Pennsylvania has a strong tradition of producing top high school athletes across a variety of sports.
Many of the state's best have gone on to professional careers or shined on the Olympic stage.
MaxPreps is looking back at the best Pennsylvania has produced this century, beginning with the graduating class of 2001. Selections were based primarily off high school resumes.
1. Terrelle Pryor, JeannetteClass: 2008 Sports: Football, basketball
The 2007-08 MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year led Jeannette to its first state championship in football after rushing for 1,899 yards and 33 touchdowns while passing for 1,889 yards with 23 scores during his senior year. He became the first player in state history to run and throw for 4,000 career yards. Pryor also finished with 2,285 points in his basketball career, averaging 21.9 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game to guide the Jayhawks to the Class AA state crown as a senior.
Class: 2019 Sport: Field hockey
The most dominant high school field hockey player of all-time,
Allessie put up video game numbers. She broke the national career record for goals in a
season with 124, career goals with 351 and career points with 838.
Allessie closed out her illustrious high school career with the
game-winning goal in the Class 2A championship game to lead Donegal to its second state title in three years.
Class: 2014 Sport: Wrestling
Closed
out his storied high school wrestling career with a perfect 166-0
record while winning four consecutive state championships. Marsteller
also won two Super 32 championships and four Powerade titles along with
three Cadet USA Wresting Asics/Vaughan national championships.
Received the National Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award and
Junior Hodge Trophy in 2014.
Class: 2017 Sport: Wrestling
Named
the "Most Dominant College Wrestler" as a senior at Iowa, Lee was also
considered one of the nation's most dominant athletes. He won 144
straight matches and three state championships while winning the U17 and
U20 World Championships in freestyle during his high school career. Lee
went on to become a three-time All-American with the Hawkeyes and
captured the silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Class: 2018 Sports: Football, basketball
Before terrorizing quarterbacks in the NFL, Parsons was a dominant two-way football star with the Cougars. He carried 109 times for 1,239 yards with 29 total touchdowns offensively while registering 55 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks as a senior. Parsons also played basketball during his career at Harrisburg, but decided to end his basketball career mid-way through his senior year after an ankle injury in late December.
Class: 2015 Sports: Football, basketball, track and field
The NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year was a three-sport star in high school and rated as a four-star recruit in football. During his senior year he rushed for 1,856 yards and 31 touchdowns to win Mr. Pennsylvania Football. Although his basketball statistics could not be located, Barkley won Eastern Pennsylvania Conference gold medals in the 100-meter dash and long jump as a senior and also compete in the shot put and high jump.
Class: 2022 Sports: Football, track and field
Finished
his storied career with 6,326 rushing yards and 116 touchdowns after
carrying for 2,043 yards and totaling 44 touchdowns as a senior
to earn first team MaxPreps All-America honors in 2021 for a 10-1
Governor Mifflin team. Singleton was also a standout in track and field,
participating in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100-meter relay. He was
an all-county selection in the 100-meter and 200-meter.
Class: 2021 Sports: Volleyball, basketball
The 2020-21 MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year authored a dominant senior campaign that saw her lead the volleyball team to its fourth consecutive state championship and help the basketball team reach the state quarterfinals before COVID-19 wiped out the end of the year. As a senior, she posted 715 assists, 97 digs, 91 kills, 41 blocks and 30 aces for the 18-0 Tigers in volleyball and tallied 9.3 points and 5.7 rebounds for the 27-1 hoops squad.
Class: 2021 Sport: Football
During his three seasons as a starter he led the Hawks to a record of 31-2 with three consecutive state championships. McCord broke the Philadelphia Catholic League career records with 6,887 passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns. The top 25 overall prospect in the Class of 2021 capped his career by completing 21 of 28 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns in the Class 6A state title game during his senior season.
Class: 2016 Sport: Soccer
Although Pulisic never played high school soccer at Hershey, he was just 17 years old when he made his debut with the national team and attended his prom just hours prior to scoring his first international goal for the Stars and Stripes. One of the most accomplished American soccer players of all-time, Pulisic has 32 goals in 78 appearances for the United States. He is coming off a one of his best professional seasons at AC Milan it Italy.
