Tyler Schonewolf caught the pass near the line of scrimmage and suddenly looked like a blue and white freight train gathering speed. Thirty-one yards later, the South Williamsport tight end stood alone in the end zone and his team stood alone as District 4’s best team.

Schonewolf’s touchdown catch put an exclamation point on last Friday’s 54-14 win district championship win over North Penn-Mansfield. Schonewolf helped South (11-1) win by doing what he usually does, blocking well, excelling defensively and providing good leadership. But those who know only Schonewolf as a football player who excels on Friday’s are missing the bigger picture.

Schonewolf is one of South’s top students, a senior who nearly recorded a perfect score on his SAT’s. He is president of the Leo Club, a scholar who attacks studies the way he does opposing linemen, a tutor for young students and an active community leader.

South features several outstanding football players. Schonewolf is its Renaissance Man.

“He has the total package. He is a tremendous student, a tremendous player and a tremendous worker,” South coach Chris Eiswerth said. “He’s been a four-year starter for us and hasn’t missed a practice in four years. That’s the kind of character and work ethic and integrity he has. It deserves quite a bit of respect.”

Schonewolf has helped South make a huge transformation in his four years and hopes to try and help it continue its season Friday when the Mounties play District 2 champion Old Forge at Loyalsock in the state tournament’s opening round.

Schonewolf has helped South reach states for the first time since 1997 by being a force on both sides of the ball. The hard-working senior is one of the team’s most valuable players and is receiving significant Ivy League and Patriot League interest. Schonewolf has visited schools like Penn, Brown, Cornell and Army, to name, a few. That is a testament not only to his play but also to his off the field accomplishments.

Those schools are looking for excellent students and leaders as much as they terrific football players. Schonewolf seemlessly glides between all those fields.

“He’s the perfect kind of kid and one whale of a football player,” Schonewolf’s grandfather and South offensive line coach Charlie Ackerman said. “He’s a kid that has dedicated himself to getting bigger and stronger and who has worked hard at everything he’s done and I’m just as proud of what he’s done academically as for what he has done on the field.”

Schonewolf has done quite a bit there. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive end has started defensively for four years and is a three-year two-way starter. When Schonewolf arrived as a freshman, South was coming off a 2-8 season and had endured six straight losing years. Now, South is a district champion for the first time in 17 years and has won at least 10 games in each of the last three years while romping to three NTL championships and this year’s HAC-III title.

A team effort has turned South into a district power, but there would be a big piece missing if Schonewolf was not there. The skill players often receive the most publicity, but Schonewolf has helped provide a nice foundation to build upon.

“Tyler is always keeping us in line,” senior fullback/linebacker John Peters said. “If someone is not doing what they’re supposed to do he’s always doing the right thing and and telling them what to do and making sure they’re doing the right thing. He always follows through and does what he’s supposed to do and I’m pretty sure he gets that from his dad.”

Schonewolf’s father Rich is a South assistant coach and a former Penn State standout. Rich was a two-year defensive line starter at Penn State in 1988 and ’89 and was a reserve on the 1986 National championship team. He later played two seasons in NFL Europe and helped Penn State lead the nation in points allowed during his senior year.

“He’s an outstanding athlete who happens to be playing tackle,” former Penn State coach Joe Paterno said about Rich during the ’89 season. “He has great feet. He anticipates things real well.”

The same could be said of Tyler. Schonewolf has not had to look far for football advice throughout his life. Rich, however, also excelled off the field and in the classroom and has set a good example.

Schonewolf is every bit his father’s son.

“Football has been my life pretty much since I was born with my dad playing at Penn State and my grandfather coaching for more than 40 years,” Schonewolf said. “My dad has been great with helping me learn all the ins and outs of the game.”

Schonewolf has learned well too. He is a terrific blocker who earned all-state honors last year and who helps spark some of South’s bread and butter plays. He is part of a fantastic offensive line that has helped South win 11 straight games and average more than 500 yards per game. He also has surprising quickness for someone his size and Schonewolf has averaged 24.9 yards per catch while scoring three touchdowns.

During the last three offseasons, Schonewolf has put in countless hours in the weight room and now has the strength and explosiveness to match his talent and intelligence. He has been a huge defensive asset and had a big game against North Penn-Mansfield, making six tackles, adding three quarterback hurries and breaking up a pass.

Often, though, it is the plays that Schonewolf does not make that stand out. A good run stuffer, Schonewolf commands attention up front and opens lanes for linebackers and defensive backs and make plays. Other players record the majority of the tackles, but Schonewolf helps make those plays happen.

“He squeezes everything down so much that if you’re there the play is blown up,” Peters said. “He’s fast and he does an excellent job.”

Ironically, Schonewolf did not play football in pads until seventh grade. He started playing flag football as a first grader but his parents did not let him play Pop Warner football. Rich did not play football until 10th grade and he and his family did not want Schonewolf playing until he was physically and emotionally ready to play a demanding and intense game.

The move has worked too. After acclimating himself to the game as a seventh grader, Schonewolf started making an impact and the eighth-grade team went undefeated a year later.

“Those four years when I was not playing I was always around the game,” Schonewolf said. “I was the (high school) water boy and already had heard a lot of the terminology and it was just a matter of doing it with pads on.”

Give Schonewolf a challenge and watch him attack it. He is a driving force on a team that has revived a proud tradition. Just do not expect him to talk much about his impact.

Schonewolf is all about the team. He does not play a glamour position and that does not bother him. South’s Renaissance Man simply wants to win. On or off the field, he puts in the same effort regardless of who notices. The results are mighty impressive.

“The kids respect him because he goes out there and works,” Ackerman said. “He has everything in perspective and when he crosses that chalk he’s there to work.”