Eric Joraskie
- Post by: mcalibrary
- January 12, 2024
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SAINT PAULINE VISINTAINER SCHOLARSHIP
It should come as no surprise that this year’s St. Pauline Visintainer Scholar Athlete is Eric Joraskie, senior student-athlete from Mount Carmel Area High School. Eric’s total accomplishments on the athletic fields, in the classroom, and in his church enabled him to earn the award.
Joraskie has certainly distinguished himself as a three-year player for Coach Carmen DeFrancesco’s Mount Carmel Area Red Tornadoes. He established himself as one of the most dominant players in our region and the state of Pennsylvania. Eric’s play helped the Tornadoes into the District IV playoffs three times, winning the District IV Championship in 2011. He totaled 184 tackles, including 59 for loss during his career as a defensive tackle and registered 18 quarterback sacks for 124 yards lost – good for 7th place on MCA’s all-time list. His play allowed him to be a two-time Associated Press first team selection in 2011 and 2012. He is only the 7th player in MCA history to be so honored. He also became MCA’s 22nd Big 33 player since its inception in 1957. He will play in this year’s game in Hershey in June. Eric was also tabbed to play in the 3rd annual Chesapeake Bowl in Landover, Maryland, but declined due to game restrictions. In addition to being named to every local all-star team, Joraskie was also named to the prestigious WNEP-TV Dream Team.
After being recruited by schools such as the University of Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Maryland, West Virginia and many others, Eric has decided to accept a scholarship to play for Coach Pat Fitzgerald at Northwest University in Evanston, Illinois.
Eric also participates for MCA track in both the shot and discus, where he has was a District medalist in 2012. Suprisingly for someone 6’4” and 260 lbs, Eric was quite the swimmer as a freshman and sophomore and was a District IV qualifier in the butterfly.
Eric has also been a distinguished honor roll student and is a National Honor Society member. He is very involved with the WKMC TV studio and is a member of the Spanish Club. Eric has the lead roll of Jesus in Godspell and will assume the roll of Danny Zuko in this year’s MCA production of Grease. Joraskie is also a member and altar server at Grace Lutheran Church in Shamokin.
Eric is one of 4 Joraskie brothers, who have played for the Red Tornadoes; Bill, a student at Carnegie Mellon, Adam, a student at Bucknell University, and Austin, currently a sophomore at MCA. He is the son of Nancy and William Joraskie and the grandson of Marie and William Joraskie and Dorothy and the late Harry Przekop.