PIAA Football Finals, Dec 9, 10, 11, 2021….what the math says.
Ok guys here we go. As noted this is what the math says although it’s no better than personal picks, maybe worse at 68%. As always, it’s about getting information out you may not otherwise have seen. Here are a couple quick hits before the games.
1A Will Redbank break through giving District 9 their first title in any sport or Guilfoyle pull it off again in what has been a down year for them with 4 losses?
2A Can Southern Columbia get a 3-peat against what might be the toughest competition they’ve played in the final in years?
3A Few thought Wyomissing would be here, even fewer thought they’d blow out Southern Columbia 41-21 in Catawissa.
4A Will McDevitt ever live up to all that potential or fall to another quick and talented Aliquippa team?
5A Can anyone score on Tep’s defense and where is Governor Mifflin?
6A Can anyone slow down Samaj Jones? And who cares how young they are. Half the teams still playing are stocked with youth.
Thursday Dec 9 games: 1A (1 PM) and 4A (7 PM) playoffs
1A
Bishop Guilfoyle 10-4 vs Redbank Valley 13-1 (Bishop Guilfoyle 5.68)
Bishop Guilfoyle is making their 5th appearance in the title game since 2014 after defeating Canton (13-1) in Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium 20-7. It’s been quite a year for the District-6 powerhouse, replacing 10 D starters, overcoming early season injuries and a 1-2 start. But they always schedule bigger schools to toughen them up for the postseason. This year’s included another District-6 power in 2A Richland Township (11-3, a 28-3 loss) who just lost to Southern Columbia in the playoffs. They also played 3A Bedford (10-2, a 28-10 loss) from District-5 who was eliminated last week by Central-Martinsburg. A schedule of 4-2A teams and 4-4As where 6 made the playoffs eases the pressure of postseason play especially playing those people on the road. Their talented quarterback Karson Kiesewetter was close to unstoppable last week, rushing for 132 yards with 3 touchdowns on 20 carries and throwing for 82 yards as the Mauraders outgained Canton narrowly, 233-194 in total yards. It was a super short game of ground pounders where both used 5 and 6 minute drives to eat up the clock. Kiesewetter is their main weapon and a handful to contain with 1823 yards passing (63%, 12/10) and 1005 rushing. Their opponent this week is Redbank Valley from District 9 who just beat a solid Bishop Canevin (13-2, D-7) team 23-14 at North Hills High. They did it the hard way, falling behind 14-0 before roaring back with 23 unanswered points. Chris Marshall tied it up at 14 all with a 98-yard Pick-6. There’s a memory! They are a balanced team with a 6-4, 220-pound quarterback in Bryson Bain who can get it out there, completing 59% for 2318 yards with a 33/10 ratio. Everyone can catch (154, 162, 289, 474, 524 and 630 yard receivers) with Ray Shreckengost (6-0, 220, 890 yards) powering over people while Drew Byers (5-8, 140, 275) and Brenden Shreckengost (5-3, 130, 267) scorch the turf. They don’t look like a typical D9 Single-A as they’ve shown consistency like Coudersport once showed winning back-to-back D9 titles with a 42-14 record the last 5 years. They’ve become the 1A alpha in the district with Coudy slipping to 33-18 the last 5 years. But Bishop Guilfoyle definitely has the pedigree here with a 115-17 record since 2012 and consecutive 1A state titles in 2014, 2015, 2016. The 2019 team (12-3) lost in the state final 10-7 to Farrell in ot. Coach Justin Wheeler has the program on fire in his 11th season. This looks to pit the Bulldogs passing game and defense against Bishop Guilfoyle’s dual threat quarterback and poise.
4A
Bishop McDevitt 12-1 vs Aliquippa 12-1 (Aliquippa 4.92)
Bishop McDevitt got a 25-yard Pick-6 from defensive end Nate Kinsey putting them up 28-14 in the 3rd quarter, before relying on their defense to hold off a final drive by Bishop Shanahan preserving a 28-21win at Coatesville. Marquese Williams had 110 yards rushing while McDevitt’s defense held Shanahan to 212 total yards of offense. Have to mention quarterback Cooper Jordan of Bishop Shanahan who completed 12 of 23 tosses for 125 yards, rushed for another 46 yards on 15 carries and had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. That’s game winning stuff and it almost happened. In the other semifinal, Aliquippa fell behind Jersey Shore 10-7 at the half before erupting for 34 second half points to demolish the Bulldogs 41-16. Turnovers and big plays ruled the day with Tajier Thornton snagging an 86 yard pass from Qb Quentin Goode followed by Cameron Lindsey’s 14-yard Pick 6 followed by Cyair Clack’s 94-yard punt return, all in the 3rd quarter. Lindsey is also a talent at LB. Tiqwai Hayes had a 37-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, his second of the game, followed by Clark getting another Pick-6, this one for 25 yards to end the Quips scoring. Their super quick defense held JS to 62-yard rushing and 250 total.
McDevitt and Aliquippa are two of the younger teams in the playoffs with both backfields starting freshman, juniors and sophomores; no seniors. Freshman quarterback Stone Saunders tops the list for McDevitt, throwing for 2798 yards at 65% with a 43/4 ratio. Juniors Marquese Williams at 1657 yards and Cyncir Bowers with 987 rush yards are their lead backs. Sophomore Rico Scott is their third leading receiver at 522 yards behind seniors Mario Easterly at 945 yards and Kamil Foster at 846. Aliquippa counters with sophomore quarterback Quentin Goode with 1802 yards passing (55%, 17/5), freshman Tiqwai Hayes with 1589 rush yards and soph Jon Tracy with 621 yards. Their receiver corps is veteran and senior with Cyair Clark at 602 yards on 30 receptions and Tajier Thornton with 496 yards on 25 receptions. It will be interesting seeing who gets the jump on who with both having explosive offenses and shutdown defenses.
Friday Dec 10 games: 2A (1 PM) and 5A (7 PA) playoffs
2A
Southern Columbia 14-1 vs Serra Catholic 14-1 (Southern Columbia 9.14)
Friday’s games kick off with Southern Columbia going for their 12th state title and 6th in the last 7 years! A win would also be their 5th consecutive state title. They’re here after taking apart Northern Lehigh (11-4) 56-14. As the score broadcasts, this was not a competitive game with Southern getting a 14-point lead in the first 5 minutes before going into the break with a 35-7 lead. Three Tigers rushed for over 100 yards with Gavin Garcia rushing for 108 on 6 carries and a touchdown, Wes Barnes getting 120 yards and 3 scores and Braeden Wisloski banging out 132-yards and a touchdown on 7 carries. That’s 18.0 yards per carry! If you’re looking for production you found the right team with SCA at 6.7 yards per point (380 total yards) to Northern Lehigh’s having to go 21.64 yards to get a point. Across the field, Serra Catholic got past always strong Farrell (state titles 95, 96, 19, 20, silver 90, 15) 27-18 despite being out gained 364 yards to 139. Once again, turnovers paved the way. Two weeks ago saw them beat Beaver Falls 35-12 in part because of 9 turnovers. This one saw Farrell uncharacteristically give up 6 turnovers. One, a fumble on their 4-yard line Serra ran in on the next play for a 13-7 lead, while another was a 43-yard Pick-6 providing a 20-12 lead. You can’t do that against teams this deep in the playoffs. Serra is a senior team with a lot of veteran playmakers. Quarterback Max Rocco (6-2, 195, sr) threw for 1934 yards at 55% with a 27/9 ratio to 3 quality receivers; Terrell Booth with 868 yards, Jayvon Holt with 674 and Amir Spencer at 323 yards. Machai Brooks-Dutrieuille (5-8, 175, 1039ry, sr) is a tough tackle, low, great balance, cuts on a dime. They could be a challenge for Southern Columbia knowing not just any team beats Beaver Falls and Farrell back-to-back as Serra has. One thing they won’t be able to count on is Southern being as generous in turnovers as Beaver Falls and Farrell were. Like St. Joseph’s Prep, Southern Columbia is a frequent flyer into central Pennsylvania where they seldom self-destruct.
5A
Imhotep Charter 11-1 vs Penn Trafford 12-2 (Imhotep 17.1)
Imhotep Charter scored on their first three possessions where an explosive 22 point second quarter proved fatal in downing a game but outmanned Strath Haven (13-2) 36-0. ICS simply had too much of everything; speed, athleticism and size. All of which conspired to bottle up Haven’s offense at 139 total yards while gouging out 334 yards on the ground for themselves. The win puts them in the state final for the 6th time since 2013 and first time since 2018. They are 1-4 in finals appearances, losing in 2018 38-7, 2017 38-28 and 2016 27-20, all to Cathedral Prep after defeating the Ramblers 40-3 in 2015 and losing to South Fayette 41-0 in 2013. That was then. This year’s team is super talented with division one talent throughout the lineup. Their O-Line is over 300 pounds with a catlike quick quarterback in Mikal Davis (6-0, 210, soph, 542py, 9/0) who hasn’t thrown an interception. Running backs Tre McLeod (5-10, 190, soph, 845ry) and Rahmir Stewart (6-0, 190, jr, 188ry) are their principal weapons along with receiver RJ Atkinson (6-3, 190, sr, 22-280py). Defensively, they’re led by DE Enai White (6-5, 235, sr), LB Khalif Kemp (6-1, 230, sr, Temple), OLB (DE) Keon Wylie (6-3, 220, sr, PSU) and standout safety (free?) Rahmir Stewart. Since their first 3 games where they beat Pitt CC 12-6, DeMatha 14-10 and lost to LaSalle 13-8, they’ve outscored opponents 312-31. While Imhotep was playing Strath Haven, Penn Trafford was taking apart Exeter Township 49-14 at Bald Eagle in District-6. That wasn’t the result many expected with Wisconsin recruit Cade Yacamelli running for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns and a fourth score on a pass. He has 1766 rush yards for the year and is their primary receiver with 19 catches for 318 yards. 4 other receivers have the bulk of receptions. Quarterback Carter Green (1215, 59%, 12/5, 1130ry!) made it look easy completing 10 of 16 passes for 84 yards and 2 touchdown tosses. A 24 point 2nd quarter blew it open as the Warriors got their 10th straight win following an inauspicious 2-2 start. They had Exeter all confused and pressured throwing 4 interceptions and rushing for a meager 66 yards! Trafford was all over Exeter rushing for 260 yards to advance to their first state final. We’ll see if they can keep up with Imhotep’s machine or handle their D-Front knowing teams like Central Catholic, DeMatha, LaSalle and Cathedral only managed to get 36 points combined. For Imhotep, Penn Trafford is nothing like Strath Haven as they are far more balanced with a dual threat quarterback.
Saturday Dec 11 games: 3A (12 PM) and 6A (6 PM) playoffs
3A
Wyomissing 15-0 vs Central Valley 14-0 (Wyomissing 1.14)
Once again Wyomissing made a good team look bad, overwhelming Neumann Goretti (13-2) 42-6, snapping their 12 game winning streak on the way to a rematch with Central Valley in the 3A final. Wins against Pottsville, Southern Columbia, Scranton Prep and now Neumann give them an air of invincibility until seeing what happened to other outstanding teams the last few weeks. Governor Mifflin comes to mind. Still, Wyo absolutely dominated Neumann, holding them to 9 first downs and scoring 42 unanswered points. Amory Thompson rushed for 115 yards and a score with Tommy Grabowski adding 114 yards and a touchdown behind their massive line led by J’ven Williams (6-4, 285, jr, SC, Ky, Mich St), Pacen Ziegler (6-3, 255, jr) and TE Aiden Mack (6-4, 225, sr, Richmond). Ben Zechman kept them on their heels with 2 scoring passes on 5 completions of 7 passes for 62 yards. They advance to play Central Valley who beat them in last year’s final 35-21, rallying from a 14-7 halftime deficit. They got a fight from Central of Martinsburg (14-1) before pulling away for another 35-21 win at Central Valley! Nothing like the home field in a PIAA State Semifinal game!? Although CV held a 21-7 lead at the break, Central battled back with a 35-yard Pick-6, closing the gap to 21-13. Then they recovered an on-sides kick but fumbled it away with Matt Merritt returned it 75 yards for the score putting CV back in front for good, 28-13. Their outstanding back Landon Alexander (2157ry) rushed for 210 yards and 2 scores with Jayvon Thompson (26-748) catching 3 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Giving teams such as Aliquippa 11-1, North Catholic 12-1 (formerly Cardinal Wuerl) and Central 14-1 their first loss gets your attention, as does their enormous offense scoring 49ppg with a defense allowing 8! Their immovable force at DT Sean Fitz Simmons (6-3, 285, sr, Pitt) is the center piece of that defense with 114 tackles, 49 tfl and 21 sacks. The win extends their 26 game winning streak, ushering them into their third straight 3A final. A lot of scores to settle here in what could be a contentious and definitely a combative game.
6A
St. Joseph’s Prep 11-2 vs Mount Lebanon 14-0 (Mount Lebanon 8.6)
Just when you think you’ve got a line on a few teams and games, St. Joe’s comes along and blows it all up, getting a surprisingly easy 49-13 win over previously undefeated and unchallenged Garnet Valley. One of the keys mentioned last week was holding quarterback Samaj Jones (6-1, 210, soph) in check, or at least on a short leash. That was easier said than done as he was off the chart throwing touchdowns of 7, 30 and 16 yards while rushing for 5, 4, 4 and 1 yard scores! He finished the game completing 10 of 14 passes for 145 yards and rushing for 85 yards on 8 carries. What a performance! A 28-point 2nd quarter showed all you needed to see while putting the Jaguars in a 35-7 hole at the half. Thus ends Garnet Valley’s season at 14-1 and the outstanding career of Coach Mike Ricci, spanning 35 years at the school where he garnered a 260-125 log. The Hawks advance to the state final, their 8th in the last 9 years where they’ll go for a four-peat. Here they’ll play Mount Lebanon who also won easily against an 8-6 State College team 49-28. Quarterback Joey Daniels (1925py, 60%, 29/5!) picked them apart, completing 12 of 15 passes for 292 yards, throwing touchdowns of 68, 66, 4, 15, 13 and 48 yards, mostly to Eli Heidenreich (Navy recruit, 1298py) with 8 passes for 264 yards. 5 went for touchdowns. Alex Tecza (1996ry, Army, Colgate, et al) rushed for 104 yards. That’s quite a trio. Lebo found the end zone early and often, racing out to a 42-14 halftime lead on the way to their first trip to Hershey. About the Blue Devils; their O-line is mostly senior, averaging 6-2, 250 pounds. They’re a diverse offense averaging 39ppg with a defense at 11ppg. Their conference, the WPIAL-6A always has a powerhouse or two, teams like North Allegheny (7-5) and Pittsburgh Central Catholic (9-3). They rocked both these teams (NA is down, first 5 loss season since 2008), surviving rematches in the postseason. They destroyed a particularly good Central Catholic team 35-14 in the regular season and again in the postseason 47-7. This is the same Central Catholic team that lost to Imhotep 12-6 after leading 3-0 at the half with a sophomore quarterback Peyton Wehner in his first start. Bottom line, Mount Lebanon is a powerful football team putting 9 on the All-Conference team including LG Owen Halter 6-1 235, LT Kade Capristo 6-3 275, their quarterback and running back. NG William Harvey also made first team at 6-3 285. The coach is the legendary Bob Palko (240-81 entering 2021) in his third year after 24 years at West Allegheny where he won 8 WPIAL titles. There he guided the Indians to three 3A finals appearances, all against Strath Haven, losing in 1999 21-7 and 2000 31-28, then finally defeating them 28-13 in 2001. This game seems easy to handicap from Mount Lebanon’s side knowing they’ve been a model of consistency and waffled Central Catholic twice. They’re playing good football in the South Hills. The problem is figuring out the Hawks. Who’s going to show up, the team that routed Garnet Valley and LaSalle recently or the team that edged Freedom 24-21, Wood 17-14 and Judge 21-13. This is Lebo’s first trip to the big dance with a wily, playoff veteran coach while St. Joe’s can probably tell where the cracks are in the walls of Hershey Park Stadium. Samaj Jones continues to develop. As he goes, so go the Hawks.
Ok guys here we go. As noted this is what the math says although it’s no better than personal picks, maybe worse at 68%. As always, it’s about getting information out you may not otherwise have seen. Here are a couple quick hits before the games.
1A Will Redbank break through giving District 9 their first title in any sport or Guilfoyle pull it off again in what has been a down year for them with 4 losses?
2A Can Southern Columbia get a 3-peat against what might be the toughest competition they’ve played in the final in years?
3A Few thought Wyomissing would be here, even fewer thought they’d blow out Southern Columbia 41-21 in Catawissa.
4A Will McDevitt ever live up to all that potential or fall to another quick and talented Aliquippa team?
5A Can anyone score on Tep’s defense and where is Governor Mifflin?
6A Can anyone slow down Samaj Jones? And who cares how young they are. Half the teams still playing are stocked with youth.
Thursday Dec 9 games: 1A (1 PM) and 4A (7 PM) playoffs
1A
Bishop Guilfoyle 10-4 vs Redbank Valley 13-1 (Bishop Guilfoyle 5.68)
Bishop Guilfoyle is making their 5th appearance in the title game since 2014 after defeating Canton (13-1) in Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium 20-7. It’s been quite a year for the District-6 powerhouse, replacing 10 D starters, overcoming early season injuries and a 1-2 start. But they always schedule bigger schools to toughen them up for the postseason. This year’s included another District-6 power in 2A Richland Township (11-3, a 28-3 loss) who just lost to Southern Columbia in the playoffs. They also played 3A Bedford (10-2, a 28-10 loss) from District-5 who was eliminated last week by Central-Martinsburg. A schedule of 4-2A teams and 4-4As where 6 made the playoffs eases the pressure of postseason play especially playing those people on the road. Their talented quarterback Karson Kiesewetter was close to unstoppable last week, rushing for 132 yards with 3 touchdowns on 20 carries and throwing for 82 yards as the Mauraders outgained Canton narrowly, 233-194 in total yards. It was a super short game of ground pounders where both used 5 and 6 minute drives to eat up the clock. Kiesewetter is their main weapon and a handful to contain with 1823 yards passing (63%, 12/10) and 1005 rushing. Their opponent this week is Redbank Valley from District 9 who just beat a solid Bishop Canevin (13-2, D-7) team 23-14 at North Hills High. They did it the hard way, falling behind 14-0 before roaring back with 23 unanswered points. Chris Marshall tied it up at 14 all with a 98-yard Pick-6. There’s a memory! They are a balanced team with a 6-4, 220-pound quarterback in Bryson Bain who can get it out there, completing 59% for 2318 yards with a 33/10 ratio. Everyone can catch (154, 162, 289, 474, 524 and 630 yard receivers) with Ray Shreckengost (6-0, 220, 890 yards) powering over people while Drew Byers (5-8, 140, 275) and Brenden Shreckengost (5-3, 130, 267) scorch the turf. They don’t look like a typical D9 Single-A as they’ve shown consistency like Coudersport once showed winning back-to-back D9 titles with a 42-14 record the last 5 years. They’ve become the 1A alpha in the district with Coudy slipping to 33-18 the last 5 years. But Bishop Guilfoyle definitely has the pedigree here with a 115-17 record since 2012 and consecutive 1A state titles in 2014, 2015, 2016. The 2019 team (12-3) lost in the state final 10-7 to Farrell in ot. Coach Justin Wheeler has the program on fire in his 11th season. This looks to pit the Bulldogs passing game and defense against Bishop Guilfoyle’s dual threat quarterback and poise.
4A
Bishop McDevitt 12-1 vs Aliquippa 12-1 (Aliquippa 4.92)
Bishop McDevitt got a 25-yard Pick-6 from defensive end Nate Kinsey putting them up 28-14 in the 3rd quarter, before relying on their defense to hold off a final drive by Bishop Shanahan preserving a 28-21win at Coatesville. Marquese Williams had 110 yards rushing while McDevitt’s defense held Shanahan to 212 total yards of offense. Have to mention quarterback Cooper Jordan of Bishop Shanahan who completed 12 of 23 tosses for 125 yards, rushed for another 46 yards on 15 carries and had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. That’s game winning stuff and it almost happened. In the other semifinal, Aliquippa fell behind Jersey Shore 10-7 at the half before erupting for 34 second half points to demolish the Bulldogs 41-16. Turnovers and big plays ruled the day with Tajier Thornton snagging an 86 yard pass from Qb Quentin Goode followed by Cameron Lindsey’s 14-yard Pick 6 followed by Cyair Clack’s 94-yard punt return, all in the 3rd quarter. Lindsey is also a talent at LB. Tiqwai Hayes had a 37-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, his second of the game, followed by Clark getting another Pick-6, this one for 25 yards to end the Quips scoring. Their super quick defense held JS to 62-yard rushing and 250 total.
McDevitt and Aliquippa are two of the younger teams in the playoffs with both backfields starting freshman, juniors and sophomores; no seniors. Freshman quarterback Stone Saunders tops the list for McDevitt, throwing for 2798 yards at 65% with a 43/4 ratio. Juniors Marquese Williams at 1657 yards and Cyncir Bowers with 987 rush yards are their lead backs. Sophomore Rico Scott is their third leading receiver at 522 yards behind seniors Mario Easterly at 945 yards and Kamil Foster at 846. Aliquippa counters with sophomore quarterback Quentin Goode with 1802 yards passing (55%, 17/5), freshman Tiqwai Hayes with 1589 rush yards and soph Jon Tracy with 621 yards. Their receiver corps is veteran and senior with Cyair Clark at 602 yards on 30 receptions and Tajier Thornton with 496 yards on 25 receptions. It will be interesting seeing who gets the jump on who with both having explosive offenses and shutdown defenses.
Friday Dec 10 games: 2A (1 PM) and 5A (7 PA) playoffs
2A
Southern Columbia 14-1 vs Serra Catholic 14-1 (Southern Columbia 9.14)
Friday’s games kick off with Southern Columbia going for their 12th state title and 6th in the last 7 years! A win would also be their 5th consecutive state title. They’re here after taking apart Northern Lehigh (11-4) 56-14. As the score broadcasts, this was not a competitive game with Southern getting a 14-point lead in the first 5 minutes before going into the break with a 35-7 lead. Three Tigers rushed for over 100 yards with Gavin Garcia rushing for 108 on 6 carries and a touchdown, Wes Barnes getting 120 yards and 3 scores and Braeden Wisloski banging out 132-yards and a touchdown on 7 carries. That’s 18.0 yards per carry! If you’re looking for production you found the right team with SCA at 6.7 yards per point (380 total yards) to Northern Lehigh’s having to go 21.64 yards to get a point. Across the field, Serra Catholic got past always strong Farrell (state titles 95, 96, 19, 20, silver 90, 15) 27-18 despite being out gained 364 yards to 139. Once again, turnovers paved the way. Two weeks ago saw them beat Beaver Falls 35-12 in part because of 9 turnovers. This one saw Farrell uncharacteristically give up 6 turnovers. One, a fumble on their 4-yard line Serra ran in on the next play for a 13-7 lead, while another was a 43-yard Pick-6 providing a 20-12 lead. You can’t do that against teams this deep in the playoffs. Serra is a senior team with a lot of veteran playmakers. Quarterback Max Rocco (6-2, 195, sr) threw for 1934 yards at 55% with a 27/9 ratio to 3 quality receivers; Terrell Booth with 868 yards, Jayvon Holt with 674 and Amir Spencer at 323 yards. Machai Brooks-Dutrieuille (5-8, 175, 1039ry, sr) is a tough tackle, low, great balance, cuts on a dime. They could be a challenge for Southern Columbia knowing not just any team beats Beaver Falls and Farrell back-to-back as Serra has. One thing they won’t be able to count on is Southern being as generous in turnovers as Beaver Falls and Farrell were. Like St. Joseph’s Prep, Southern Columbia is a frequent flyer into central Pennsylvania where they seldom self-destruct.
5A
Imhotep Charter 11-1 vs Penn Trafford 12-2 (Imhotep 17.1)
Imhotep Charter scored on their first three possessions where an explosive 22 point second quarter proved fatal in downing a game but outmanned Strath Haven (13-2) 36-0. ICS simply had too much of everything; speed, athleticism and size. All of which conspired to bottle up Haven’s offense at 139 total yards while gouging out 334 yards on the ground for themselves. The win puts them in the state final for the 6th time since 2013 and first time since 2018. They are 1-4 in finals appearances, losing in 2018 38-7, 2017 38-28 and 2016 27-20, all to Cathedral Prep after defeating the Ramblers 40-3 in 2015 and losing to South Fayette 41-0 in 2013. That was then. This year’s team is super talented with division one talent throughout the lineup. Their O-Line is over 300 pounds with a catlike quick quarterback in Mikal Davis (6-0, 210, soph, 542py, 9/0) who hasn’t thrown an interception. Running backs Tre McLeod (5-10, 190, soph, 845ry) and Rahmir Stewart (6-0, 190, jr, 188ry) are their principal weapons along with receiver RJ Atkinson (6-3, 190, sr, 22-280py). Defensively, they’re led by DE Enai White (6-5, 235, sr), LB Khalif Kemp (6-1, 230, sr, Temple), OLB (DE) Keon Wylie (6-3, 220, sr, PSU) and standout safety (free?) Rahmir Stewart. Since their first 3 games where they beat Pitt CC 12-6, DeMatha 14-10 and lost to LaSalle 13-8, they’ve outscored opponents 312-31. While Imhotep was playing Strath Haven, Penn Trafford was taking apart Exeter Township 49-14 at Bald Eagle in District-6. That wasn’t the result many expected with Wisconsin recruit Cade Yacamelli running for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns and a fourth score on a pass. He has 1766 rush yards for the year and is their primary receiver with 19 catches for 318 yards. 4 other receivers have the bulk of receptions. Quarterback Carter Green (1215, 59%, 12/5, 1130ry!) made it look easy completing 10 of 16 passes for 84 yards and 2 touchdown tosses. A 24 point 2nd quarter blew it open as the Warriors got their 10th straight win following an inauspicious 2-2 start. They had Exeter all confused and pressured throwing 4 interceptions and rushing for a meager 66 yards! Trafford was all over Exeter rushing for 260 yards to advance to their first state final. We’ll see if they can keep up with Imhotep’s machine or handle their D-Front knowing teams like Central Catholic, DeMatha, LaSalle and Cathedral only managed to get 36 points combined. For Imhotep, Penn Trafford is nothing like Strath Haven as they are far more balanced with a dual threat quarterback.
Saturday Dec 11 games: 3A (12 PM) and 6A (6 PM) playoffs
3A
Wyomissing 15-0 vs Central Valley 14-0 (Wyomissing 1.14)
Once again Wyomissing made a good team look bad, overwhelming Neumann Goretti (13-2) 42-6, snapping their 12 game winning streak on the way to a rematch with Central Valley in the 3A final. Wins against Pottsville, Southern Columbia, Scranton Prep and now Neumann give them an air of invincibility until seeing what happened to other outstanding teams the last few weeks. Governor Mifflin comes to mind. Still, Wyo absolutely dominated Neumann, holding them to 9 first downs and scoring 42 unanswered points. Amory Thompson rushed for 115 yards and a score with Tommy Grabowski adding 114 yards and a touchdown behind their massive line led by J’ven Williams (6-4, 285, jr, SC, Ky, Mich St), Pacen Ziegler (6-3, 255, jr) and TE Aiden Mack (6-4, 225, sr, Richmond). Ben Zechman kept them on their heels with 2 scoring passes on 5 completions of 7 passes for 62 yards. They advance to play Central Valley who beat them in last year’s final 35-21, rallying from a 14-7 halftime deficit. They got a fight from Central of Martinsburg (14-1) before pulling away for another 35-21 win at Central Valley! Nothing like the home field in a PIAA State Semifinal game!? Although CV held a 21-7 lead at the break, Central battled back with a 35-yard Pick-6, closing the gap to 21-13. Then they recovered an on-sides kick but fumbled it away with Matt Merritt returned it 75 yards for the score putting CV back in front for good, 28-13. Their outstanding back Landon Alexander (2157ry) rushed for 210 yards and 2 scores with Jayvon Thompson (26-748) catching 3 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Giving teams such as Aliquippa 11-1, North Catholic 12-1 (formerly Cardinal Wuerl) and Central 14-1 their first loss gets your attention, as does their enormous offense scoring 49ppg with a defense allowing 8! Their immovable force at DT Sean Fitz Simmons (6-3, 285, sr, Pitt) is the center piece of that defense with 114 tackles, 49 tfl and 21 sacks. The win extends their 26 game winning streak, ushering them into their third straight 3A final. A lot of scores to settle here in what could be a contentious and definitely a combative game.
6A
St. Joseph’s Prep 11-2 vs Mount Lebanon 14-0 (Mount Lebanon 8.6)
Just when you think you’ve got a line on a few teams and games, St. Joe’s comes along and blows it all up, getting a surprisingly easy 49-13 win over previously undefeated and unchallenged Garnet Valley. One of the keys mentioned last week was holding quarterback Samaj Jones (6-1, 210, soph) in check, or at least on a short leash. That was easier said than done as he was off the chart throwing touchdowns of 7, 30 and 16 yards while rushing for 5, 4, 4 and 1 yard scores! He finished the game completing 10 of 14 passes for 145 yards and rushing for 85 yards on 8 carries. What a performance! A 28-point 2nd quarter showed all you needed to see while putting the Jaguars in a 35-7 hole at the half. Thus ends Garnet Valley’s season at 14-1 and the outstanding career of Coach Mike Ricci, spanning 35 years at the school where he garnered a 260-125 log. The Hawks advance to the state final, their 8th in the last 9 years where they’ll go for a four-peat. Here they’ll play Mount Lebanon who also won easily against an 8-6 State College team 49-28. Quarterback Joey Daniels (1925py, 60%, 29/5!) picked them apart, completing 12 of 15 passes for 292 yards, throwing touchdowns of 68, 66, 4, 15, 13 and 48 yards, mostly to Eli Heidenreich (Navy recruit, 1298py) with 8 passes for 264 yards. 5 went for touchdowns. Alex Tecza (1996ry, Army, Colgate, et al) rushed for 104 yards. That’s quite a trio. Lebo found the end zone early and often, racing out to a 42-14 halftime lead on the way to their first trip to Hershey. About the Blue Devils; their O-line is mostly senior, averaging 6-2, 250 pounds. They’re a diverse offense averaging 39ppg with a defense at 11ppg. Their conference, the WPIAL-6A always has a powerhouse or two, teams like North Allegheny (7-5) and Pittsburgh Central Catholic (9-3). They rocked both these teams (NA is down, first 5 loss season since 2008), surviving rematches in the postseason. They destroyed a particularly good Central Catholic team 35-14 in the regular season and again in the postseason 47-7. This is the same Central Catholic team that lost to Imhotep 12-6 after leading 3-0 at the half with a sophomore quarterback Peyton Wehner in his first start. Bottom line, Mount Lebanon is a powerful football team putting 9 on the All-Conference team including LG Owen Halter 6-1 235, LT Kade Capristo 6-3 275, their quarterback and running back. NG William Harvey also made first team at 6-3 285. The coach is the legendary Bob Palko (240-81 entering 2021) in his third year after 24 years at West Allegheny where he won 8 WPIAL titles. There he guided the Indians to three 3A finals appearances, all against Strath Haven, losing in 1999 21-7 and 2000 31-28, then finally defeating them 28-13 in 2001. This game seems easy to handicap from Mount Lebanon’s side knowing they’ve been a model of consistency and waffled Central Catholic twice. They’re playing good football in the South Hills. The problem is figuring out the Hawks. Who’s going to show up, the team that routed Garnet Valley and LaSalle recently or the team that edged Freedom 24-21, Wood 17-14 and Judge 21-13. This is Lebo’s first trip to the big dance with a wily, playoff veteran coach while St. Joe’s can probably tell where the cracks are in the walls of Hershey Park Stadium. Samaj Jones continues to develop. As he goes, so go the Hawks.
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