Union Senior and Union/A-C Valley Lineman Zander Laughlin Commits to Play at Juniata College

RIMERSBURG, Pa. (EYT/D9) — It’s frigid. The temperature has dipped into the low 20s and a wind is howling.

Zander Laughlin is outside anyway, jumping rope.

It’s too cramped in the basement of his Rimersburg home for Laughlin to work out down there and his parents frown upon the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder doing that in the living room.

So into the elements he goes.

(Pictured above, Zander Laughlin)

There’s a good reason why Laughlin, who just wrapped up a stellar career as an offensive and defensive lineman at Union/A-C Valley, is braving the cold.

He wants to get better for his next challenge on the Juniata College football team.

Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.

Laughlin committed to play there on Tuesday, ending what was sometimes a stressful process.

“I loved it up there,” Laughlin said. “There’s a very good atmosphere there. I like the coaches and the school and the campus is nice. It was very stressful because I had all these coaches texting me saying come here because of this. The reason I picked Juniata is because they showed great hospitality when I went there.

“I’m excited that I committed so I can relieve a lot of the stress,” he added. “Everyday I was thinking, ‘Where do I want to go? Where am I gonna go? I need to think about this and be right because this is my next four years.’”

Laughlin had a lot of options — and for good reason.

He has size, quickness, football acumen and a high motor. That made him a very attractive prospect.

But Laughlin isn’t satisfied.

That’s why he is out in the cold, jumping rope, running ladders and doing quick, 10-yard sprints to improve his explosion.

“I want to work on my footwork, get my feet quicker,” Laughlin said. “I’ve been doing a lot of drills. I do about 10 minutes of jump rope, then ladders, a footwork agility ladder, then sprints, and 50 jumpers (on the jump rope) after each drill.”

Laughlin isn’t slow by any means, even at his size.

He said he knows at the next level, though, he’ll have to be quicker and stronger.

Laughlin is Aalready a mainstay in the weight room — he added 20 pounds of muscle between last season and this campaign.

It turned him into a force, especially on the offensive line.

Juniata could use Laughlin anywhere across the front.

“I could even be a center,” he said. “I can snap the ball, too.”

Laughlin doesn’t care where he plays. He just wants to keep playing.

He started to play football almost from the time he could walk, playing flag football before moving up to youth league.

Laughlin missed his eighth grade season because of an injury, but joined the Union/A-C Valley football co-op during his freshman season, developing into a mainstay on the line.

Playing in college has long be his goal. Achieving it, he said, is a blessing.

“It makes me feel good because you put in all that hard work, you’ve been working all those years playing football, and now you see paying off,” Laughlin said. “I’ve always been a big kid. I’ve always been a lineman. I love it.”

Laughlin decided to not play basketball this winter for Union so he could focus on getting ready for college football.

The decision wasn’t an easy one. He was dangerous for the Golden Knights last season, both inside and outside — Laughlin has a very good 3-point shot for a big man.

“It was hard for my family more than anything,” Laughlin said. “They were like do what you want to do, put your passion where you love it.”

That’s always been football.

Laughlin said he is proud of the success the football co-op between Union and A-C Valley has enjoyed.

He said he wasn’t easy blending players from two schools at first, especially from two rivals.

“The co-op was the best thing for us,” Laughlin said. “At the beginning, I don’t know if we liked each other, but we quickly saw each other as brothers. We’re all one family. That’s what I enjoyed the most.”

Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.