“He blocked an extra point, which was the difference in the football game,” Conrad said of the Lions’ 14-13 win. “Even in that game, he ended up with a fumble recovery on their last play in order for us to gain possession and run out the clock. Other games, in the Dallastown game the second time, he was in on 17 different plays with either a sack, a deflected pass, a tackle for loss or just a regular tackle. There was a huge fourth-and-1 situation there. He came in with the big stop.”

While his high school season is done, Zeller still has a couple more games on tap before he enrolls in college. He’ll play in the Chesapeake Bowl on Dec. 30 at Towson’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, and in the Big 33 Classic this summer – an all-star game pitting Pennsylvania’s best against the top players from Ohio.

Conrad wasn’t surprised at all by the attention his star lineman received for his senior-year success.

“I said it when he was coming into his sophomore year that he would have this opportunity,” Conrad said. “He was 6-2, 210 pounds as a sophomore. And now he’s 6-6, 290. He’s a lean, mean, fighting machine. But he’s only 17 years old. He just turned 17 in October. He doesn’t turn 18 until October of his freshman year.”

Conrad said Zeller has emerged as a “leader of his recruiting class” at Maryland, demonstrating “levelheadedness and maturity” throughout the coaching upheaval. It remains to be seen which side of the ball Zeller ends up on in college, but the program he’ll suit up for has never been in question.

“He had offers from other schools on the defensive line,” Conrad said. “In fact, Oregon had offered him on the defensive line, but I guess it depends on the system and where coaches want to put him. He’s open to either side of the ball. He just wants to go play football at the University of Maryland.”