Narrative
Mike Pettine’s reaction was unexpected when informed his CB West Bucks were the preseason #1 team in the state in 1997. “That’s a joke.” CB West graduated 17 of 22 starters from the 1996 team that spent most of the year heavily favored to play for a state title before a round 1 loss in the District 1 tournament. Still, if Pettine was underselling his team’s prospects, his diagnosis of their key was spot on -- “we’ll go as far as Armstrong takes us.”
Armstrong was Dave Armstrong, the first four year starter in Pettine’s 32 years at CB West. Armstrong earned his way into the lineup at defensive end as a freshman, and took over at fullback as a sophomore. He was an All State defensive end for the 1996 squad and had committed to Michigan (where former CB West star Rob Swett was about to win the 1997 national title) just before camp opened, selecting the Wolverines over Penn State and Notre Dame. At 6’4 255 pounds, Armstrong was as big as any high school running back in the country, and had a running style to match. Defensively, he had the versatility and athleticism to line up at defensive end, tackle, or linebacker, and Pettine would use his star in all three spots during the season. And they would go as far as he took them - Armstrong ended up the 1997 Pennsylvania Player of the Year and a Parade All American, and he led CB West to their second state title.
The rest of the squad would be almost completely new. Only senior center Matt Volitis returned on the offensive line, though they would welcome back junior 300 pound guard Ben Carber, who missed the 1996 season with a broken leg. They also had a pair of 6’4 250 pound twins, Joe and Jon Wilson, expected to join the offensive line as juniors. Pettine moved senior wide receiver Corey Potter to quarterback, knowing it would be a run heavy team and the athleticism of Potter would give them a threat beyond Armstrong in the option game. Defensively, Armstrong, Potter, and linebacker Jack Shackleton were the only returning starters, and they would be depending on a talented but green junior class. The Bucks were one of three District 1 teams in the preseason top ten, along with #4 Plymouth-Whitemarsh and #5 Downingtown.
The Bucks opened the season with perennial District 3 power Cumberland Valley, who had won four of the last six D3 titles. CB West was down 6-0 at halftime when Cumberland Valley converted a muffed punt at the 33 into a short touchdown drive. But Armstrong would take over in the second half, rushing for 144 yards and two touchdowns after the break, plus adding two sacks on defense. Cumberland Valley only had the ball for 17 plays after halftime, and gained just 27 yards in the 21-6 Bucks win.
The Armstrong show would then go on tour throughout District 1. He scored five touchdowns in a week 2 slaughter of Abington, ran for 172 yards against Pennsbury, 130 against Norristown, and three touchdowns against Neshaminy. That set up a week 6 match up with North Penn, coached by Mike Pettine Jr. in his first season with the Knights. Both teams came in undefeated, and it was North Penn’s best start since 1981. While the game had tremendous build up, the elder Pettine’s squad flexed their muscles early and often. CB West scored on five of its first six possessions to take a 35-0 lead at halftime. Wingback Scott Warden scored twice in the first half, and CB West broke tendency and mostly faked the ball to Armstrong then pitched outside to the speedy Warden. Corey Potter also returned an interception 57 yards for a TD to blow the game wide open. While Armstrong’s carries were limited, he was unblockable on defense and North Penn did not cross midfield until well after the Bucks pulled their starters in the second half.
Armstrong would break the CB West career rushing records two weeks later in a 47-12 win over Harry S Truman. First, he snapped Barry Compton’s record of 2,231 yards in regular season games, then broke Bill Lowe’s overall total (including district and state playoffs) of 2,311 yards. He finished with 116 yards and 4 TDs on 13 carries, and returned an interception for a touchdown Armstrong would finish his CB West career with a record 3,262 yards, 63 touchdowns, as well as a school record 374 tackles that still stands.
CB West would close the regular season with a 27-3 win over archrival CB East. Corey Potter scored three touchdowns on options plays and finished with 83 yards on the ground, while Armstrong ran for “only” 105 yards in the blowout. The Bucks also held 1998 state player of the year and Atlanta Falcons safety Bryan Scott to 54 yards, and East only gained 108 yards for the game.
CB West was ranked #1 in the state and #5 in the country according to USA Today going into state playoffs. There was a dominate eastern feel to the state landscape, with fellow District 1 power Downingtown finishing the regular season at #2. Potential state quarterfinalist opponent Wyoming Valley West was #4. Glen Mills also made the top 10 at #6, but the Bulls lost their regular season finale to national powerhouse St. Ignatius of Cleveland, which kept them out of the District 1 playoffs and earned Hatboro-Horsham the #4 seed against CB West. Downingtown and Plymouth-Whitemarsh would meet in the other semifinal in a rematch of their 1996 classic.
The real victory for Hatboro-Horsham was making District 1 playoffs for the first time, because the game was over shortly after it started. Armstrong ran for 73 yards in the first quarter, then did not carry the ball the rest of the game. Warden scored three times in a 49-8 execution of the Hatters. The real story is what happened in Downingtown, where the Whippets were absolutely pummeled by Plymouth-Whitemarsh. PW rushed for an astonishing 519 yards, with James Scott highlighting the game with 228 yards on 9 carries. He was one of three PW ballcarriers to go over 100 yards for the night as the Colonials snapped the Whippets 23 game winning streak in spectacular fashion.
Plymouth-Whitemarsh had ended CB West’s season in 1995 and 1996. This iteration of the Colonials had a pair of 1,000 yard rushers in Craig Quinn and James Scott, with fullback Dan Kelly adding 700+ yards on the season. They also had a dangerous passing game, with star tight end Stewart Kupfer catching passes from his younger brother Paul.
CB West started strong, when Warden took a pitch 48 yards to the house on the opening drive. A Potter TD in the second quarter and an Armstrong score right before halftime gave the Bucks a 21-7 lead at the break. But PW would come storming back in the second half, with the Kupfer brothers hooking up for a 48 yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. The Colonials moved away from the running game in the second half, as the younger Kupfer threw for 160 yards in the second half. With CB West leading 28-22 with five minutes to play, the Bucks had the ball facing a 3rd and 7 near midfield. Potter faked to Armstrong, then rolled outside for a 26 yard gain. Armstrong scored three plays later to ice the game. The Bucks won without throwing a pass. Instead, Armstrong ran for 163 yards and 2 TDs, while Potter added 144 yards on 11 carries. The Bucks were headed back to the state playoffs for the first time since 1993.
The rest of the east featured first time playoff appearances in D3 and D11. Whitehall and future Patriots center Dan Koppen upset Parkland to win their first district title since 1989 and qualified for state playoffs for the first time. In District 3, George Chaump made his triumphant return to coaching by leading Central Dauphin to a D3 title, capped by racking up 52 points in the final against Cedar Crest, led by a 10 catch, 240 yard performance by Andrew Koslov. Wyoming Valley West would cap an undefeated season by throttling Williamsport 42-13 in the D2/4 subregional championship. Out west, Upper St. Clair continued their residency in the WPIAL championship game during the 1990s by advancing through the bracket to meet Penn-Trafford, who featured WPIAL’s all time leading rusher Matt Garvish, in the final. Altoona continued it’s undefeated season and rise to #2 in the state behind the Bucks with a 28-16 win over State College. In the D10/8 subregional, Erie McDowell blew out Schenley 45-12.
Wyoming Valley West and CB West would meet at Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre for their state quarterfinal. The Bucks would need to slow down All State quarterback Marc Zlotek, who came in with over 1,000 yards rushing at 29 touchdowns, including 272 yards against Williamsport in the subregional final. While CB West did not attempt a pass in the District 1 final, they would come out throwing against the Spartans. WVW was obviously concerned with stopping Armstrong, but left themselves vulnerable to the wheel route, and wingback Scott Warden would take advantage. The senior caught four passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns out of the backfield as CB West rolled 42-14. Warden also ran for 95 yards, highlighted by an 88 yard TD run on the opening possession of the second half that put CB West up 35-0 and had Wyoming Valley West waving the white flag. Potter led all rushers with 96 yards, while Armstrong ran for 92. Zlotek was just 10-30 passing, and Wyoming Valley West mustered just 48 yards on the ground.
That set up an eastern final with Central Dauphin. The Rams beat Whitehall 38-14, using their quick strike offense to score 22 points in the third quarter after trailing 7-3 at the half. The Rams were led by junior quarterback Ryan Belicic, who had throw for 2,117 yards and 26 TDs, mostly to favorite target Andrew Koslov, who led the state with 985 yards and 14 touchdowns. The big draw was the coaching match up, featuring two Pennsylvania legends in Mike Pettine and George Chaump. Chaump coached at John Harris High (now Harrisburg) from 1962-1967, where he went 58-4 and won three mythical state titles. From there, he was hired as Woody Hayes’ offensive coordinator at Ohio State and he would be the Buckeye legend’s top assistant for the next ten years. After head coaching stops at IUP, Marshall, and Navy, Chaump made the surprise move to return to high school, taking the Rams job the previous summer.
Central Dauphin came out swinging against the heavily favored Bucks. Belicic successfully avoided pressure and picked apart the CB West secondary on his way to 105 yards in the first half. CB West didn’t help matters with three turnovers and the Rams had a 21-6 lead at halftime. CB West opened the second half with a drive to the Rams 3 yard line, but Armstrong was stuffed on fourth and goal, and the upset suddenly seemed very possible. But, after forcing a three and out, the Bucks took over at the Central Dauphin 36, and took advantage of the short field with a touchdown drive, capped by Dave Armstrong’s second TD of the day. CB West would gamble and go for 2, which they converted to cut the Rams lead to 21-14. The CB West defense took over from there. Rather than blitz Belicic, they adjusted to dropping eight men into coverage to confuse the junior quarterback. They could get pressure just with a star studded defensive line of Bryan Buckley, Greg Ward, and Dustin Picciotti. Central Dauphin only had one first down after halftime. Still, the Bucks trailed until the game’s final minutes. After getting the ball back with five minutes left, still trailing by 7, CB West drove out to the Rams 40 before facing a 3rd and 6. Once again, Potter would play hero on third down, rolling to his right and taking off for a 40 yard touchdown to tie the game with 2:58 left in regulation. In overtime. Central Dauphin got the ball first and went backwards, losing six yards on three plays and settling for a 33 yard field goal. On the second play of CB West’s overtime possession, Potter sprinted out on an option and scored from seven yards out to cap the comeback with a 27-24 overtime win. Armstrong finished with 115 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, while Potter finished with 90 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. CB West passed their first real test of the season and advanced to their third state final since 1991.
CB West was joined in the three-time finalist club by their opponent, Upper St. Clair. The Panthers eeked out their last two playoff games, beating Penn Trafford in the WPIAL finals when the Warriors scored a touchdown with a minute to play, but missed the extra point as USC held on for a 28-27 win. In the state semifinals, Upper St. Clair beat Erie McDowell 21-14, with quarterback Mac McArdle scrambling for a TD with six minutes left for the victory. McArdle was in his fourth year as the Panthers starter, and had evolved into one of the best quarterbacks in the state. He threw for 247 yards in the semi, and had 2,149 passing yards on the season. If Upper St. Clair had a vulnerability, it was in their rush defense, which was gashed in the WPIAL final by Matt Garvish for 174 yards, then gave up 251 yards to Erie McDowell. They had won their three previous playoff games by a combined 12 points.
The undersized Upper St. Clair front seven was no match for the CB West offensive line and running game. CB West opened the game with an 81 yard touchdown drive, forced a three and out, then bulled their way 58 yards downfield for another score. McArdle was able to drive Upper St. Clair down the field just before half and scrambled for a TD with three seconds left to cut the Bucks lead to 14-7 at halftime. But the physicality of the CB West line and running backs took over in the second half. CB West scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to go up 35- and effectively end the game. The Bucks rushed for 508 yards, setting a championship game record that still stands. Dave Armstrong ran for 165 yards and four touchdowns, but amazingly was not the Bucks leading rusher. That would go to Scott Warden, who had the two longest runs in title game history with an 80 yard touchdown and a 74 yard touchdown to finish with 167 yards on six carries. Potter chipped in with “just” 158 yards on 11 carries. Defensively, they held McArdle to 100 yards on 9-29 passing and completing shut down the USC running game. The final was a coronation for the Bucks as they became the first program in 4A to win multiple state titles.
The honors would pour in for the Bucks after the season. Dave Armstrong was the AP Player of the Year, a first team All State linebacker, and a Parade All American. He was ranked by Tom Lemming as the #4 defensive end recruit in the class and one of the top 50 players in America. His 39 rushing touchdowns were a CB West record, as were his 1,980 yards on the season. Armstrong was also a state finalist at heavyweight at the 3A wrestling championships in March. He was joined on the first team by Ben Carber at offensive guard and Corey Potter as the defensive specialist. Center Matt Volitis was a second team pick on the offensive line. Pettine won his second AP Coach of the Year honor. Seniors Dave Armstrong (Michigan), Corey Potter (UMass), Greg Ward (UMass) and Scott Warden (Lafayette) would all sign with Division I programs that February, while offensive tackle Adam Domurad signed with Division II powerhouse New Haven.
Dave Armstrong’s career at Michigan would be frustrating. After signing as a defensive end, the Wolverines changed his position constantly, first trying to bulk him up and move him inside to defensive tackle, then back to end, then to fullback on offense. Armstrong completed his degree at Michigan as mostly a special teams player, then used his fifth year of eligibility at Bloomsburg, where he was an All PSAC defensive end for the Huskies. Potter and Ward won a national championship as true freshmen at UMass. Potter ended up a three year starter and captain for the Minutemen as an outside linebacker, while Ward was a two-year starter at tight end. Bryan Buckley would join the two at UMass after a year in prep school. Linebacker/cornerback Jack Shackleton, who had three interceptions during the state playoff run and was an All Suburban One pick on defense, is now the strength and conditioning coordinator for Villanova men’s basketball and one of Jay Wright’s most critical staff members. Mike Pettine would not lose another game as the coach at CB West. This 1997 season started kicked off the longest winning streak in state history and would be the culminating achievement in a legendary career.
