. He's unsure of whether he'll return to track this spring.“If I do, they want me to try the high jump,” Lyczek said. “I'd be up for that.”He's up for just about anything.“Most of the best basketball players I've coached through the years have played other sports as well,” Trost said. “They're athletes. They love to compete. Guys like Connor ... he's the first one on the floor, diving after a loose ball.”Butschle isn't surprised.“I like to think some of that attitude comes from football,” Butschle said. “I'm glad Connor is continuing his career. Clarion is getting a determined kid.“Who knows what he'll wind up doing up there?”
