For me as a kid it was the 91 Erie cathedral prep Connesville western final. Prep was down two tds and block a punt and mark Tate a pennstate recruit caught a pass late in the 4th to win the game 28-21.
Best high school game you attended
- Thread starter Hausmann1978
- Start date
Top of my head I will say 2014 Pennsbury over D-town West 63-55 in first round of playoffs. PHS RB Snorweah, dotting an unfamiliar I-formation, rushed 47 for 430 and 7 TDs, while DW QB McNulty threw for over 400 yards. It was a one-score game late 4th when Daly for PHS scooped a DW on-side kick attempt and took it to the house. DW still tacked on another TD late. Pennsbury went on to win D1 title.
Close second might be St. Joe's over Coatesville 53-49 in 2017 state semi. Never saw a crowd go from sitting on their hands to waving goodbye to holding their breath like Prep fans that night.
Close second might be St. Joe's over Coatesville 53-49 in 2017 state semi. Never saw a crowd go from sitting on their hands to waving goodbye to holding their breath like Prep fans that night.
That coatsville sjp game I didn't attend but watched the highlights online. That was one of those games where the last team that got the ball won. Another game for me was the 1991 Erie cathedral prep Erie strong Vincent game. ECP was undefeated and the AAAA runner up in Hershey and Erie strong Vincent was the AAA eventual state champs. I remember it poured that day at veterans stadium in Erie and the game was still sold out. Erie prep won 7-0 on a mark Tate touchdown in the second half. The 2007 Pittsburgh central Catholic gateway game is up on my list as well. Gateway sent the game into overtime on a hook and ladder play with no time left. PCC won 35-34 because gateway missed the extra point in overtime.
1. Coatesville-LaSalle 2012. Back and forth, big plays, incredible atmosphere.
2. La-Salle-North Penn 2010. See above.
3. SJP-CVille 2017. CVille should have won gold that year.
4. Liberty-Bethel Park 2008. State championship overtime game.
Too hard to narrow this to one game.
2. La-Salle-North Penn 2010. See above.
3. SJP-CVille 2017. CVille should have won gold that year.
4. Liberty-Bethel Park 2008. State championship overtime game.
Too hard to narrow this to one game.
All great games. someone posted the CB west Plymouth whitemarsh in 96. Great game, high scoring, and back and forth.
One of my best was West Allegheny (Palkos) vs Strath Haven 2000 State Title in 3A.
With 22 sec left in the game, WA tied the game up at 28-28. WA tried to chip the ball on the kickoff to catch Haven off guard, but the ball went out at the SH 41. SH took the ball there. WA expected Mike Connor to throw the ball long to Josh Hannan, but instead he threw a 5 and out. Josh used he's speed to beat Joe Slappy down the sidelines to the WA 22. Again, WA expected Josh to go the the endzone on a pass. Instead, Connor handed the ball to FB John Mulhern up the middle to the WA 7. Here Carl Shoemann kicked a field goal with 1 sec left in the game. WA couldn't do anything on the kickoff to end the game. Final 31-28.
With 22 sec left in the game, WA tied the game up at 28-28. WA tried to chip the ball on the kickoff to catch Haven off guard, but the ball went out at the SH 41. SH took the ball there. WA expected Mike Connor to throw the ball long to Josh Hannan, but instead he threw a 5 and out. Josh used he's speed to beat Joe Slappy down the sidelines to the WA 22. Again, WA expected Josh to go the the endzone on a pass. Instead, Connor handed the ball to FB John Mulhern up the middle to the WA 7. Here Carl Shoemann kicked a field goal with 1 sec left in the game. WA couldn't do anything on the kickoff to end the game. Final 31-28.
Here are some of the best from my Alma mater
2000: Easton 7 Parkland 6
Biggest upset I've attended. Parkland was #2 in the state and #19 in the country and had beaten Easton 42-13 two weeks earlier. Game was in Orefield as Parkland was 10-0 and the top seed for the D11 playoffs. Easton was 1-2 in games missed by Big 33 left tackle Dave Williams (6'4 275) and 7-0 with him. Well, Williams (who went on to play at Ohio University) was back and Easton spent most of the game with an unbalanced line, moving right tackle Rich Taney (6'3 280, played at New Haven) next to Williams and pounding it with junior YaYah McGurn (no small back at 6'3 220). Easton scored on their opening drive, then spent most of the night playing keep away. YaYah carried 37 times for 181 yards and on the whole Easton ran for 254 yards and didn't complete a pass. Parkland scored in the second half, but missed the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Parkland threw a TD pass that was called back for offensive pass interference, then on the next play Easton forced a fumble, and ran the final six and a half minutes off of the clock. It was basically the most perfect game of “keep away” I’ve ever seen. Easton lost the D11 final 21-20 to Bethlehem Catholic in a similarly amazing game, where YaYah got stopped at the one inch mark on a two point attempt in the final minute that would have given Easton the lead.
2000: Easton 17 Phillipsburg 14
Easton trails 14-3 with seven minutes left, but Matt Loebsack engineered two fourth quarter TD drives, both with passes to Todd Avant, and Easton escaped with the win to bounce back after losing the D11 finals five days earlier.
2003: Easton 34 Cumberland Valley 20 (PIAA Quarters)
First state playoff win for the good guys in their first trip since 1993. Cumberland Valley was #2 in the state and a big favorite to challenge North Penn, particularly after they ran for 434 yards in the D3 championship. Easton opened with a 14-0 lead with a long TD drive in the first quarter and Brad Piperata popping a 85 yard TD on their first play of the second quarter - a very “we are faster and we can win this game” moment. Then CV punched back with two dominant TD drives with their huge lien and future Penn State fullback Dan Lawlor. Easton took a lead, then blew it in the third quarter when they fumbled deep in their own territory and it got returned for a touchdown. Tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter, Ovid Goulbourne got a nice hole on the left side and got absolutely shot out of a canon for a 55 yard touchdown run. They stopped CV on fourth down, then ground out a bunch of the clock, capped by Ovid dragging five defenders the final five yards of a TD run to clinch the game. Best win Easton’s had in Hershey Park Stadium.
2004: Easton 14 Liberty 7 (District 11 Championship)
Easton repeated as D11 champs in a ridiculous game, where they only gained 56 yards of total offense, but forced five turnovers and blocked two punts to win. They scored late in the third quarter when Kevin Danko blocked a punt that got returned inside the 5, then Ovid plowed in for a score. Liberty’s back up QB (Dan Persa got knocked out in the third quarter) led a long TD drive to tie it in the fourth, then Easton went three and out and Liberty looked like they were in business, crossing midfield. But Todd Kresge came untouched on a blitz, forced a fumble that bounced right up to him and he went 67 yards for the go ahead defensive touchdown with under 2 minutes left.
2006: Easton 17 Parkland 15 (District 11 Semifinals)
Easton knocks off the #1 team in the state in a match up of top 5 teams with a 37 yard field goal by Ian Heck as time expired. Easton was held to -23 yards in the second half before their final drive, and saw a 14-0 lead disappear the the second half. But after Lewie Briggs dove to knock away a potential back breaking TD for Parkland on fourth down with 1:21 left, Easton picked up 53 yards to get into field goal range, getting a 20 yard run with a surprise trap play on 3rd and 10 and then a 35 yard pass to Briggs. Then Heck hit the field goal, the first of his career.
2010: Easton 13 Whitehall 10 (District 11 Championship)
Easton won their second straight D11 title playing two days after losing in overtime on Thanksgiving to P’Burg. Whitehall lead 10-6 in the fourth quarter, and hit Tyler Artie (Holy Cross) over the middle for a huge gain, as he split the safeties and looked gone. But Justin Pacchioli ran him down, catching him inside the 20 and punching the football out from behind. Easton came up with the football, and ran a 13 play, 83 yard drive, all on the ground and Pacchioli scored on a QB draw to take a 13-10 lead. This one was also memorable because being two days after Thanksgiving, alumni from all over the country were in town for the holiday, making for a huge crowd for the title game - I got to go with tons of Easton folk I hadn’t attended a game with in years (ditto for their win in 2009).
2014: Easton 63 Whitehall 49 (regular season)
Just a ridiculous football game. Easton had over 700 yards of offense, Whitehall returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, Shane Simpson set an Easton record with seven touchdowns, as he ran for 279 and six scores plus caught a 50 yard touchdown. Whitehall had some kid named Saquon Barkley who ran for 120 yards and four touchdowns, plus returned a kick for a touchdown.
Losses
1999: Bethlehem Catholic 21 Easton 20 (D11 Finals)
2002: Bethlehem Catholic 14 Easton 9 (D11 Semis)
2004: Neshaminy 21 Easton 14 (PIAA Eastern Final)
2009: LaSalle 17 Easton 14 (PIAA Quarters)
2012: Nazareth 28 Easton 21 (D11 Finals)
2014: Parkland 13 Easton 10 (OT) (D11 Finals)
2000: Easton 7 Parkland 6
Biggest upset I've attended. Parkland was #2 in the state and #19 in the country and had beaten Easton 42-13 two weeks earlier. Game was in Orefield as Parkland was 10-0 and the top seed for the D11 playoffs. Easton was 1-2 in games missed by Big 33 left tackle Dave Williams (6'4 275) and 7-0 with him. Well, Williams (who went on to play at Ohio University) was back and Easton spent most of the game with an unbalanced line, moving right tackle Rich Taney (6'3 280, played at New Haven) next to Williams and pounding it with junior YaYah McGurn (no small back at 6'3 220). Easton scored on their opening drive, then spent most of the night playing keep away. YaYah carried 37 times for 181 yards and on the whole Easton ran for 254 yards and didn't complete a pass. Parkland scored in the second half, but missed the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Parkland threw a TD pass that was called back for offensive pass interference, then on the next play Easton forced a fumble, and ran the final six and a half minutes off of the clock. It was basically the most perfect game of “keep away” I’ve ever seen. Easton lost the D11 final 21-20 to Bethlehem Catholic in a similarly amazing game, where YaYah got stopped at the one inch mark on a two point attempt in the final minute that would have given Easton the lead.
2000: Easton 17 Phillipsburg 14
Easton trails 14-3 with seven minutes left, but Matt Loebsack engineered two fourth quarter TD drives, both with passes to Todd Avant, and Easton escaped with the win to bounce back after losing the D11 finals five days earlier.
2003: Easton 34 Cumberland Valley 20 (PIAA Quarters)
First state playoff win for the good guys in their first trip since 1993. Cumberland Valley was #2 in the state and a big favorite to challenge North Penn, particularly after they ran for 434 yards in the D3 championship. Easton opened with a 14-0 lead with a long TD drive in the first quarter and Brad Piperata popping a 85 yard TD on their first play of the second quarter - a very “we are faster and we can win this game” moment. Then CV punched back with two dominant TD drives with their huge lien and future Penn State fullback Dan Lawlor. Easton took a lead, then blew it in the third quarter when they fumbled deep in their own territory and it got returned for a touchdown. Tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter, Ovid Goulbourne got a nice hole on the left side and got absolutely shot out of a canon for a 55 yard touchdown run. They stopped CV on fourth down, then ground out a bunch of the clock, capped by Ovid dragging five defenders the final five yards of a TD run to clinch the game. Best win Easton’s had in Hershey Park Stadium.
2004: Easton 14 Liberty 7 (District 11 Championship)
Easton repeated as D11 champs in a ridiculous game, where they only gained 56 yards of total offense, but forced five turnovers and blocked two punts to win. They scored late in the third quarter when Kevin Danko blocked a punt that got returned inside the 5, then Ovid plowed in for a score. Liberty’s back up QB (Dan Persa got knocked out in the third quarter) led a long TD drive to tie it in the fourth, then Easton went three and out and Liberty looked like they were in business, crossing midfield. But Todd Kresge came untouched on a blitz, forced a fumble that bounced right up to him and he went 67 yards for the go ahead defensive touchdown with under 2 minutes left.
2006: Easton 17 Parkland 15 (District 11 Semifinals)
Easton knocks off the #1 team in the state in a match up of top 5 teams with a 37 yard field goal by Ian Heck as time expired. Easton was held to -23 yards in the second half before their final drive, and saw a 14-0 lead disappear the the second half. But after Lewie Briggs dove to knock away a potential back breaking TD for Parkland on fourth down with 1:21 left, Easton picked up 53 yards to get into field goal range, getting a 20 yard run with a surprise trap play on 3rd and 10 and then a 35 yard pass to Briggs. Then Heck hit the field goal, the first of his career.
2010: Easton 13 Whitehall 10 (District 11 Championship)
Easton won their second straight D11 title playing two days after losing in overtime on Thanksgiving to P’Burg. Whitehall lead 10-6 in the fourth quarter, and hit Tyler Artie (Holy Cross) over the middle for a huge gain, as he split the safeties and looked gone. But Justin Pacchioli ran him down, catching him inside the 20 and punching the football out from behind. Easton came up with the football, and ran a 13 play, 83 yard drive, all on the ground and Pacchioli scored on a QB draw to take a 13-10 lead. This one was also memorable because being two days after Thanksgiving, alumni from all over the country were in town for the holiday, making for a huge crowd for the title game - I got to go with tons of Easton folk I hadn’t attended a game with in years (ditto for their win in 2009).
2014: Easton 63 Whitehall 49 (regular season)
Just a ridiculous football game. Easton had over 700 yards of offense, Whitehall returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, Shane Simpson set an Easton record with seven touchdowns, as he ran for 279 and six scores plus caught a 50 yard touchdown. Whitehall had some kid named Saquon Barkley who ran for 120 yards and four touchdowns, plus returned a kick for a touchdown.
Losses
1999: Bethlehem Catholic 21 Easton 20 (D11 Finals)
2002: Bethlehem Catholic 14 Easton 9 (D11 Semis)
2004: Neshaminy 21 Easton 14 (PIAA Eastern Final)
2009: LaSalle 17 Easton 14 (PIAA Quarters)
2012: Nazareth 28 Easton 21 (D11 Finals)
2014: Parkland 13 Easton 10 (OT) (D11 Finals)
Joe Slappy lost that game for West Allegheny, he got beat by Josh Hannum numerous times on defense, and dropped several wide open passes on offense
he was the most inconsistent player I ever saw in high school, great one week and arguably the worst player on the field the next
but he has the best name ever
1994 - Manheim Central vs Berwick
1994 - Beca vs ACC - saw it on tv
2001 - McCaskey vs Reading
2002 - Wilson vs Central Dauphin
1994 - Beca vs ACC - saw it on tv
2001 - McCaskey vs Reading
2002 - Wilson vs Central Dauphin
I'll start with the 1971 Neshaminy-Pennsbury game in front of 15,000. I was 8 years old and my father had Neshaminy season tickets. In the picture you can see all the portable bleachers constructed for this game. Redskins won 21-17 to finish 11-0 and ranked #1 in the state. Falcons ended 9-2. Some vintage footage of this game on YouTube.
Seen a bunch in the Mid Penn with none comparing to 2015's quarterfinal where Cumberland Valley (12-3) beat Central Dauphin (12-2) at Hershey Park 62-61 in 7 overtimes; 13-13 end of reg.
CD lost it when Coach McNamee opted for 2 and failed making it an emotional rollercoaster ride to the very end.
CV limped on to the semis where they ran out of gas against Pitt CC (15-1) 24-7 who went on to beat Parkland (14-2) 21-18 who made it close on a fast break finish.
CD lost it when Coach McNamee opted for 2 and failed making it an emotional rollercoaster ride to the very end.
CV limped on to the semis where they ran out of gas against Pitt CC (15-1) 24-7 who went on to beat Parkland (14-2) 21-18 who made it close on a fast break finish.
Ha-ha ... yes, I did suit up and play in that one as a senior at Neshaminy (so it has to be my favorite). And after all these years I have to say, it still ranks as one of my most fun Saturday afternoons.
I wasn't at the game but the 2014 pr SJP was one of the best games I watched on tv. It was for the state championship in the biggest classification, it was high scoring, and the game came down to the very end. Plus both teams had the best player from both sides of the state in Ben Dinucci and DeAndre swift.
CAMoleskinner didn't just play at Neshaminy, he excelled and got a scholarship to Ga Tech!
PS....edited to say my friend is too modest to mention this.
PS....edited to say my friend is too modest to mention this.
Last edited:
Sounds like Bruce was a hell of a full back back in the day.
