The University of Albany continued to find football talent in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
Two Wyoming Valley Conference players signed Wednesday to play with the FCS program, formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA.
Wyoming Area long snapper Tristan Sokach-Minnick and Coughlin lineman Ryan Solt announced they will play at Albany.
Solt, the son of former National Football League guard Ron Solt, will receive a scholarship. Sokach-Minnick committed as a preferred walk-on, meaning he won’t receive a scholarship initially but will be guaranteed a spot on the roster.
Albany signed two WVC players last year — Wyoming Valley West tight end L.J. Wesneski and Williamsport receiver Jerah Reeves.
“When I went down on my official visit, L.J. was my host,” Solt said. “And I was around Reeves my entire time. Both of them, I love them. They’re a couple valley kids and I can’t wait to get up there with them.”
Solt was named all-state the past two seasons. He blocked for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in earning Times Leader All-WVC honors as a junior and senior.
Solt had offers from FBS schools Army, Rutgers, Syracuse and Maryland, where his dad played. Those programs wanted him to commit much earlier than he was comfortable doing.
Sokach-Minnick played on the offensive and defensive line, but at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds he wouldn’t be able to transition there at the FCS level. However, long snapping has evolved into a specialty position and his ability drew interests from Colgate, Lehigh, Pittsburgh and Stony Brook.
“Even the coaches will tell you it’s not a high-priority position until you need one in a program,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said.
Sokach-Minnick stumbled upon the position while in eighth grade. The team was doing a punting drill with two punt units during summer conditioning and needed a second long snapper. He volunteered and discovered he was good at it. He continued to hone the skill through practice and attending camps for long snappers.
“I went down on a game day visit and the campus was insane,” Sokach-Minnick said. “I just loved the campus. The team, the way they play, I kind of want to compare it to how Wyoming Area plays. We play with fire, we play with intensity and we played to win.
“When I went down there for game day, I got the same feeling I got here.”
