Narrative
The 2006 offseason was full of controversy thanks to everybody’s favorite subject - transfers. Namely, there were two massively talented football players changing schools in the WPIAL and joining two of the league favorites. First, after Pittsburgh Central Catholic struggled with a lack of a passing game in 2005, they added quarterback Tino Sunseri from North Carolina to their roster. Suneri's father was an assistant with the Carolina Panthers, but he moved in with his uncle in Pittsburgh to play for the Vikings, ranked in the preseason top 10 nationally. And Woodland Hills received a monster boost when Rob Gronkowski, one of the most highly recruited players in the country, transferred from the Buffalo, New York area to the Wolverines. Both players were approved at hearing by the WPIAL and would not have to sit out. There were many unhappy parties, and none more vocal than Upper St. Clair head coach Jim Render, who provided his complaints about the hearing process to both major Pittsburgh papers.
Render’s reasons may have been competitive as well as philosophical. Upper St. Clair was picked third in the WPIAL and the preseason #8 team in Pennsylvania, behind #1 Pittsburgh Central Catholic and #3 Woodland Hills. Their biggest returnee was running back/linebacker Dane Conwell, who had filled in more than admirably for the graduated Sean Lee, and ran for over 1,000 yards and was an all conference pick as a junior.
One of Render’s complaints had been remedied however that offseason. The WPIAL had reconfigured its 4A division for 2006 and Upper St. Clair would rejoin longtime rivals Mount Lebanon and Bethel Park in the Great South division. They were also joined by defending state champion and preseason #10 McKeesport in the Great South, who would be their biggest divisional competition. Elsewhere in the state, District One had three teams in the top 10, with #2 North Penn, #4 Neshaminy, and #8 Pennsbury all out of the Suburban One conference. District 11 had a pair of teams in the top ten, with returning state finalist Liberty slotted in at #6 and Easton at #9. Rounding out the top ten was District 3 favorite Harrisburg at #5. They were led by head coach George Chaump, in his third year with the Cougars and in the midst of revamping the program. They also got in on the transfer party, adding Glen Mills running back Daries Hodge in the offseason.
Render was cautiously optimistic about his Panthers in 2006 (after the season, he quipped, "I knew we'd have a great defense, the rest, couldn't see that coming"). After being the dominant WPIAL wprogram in the 1990s, with seven title game appearances and two trips to the state final, USC had taken a back seat to Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Woodland Hills in the 2000s, and felt they were falling further behind with their free agent acquisitions.
The first three weeks did not provide much of a challenge to the Panthers, as they dispatched of Penn-Trafford, Fox Chapel, and Connellsville by a combined 109-35 score. Those three opponents finished a combined 7-21. That set up a week four match up with fellow undefeated ~North Allegheny. The Tigers were a longtime rival had turned into a contender under Art Walker Jr., and took a 7-0 first half lead on Upper St. Clair. In the third quarter, Dane Conwell kicked the Panthers into gear with a 65 yard touchdown run to tie the game in the third quarter. After forcing a punt, another long Conwell run set up a go ahead field goal. Wideout Neil Apfelbaum scored on a reverse in the fourth quarter to ice the game at 16-7. The Panthers defense was exceptional, forcing five North Allegheny turnovers, while Conwell rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. The win also moved Upper St. Clair up to the #1 spot in the WPIAL after Woodland Hills beat Pittsburgh Central Catholic. The Wolverines had lost to Panther rival Mount Lebanon in the opening weekend, leaving Upper St. Clair as the lone undefeated amongst the contenders.
The next three weeks brought another three big wins over non-playoff teams, beating Baldwin 38-7, Canon McMillan 36-7, and Bethel Park 40-13. That set up a week seven showdown with defending state champion McKeesport. The Tigers were 6-1, with just a loss to Woodland Hills, and were led by quarterback Kamryn Keys and a fast, athletic defense. Upper St. Clair struck first with a first quarter touchdown, but Keys engineered an 11 play, 78 yard drive in the second quarter to tie things up for the returning champs. After an Upper St. Clair punt, McKeesport was on the move again when Keys fumbled an exchange, which was scooped up by Panther safety Dan Miller. On the next play, Pat McShane hit wideout Adam Chrisssis all the way down at the one yardline, and Conwell bullied in for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 14-7 halftime lead. USC pulled away in the second half with Grant Serdy breaking off a 37 yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and scoring from six yards out in the fourth. The Panthers held the McKeesport wishbone to just seven first downs, and over 100 yards below their season rushing average. Conwell led all ball carriers with 101 yards on 24 carries, while Serdy had all 57 of his rushing yards after halftime. The win clinched the division for Upper St. Clair and established them as one of the teams to beat headed into the WPIAL playoffs. It also moved the Panthers up to #3 in the state as one of three undefeated teams left in 4A. The following week, Upper St. Clair completed an undefeated regular season, their third int four years, with a 24-14 win over Mount Lebanon. Serdy continued his hot streak by returning a blocked punt for the opening score as the Panthers opened up a 24-7 lead before a late Blue Devil touchdown.
Upper St. Clair finished the regular season ranked #2 in the state, trailing only Parkland out of District 11. The Trojans defense was statistically the best in the state, yielding 5.2 points per game, while the offense had three 1,000 yard rushers out of the Jim Morgans Wing-T. They did play a favorable regular season schedule, missing #5 Easton, who had been ranked #1 for much of the season before a loss to #4 Liberty in week 9 (the Hurricanes lone defeat came to 3A #2 Bethlehem Catholic). Pittsburgh Central Catholic, the second seed in the WPIAL, ranked #3 in the final regular season state poll, while Penn Hills clocked in at 7 and Woodland Hills at 9. Harrisburg represented District 3 at #6 after a 9-1 season and their lone loss coming against Ohio power Cincinnati Moeller, while #8 Council Rock North was the lone undefeated team out of District 1. And Erie Cathedral Prep rounded out the poll at #10.
A 35-6 win over Plum in the opening round of the WPIAL tournament set up a quarterfinal with long time rival North Hills. The Indians were 28-23 winners of Penn-Trafford. In the quarter, North Hills led 10-7 in the second quarter after a Pat McShane interception gave them the ball inside the red zone. But a second quarter punt pinned North Hills at the one, and on second down, Adam Chrissis jumped a comeback route and returned the interception 12 yards for a touchdown and an Upper St. Clair lead. That kick started a run of 27 unanswered points, with Dane Conwell scoring two of his three touchdowns in the barrage. North Hills only gained 127 yards of offense on the night, while Conwell rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns, plus returned an interception of his own for a score.
The big story in the WPIAL quarters was North Allegheny upsetting Woodland Hills, 24-17, playing keep away against the Wolverines and taking advantage of turnovers in the upset. Pittsburgh Central Catholic stayed alive and knocked out returning champ McKeesport in a physical 24-13 win, while Penn Hills beat Gateway in a shoot-out, 44-37.
The North Allegheny-Upper St. Clair rematch was hyped as a match up between two of the best coached teams in the state. Neither roster was overflowing with Division I prospects, but they played solid, mistake free football, and were led by two of the best in the business in Art Walker Jr. and Jim Render. And in the game, it was the old master teaching the young buck a few things. Upper St. Clair, according to the Post Gazette “put on another clinic of efficiency” in a 24-3 beating of North Allegheny. The Panthers held North Allegheny to 153 yards on the day, including a measly 28 yards from scrimmage in the second half. Dan Conwell and Grant Serdy each rushed for 75 yards, and Pat McShane threw for 94 in their balanced attack. Importantly, the Panthers took advantage of three Tiger turnovers, including a 30 yard pick six by McShane, and North Allegheny quarterbacks combined to go 4 for 25.
Their WPIAL finals opponent was a shocker. Over in West Mifflin, Penn Hills stunned Pittsburgh Central catholic, 14-6, to make their first title game since the 1995 state championship season. The game was 0-0 at halftime, then Penn Hills threw a 24 yard touchdown in the third quarter after the drive was kept alive by a fake punt near midfield. Lamont Smith scored on PCC’s next possession, but the extra point was blocked and Penn Hills retained a 7-6 lead. It would stay that way until the fourth quarter, when Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s final drive was short circuited by an interception returned for a touchdown. The Indians held the Vikings to 188 yards of offense, piling up eight sacks and an interception. #3 Pittsburgh Central Catholic was one of three teams in the top six in the state to lose that weekend, with #6 Harrisburg dropping a tight contest with Bishop McDevitt and the state’s top ranked Parkland Trojans losing on a field goal as time expired to #5 Easton.
Jim Render and Neil Gordon were again the focus headed into the WPIAL finals, as both coaches led Cinderella teams of sort. Gordon’s bunch obviously had pulled a big upset in the semifinal round, but also needed a virtuoso performance to beat consistent power Gateway in the quarterfinal. Upper St. Clair was the top ranked team in the state, but did so largely by being a survivor as the other contenders fell by the wayside, while they played solid, winning football without real stars. Gordon noted that “this team is a real tribute to Jim. THey don’t make mistakes and are extremely well balanced.” Render agreed, saying he wished he had team speed like some of his opponents, but he just had to settle for kids who can really block and tackle.
Penn Hills opened the game with a 13 play, 66 yard touchdown drive and it looked like they still had some magic left for Heinz Field. However, Upper St. Clair answered with a 10 play drive of their own, with Pat McShane hitting Taylor Everett for a five yard touchdown on a slant near the end of the first quarter. The rest of the half was a near stalemate, with neither offense able to generate much of anything, until Penn Hills cooked up a drive in the final three minutes of the half. They advanced all the way to the Panther 16 before turning the ball over on downs. That’s when Jim Render reached into his bag of tricks, calling a reverse to wideout Adam Chrissis, who sprinted 46 yards into Indian territory. That set up a 35 yard field goal to give USC a 10-7 lead at the break.
The score would hold until the fourth quarter, when Penn Hills made its first big play of the day. Eric Taylor snuck behind the Upper St. Clair secondary, and Tom Fulton hit him for a 54 yard gain. Penn Hills scored on the next play to take a 12-10 lead. It was the first time all season Upper St. Clair trailed in the fourth quarter. But the Panthers followed up with their championship moment. Starting at their own 42, Pat McShane threw a 15 yard dart to tight end Neil Apfelbaum on first down. Then, the Panthers ran the ball on ten consecutive plays, seven of which went to their workhorse, Dane Conwell. USC picked up three different third and shorts on the drive, and burned clock while they chewed up yardage. On the eleventh play of the drive, Conwell scored from ten yards out, leaving Penn Hills just 58 seconds and putting them in an 18-12 hole. Conwell finished the job on defense, intercepting a Tom Fulton pass to end the game. After the opening drive, Penn Hills only gained 130 yards the rest of the game, 54 coming on one play. The Indians only mustered 54 yards rushing, and 1,000 yard running back Aaron Williams had just 46 yards on 13 carries. Conwell rushed for 113 yards and the game winning touchdown, helping Upper St. Clair enjoy a 31:29 to 16:31 advantage in time of possession. It was Jim Render’s fifth WPIAL title, and pulled him to an even 5-5 in his ten championship game appearances in his 28 year career.
The Panthers were joined in the state quarterfinals by eastern compatriots Ridley, Pennsbury, Frankford, and Liberty. Ridley erased a 17-7 deficit against North Penn in the second half, as quarterback Al Humes engineered a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives in a 21-17 win. In the other District 1 semi, Pennsbury made the clock strike midnight for Abington in a 27-12 laugher. Abington had knocked off undefeated top seed Council Rock North, but was no match for the Pennsbury Wing-T, which churned out 273 rushing yards, including a 162 yard performance from halfback Jackson Fagan, putting him over 2,000 yards for the season. In District 12, Frankford won a thriller for the second year in a row, kicking their first field goal of the season with 42 seconds left to beat George Washington 15-14. In District 11, returning state finalist Liberty beat Easton for the second time in a match up of top five teams, two days after the Red Rovers beat Phillipsburg on ESPN2 in the 100th iteration of their Thanksgiving rivalry. Liberty received a brilliant effort from quarterback Dan Persa, who rushed for 113 yards and two TDs and threw for 114 yards and two more TDs in a 35-14 win, where the Hurricane defense held Easton to just six first downs.
In the western half, Governor Mifflin scored 47 straight points in a 47-13 win over Wilson West Lawn. Mifflin rushed for 357 yards in the win. Bishop McDevitt’s season came to an end one week after upsetting state title contender Harrisburg, as they lost a 34-20 semifinal to State College. And in the D8/10 subregional, Erie Cathedral Prep won a date with Upper St. Clair after a 44-22 win over Brashear.
The Ramblers, back again to take on the WPIAL champion, were led by Iowa recruit Abe Satterfield, an electric player who they liked to get the ball in space in their no huddle spread offense. But the electricity was short circuited by the Upper St. Clair defense. Through the first three quarters, Erie Cathedral Prep gained just 63 yards and picked up 2 first downs. A second quarter blitz clinched victory for the Panthers. Pat McShane hit Taylor Everett for a 52 yard touchdown to start the scoring. Then, after an Alex Romanis field goal, Erie Cathedral Prep fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and McShane hit Adam Chrissis for a touchdown to take a 17-0 lead the break. Dane Conwell scored a fourth quarter touchdown, and finished with 109 yards on the ground. Abe Satterfield did get ECP on the board with a punt return touchdown, but Cathedral Prep responded with a 13 play, 89 yard touchdown drive to end the game.
In District 1, Pennsbury beat Ridley in a defensive struggle, scoring a pair of second half touchdowns in a 14-0 win. Their first touchdown a surprise a halfback pass by Victor Iturbides for a 45 yard touchdown. Pennsbury drove for the clinching touchdown on their next drive. Ridley held 2,000 yard running back Jackson Fagan to a season low 82 yards on the game, but the Pennsbury defense was even better, shutting out the high flying Ridley attack and holding all state quarterback Al Humes to an 8-35 day for just 74 yards, and the Green Raiders finished with just one yard rushing and turned it over three times. Pennsbury’s eastern final opponent was Liberty, a 35-15 winner over Frankford. The Hurricanes raced out to a 35-0 lead and held Frankford to 63 yards of total offense before removing their starters in the fourth quarter.
State College defeated Governor Mifflin, 21-0, in the District 3/6 final. State College had a prolific passing attack, led by future Yale quarterback and Colorado Rockies farmhand Brook Hart. Hart already set State College single season records with 2,102 yards and 29 touchdowns going into the western final. His favorite target was tight end Nate Stupar, who went on to stand out at Penn State and played linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, who had 38 catches for 582 yards nad 11 touchdowns.
Upper St. Clair got off to a strong defensive start, holding State College without a first down in the first quarter. Pat McShane got the Panthers on the board with a two yard touchdown run, but his second quarter fumble was picked up in the end zone by State College for the Little Lions first score. McShane made up for the mistake by leading a second touchdown drive, capped by a 14 yard TD run to take a 14-7 lead. It looked like that lead would hold, as State College lined up to punt with just seconds remaining in the first half. The punt landed harmlessly and rolled to the USC 40 as time expired. But while State College special teamers surrounded the ball as it rolled, nobody downed the football. That’s when Taylor Everett nonchalantly walked up, scooped the ball, and ran for a 60 yard punt return touchdown while the Little Lions stood flat footed. After the game, Everett said he got the idea from watching movies and highlight films, and that head coach Jim Render never would have instructed him to do that. Render took a page from Lou Brown’s of Major League’s phrasebook, telling Everett “nice play, and if you pull that stuff again, I’ll kill you.” Everett remained solidly alive, and Upper St. Clair took the surprise two score lead into halftime.
In the second half, Upper St. Clair choked the life out of State College. The Little Lions only had two possessions in the entire second half. They made the most of them, With Hart scoring a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Stupar catching a 45 yard touchdown. But after the Hart touchdown, Upper St. Clair went on a 13 play, 71 yard drive, with Conwell punching in a four yard touchdown. And after the Stupar score, State College did not touch the football again, as the Panthers grinded out the final 4:15 of the game. Dane Conwell finished with 137 yards on 29 carries, while McShane added 72 yards on the ground. Hart threw for a season low 101 yards on just six completions and Stupar’s only catch was the touchdown. USC pounded out 242 yards rushing and 18 first downs while playing keep away from the powerful State College offense. With the win, Render joined Mike Pettine as the only two coaches to make at least four championship game appearances in the largest classification.
While Upper St. Clair was bleeding out State College, Liberty beat Pennsbury in a marathon, four overtime affair at CB West. The Hurricanes stopped Victor Iturbides at the three yard line on the final play of the game, setting off celebrations in Bethlehem for their second straight trip to the state final. Liberty was led by senior quarterback Dan Persa, who was a one man wrecking crew against Pennsbury. He rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns, and made ten tackles on defense. He either ran or threw on 55 of Liberty’s 60 plays in the game. The game was tied at 21 at the end of regulation, with Jackson Fagan tying things with 1:36 left for Pennsbury. Persa threw a touchdown pass on fourth and 7 in the first OT while trailing by a touchdown to keep the Hurricanes alive. The teams traded field goals in the second overtime, then Persa threw another tying touchdown on third down in OT number 3. In the fourth OT, Persa flipped an option pitch to Akheem Smith for a touchdown, then the defense got the final stop to end the game.
Liberty was making their second straight trip to the state final. Persa was the first quarterback in state history to throw for 2,000 yards (2,088) and rush for 1,000 yards (1,118) in the same season. He was responsible for 36 touchdowns (19 passing, 17 rushing) and would go on to win the AP Player of the Year Award. He was the first four year starting quarterback in Liberty history. Junior running back Ahkeem Smith was also dangerous, rushing for 1,340 yards and 27 touchdowns going into the state final. Persa spread the ball around in the passing game, with three different receivers making at least 30 catches. The Hurricanes also featured a no-name defense that had played well as a unit, with only Pennsbury scoring more than 14 points in regulation against the first teamers.
Upper St. Clair put together one of the great defensive performances in state finals history in a 47-13 annihilation of the Hurricanes, which was 47-0 going into the fourth quarter. Conwell scored on the opening drive and a blocked punt for a safety gave the Panthers a 9-0 lead after the first period. Conwell added a pair of second quarter touchdowns to make the score 26-0 at halftime. He crossed the goal line two more times in the third quarter, to tie the championship game record with five touchdowns. He finished with 169 yards on 30 carries, which as Jim Render said “is what a Big Ten recruit does in big games.” As a team, USC ran for 346 yards and picked up a staggering 21 first downs.
Meanwhile, the Panther defense absolutely mauled Persa and company. The star quarterback was sacked eight times, and completed just seven passes. USC blitzed on nearly every play, with linebacker Taylor Everett finished with four sacks on the day, and the Panthers were in the backfield on nearly every play, run or pass. Upper St. Clair held Liberty to seven rushing yards, the lowest output in championship game history. For the day, Liberty gained only two first downs, with one coming on a defensive offsides call. Their dynamic duo of Persa and Smith ran for negative six yards on 20 carries, and 66 of Liberty’s 103 yards of total offense came on a meaningless pass to Oscar Rivera early in the fourth quarter to set up their only offensive touchdown. It was a thorough drubbing. Afterwards, Render lobbied the press that his squad was one of the best ever produced by the WPIAL.
After the season, Dane Conwell was named the WPIAL Player of the Year in 4A and earned first team AP All State honors at linebacker. He was joined on the AP team defense by Pat McShane, whose eight interceptions placed him amongst the state leaders. Place kicker Alex Romanis earned second team honors on the AP team. Offensive linemen Jeremy Block and Dan Mulholland earned recognition from PA Football News, who also had McShane and Conwell on their first team defense. Jim Render ran away with the AP Coach of the Year honor, his second, for leading the unheralded Upper St. Clair to state glory as one of the smallest schools in the 4A classification.
Dane Conwell played for two seasons at Indiana before transferring to California (PA) where he completed his college career. Pat McShane hung up his cleats following the state championship. Tight end/defensive end David Shine and offensive tackle Jason Sakoian both moved on to play their college football at Richmond, where they won an FCS National Championship in 2008. Adam Chrissis was an All Ivy League wide receiver at Harvard, while Grant Serdy played against Chrissis as a fullback at Princeton. Center Jeremy Block was a three year starter at Wittenberg and led the Tigers to a pair of trips to the Division III playoffs and a quarterfinals appearance in 2009.
Jim Render retired in January after 40 seasons at Upper St. Clair and 49 years as a high school head coach. He finished his career with a record of 406-141-6, winning 23 conference titles, five WPIAL titles and two state championships. His 406 wins are the most in WPIAL history, rank him third in PIAA history behind the legendary George Curry and Jack Henzes, and puts him 25th nationally in high school football history. Render produced all pro NFL linebacker Sean Lee, former Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley, and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kevin Orie, as well as dozens of Division I football players. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
