Conestoga Pioneer Jackson Niness 2017 Mini Max Award Winner

Conestoga Pioneer Senior Jackson Niness - 2017 Mini Max Award Winner

Conestoga Pioneer Senior linebacker and Co-Captain Jackson Niness was among the sixty players awarded the 2017 Mini Max high school award by the Maxwell Football Club this year. The award-winning players are selected from schools located in Districts 1, 3, 11 and 12 in the eastern half of the state. The players were nominated by their coaches and evaluated based on on-field performance, academics and community service. The Maxwell Football Club, which honors excellence in football at all levels, will host the 32nd Annual MFC Mini Max High School Awards Dinner on January 11, 2018 at which time of the sixty Mini Max awarded players will be honored as the winner of the Jim Henry Award as the Outstanding High School Player in the region. Go Jackson!!

Niness also has the distinction, along with teammate Tate Kienzle, of recording more than 100 tackles on the year. Niness led the pioneer defense in almost every statistical category during his last two years. This year Niness led the team in solo tackles (57), tackles for loss (15), forced fumbles (4), and fumbles recovered (4), while also recording 107 total tackles. His 6’3” 220-pound frame and a sub 4.9 second forty allowed Niness to wreak havoc in the opponent’s backfield. Coach Kaminskas explained “Jackson is the type of player every defensive coordinator dreams of having. He is playing linebacker with defensive end size, he can run sideline to sideline to make plays, and his football IQ is off the charts. It seems like there isn’t anything this kid can’t do on defense. One play against Ridley Niness ran down one of their fastest running backs on a sweep, and the next play ran through a 300-pound guard, making a tackle in the backfield. Hands down Jackson is the best all-around football player I have had the privilege to coach, and has the character off the field to match his skills on the field.”

Senior Tate Kienzle, using his speed and nose for the ball, recorded 111 tackles on the year which led the Stoga defense (51 solo, 60 assisted). Conestoga’s defensive coordinator Matt Kaminskas said of Kienzle “he is a one of a kind player, the kid runs like a safety but hits like a linebacker. His athletic ability allows him to be around the ball every snap, and it seems like every game he is in on a turnover. I knew he was the real deal when we were at Lower Merion. Tate bit on a play action fake, and was still able to drop 30 yards and make the interception on the goal line. Then the next series Tate blitzes on the backside of a sprint out, and ran the quarterback down for a strip sack. When Tate steps in between those white lines his motor never stops, and he walks with a swagger that no one is going to beat him, that’s what I love about him.”

The success of both Niness and Kienzle caught the eye of many college football programs across the country, and both had the opportunity to take their skills to the next level. However, being top recruits in the state for lacrosse, Niness and Kienzle both committed to Gettysburg College and hope to immediately impact the Bullets lacrosse team next spring.