From my State Champs project entry on 1999
The Ramblers came in to the state final ranked #9 nationally by USA Today (behind the #6 Bucks). They were also very young, with a star group of underclassmen including Division I prospects Joe Dipre, Josh Lustig, Ed Hinkel, Charles Rush, Matt Parsons, and Juwan Walker, who had all started as freshmen and sophomores on the ‘98 surprise western finalist. They were led by seniors Erik Carlson, the D10 player of the year who threw for 1,600 yards and 20 TDs, and superstar running back/safety Bob Sanders. Sanders missed six weeks of the season with a broken foot, but still had 992 yards rushing and was the best defensive back in the state, while the sophomore Walker had 1,394 yards as his replacement. Rush and Dipre were also two of the best defenders in the state on the defensive line and linebacker, respectively.
After the 1997 and 1998 state title games turned in to coronations early, the 1999 title game was a war. Erie Cathedral Prep opened the game with turnover, when Matt Showalter knocked the ball free from Walker and Bryan Colahan recovered. Picciotti carried four times on the following drive. On his fourth and final carry, he suffered a severely sprained right ankle which ended his evening and CB West career. Suddenly, the Bucks were without their superstar, and more importantly, their entire offensive identity. Not to mention that Phil DiGiacomo was out with ankle injury sustained in the second half of the Bethlehem Catholic game. CB West managed a touchdown to finish the drive, with DiGiacomo’s backup Ryan Blomgren scoring from a yard out on a wingback handoff. The rest of the game turned in to a rock fight.
Without Picciotti, the Cathedral Prep defense, led by Dipre, Rush, and Sanders completely stymied the Bucks offense. At the end of the first quarter, the Ramblers put together their first real drive of the game. From the Bucks 23, Eric Carlson lofted a jump ball in the end zone. It appeared as though Ted Kinyon would come down with the touchdown saving interception, but all state receiver Ed Hinkel went up over Kinyon, and snatched the ball out of his hand to tie the game at 7. Neither team would muster a first down in the second quarter as the defenses completely took over.
After forcing a three-and-out to open the second half, Erie Cathedral Prep put together the only real drive of the day. Sanders ran for 24 yards on the first play of the second half. Facing a third and ten, Carlson hit Josh Lustig for a 12 yard gain, then fired a dart to Lustig to get the Ramblers inside the red zone. Sanders would cap the drive with a 17 yard burst off the right side for a touchdown. However, the Ramblers missed the extra point, to hold only a 13-7 lead. On the ensuing drive, disaster struck the Bucks again. Dave Camburn, the feature back with Picciotti out, had to be helped off of the field with an ankle injury of his own, and suddenly the Bucks were down to no players who had more than five carries in any game that season. Still, their defense had buckled down after that opening drive, and the teams traded punts into the fourth quarter.
CB West’s offense gained their only bit of traction fourth quarter. With less than five minutes remaining, Mike Orihel scrambled and hit Bryan Colahan on a deep post for a 35 yard gain that put the Bucks near the red zone. On the next play, reserve tailback Bobby Warden ripped off a 17 yard run on a toss play down to the Cathedral Prep six. But the Ramblers bulled their necks, stuffing Warden and Orihel on run attempts, dodging a bullet on an incomplete pass, then sacking Orihel on fourth down back at the 15. This gave the ball back with 4:16 to go. The Buck defense, as it had all season, rose to the occasion and stuffed ECP on two run plays, then Ted Kinyon broke up a third down pass to Hinkel, giving CB West a shot at excellent field position and likely one last shot to score.
Hinkel also served as the Rambler punter, and he stood waiting for the snap at his own goal line. Andy Elsing lined up on the left side, which the Bucks had overloaded presnap. He came off the edge untouched and dove from the five yard line as the line drive punt came off of Hinkel’s foot. The ball hit Elsing right in the facemask, and Elsing never broke stride as he picked the ball up at the one yard line and fell into the end zone. Bobby Tumulty nailed the extra point to give CB West a 14-13 lead with 2:53 left in the game. Sanders returned the kickoff to the 40, but after a deep incompletion on first down, Carlson was intercepted by Kinyon on a bomb to the 18 to seal the game.
Pettine called it the greatest win in his career. The Bucks defense held the dynamic Erie Cathedral Prep offense to 176 yards and over 30 points below their season scoring average. After Sanders scored to open the second half, the Ramblers only gained 28 more yards in the second half. Despite losing their three leading rushers, the Bucks found a way to win the football game, with Elsing playing the hero. He finished his career as a varsity football player with a record of 45-0 and three state championships. The Bucks closed the decade with a record of 121-8 and four state championships, including the run of three in a row clinched by the Elsing block.
The Ramblers came in to the state final ranked #9 nationally by USA Today (behind the #6 Bucks). They were also very young, with a star group of underclassmen including Division I prospects Joe Dipre, Josh Lustig, Ed Hinkel, Charles Rush, Matt Parsons, and Juwan Walker, who had all started as freshmen and sophomores on the ‘98 surprise western finalist. They were led by seniors Erik Carlson, the D10 player of the year who threw for 1,600 yards and 20 TDs, and superstar running back/safety Bob Sanders. Sanders missed six weeks of the season with a broken foot, but still had 992 yards rushing and was the best defensive back in the state, while the sophomore Walker had 1,394 yards as his replacement. Rush and Dipre were also two of the best defenders in the state on the defensive line and linebacker, respectively.
After the 1997 and 1998 state title games turned in to coronations early, the 1999 title game was a war. Erie Cathedral Prep opened the game with turnover, when Matt Showalter knocked the ball free from Walker and Bryan Colahan recovered. Picciotti carried four times on the following drive. On his fourth and final carry, he suffered a severely sprained right ankle which ended his evening and CB West career. Suddenly, the Bucks were without their superstar, and more importantly, their entire offensive identity. Not to mention that Phil DiGiacomo was out with ankle injury sustained in the second half of the Bethlehem Catholic game. CB West managed a touchdown to finish the drive, with DiGiacomo’s backup Ryan Blomgren scoring from a yard out on a wingback handoff. The rest of the game turned in to a rock fight.
Without Picciotti, the Cathedral Prep defense, led by Dipre, Rush, and Sanders completely stymied the Bucks offense. At the end of the first quarter, the Ramblers put together their first real drive of the game. From the Bucks 23, Eric Carlson lofted a jump ball in the end zone. It appeared as though Ted Kinyon would come down with the touchdown saving interception, but all state receiver Ed Hinkel went up over Kinyon, and snatched the ball out of his hand to tie the game at 7. Neither team would muster a first down in the second quarter as the defenses completely took over.
After forcing a three-and-out to open the second half, Erie Cathedral Prep put together the only real drive of the day. Sanders ran for 24 yards on the first play of the second half. Facing a third and ten, Carlson hit Josh Lustig for a 12 yard gain, then fired a dart to Lustig to get the Ramblers inside the red zone. Sanders would cap the drive with a 17 yard burst off the right side for a touchdown. However, the Ramblers missed the extra point, to hold only a 13-7 lead. On the ensuing drive, disaster struck the Bucks again. Dave Camburn, the feature back with Picciotti out, had to be helped off of the field with an ankle injury of his own, and suddenly the Bucks were down to no players who had more than five carries in any game that season. Still, their defense had buckled down after that opening drive, and the teams traded punts into the fourth quarter.
CB West’s offense gained their only bit of traction fourth quarter. With less than five minutes remaining, Mike Orihel scrambled and hit Bryan Colahan on a deep post for a 35 yard gain that put the Bucks near the red zone. On the next play, reserve tailback Bobby Warden ripped off a 17 yard run on a toss play down to the Cathedral Prep six. But the Ramblers bulled their necks, stuffing Warden and Orihel on run attempts, dodging a bullet on an incomplete pass, then sacking Orihel on fourth down back at the 15. This gave the ball back with 4:16 to go. The Buck defense, as it had all season, rose to the occasion and stuffed ECP on two run plays, then Ted Kinyon broke up a third down pass to Hinkel, giving CB West a shot at excellent field position and likely one last shot to score.
Hinkel also served as the Rambler punter, and he stood waiting for the snap at his own goal line. Andy Elsing lined up on the left side, which the Bucks had overloaded presnap. He came off the edge untouched and dove from the five yard line as the line drive punt came off of Hinkel’s foot. The ball hit Elsing right in the facemask, and Elsing never broke stride as he picked the ball up at the one yard line and fell into the end zone. Bobby Tumulty nailed the extra point to give CB West a 14-13 lead with 2:53 left in the game. Sanders returned the kickoff to the 40, but after a deep incompletion on first down, Carlson was intercepted by Kinyon on a bomb to the 18 to seal the game.
Pettine called it the greatest win in his career. The Bucks defense held the dynamic Erie Cathedral Prep offense to 176 yards and over 30 points below their season scoring average. After Sanders scored to open the second half, the Ramblers only gained 28 more yards in the second half. Despite losing their three leading rushers, the Bucks found a way to win the football game, with Elsing playing the hero. He finished his career as a varsity football player with a record of 45-0 and three state championships. The Bucks closed the decade with a record of 121-8 and four state championships, including the run of three in a row clinched by the Elsing block.
