Dec 5, 2025 By Jerin Steele 4 min read

When asked if he was satisfied that he left everything on the field after Peters Township’s season ended with a 31-28 loss to Bishop McDevitt in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals, Nolan DiLucia paused for a moment before giving an answer.

“I’m grateful that we played in a game like that, because not many people can say they played in a state semifinal, but I hate losing,” DiLucia said. “In the back of my mind I always think about whether or not I could’ve done something better. I told our team to leave no doubts on the field and I think we did everything we could, but the competitive mind that I have makes me think I could’ve done more.”

Though he had 254 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns that day, he still had a burning desire for more.

That’s probably part of the reason he’s developed into an NCAA Division I recruit as a quarterback.

Once a wide-eyed youngster that made his first career start at quarterback for Peters Township in his final game of his freshman season, DiLucia blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in the WPIAL.

For his efforts on the field, DiLucia is the 2025 Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year.

Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg, a two-time O-R Player of the Year, was also strongly considered as well as DiLucia’s teammate at Peters Township Reston Lehman and Trinity quarterback Jonah Williamson.

There are nine local NCAA Division I recruits in the area this year, so it is a talent-rich senior class.

DiLucia, a Villanova recruit, shined from start to finish.

He passed for 2,782 yards which ranked second in the entire WPIAL this season and had 22 touchdowns to only six interceptions.

“Nolan is a big-time player,” Peters Township coach TJ Plack said following the Indians’ loss to Bishop McDevitt. “He really is. He never looks at the line. He’s always looking downfield and is willing to take the hits. He stands in there and delivers the ball.”

DiLucia also played safety on a defense that gave up six points per game to WPIAL opponents and served as the team’s long snapper.

He quarterbacked the Indians to three straight WPIAL championship games and got his second ring this year when Peters Township rallied to beat Pine-Richland 20-19 after being down 19-0 at halftime.

The win gave the Indians two out of three victories in finals against the Rams and a memory that will last a lifetime.

“It means everything to me and my team,” DiLucia said. “It’s something that we worked so hard for. Those late nights at the field in the summer and those reps you don’t want to do and the times you want to give up you push through and it all leads to that moment.

“I’m just happy to end my career with a WPIAL championship and be able to do it with all of my brothers.”

Long before he raised one trophy, let alone two, DiLucia was a freshman hoping for a chance. He started on defense all through that season but got his first opportunity to play quarterback against Bethel Park in the season finale.

From that moment on he was all-in on being a quarterback. He gave up playing basketball and baseball to focus on football and credited Plack with helping him develop.

“He played a huge role,” DiLucia said. “He gave me the chance as a freshman and that meant a lot, because it showed he trusted me. I knew I just had to keep working hard. Every offseason from sophomore season on we worked very hard together. I always talked with him and wanted to get his opinion on things. I love Coach Plack and am appreciative of all the things he’s done for me.”

DiLucia will graduate in January from Peters Township. The details on whether he’ll enroll early at Villanova are still being worked out, but he’s excited to start that next chapter in Philadelphia.

He signed his Letter of Intent on Wednesday.

“It was really cool and I got to see some of my friends sign as well,” DiLucia said. “Reston (Lehman), Lucas (Shanafelt) and I all were happy, because we’ve been dreaming of playing college football our entire lives. Now we know we’re all going to get to do that and do it at a high level. We’re beyond grateful. All three of us are believers in Jesus Christ and we’re just really happy that he blessed us with such an opportunity and a gift.”