Athlete of the Week

LebCo Athlete of the Week: Bryce Yocum

by
Dan Rau
November 5, 2026

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Featuring photos by Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

Bryce Yocum

For Northern Lebanon senior Bryce Yocum, making tackles has become second nature. After years of anchoring the Vikings’ defense, Yocum reached a major career milestone during the week of October 19th, recording his 300th career tackle while helping Northern Lebanon earn an important victory in its pursuit of a District 3 playoff berth.

The milestone came during the Vikings’ 23-7 Senior Night victory over Daniel Boone. Yocum finished with 7 tackles, including 5 solo stops and a tackle for loss, while also breaking up a pass. One of his biggest contributions came late in the second quarter, when he made a crucial open-field tackle to prevent Daniel Boone from capitalizing on a Northern Lebanon turnover, preserving a 7-7 halftime tie.

The performance helped the Vikings improve to 6-3 and earned Yocum recognition as a LebCo Athlete of the Week.

For Yocum, reaching 300 tackles was particularly meaningful because of the work required to get there.

“It has been a blessing playing this game, and I’m very thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way,” Yocum said. “Achieving the milestone of 300 tackles is very rewarding because of all the time and dedication I have put in.”

Yocum followed that milestone with one of his strongest defensive performances of the season in Northern Lebanon’s regular-season finale against neighboring ELCO. Although the Vikings came up just short in a hard-fought 14-12 loss, the senior was once again a force on defense.

Yocum recorded a season-high 16 tackles, including 9 solo stops, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. The performance pushed his season total to 107 tackles, capping a regular season in which he consistently provided Northern Lebanon with an important defensive presence.

The Vikings finished the regular season 6-4 under first-year head coach Nate Monroe, earning their first District 3 playoff appearance since 2021. The accomplishment carries additional significance as Northern Lebanon celebrates the 50th anniversary of its football program.

For Yocum, however, simply qualifying for the postseason isn’t enough. His goals are to continue making big plays, providing leadership, and helping the Vikings compete for a District 3 championship.

He takes pride in being someone his coaches and teammates can depend on, both on and off the field. That responsibility has become especially important during his senior season as Northern Lebanon has worked to establish itself under a new coaching staff.

Football has long been an important part of Yocum’s life, with much of that influence coming from his father, Coach Yocum, who has been involved in his development throughout his career.

The elder Yocum was an accomplished outside linebacker and defensive end at Lebanon Valley College, where he recorded 23 sacks over 2 seasons and held the school’s single-season sack record for many years.

Having that experience and guidance close to home has been particularly meaningful for Bryce, who credits his father with helping him become the player he is today.

“I would like to thank Coach Yocum, my father, who has been by my side through my whole career,” Yocum said.

His appreciation also extends to his mother, Jamie, who has consistently supported him from the sidelines, and his brother, Blake Yocum, whom Bryce describes as his biggest competitor and someone who always keeps him humble.

Yocum’s hard work has also earned recognition beyond Northern Lebanon. He has been nominated as a Blue-Grey All-American and plans to participate in the All-American game in Florida this January, giving him another opportunity to showcase his abilities against talented competition.

Football isn’t his only athletic pursuit. Yocum also competes in Track & Field, where he and his teammates on the 4x100m Relay have set their sights on breaking the Northern Lebanon school record this spring.

Looking ahead, Yocum hopes to continue his football career at the collegiate level while pursuing a degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

When he isn’t training or competing, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, often finding some type of game or competition to keep things interesting. His taste in music varies, and he also shared an interesting detail about his early football experience: before becoming one of Northern Lebanon’s most productive defensive players, Yocum actually began his football career as a center.

For Yocum, the competitive nature of sports is a major part of what keeps him motivated. He enjoys winning and testing himself against others, but also appreciates the lifelong friendships that come from being part of a team.

Those relationships have helped make his senior season memorable, and there is still an opportunity to make it historic.

On Friday night, Northern Lebanon will travel to Susquehannock for the opening round of the District 3 Class 4A playoffs. The No. 10-seeded Vikings will face the No. 7 Warriors with an opportunity to accomplish something that has eluded the program throughout its 50-year history: earning its first District 3 playoff victory.

After reaching 300 career tackles and helping Northern Lebanon return to the postseason, Yocum now has an opportunity to add another meaningful accomplishment to his senior season, this time alongside the teammates who have helped make the journey possible.

Congratulations to Bryce on earning LebCo Athlete of the Week honors, and best of luck to him and the Vikings as they look to make history in the District 3 playoffs.