The Heisler name has become a popular one at Hempfield Area.

Peyton Heisler was a standout softball player for the Spartans, guiding them to one WPIAL championship plus a state runner-up finish during her time at Hempfield Area. She's preparing for her sophomore season at Penn.

Now, it’s younger brother Brock who has caught the eyes of Division I college coaches. The rising senior has been making a name for himself in football, being one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the WPIAL.

That recruitment has come to an end, with Heisler committing to play football at Harvard.

“My first few offers were Ivy League, but I wasn’t set on it from the start,” he noted of playing for an Ivy League institution. “I think it just came down to the fit. The coaching staff was awesome, genuinely good guys.”

Having his older sister playing in the Ivy League now has given him a good idea of what to expect playing for a school like Harvard.

In addition to the fit on the football team, he was also drawn by the connections an Ivy League school can bring to a student-athlete. He plans to pursue a career in finance, and noted how some of the Harvard coaches have helped set up future mentorships for him with alums.

However, Harvard wasn’t a clear-cut, runaway decision for Heisler. His finalists were the Ivy League powerhouse and a nearby Power 4 school.

“It pretty much came down to WVU and Harvard,” he added. “I got to the point where WVU was my second favorite. They are two opposite schools - different in so many ways. I took the WVU visit and I realized it wasn’t for me, and that’s what it came down to.”

As his attention shifts from the recruiting trail to the upcoming football season, he is aware that this group of seniors can do something special at Hempfield Area.

“I’m really confident in my team this year,” he mentioned. “I love my class. A lot of us have been playing since sophomores or earlier on. We have a lot of experience coming back; I’m excited.”

With the season nearing, Heisler wants to make sure that he leaves a great impact at Hempfield Area before he heads to Harvard.

“Having a big winning season and changing the culture, I think that’s huge,” he shared. “I want to leave a winning season on the program so things go on an upward trend.”