Penn State scholarship recipient Dominic DeLuca, far left, and his father Carl DeLuca, center, talk football to Wyoming Area football head coach Randy Spencer. Spencer and DeLuca took part in the 2019 Wyoming Area State football Championship at Hershey.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area coaches, family and friends, stopped by the Warrior weight room to welcome home Dominic DeLuca after his participation in the Penn State/Utah Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif. DeLuca was notified while in California on receiving full-time scholarship status with the football program at Penn State. Left to right: Mark Sickler, former Warrior and a former member of Penn State’s 1986 National Championship team; Warrior coach Michael Fanti, Wyoming Area grad and PSU teammate Blaise Sokach-Minick; Warrior head football coach Randy Spencer; DeLuca, Carl DeLuca, Sr., Dominic’s father.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Mark Sickler, former Warrior standout as well as a member of the 1986 National Championship Penn State University football team when they defeated Miami, displays his National Championship ring.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
On game day at the Rose Bowl with Penn State University versus Utah on Jan. 2, 2023, West Pittston native and Wyoming Area graduate Dominic DeLuca wanted to remember family and friends by writing Grammy and Grampy, 570 on his taped wrist. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl DeLuca, Sr. were his biggest fans.
Submitted photo
One of the biggest highlights for the Wyoming Area standout and member of the PSU football team, was when Dominic DeLuca (34) blocked a punt against Minnesota on Nov. 5, 2022.
AP photo
Family and friends gathered at the home of Carl and Ree Ree DeLuca when their son Dominic returned home from California as a member of the victorious Penn State University football team in defeating Utah on Jan. 2. Seated left to right: Nic Nardell, Carl DeLuca, Dominic DeLuca, Ree Ree DeLuca. Second row: Jake Switzer, Michael Mondlak, Lynn Connolly, Colleen Connolly, Lisa Nardell, Mary Beth Vender. Back row: Nial Vender, Joe Vender, Jen Vogel, Bella Vogel.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area graduates Blaise Sokach-Minnick, left, and Dominic DeLuca, are making a name for themselves on the specialities teams. Sokach-Minnick is a long snapper and DeLuca plays linebacker as well as being on the punt and kickoff teams, stand victorious after the Rose Bowl game against Utah on Jan. 2.
Submitted photo
WEST PITTSTON – Former Wyoming Area football standout, Dominic DeLuca, has a never say die attitude about everything, especially when it comes to football.
As a Warrior star quarterback, he led his team to a Pennsylvania State Championship in 2019, which is a bit of a shock since he injured his knee halfway through the game so badly that he needed surgery to repair it after the season.
Most would put themselves on the sideline after an injury like that, but not Dominic, he was on a mission and on a bright, crystal clear, sunny day in Dec. 2019 to become a champion and he did just that.
His future collegiate coach, James Franklin from Penn State University was on the sideline that day and saw something in DeLuca that he liked. As his high school coach Randy Spencer put it, Dominic has “competitive character.”
After having his knee repaired, it was time to focus on football once again he received the green light to do so.
“Coach Franklin had a plan for me and I felt like that was my turning point that I was going to commit to PSU,” DeLuca said, after coming off knee surgery after his high school championship game. “I just followed the process that he told me to go with and that has led me to success, and I’m glad I’m following it the right way.”
Entering the 2021 season, DeLuca became a successful “run-on” as Franklin put it. Generally speaking, what Franklin is referring to since Dominic was not picked to be a scholarship recipient, it looked like he was going to have to prove himself on the field as a walk-on.
Franklin’s theory is, you never walk on a field, you run on a field.
Since high school, DeLuca, now 21 years old, has worked fiercely in the weight room bulking up from 190 pounds in high school to his highest weight at 220 pounds.
After a few games, including playing in a White Out game, DeLuca decided to red shirt for the rest of the 2021 campaign.
“Those few games prepared me for this past season getting all the rules and experience,” DeLuca admitted.
During the rest of the season, he participated in practices but didn’t travel with the team for away games.
DeLuca, primarily known as an offensive player in high school was switched to defense at the linebacker position and special teams. It was at special teams where he began to make his mark on the team getting noticed by fans and media.
“I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” DeLuca said, when Franklin wanted him to move to the linebacker’s spot. “It’s a whole different game being in the box compared to being a safety and in the secondary. It was an easy adjustment at first and a lot of people took me under their wings and I was appreciative.”
2022 PSU stats
During the season, DeLuca ended up with 29 total tackles, 18 of them solo, 11 tackle assists, and one sack.
One of his highlights during the season was blocking a punt against Minnesota on Nov. 5.
Academics at PSU
DeLuca has declared his major as Agricultural Business Management, where he would eventually like to own a farm but he doesn’t rule out the idea of going into law enforcement or the FBI after college.
Academics is a big part of the PSU football program and Franklin is a big advocate making sure his players are on top of their studies.
“Coach Franklin is very, very aggressive with academics,” DeLuca admitted. “He’s always checking on our classes, our homework assignments, making sure all of our grades are good, he even checks on our study hall hours. He is making sure we get our education so we have something after football.”
PSU scholarship
As a walk-on, DeLuca did not qualify for a scholarship and one of his goals was to get an ever illusive scholarship and by the end of the 2022 season, at the last game of the year, he did just that.
While at California prepping for the Rose Bowl, Franklin notified DeLuca he was finally getting his wish in gaining a scholarship that will begin with the spring semester.
“It was relieving and such a surreal moment,” DeLuca said, on being told he was going to receive a scholarship. “Coach (Mike) Fanti was the first person I told after my parents.” Fanti is an assistant coach at Wyoming Area.
Rose Bowl
DeLuca said going to the Rose Bowl was an experience he would never forget.
“Wow, dream come true, it was crazy seeing the confetti everywhere, the fireworks, coach (Franklin) on the stage, the roses and getting a chance to hold the Rose Bowl trophy was crazy,” DeLuca recalled during post game ceremonies. “We worked so hard for that trophy and seeing everyone smiling, crying, it was a great feeling.”
DeLuca said it was fantastic sharing the Rose Bowl stage with high school teammate, Blaise Sokach-Minnick, who is a long snapper on the team. Sokach-Minnick is also a walk on red shirt freshman.
Prior to the start of the game, Franklin named DeLuca one of the co-captains of the game.
DeLuca’s parents Carl and Ree Ree were delighted and began to post the news on social media, when it was game time; DeLuca was not one of the designated co-captains.
Prior to the game’s start, DeLuca found out one of his teammates, senior PJ Mustipher, approached Franklin stating he was a senior having never been named a co-captain, if he could be one for his last career game.
Upon hearing that, DeLuca unselfishly and voluntarily handed over his co-captainship position to Mustipher.
Post Rose Bowl
DeLuca, along with seven members of his family attending the Rose Bowl returned home for a brief stay before heading back to State College to start the spring semester.
Spencer, Fanti, former Wyoming Area and PSU football player Mark Sickler, former teammates and others gathered at Wyoming Area’s weight room to celebrate DeLuca’s return home as well as receiving a scholarship.
Sickler was at PSU from 1983 to 1987 taking part on winning a National Championship in 1986 against Miami.
As a lineman, Sickler played nearly every position on the line finally settling at right tackle for two years.
“What Dominic achieved is amazing,” Sickler said. “I know how hard it is to be a scholarship athlete and compete. Dominic had a dream he wanted to play at Penn State and he achieved that dream. Getting hurt his (high school) senior year, working hard, and getting to Penn State to compete with the best in the world and play… unbelievable. He’s a great representative of this area, great kid and great personality.”
Spencer, a 15-year veteran as a head coach, has never had a player go through his program to achieve Division I college status until DeLuca and Sokach-Minnick made the PSU roster.
“To have two players at that level is incredible for them first and foremost,” Spencer said. “They represent our program impeccably and I’m just so proud, so overwhelmingly proud and the joy that I, and we as a program, have for Dominic working for a scholarship opportunity. I’m equally excited for the same opportunity that Blaise has and is working towards.”
Spencer said it’s not an easy thing to achieve scholarship status in such a short amount of time, and DeLuca did it in one full season at the highest level in college football.
“Very few people really understand the work and effort that it is to achieve that level that Dom has done while at PSU,” Spencer added. “He truly deserves what he works for and accomplishes and again, my joy and pride for him is overwhelming.”
Ree Ree DeLuca said prior to the Rose Bowl game, she and her husband Carl were called into a meeting with Franklin and other coaches not knowing what the meeting is about.
“We were sitting around a table and everyone was joking and finally they said, ‘The reason why we are here is, Dominic is going to receive a scholarship,’” Ree Ree said. “Then they told us we had to keep our mouths shut until the team and others were notified.”
According to Ree Ree, Franklin said, “You can also tell everyone in Northeast Pennsylvania they can stop calling my office asking me to get Dominic a scholarship.”
Ree Ree also added, Franklin said Dominic isn’t getting the scholarship because of all fans in Northeast PA, but because of his football mind and high football IQ and there isn’t a place they can’t put him and he knows what he’s doing.
PSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz told the DeLucas he didn’t realize the walk-on DeLuca was going to be so successful, saying he has seen guys in the NFL that can’t make corrections on the field like Dominic.
DeLuca has always set up goals for himself and his next goal is to win a national championship.
In the meantime, he is looking towards the future whether he is a starting defensive player or not.
“I’m just there to do my part and when they need me I’m going to make the plays when I’m asked,” DeLuca said.
