Narrative
The Parkland Trojans were a Johnny Come Lately to the Pennsylvania football powers. The Trojans were a solid small-school team in the early 1970s, going 35-5 in their last three season in the Lehigh County Conference. But upon joining the formation of the East Penn Conference in 1976, the Trojans stepped up from playing Sladington and Saucon Valley to Easton, Liberty, and Bethlehem Catholic and the farm boys from Orefield struggled to keep up, only winning more than six games in a season twice from 1977 through 1992.
That all changed with the hiring of Rich Snisack in 1993. Snisack took William Allen from 0-10 in his first year to District 11 champs and decimal points away from a state playoff appearance in 1992. Snisack left to take a college position coach job the following year, but Parkland lured him back to the high school ranks. That wasn’t the only thing Parkland took from Allentown - the early 1990s were the peak of tremendous migration from Allentown to the suburbs, with Parkland the fastest growing school district in Pennsylvania - those open farm lands in Orefield became huge housing developments that filled quickly. Snisack immediately turned Parkland into a contender - advancing to the Eastern Final in 1996 and 1998. His two best teams were the ‘99 and ‘00 squads, which went a combined 19-3, but suffered shocking upset losses in the first round of District playoffs. After the 2000 season, Snisack stepped aside to takeover as principal of Parkland High School and had to give up his coaching position. However, he left the program loaded, and passed the reins off to up and coming star Rob Melosky.
Melosky was the son of Andy Melosky, a longtime Lehigh Valley football figure, most known for leading the Matt Millen era Whitehall teams in the 1970s, including the ‘73 team that finished 2nd in the state to State College. The younger Melosky played for his dad at Northampton then played quarterback at Rowan. Melosky was promoted to head coach at Freedom as a 30 year old in 2000, and jumped ship for the Trojans after one season - where he was seen as an offensive innovator and a fiery young coach who could connect with his players. He had a solid but unspectacular debut, going 7-3 in the regular season and losing a playoff game to Easton for the third year in a row.
The real story of the 2001 season though is what wasn’t there. Austin Scott set a Pennsylvania sophomore rushing record with 1,918 yards in 2000 on his way to being the only 10th grader on the All State team. However, a knee injury suffered playing summer basketball, plus rumors of school discipline problems cost Scott his entire junior season. So while Parkland had a solid season, they did so without their best player. But there was tons of optimism in camp, with Scott looking healthy (and allegedly torching Berwick in a preseason scrimmage) and fifteen other starters returning, including 1,300 yard rusher Nick Pinchek at fullback and safety, four offensive linemen plus highly touted 300 pound sophomore Morgan Thomas, the powerful Decker brothers, Cody and Travis, who were both All Mountain Valley defensive linemen, and middle linebacker Adam Atiyeh, already a three-year starter as a junior.
It was a strange year upcoming in the Lehigh Valley. Ten of the original East Penn Conference schools rejoined forces (coming from what was left of the EPC as well as the Mountain Valley Conference) to form the Lehigh Valley Conference. Originally, Bethlehem Catholic was left out of the arrangement - as revenge for what were considered blatant recruiting practices and their propensity to run up the score and embarrass opponents. Taking the brunt of the criticism was outspoken and brash head coach Bob Stem. However, Stem retired following the conference announcement, stating he did not want to get in the way of the program. The LVC schools relented, and let Becahi join with new head coach Chuck Sonon in the fold.
The Golden Hawks were the favorite in the Lehigh Valley. Quarterback Adam Bednarik returned with a full offseason at QB after stepping into the role for the final four games of 2001. He brought back his three leading receivers and the defense brought back three future Division I linemen. The Hawks were ranked #6 in the state in the preseason AP poll, though were as high as #2 in other state rankings. The Trojans were considered their biggest threat, with a highly anticipated week 1 showdown between Becahi and Parkland. The state favorite was Central Dauphin, led by legendary George Chaump and their wide open passing attack had them in the top 10 nationally in some polls. Returning finalist Woodland Hills was the preseason #2 and a solid favorite to return to Hershey from the west. Perennial powerhouse CB West was #4 in the state and the top ranked team in District 1, but would have to contend with #5 Williamsport in their subregional, with five star running back Darrell Blackmon who had all of the preseason running back hype after running for 2,547 yards in 2001.
The week one showdown between Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland would live up to the hype and more. Playing in front of a sold out crowd at BASD Stadium, Bednarik would engineer two beautiful first half touchdown drives - 7 plays for 80 yards then 13 plays for 92 yards, to give the Golden Hawks a 14-0 lead at halftime. Austin Scott, wearing a large knee brace, was limited to 63 yards in the first half. The Trojan star came out in the second half sans brace, commenting he thought it limited his mobility too much and his knee felt fine. Parkland took the second half kick and Scott carried seven straight times for 72 yards, including a 30 yard touchdown to get Parkland on the board. Parkland forced a three and out, but Becahi defensive lineman John Bedics tipped a pass to himself and returned the interception for a touchdown to put Becahi up 21-7. But Scott put together another drive - carrying for 73 yards, including a 40 yard touchdown to cut the game to one score headed into the fourth quarter. With five minutes remaining, Scott popped a 56 yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Parkland did have one more chance in regulation. In the final minute, Scott ran the ball down to the 16 yard line. But the Bethlehem Catholic defense stayed piled on top of Scott until the officials pulled them off allowing the clock to run down and Parkland, who was out of timeouts, could not get on the field to attempt a game winning field goal. Melosky lost his mind, getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed the Trojans completely out of range and resulted in a clock run-off that ended regulation. In overtime, Scott ran for a 10 yard TD on their first play, high stepping in to the end zone. Bethlehem Catholic took over, with a Bednarik completion to tight end Pete Doncehz at the 1 on second down. Bednarik scored on a QB sneak on third and goal, and then Sonon sent his offense on the field to win the game. Bednarik was flushed to his right, and nearly brought down by Travis Decker. But the All State senior flipped the ball to fullback Boomer Rice as Decker dove for his ankles, and Rice made a sliding catch for the two point conversion and a 29-28 win.
After the game, Sonon noted they went for two because there was no way they were going to stop Scott in overtime. Scott finished the game with 283 yards and four touchdowns, with 220 yards coming after halftime. In his postgame column, longtime Morning Call reporter Keith Groller state that the game “surpassed all expectations” and “goodness knows what Scott will do with the rest of the teams on the Trojans’ schedule after he tormented such an athletic Becahi defense.” Groller closed out by noting that “the best part - the teams will play again for the District 11 title in 11 weeks.” The stage was set.
For an encore, Scott rushed for a school record 353 yards the following week against Allentown Central Catholic in a 48-13 win, as the Trojans pounded out 539 yards on the ground. Scott sat for most of a pair of laughers against Pocono Mountain East and East Stroudsburg South, where the Trojans won by a combined 95-0 score, but only needed Scott for 204 yards on 20 carries in the two games combined.
The Lehigh Valley portion of Parkland’s schedule picked back up with a game against Cedar Crest Boulevard rival Emmaus. The Green Hornets came in undefeated, and flustered the Trojans for most of the day. Parkland was clinging to a 21-15 lead in the final five minutes, when Scott carried six times for 76 yards to clinch the game, opening the drive by taking a pitch 30 yards, then capping it with a game clinching 32 yard touchdown. Scott finished with 307 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns. The following week, Parkland blew out Whitehall, which had become the best public school rivalry in the Valley in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Scott ran for 349 yards and six touchdowns on just 17 carries, scoring from 46, 75, 23, and 69. The following week, Scott and Pinchek combined for 350 yards and six touchdowns on 29 carries in a 53-6 rout of Northampton, while the defense limited the Konkrete Kids to 11 yards on 26 carries. In week eight, Scott broke Sean Bleiler’s single season touchdown record at Parkland when he scored his third TD of the game and 26th touchdown of the season. He also eclipsed his sophomore total of 1,918 yards during the game and Parkland’s defense held Liberty to 78 yards of total offense.
That brought Freedom to town in week 9. The Patriots had been spurned by Melosky, who preached that he was going to build up the Bethlehem Township school as a Lehigh Valley power, then jumped ship after one year. However, Freedom hired longtime Allentown Central Catholic boss and state championship winning coach Jim Morgans to replace Melosky. Morgans had a talented group, with Division I recruits Afa Anoi (The Rock’s nephew), Jeremy Kametz, and Quadir Carter on defense. They were 6-2 and had been ranked in the state before losses to Bethlehem Catholic and Easton. It was also a big week, as Austin Scott committed to Penn State after practice, noting that the Nittany Lions were the only program that continued to recruit him during his junior season, and he wanted to reward their loyalty. On the first drive, Scott celebrated by setting a Parkland record with a 97 yard touchdown run, outracing Todd Mills, a state finalist in the 200, to the end zone. In the second half, Scott put together the most dominant 24 minute performance the Lehigh Valley had ever seen. He carried four times, for 248 yards, and four touchdowns. For the game, Scott finished with 18 carries for 402 yards and six TDs, the 402 yards was only the second 400+ yard game in Lehigh Valley history. Cody Decker also continued his underratedly great season with four sacks in the 49-13 blowout.
The following week, Parkland would conclude the regular season on a frigid night with the Easton Red Rovers in Cottingham Stadium. Easton had been a burr in the Parkland bonnet for the last three years, knocking the Trojans out of the playoffs each season. In 2000, the Red Rovers held Scott to 56 yards on 21 carries in the playoff upset. On the first drive of the game, Easton forced Parkland into a three and out, then partially blocked a punt. Three plays later, the Rovers scored to take an early lead, but missed the extra point as a sign of things to come. On the next play, Scott ripped off a 63 yard touchdown. Just before halftime, Sean Reed returned an interception to the three yardline, and Scott punched it in from three yards to give the Trojans a 14-6 halftime lead. In the second half, Scott completely took over, with TD runs of 23, 74, and 53, plus he threw a 58 yard touchdown pass to wideout Chuck McIntosh. He finished the game with 351 yards on 23 carries and scored five touchdowns. His electric second half gave him 2,672 yards for the regular season. This broke Earle Mundell’s record of 2,455 yards set in 1947 for Ambler for the most rushing yards in a ten game season. It also put him well within striking distance of James Mungro’s overall single season record of 3,087 yards. Most importantly, Parkland finished the regular season 9-1 and clinched the two-seed in the four team District 11 playoff.
Scott’s regular season was nothing short of breathtaking. Jim Morgans noted his jump cuts were something he rarely saw at the FBS level, let alone from a high school player. Steve Shiffert was in awe of how he maintained full speed while changing direction. Joe Bottagliera wanted to be sure the media didn’t undersell how tough he was between the tackles, which set up so many of those long TD runs where he emerged from a pile of bodies. And Rob Melosky noted that while his star senior was electric with the ball in his hands, the grunts up front (who lacked a star and had only one player with Division I size) were athletic and in fantastic shape to help him dominate in the second half of games, and fullback Nick Pinchek had embraced his change of role from feature tailback to blocking fullback. And while Scott stole all the headlines, the defense was putting together an amazing season of their own, with both Decker brothers in the double digits for sacks at the conclusion of the year and only Bethlehem Catholic scoring more than two touchdowns.
Central Dauphin went wire-to-wire in the regular season as #1, with quarterback Mike Probst leading a high flying offense filled with Division I skill guys and George Chaump’s superior scheme. The Rams scored a District 3 record 76 points in their regular season finale with Red Land. Bethlehem Catholic rolled through the regular season and was solidly #2 after going 10-0. The Golden Hawks had not lost to a team from the Lehigh Valley since a playoff loss to Whitehall in 1998. Woodland Hills finished their WPIAL slate undefeated and was the top ranked team in the west. #4 Downingtown was the top seed in the District 1/2/4 subregional and the lone undefeated team in the southeast. Parkland had moved up to #5 at the conclusion of the season and was the top ranked one loss team.
The preview article for the District 11 playoffs noted in the opening line that “Bethlehem Catholic-Parkland II is only one week away.” Top seeded Becahi took on fourth seeded Easton, who they had defeated in three straight District 11 championship games, and this was far and away the weakest Easton team in the run. Parkland drew third seeded Freedom, whom Scott had eviscerated two weeks earlier. However, somebody forgot to tell Easton and Freedom that they shouldn’t bother showing up.
Scott led a 91 yard TD drive early in the game, capped by a 47 yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. But Freedom answered right back, with UConn recruit Afa Anoi bowling in from one yard out, finishing an 11 play, 80 yard touchdown drive. That would remain the score at halftime, as the Patriots kept the Trojans off the field, and Anoi and Delaware commit Jeremy Kametz used their physicality and some Jim Morgans magic to contain Scott for much of the first half. Freedom opened the second half with another 80 yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a bruising 40 yard catch and run by Kametz to get into scoring territory. Shortly after Freedom took their 14-7 lead, a 9-0 score deep in the third quarter was announced from BASD Stadium - with Easton leading the heavily favored Bethlehem Catholic. But then Parkland started to take control. Speedy return man Brandon Rosenblatt took the kickoff out near midfield, then Scott scored on a 47 yard touchdown. Parkland forced a turnover on the next drive and Scott made a crazy 24 yard run - staying on his feet for nearly 20 seconds, crossing the field twice, and eluding 7 tackles. He scored on the next play to give Parkland their first lead since the opening drive. Rosenblatt returned a punt 44 yards to the one after a Freedom three and out, and the Trojans reasserted control. The final score was 42-27, with Scott scoring two more times, including a 74 yard run to ice it in the fourth quarter. He finished with exactly 300 yards and five touchdowns in the win.
Over in Bethlehem, the Golden Hawks snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Trailing 9-7 with 2:05 left, Bethlehem Catholic took over at their own 14 yard line. Boomer Rice picked up 9 yards on a draw play on a key 4th and 7 to keep the Hawks alive. Two plays later, Frank Trovato ran a hitch route, and the Easton cornerback fell down, allowing the All State receiver and sprinter to turn upfield and race to the end zone for a 57 yard touchdown to win the game for the Hawks. Although it was tough sledding, Parkland-Bethlehem Catholic II was in fact finally here.
Bethlehem Catholic was the top seed and second ranked team in the state. As such, the game was played at BASD Stadium, with a crowd of just over 12,000 on hand for the most anticipated District 11 final since the tournament began in 1985. While Scott was making history for Parkland, Adam Bednarik had lived up to his promise as a quarterback, leading a prolific Becahi offense. The Wednesday before the title game, he committed to West Virginia (alma mater of offensive coordinator Dan Kendra Sr.). Bednarik threw for 2,226 yards and had a 27-4 touchdown to interception ratio on the season. After the year, he was named the first team All State quarterback. He also had a dangerous set of receivers in Trovato (40 catches for 930 yards and 13 TDs), Shawn Martell (37-658-8) and Pete Donchez (34-437-5) - a rarity in that era to have that type of balance in a receiving corps. Parkland defensive coordinator Tarik Haddad remarked “to say that we could stop them consistently would be unrealistic.” His counterpart, Tony Cocca said about Scott “he's going to get his 100 yards, the kids have to understand that. We just have to plug the boat, or we are going to be like the Titanic and go down.” Interestingly, five of the seven Morning Call writers picked Parkland to win the rematch.
Parkland won the toss and took the ball on the opening kickoff. As expected, they handed it to Scott on six straight plays, the last of which was a 57 yard touchdown, where Maurice Simmons dutifully filled his gap, but Scott bounced the ball outside and was gone, giving Parkland a 7-0 lead after the first drive. When the Bethlehem Catholic offense came out on the field, Parkland introduced a pair of wrinkles. First, they were playing with only three down linemen and only trying to get pressure with the guys up front. Second, the extra defensive back was somebody quite familiar - #33 Austin Scott. The change up flustered Bethlehem Catholic throughout the first half, there was nothing over the top to pick up chunk yardage, and Parkland tackled exceptionally well when Becahi tried to dink and dunk underneath. Big linebacker Adam Atiyeh also was tasked with spying Bednarik, and kept the athletic quarterback in the pocket. Bednarik completed seven of his thirteen passes in the first half, but for a measly 21 yards, and the powerful Becahi offense could muster only a field goal with 11 seconds left in the half (helped immensely by a 15 yard Parkland penalty to set the Hawks up in range). However, Becahi’s defense also did a number on the Parkland offense. Scott was getting his yards, but couldn’t break free after the initial long touchdown run. The Trojans took a 7-3 lead into the break.
In the second half, the teams traded punts on their first two possessions, before Becahi took over at their own 37. A quick incompletion and a Mike Glass sack made it look like another futile drive, but on third and 15, Bednarik hit Trovato on a tunnel screen, and picked up 20 yards on the play. On another third down, Bednarik hit Trovato again, this time down the sideline inside the Parkland 10. Three plays later, fullback Boomer Rice punched the ball in from four yards out to give the Hawks a lead. Becahi ran the Oregon swinging gate play on the extra point, and with no shift by Parkland, Bednarik waltzed into the end zone for an 11-7 lead.
But Parkland took the ball back and embarked on a championship drive. A penalty started them at the 13. While much of the season is remembered for Austin Scott’s flashy, long touchdown runs, this drive showed another side of his game. Scott consistently churned out five and seven yard gains, staying behind his blocks and grinding the ball forward. On fourth and inches from their own 35, Scott picked up six on an iso play to keep the drive and season alive. On the 11th snap of the drive and Scott’s 9th carry, he took a pitch on the right side and beat Kyle Newell to the corner. He turned on the jets and was in a race with the safety to pylon. Symbolically, that safety, Bednarik, dove for Scott’s ankles at seven as the Parkland star high stepped out of danger and into the end zone. The drive lasted almost nine minutes, covered 87 yards, and gave Parkland a 14-11 lead with 7:06 to play. Becahi had two more chances with the ball and crossed the 50 with three minutes left in the game. But Scott broke up a fourth down pass intended for Martell, and the Trojans were able to run out the clock (thanks to a surprise Nick Pinchek trap play on 3rd and 6) and win the D11 title. Scott was “held” to 222 yards on 27 carries and scored both Parkland touchdowns. The yardage made Scott the second back in PA history to rush for 3,000 yards in a season and broke James Mungro’s single season rushing record. More impressively, the Parkland defense held Bethlehem Catholic to just 188 yards of total offense, completing stuffing the run game (26 carries for 55 yards) and holding Benarik to an inefficient 133 yards on 27 attempts.
The quarterfinal field was set that weekend. Out west, Altoona throttled Brashaer, 49-14 to put the Mountain Lions in the state quarters for the third straight year, with All State wideout Brendon Perretta catching four touchdowns and piling up 204 receiving yards. Their opponent would be Erie McDowell, who dethroned Erie Cathedral Prep in a thrilling 14-13 win. In the WPIAL, North Hills upset second seeded Penn Hills, ranked 7th in the state, and flustered star quarterback Anthony Morelli into a 4-14 passing night with two interceptions.. Meanwhile, Woodland Hills came back from a halftime deficit to beat Gateway 34-17, but was disappointed to give up their first touchdown since September 27. In District 1, the first round was a bloodbath, with the top three seeds losing, including #4 in the state Downingtown getting upset by #8 North Penn. The Knights were still standing after a 28-7 win over Ridley and they would meet Interboro in the subregional final, who came back from a 19-7 halftime deficit with District 2 champ Scranton to win 36-19.
The District 3 final was an instant classic. Central Dauphin was the top ranked team in the state, taking on #6 Wilson West Lawn. The Rams had leads of 14-0, 21-7, and 35-14, but Wilson would not go away. Bulldog quarterback Chad Henne threw for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as part of a 232 yard five touchdown day, but had a two-point conversion pass batted down with 36 seconds remaining and the Rams escaped with a 35-33 win. The Rams had dominated District 3 and were the strongest team to come out of central PA since the 1992 Cumberland Valley squad that won it all. They had been the top ranked team in the state all year, and were #13 in the country in the USA Today poll. Future Lehigh quarterback Mike Probst threw for 2,203 yards and 28 TDS, with superstar wideout and future Penn State defensive back Brent Wise his favorite target, with 41 catches for 1,186 yards and 26 total touchdowns. Tailback Arden Bransford, an All American kick returner for James Madison in college, was moved to running back before the season, but was a dual threat guy who had over 1,900 yards from scrimmage on the year. The Rams led the state in scoring with 47.3 points per game.
The quarterfinal was played at Allentown’s J. Birney Crum Stadium, just five miles from Parkland High School. On Central Dauphin’s second drive, Travis Decker forced a fumble by Bransford, recovered by linebacker Mike Heist at the 28. Parkland used some trickery on the next play, giving to Brandon Rosenblatt on an end around, which picked up 26 yards down to the Central Dauphin 2. Scott dove in from two yards out to give the Trojans and early 7-0. The rest of the first half would be a stalemate, with a ferocious Parkland pass rush giving Probst real trouble - particularly Cody Decker getting pressure straight up the middle from his defensive tackle spot. Decker had two first half sacks and four for the game. But the Rams defense was just as effective, limiting Scott to an unheard of 20 yards on 11 carries in the first half. Chaump was putting ten guys in the box and daring Parkland to try and throw the football.
On the first carry of the second half, Scott found a little daylight, and raced 67 yards down to the Central Dauphin 8. Two plays later, quarterback Phil Searfoss snuck behind center for a two yard touchdown to put the Trojans up 14-0. After a three and out, Parkland went on the move again, handing to Scott eight straight times for 48 yards and a three yard touchdown. A Pinchek interception set Parkland up at the 28, with Searfass faking to Scott and finding fullback Eric Rosner leaked out of the backfield for a touchdown. The explosive third quarter put Parkland up 28-0, a shocking lead over the heavy state favorites. But Central Dauphin would not go down without a fight. They answered Rosner’s score with a 58 yard zig-zagging touchdown run by Bransford. In the fourth quarter, Probst led the Rams for a 63 yard TD drive with five minutes left, connecting with Bransford for 32 and 37 yard completions before scoring on a keeper. After a Parkland punt, Probst engineered an 11 play, 75 yard touchdown drive as Parkland’s secondary played prevent defense and forced him to dink and dunk down the field. So although a Brent Wise TD catch pulled Central Dauphin within one score, it did so with just 19 seconds left. But Central Dauphin recovered the onside kick, and suddenly they were holding their breath in Orefield. But Travis Decker sacked Probst, the seventh Parkland sack of the day, as time expired to clinch victory and put Parkland in the eastern final for the first time since 1998. Scott was held under 200 yards for the first time since the blowout of the Pocono schools, but still managed 138 yards and two touchdowns. Although Probst threw for 207 yards, he did so on 15-39 passing, and Central Dauphin rushed for -7 yards on 21 carries. Nick Pinchek had a pair of interceptions, while the Decker brothers continued to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Out west, Woodland Hills won their third straight WPIAL title, defeating North Hills 15-7 with tailback Chris Morgan rushing for 157 yards and a clinching touchdown with 41 seconds left and their defense held the Indians to 170 yards of offense. The Wolverines had now outscored their opponents 345-84 on the season and ran their three year WPIAL record to 49-1. In the other western quarter, Altoona avenged a 49-0 regular season loss to Erie McDowell with the biggest turnaround in state postseason history. The Mountain Lions flipped the script with a 30-27 win.
Parkland’s opponent in the eastern final would be District 1 champion North Penn. The Knights big offensive line dominated Interboro in a 26-14 win, with North Penn rushing for 357 yards on 58 attempts. Junior tailback Kevin Akins ran for 142 and two touchdowns in the title game, while quarterback Jim Wutti pitched in 87 and a touchdown on option plays. The Knights were led by a cohort of juniors (the backbone of the 2003 state champions) with Akins leading the way with 1,263 yards on the year. Fullback Jim Casertano pitched in 855 yards and 19 touchdowns, and wingback Jim Laky was also a real threat. Although the Knights were seeded eight in the subregional playoffs, they were the eight ranked team in the state after an 8-2 regular season and Suburban One National conference championship.
The two massive schools (two of five biggest enrollments in Pennsylvania) met at Neshaminy High School on a Saturday afternoon. On the second series of the game, Austin Scott ripped off a 53 yard touchdown. Sean Reed picked off a Wutti pass on the next drive, and Phil Searfoss hit Chuck McIntosh for a touchdown. A North Penn punt pinned Parkland inside their own twenty, but Scott had runs of 23, 34, and an 18 yard touchdown on a six play, 82 yard drive to put the Trojans up 21-0 at halftime. The score was Scott’s 48th of the season, which broke the Pennsylvania touchdown record. Scott ran for 205 yards on 13 carries in the first half, with seven of his totes gaining more than 10 yards. North Penn opened the second half with an 80 yard touchdown drive and forced a Parkland three and out to seemingly get back into the game. But Reed intercepted his second pass of the day near midfield, and Searfoss hit tight end Mike Glass for a 42 yard touchdown to flip momentum. Pinchek rumbled for a 40 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach at 33-7. Scott finished with 279 on the day with limited carries in the blowout second half. Defensively, they held North Penn’s rushing attack to 72 yards on 38 carries, had five sacks, and forced three turnovers. It was the first win ever by a District 11 team over a District 1 team in the PIAA 4A playoffs and the Trojans were the first Lehigh Valley school to make the state final.
Their opponent would be the Woodland Hills Wolverines, making their second straight finals appearance and third since 1996. Scott was not the only record setting back on semifinal weekend either. Wolverine tailback Chris Morgan set a PIAA playoff record with 302 rushing yards in a 46-22 semifinal win over Altoona. His five touchdowns gave him 23 for the season and his total of 1,839 rushing yards led the WPIAL. Woodland Hills was one of the premier teams in the country, ranked #3 nationally by the USA Today. While Morgan was their most productive offensive threat, wide receiver/safety Ryan Mundy was the star. Mundy caught 29 passes for 715 yards and 12 touchdowns, while intercepting nine passes on defense. The future Michigan and Pittsburgh Steelers safety was a four star recruit, the top ranked player in Pennsylvania, and the fifth ranked defensive back in the country. The Woodland Hills offensive line averaged 6’2 291 pounds and had three players at 300+. Defensively, Mundy, Mark Malloy, and Mark Yezovich all were FBS commits, and Y’Hoshua Murray, Antwan Coleman, Shayne Fletcher and junior Devon Lyons all held FBS offers for a group that allowed just 62 rushing yards per game and went nearly two months without giving up a touchdown. They were big, physical, and fast, and were thought to present the best challenge of the year to Scott and the Parkland rushing attack. It also was a culmination of a great run for the Wolverine seniors. The group went 52-3 in their four years, with only a state title missing from their resume.
On the first play of the 4A championship, Austin Scott took a simple handoff to the right side, got an edge block from Pinchek, evaded a diving Ryan Mundy, and was gone for a 61 yard touchdown. On one play, Scott had as many rushing yards as the Wolverines gave up per game. However, the Woodland Hills run defense showed up the rest of the half, holding Scott to 34 yards on his next 13 carries, and Woodland Hills stuffed him four times from inside the ten yard line on Parkland’s second drive. In the second quarter, Justin Oliver went up over Sean Reed, then raced the final yards to the end zone for a 68 yard TD to tie the game. After stuffing Scott on third down, Ryan Mundy returned a punt for a 49 yard touchdown to put the Wolverines up 12-6. But following the punt return, Parkland marched downfield in six plays, opening up the defense by running the same halfback pass from the regular season finale with Easton, and Scott hooked up with little used wideout Vince Smolczynski (the checkdown optino) for a 36 yard completion into the red zone. Two plays later, a Scott 14 yard touchdown run put the Trojans up 13-12 at halftime. It was Chris Morgan, with 104 yards, not Scott (95) who led all ball carriers in the first half.
The second was...different. The Trojans used a 58 yard touchdown drive in the third quarter to stretch their lead, finished by a highlight reel 24 yard run where Scott jump cut in the hole, broke a pair of tackles in the secondary, reversed field and juked Mundy to the ground before walking into the end zone. After forcing a three and out, Scott took a pitch 53 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game to take a 27-12 lead early in the fourth quarter. He put the icing on the cake after stopping Woodland Hills on downs deep in their own territory with six yard touchdown run for his record tying fifth rushing touchdown of the day. Scott finished with a championship game record of 251 yards and five touchdowns on 28 carries, and credited his second half turnaround with his willingness to stop dancing and hit the hole hard. Nick Pinchek ran for 90 yards, cracking the 1,000 yard mark for the season. The Parkland defense held Woodland Hills to ten yards of total offense and no first downs in the second half. Wolverine quarterback Dennis Sellman was sacked ten times, a championship game record, including four by Travis Decker and three by his brother Cody. It also held Mundy to just one catch for 14 yards, with Pinchek shadowing the star wideout all night, and breaking up a potential third quarter touchdown pass set up Parkland’s big finish. The Trojans outgained Woodland Hills 433-202. After the game, George Novak said of Scott “I can’t think of anybody as good. I can go out and say this: he’s the best back I’ve ever coached against” and that Scott reminded him of Herschel Walker.
Austin Scott’s 3,853 rushing yards was the fourth most in national high school history. His 53 touchdowns was the highest total in the country in 2002. He set Pennsylvania records for single season rushing yards, touchdowns, and points. He was a unanimous selection for the Pennsylvania AP Player of the Year, and also won player of the year awards from Gatorade and the Maxwell Club. He was a first team Parade All American, joining Reggie Bush as the two running backs. He averaged nearly eleven yards per carry for the season, despite averaging 23 carries per game, and not having one other scholarship Division I player on offense. Scott was joined on the AP All State first team by defensive tackle Cody Decker, who finished the year with an eye popping 22 sacks, with seven coming in the three game state playoff run. Nick Pinchek, who excelled on both sides of the ball, was a third team pick on defense. Austin Scott spent a lot of the winter wavering between Penn State and Texas, where his father had moved and Mack Brown had a scholarship open, famously flying to Austin the week before signing day, but ultimately inking with the Nittany Lions. It was considered a massive get for Penn State, with Rivals declaring Scott the biggest in state signing since Lavar Arrington. Tom Lemming, now with ESPN, noted that Scott is “exactly what a first round pick running back looks like” and that “he has star written all over him.”
Jim Morgans, when asked about Scott that winter, ominously stated “I think he could possibly end up like Maurice Clarett.” In 2002, that quote meant he could step in right away and make a major impact as a true freshman, just as Clarett did with Ohio State that fall. However, that quote is accurate for what it means in hindsight, not at the time.
Scott ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns in the third game of his college career, and it looked like a legend was born. Despite leading Penn State in rushing as a true freshman, it was a disappointing year, as the Nittany Lions bumbled to a 3-9 record, and Scott missed the final six games with an ankle injury and a bout with mononucleosis. As a sophomore, Scott ran for 120 yards in the season opener, but slept through a team meeting and was benched the following week. That started a vicious cycle, where Scott clashed with head coach Joe Paterno, finding himself in the doghouse and on the bench more often than not for academic and disciplinary issues. Rob Melosky made news when he complained that “I’d like to know how Pete Carroll would handle him. Paterno is set in stone and it doesn’t work.” Scott remained benched for most of his sophomore season, then broke his ankle in winter workouts and fell further behind in spring ball. As a junior, Scott flashed, tearing up Notre Dame for a career high 137 yards and earning Orange Bowl MVP honors with 110 yards and three touchdowns against Florida State. But as a senior, Scott was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a party, and Paterno immediately kicked him off of the team. Although the allegations were later proven unfounded and Scott won a defamation suit against the woman, his Penn State career was over. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns, but carried one time for 13 yards in a preseason game then was cut. He went to Germany and played a season in NFL Europe, but never again played pro football. In 2014, Scott was sentenced to two years in prison for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer.
Things have been happier for other members of the ‘02 state champs. Travis Decker was an All State pick as a senior and set the Lehigh Valley career record for sacks. He played his college football at Duquesne, where he was a two-time all league pick and an FCS All American at defensive end. Nick Pinchek passed up FCS offers to play at Penn State as a preferred walk-on, where he lettered as a gunner on special teams. He is now one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in the Lehigh Valley. Mike Glass also went the PWO route, walking on at South Carolina. Brandon Rosenblatt returned kicks at Yale, and is now the CEO of a start up in Maryland. Right tackle Morgan Thomas, a sophomore on this team, was a two-time All State pick in his career, and played at East Stroudsburg, where he was a two-time Division II All American. Fellow starting sophomore Nick Guida was a two-time state finalist and state champion as a wrestler at 171 pounds and wrestled at Illinois, though a neck injury would cut his career short. Linebacker Mike Heist was a two-time state qualifier as a wrestler, and wrestled for Pitt, where he twice qualified for the NCAA tournament at 197 pounds. Linebacker Adam Atiyeh also went to Pitt, playing fullback for the Panthers before becoming a professional MMA fighter.
Finally, the Rob Melosky era burned hot and fast at Parkland. After leading the Trojans to a state title as a 32 year old he was the youngest coach in state history to win a state championship. Melosky took Parkland back to the D11 final in 2003, rebuilding the team around a defense led by Decker, Atiyeh, and Guida. But after a 3-7 season in 2004, Melosky was fired, with the Parkland administration refusing to comment, but did state that the win loss record was not the reason for letting go of the firey and sometimes controversial head coach. Melosky latched on as an assistant coach at Lehigh for two years before joining the Bethlehem Catholic staff as their offensive coordinator. In 2008, he took over as the head coach at Nazareth. He led the Blue Eagles to new heights, improving from 0-10 to 9-3 after three seasons, then winning Nazareth’s only District 11 football title in 2011. He resigned from the Blue Eagles in 2014, citing burnout. In 2017, Melosky was hired as the athletic director and football coach at Pocono Mountain East high school. Last offseason, Melosky battled throat cancer, though he was able to coach the Cardinals in the 2018 season.
