Chase Guers officially made his college decision at the end of June by verbally committing to play football at West Virginia University.
The news broke on the morning of June 25 when Guers, a four-star wide receiver, announced he plans to join the Mountaineers over 16 other offers including Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, Cincinnati and Illinois.
“It was a decision. My mom told me she didn’t want to know, and to trust God and my gut,” Guers said. “She let me be me and always wanted to talk about the journey. She wanted me to go where I felt at home and has been huge on letting me be me in the process.”
Guers loved the visits he took to West Virginia, as well as the connection he made with wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett and the rest of the program and players.
A football family
Guers follows a lineage of brothers to also play football at the collegiate level.
Gaige enters his sophomore year at Kutztown. The oldest brother, Gavin, is a senior defensive lineman at SUNY Cortland.
“(Gaige had) a huge role. We workout all the time and he’s so much smarter than me at the game,” Chase said. “Kutztown isn’t small ball. It’s Division II and every team there can play good DI teams and beat them around. It’s a good school to be at and he’s learned so much from there and taught me the game at home.”
His older brother embraced that role and took it seriously.
“Him growing up behind us, he toughened up and he looks up to us,” Gaige said. “I always give him advice and what he sees from us, we’re good role models. My mom and dad helped him travel the country. It’s not just me and Gavin.”
Gaige has most enjoyed working with his younger brother at the wide receiver position — getting off the line of scrimmage, seeing different looks, running routes and getting open out wide.
All of that work led to Chase earning Division I offers, and ultimately committing to West Virginia.
“I was ecstatic. We were all smiling and hugging,” Gaige said. “I think West Virginia was one of the best schools when they recruited him. What they have as a whole… and they’re saying he has a good opportunity (his) freshman year.”
Striving for success
Guers has also found success on the track, winning gold in the 100-meter dash at the PIAA State Championships during his junior campaign.
Running track has helped him perfect his speed, route running and will to work on tough plays in the open field.
Guers has now set out to prove that he has more than just speed, and show that he has all the skills necessary to produce as a wide receiver at the next level.
“I’m there to play wide receiver, but wherever they want me to play is good,” he said. “My brother has taught me a lot of schemes.”
‘A great place to play’
Going into his senior year, Guers wants to provide the Eagles with another top-notch receiving performance.
He totaled 535 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his junior season, and attributes his success to the environment around him.
“Blue Mountain has been a great place to play wide receiver. Everyone wants to play it and the depth chart is there,” Guers said. “It’s been a great place to produce with all the film we watch. Just the knowledge of the game we learn from this position.”
That depth, he said, will continue to benefit the Eagles’ passing game after his departure.
“Hard work is what it’s all about and it’s just a hard position to play,” Guers said. “Coach (Chuck) Kutz has brought his game out and we’ve been able to produce in some capacities. Blue Mountain produces and Kole Luckenbill is going to be the next producer.”
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