The state playoffs existed because of Mike Pettine. The longtime CB West boss was one of the biggest advocates of the state tournament, which reached a tipping point in 1987 when Pennsylvnia had two of the best teams in the country, North Hills and CB West, but the two teams had no mechanism for playing each other. They split the Saylor rating state title, the state AP voted for the Indians over the Bucks, and the USA Today named North Hills their #1 team in the country. It goes down as one of the great “what if” games of all time and helped build momentum for a real playoff.
Pettine was obviously no stranger to success. His CB West dynasty had been the top ranked team in the state Saylor rankings in 1980 and 1987 (co-champs). His teams finished atop the state polls in 1978, 1980, 1984, and 1985. The 1984 season kick started a state record 53 game winning streak. The Bucks were the team in eastern Pennsylvania - and heavily favored to appear in the first title game.
However, the state playoff era was not kind to Pettine. That 53 game streak was snapped by a 14-14 tie that kept the Bucks out of the inaugural state playoff (they were passed on Saylor points by undefeated Neshaminy). The Bucks would lose the second game of the 1989 season, ending their unbeaten streak at 55 games, and they limped to a 7-4 season in the second of the playoff era. In 1990, a midseason loss to Council Rock spoiled a 10-1 season and kept the Bucks behind undefeated Ridley. Three years, no playoff appearances, let alone a state title that seemed pre-ordained when they playoff system was implemented.
The Bucks came in to 1991 with one major goal - get Mike Pettine his state title. For the first time in the Pettine era, they had a third year starter returning at quarterback in Greg Moylan. They also had the makings of an exceptional defense, led by budding superstar junior Rob Swett. What ensued was one of the most dominant state championship runs in the 4A classification.
The regular season was a mere formality for CB West. They outscored their opponents 319-43. Moyland set the CB West career passing record during week 8, then broke Mike Pettine Jr.’s single season record the following week. The Bucks defense was one of the best in Pettine’s tenure, and did not allow any ballcarrier more than 68 yards in a game during the entire regular season. The first team defense only gave up 1 rushing touchdown in ten games. However, Coatesville also was rolling through their schedule, and held the Saylor tiebreaker due to a strength of schedule advantage. CB West would get their biggest “win” of the season in Week 9, when West Chester tied the Red Raiders, dropping their point total below CB West’s. All the Bucks needed was to win their Thanksgiving Day clash with rival CB East (where they had faltered in 1988).
Pettine admitted after the game that it was the most pressure he faced as the coach at CB West to that point. Greg Moylan also suffered an injury in the regular season finale against Pennsbury, and was questionable for the start. Still, the Bucks were ranked 5th in the country by the USA Today, and were heavy favorites to punch their first state playoff ticket. They went down 7-6 early, but took the lead on a Dave Binder TD in the third quarter. The Bucks would absolutely suffocate CB East from that point on, getting a Moylan TD pass and field goal in the fourth quarter to stretch the final margin. The Bucks had earned their first trip to the state playoffs.
The field was a strong one. CB West would meet state #2 Easton in their semifinal. The Red Rovers rolled through the East Penn Conference, scoring 37 points per game behind a massive offensive line and running back Juan Gaddy, who had 1,774 yards heading in to the state tournament. Cumberland Valley won the District 3 title, but suffered an early season defeat, while the Red Rovers finished 12-0. Out west, Connellsville went undefeated won their first and only WPIAL title to earn their first playoff berth, and for the first time, Districts 10 and 6’s champions met in a one game playoff to determine the Region II winner - who was Erie Cathedral Prep for the second consecutive season.
Famously, Easton quarterback Steve Billman and center Nick Azzolina were interviewed by Tom Moore of the Doylestown Intelligencer, and questioned CB West’s competition during the season, and called the Bucks “little guys with big mouths.” On the opening drive, the comments looked prophetic and the Red Rovers went 70 yards in 9 plays, capped by a Juan Gaddy TD. But the Bucks answered, and made a series of adjustments defensively, holding the Rovers to 95 the rest of the way. Gaddy finished with 119 yards - the only player to go over 100 on the Bucks all year, but most were meaningless to the final outcome. Offensively, it was the Greg Moylan show. Rather than run at the big Easton defensive front, Moylan just threw around and over it, completing 12 of 20 passes for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also scrambled for 47 yards and TD as the Bucks scored 34 straight and cruised to a 34-12 win. Afterwards, Pettine joked that he should have given the game ball to Moore for printing the preview article that fired his guys up. The Bucks were on to their first state final.
Their opponent would be Erie Cathedral Prep, who knocked off WPIAL champ Connellsville when Mark Tate ran for the game winning score with 29 seconds left, to cap a 170 yard day for the All State back. Once again, the Ramblers featured one of the state’s best running backs, with Tate following up Tim Colicchio’s 2,300 yard season with 1,876 yards of his own headed in to the state final. The Ramblers owned regular season wins over national power Cincinnatti Moeller (OH) and Erie Strong Vincent, who would go on to win the 3A state championship.
The 4A final was played in a downpour, limiting the passing game of both teams. The ECP option look though was productive in the first half, as Tate slashed for 103 yards in the first two quarters and scored the game’s lone touchdown as the Ramblers took a 6-0 lead into the break. However, as the rain continued in the second half, the CB West precision took over. The Bucks opened the second half with a 63 yard touchdown drive, capped by a Dave Binder score. On the ensuing possession, ECP missed an option pitch, which put them at 3rd and a mile at their own 1 yard line. A shanked punt set CB West up at the 20, and Binder punched in another score with the short field. ECP would fumble again, this time at their own 42 yard line. While CB West could not convert, a punt pinned the Ramblers at their two yard line. Another fumble on a option was recovered by Rob Moore and Binder scored from one yard out on the next play. Suddenly, it was 20-7 and pretty much game over. After an interception, CB West would score a final touchdown when Matt Sonicini burst 12 yards to the goalline and fumbled, which was recovered in the end zone by guard Scott Mill. Erie Cathedral Prep would score a window dressing touchdown with 1:07 to go, but the barrage of turnovers allowed CB West to comfortably win their first state title. The Bucks held Tate to 23 yards after halftime and totally stymied the Ramblers option attack. This was the coronation of Mike Pettine’s Bucks that state football pundits were waiting for. The title was dedicated to all former CB West players who never had a chance to win a state title on the field. CB West finished ranked as the #3 team in the country in the USA Today poll.
Although the Bucks were dominant, they were a team without a star. Junior linebacker Rob Swett was a finalist for AP Player of the Year, but finished fifth in the voting (behind quarterbacks and running backs). Swett was the only first team All State pick, with Moylan earning a nod as the third team quarterback. Moylan, Swett, and defensive end Rob Moore were the only All Area picks by the Philadelphia Intelligencer. This wasn’t necessarily a surprise - this was not Pettine’s most talented team. The offensive line heaviest player was only 225 pounds, and not one Bucks linemen from the ‘91 squad played college football. Moylan was the star of the offense, but played in system predicated on a strong running game and limiting turnovers. None of the Bucks skill players were stars - no running back had more than 530 yards, though the four feature ball carriers (Moylan, Binder, Sonicini, and Chris Cleland) combined to go over 2,000 yards as a group. Defensively, Swett is as good a linebacker as there was in the state and Chris Fassbender was an All Suburban One pick, but again this unit was greater than the sum of its parts. The real star of the 1991 squad was Pettine, who all agreed that getting him his first state title on the field was the utmost priority for the program.
This series is certainly not done with Pettine, who would coach the Bucks until 1999 and win another three state championships. Swett repeated as an All State linebacker as a senior, then went on to be a three year starter and at Michigan and won a National Championship in 1997, though he battled injuries throughout the ‘97 season. Greg Moylan signed with Temple, but transferred to Millersville after two seasons with the Owls. He graduated Millersville’s all time leader in touchdown passes and second in passing yards. Sophomore defensive end Todd Volitis would blossom into a star in the rest of his CB West career, and signed with Virginia Tech as a top 100 player nationally in the 1994 recruiting class. Fellow sophomore starter Scott Warren would shock the CB West football family when he quit football as a junior to focus on track and field. As a senior, he had the second farthest shot put in the country, and finished 2nd in the state tournament in three different throwing events. Warren went on to be an All American discus and hammer thrower at Nebraska and compete in two Olympic Trials.
