Hoenstine Awarded Blair Co. Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship

The Blair County Sports Hall of Fame held its 2023 Scholarship Luncheon on Wednesday, June 7.

The two scholarship recipients were Jeff Hoenstine of Central High School and Lydia Worthing of Bellwood Antis High School (shown).

Hoenstine left his mark not only on Central High School but in the Pennsylvania record books. He owns the state record for most career touchdown passes (146) and most career touchdown passes in a single season (57 in 2021). In total, he threw for more then 10,000 yards, which ranks third all-time in Pennsylvania history, and completed 67 percent of his passes over his four year career.

He was named the Class 3A Pennsylvania player of the year as a junior and senior and was named Pennsylvania's Mr. Football for the 2022 season.

Hoenstine also helped the Dragons win the 2022 PIAA baseball championship as a junior shortstop.

Hoenstine ranks third in his graduating class of 140 and has a 4.0 grade point average along with an SAT score of 1180.

He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

He volunteers at the Martinsburg VFW, Morrisons Cove Memorial Park, Spring Cove Little League and Saint Matthews Lutheran Church. He will continue his athletic and academic career at Saint Francis, where he plans to play football. He is going to be majoring in exercise physiology.

Hoenstine said that this is a very prestigious honor. "I am very grateful that I was selected out of all the candidates."

Beyond college, Hoentine hopes to play football as long as possible, working his way up and hopefully having a shot at the pros.

Worthing was a three-sport standout at Bellwood, starring in basketball, volleyball and track and field.

She is a two-time District 6 pole vault champion and finished eighth in the state as a junior. She earned four letters in volleyball and was an all-state selection.

As a basketball player, she helped lead Bellwood Antis to the state semifinals as a junior.

Academically, she has a grade point average of 96.4, scored 1230 on her SAT and ranked in the top third of her class.

Outside of sports, she is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Honor Society.

Worthing is planning to continue her academic and athletic career at Bloomsburg University, where she's planning to participate in volleyball and track.

Worthing and Hoenstine were each presented with a $2,000 check. Reliance Bank sponsors the scholarship program for the Hall of Fame, which has presented scholarships annually since 1988 and has now awarded a total of $130,000.