Red Lion multi-position football star picks up Division I offer after record-setting career

Randy Fizer has done his best to stay patient the past few months. 

But he admitted the uncertainty has been stressful. How could it not be? 

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a massive wrench into collegiate recruiting since this past March, canceling campus visits and putting scholarship availability up in the air. 

Monday night, Fizer took a deep breath and felt relieved. 

He finally picked up his first Division I scholarship offer from Wagner College, an FCS school located in Staten Island. He's the second Red Lion football player to earn a Division I offer this year, with defensive end Davante Dennis picking up offers from Central Michigan and Massachusetts. 

"I definitely felt uncertain not knowing what the future would hold," said Fizer. "I had a Zoom call with (Red Lion) coach (Jesse) Shay and he told me to stay patient and let things work out and believe it would happen.

"I'm super excited but definitely a little relieved." 

Wagner competes in the Northeast Conference and just hired a new coach in Tom Masella after a 1-11 season in 2019. The Seahawks last winning season was 2016. 

The NEC didn't play football this fall due to COVID-19, but could potentially play this spring. 

Fizer said he's also gotten interest from the University of Dayton in Ohio. He said he hasn't put a timeline on a decision to commit anywhere yet. He hasn't had a chance to visit Wagner's campus due to the pandemic. 

Wherever he plays in college, Fizer will be switching positions once again. 

A quarterback most of his life, Fizer got on the field for Red Lion as a sophomore at wide receiver and became one of the best players in the YAIAA. He set school records at the position over the next two years. He switched back to quarterback this season for the Lions. 

A first-team all-star selection at wide receiver by league coaches as a sophomore and junior, he was voted second-team quarterback (behind Penn State commit Beau Pribula) and first-team "Athlete" by coaches this fall. 

As expected, he's being recruited as a slot receiver or "Athlete" at the college level. He said spending the past year at quarterback should make him a better receiver. 

"I'm definitely excited to go back to receiver," he said. "It was a cool opportunity to play QB and that was there the team needed me. It helped me tremendously because as the field general, you have to know everything that's going on. As a receiver, you have to know what the QB wants." 

A team-first player 

The first thing that stands out about Fizer is his speed. 

He runs a 4.46 40-yard dash, but looks even faster on the field. That speed helped him rack up almost 1,400 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in two seasons as a receiver — despite missing three-and-a-half games with a leg injury his junior year. 

That speed helped him rush for more than 1,000 yards in a seven-game season this year. 

"He's certainly the fastest I've coached at Red Lion, and among the two or three fastest I've coached in my career going back to my days (as defensive coordinator) at Bishop McDevitt," said Shay. "His acceleration is the best I've coached anywhere. His stop-and-go is ridiculous." 

Still, Shay thinks Fizer has attributes just as important as his speed. 

He thinks the senior's football IQ is "through the roof" after a season at quarterback. 

Most importantly, Shay said Fizer is incredibly unselfish and a great teammate. 

When Fizer was beaten out at quarterback as a sophomore by senior Zach Mentzer, he didn't pout. He learned a new position and excelled. 

He took a similar attitude this past offseason when the team needed him to switch positions again. 

"We told him we needed him at quarterback and it's not the position he's being recruited for," Shay said. "Not once did he complain."

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Fizer helped Red Lion go 5-2 in a shortened season this fall. The Lions only losses were an opening night blowout to juggernaut Central York and a thrilling (though crushing) last-minute 34-30 defeat to York High.  

In a normal season, the Lions would likely have made the Class 5A playoffs. Instead, they finished one spot out of the reduced four-team bracket. 

Fizer finished the season with 870 passing yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for 1,057 yards and 15 more scores. 

He was on pace for 1,242 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and 1,510 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in a normal 10-game season. Red Lion has had numerous quarterbacks put up impressive dual-threat seasons in recent years, but Fizer's 2020 campaign is up there with all of them. 

"I look back at all the things I got to accomplish and I'm blessed," Fizer said. "A lot of people around the country didn't get to play a full season this year."

One of the best in Red Lion history 

In the process, Fizer set seven school records during his career: touchdown receptions in a season (14), career touchdown receptions (21), career receiving yards (1,396), career receptions (91), rushing yards in a game (281), rushing touchdowns in a game (five) and points scored in a game (32). 

He set the points record in the final game of his career by going 14-of-18 for 147 yards and two scores passing while rushing for 268 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries in a 56-49 win over rival Dallastown. 

Because of those accomplishments, Shay believes Fizer ranks close to Scott Fitzkee as the best players in Red Lion football history. A 1975 grad, Fitzkee went on to star at wide receiver for Penn State and played four seasons in the NFL, two with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Fitzkee was voted the greatest athlete in Red Lion history by the York Daily Record in 2008. Readers voted him the greatest high school athlete in York-Adams history. 

"He's up there and has gotta be mentioned with Fitzkee," Shay said. "Scott did amazing things at Penn State, but in terms of high school careers, (Fizer) has to be in the same conversation." 

At 6-foot and 172 pounds, Fizer will now turn his attention to putting on weight to play collegiately. He said he started getting back into doing wide receiver drills toward the end of the season. 

He plans to study business in college. 

"I definitely need to get stronger and gain weight," Fizer said. "A lot of schools like my speed and athleticism, but I know I need to get my body in the best shape." 

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.