The Finals: What the math says
1A
Jeannette 10-1 over Steelton Highspire 9-0 3.22
Since opening loss to Clairton (8-1) 34-28, the Jayhawks ran off 10 straight by an average score of 50-10, counting weird blow out of Clairton 45-14 in rematch to avenge only loss, and a 40-13 win against always strong Rochester (7-2) 40-13. They are one of District-7’s alphas, with a 20 year 201-38 log (counts 2020) with state titles in 2007 and 2017.
Rollers come in unscathed with last minute wins against Old Forge (5-1) 39-36 and Altoona’s pride and joy Bishop Guilfoyle (7-3), 16-14 last week. Before Forge, they held off Muncy (7-2) 50-43. Nice seeing two of the top programs in the state playing each other. Rollers are essentially home playing down the road in Chocolate Town.
2A
Southern Columbia 11-0 over Wilmington 10-0 14.46
Greyhounds got almost everyone back from last year and are playing like it with return of both half backs (Wing- T), fullback, a dual threat Qb and 4 of 5 lineman, keying around Jake Chimiak (6-2, 315) and Connor Vass-Cal (6-2, 335). They’ve played a harsh slate of Farrell (5-3…times 3!), a nice little Chestnut Ridge team (7-3, D5) 56-29 in a wild one, and another strong team from Beaver Falls (10-1) 20-18. Say it ain’t so Joe! About Farrell. They played them three times (lets hear it for covid scheduling) winning 41-20, 21-20 and 19-14. The Hounds are one of the long standing power brokers of District-10 with a 193-52 (counts 2020) record over 20 years. They won a state title in 2008 where I’ll spare the Catholic League fans the sad details. Here is the video for Hounds fans and recovered Burrs fans.
Wilmington vs West Catholic 2008 PIAA football - YouTube
Last chance to slow the Southern Columbia Express, winners of 59 straight and 3 consecutive state championships; averaging 50ppg, allowing 11. They’re strong again, best wins are Richland Twp (8-2, D6) 56-30 and Bishop McDevitt (4-2, PCL) 42-14, but not as strong as last year’s extraordinary team that averaged 56ppg on offense, 5 on defense. Gone are running back Gaige Garcia to Michigan, Julian Fleming at Ohio State, LB Cal Halladay at Michigan State and quarterback Preston Zachman to Wisconsin. That team could have played with anyone! How’d you like practicing against that, with back-ups playing most of last year’s 2nd halves. Southern set the finals record last year beating Avonworth (15-1) 74-7; the same Avonworth team that beat Wilmington 33-21 the week before.
3A
Wyomissing 9-0 over Central Valley 11-0 3.81
No one gave either of these two teams a game with Wyomissing beating their toughest opponents, Middletown (4-2) 38-16, Lakeland (5-1) 47-0 and Danville (8-2) by an average score of 43-10, while Central Valley beat theirs by an average score of 53-12 verses East Allegheny (5-2) 56-7, Keystone Oaks (5-3) 70-21, Elizabeth Forward (8-1) 35-0, Bedford (10-1) 49-20. Scary scores. CV is more explosive and balanced at a glance but Wyo has one of the top Wing-T quarterbacks in the state, passing as effectively as needed, completing 11 of 12 last week for 190 yards. No pop gun stuff, throwing TDs of 20, 46 and 29 last week. They played a more diverse schedule defeating teams from District 3, District 2 and District 4 while CV’s schedule kept them in D7, seeing the same teams and schemes (Hopewell, Quaker Valley, Blackhawk, Keystone Oaks) for the last 3 years in the regular season and no inter-district games until getting beyond the WPIAL title game last week.
4A
Thomas Jefferson 9-1 over Jersey Shore 10-0 13.34
Impressive wins by TJ over previously unbeaten Plum (8-1) 20-7 and Aliquippa (9-1) 35-28 in overtime, and Oil City (10-1, D10) 62-0 last week. Little gained from Oil City win per their 1 point win over Juniata (5-2, D6) who was crushed by D3 power Middletown (4-2) 54-19, and OC’s 1 point win vs Upper Moreland (5-2, D1) per weak SOL-American schedule. TJ comes in with higher value per District-7 pedigree, accumulating a 20 year won loss of 233-29 (counts 2020) with 4 state titles (04, 07, 08, 19) and 18 double digit winning seasons. Jersey Shore got a nice bump overwhelming (in 2nd half) Lampeter Strasburg (9-1) last week 39-35 and beating Crestwood (8-1) 26-14 the week before; first losses for both. The Bulldog D shutdown LS’s prolific Qb Sean McTaggart to 123 pass yards in the 2nd half; (allowed 350 first) and stuffed the run allowing 37 total! This is the first appearance for JS but didn’t see any deer in the headlights last week in Lampeter! Bad ass team. Let’s see if they can keep up.
5A
Pine Richland 10-0 over Cathedral Prep 7-2 20.69
Pine Richland breezed through the Wpial undefeated with surprising ease by an average score of 38-9. This included the best the district had to throw at them (minus one!) playing Upper St. Clair (5-3) 34-13, Penn Trafford (6-2) 49-14 and Peters Twp (8-1) 35-0. Pine’s win in the final vs Peters Township was the result of Peters upsetting Gateway (5-1) 20-19 the week before, ending their 22 game home winning streak. Talk about the stars having to line up….or not. It took 3 missed field goals and a controversial pass inference call in the final minute (Gators up 6) on an interception returned 75 yards for an apparent touchdown to set up PT’s win.
Unfortunately Covid knocked them out of playing Pine, Latrobe and Penn Trafford in the regular season, sidelining them 9/25 thru 10/11. They had so many athletes and a defense (!) it seemed a given they’d beat PT to face Pine Richland.
Cathedral Prep’s was also impacted by covid, missing the last two games against Wyoming Valley West (2-4, D2) and Upper Dublin (6-2, D1), leaving them with a regular season playing three teams twice; Erie High, McDowell and Butler. In two games against the only quality on their schedule, McDowell (7-1), they were handled, 24-10 and 24-6, giving them one of their lowest rating ever. But then, the bar is set high at Cathedral where they won three consecutive titles from 2016-2018 and two others in 2012 and 2000. All the D1 guys remember that one where the Ramblers ended Central Bucks West’s 59 game winning streak in overtime, 41-35.
6A
St. Joseph’s Prep 5-0 over Central York 10-0 14.73
The Panther’s rating was built on 4 quality wins, Central Dauphin (5-1, D3) 42-15, York-William Penn (7-1, D3) 48-21, Delaware Valley (5-2, D2) 49-27 and McDowell (7-1, D10) 37-21. That’s a nice spread of districts and schemes to analyze. They play in the York-Adams League that does not have the rep the Mid Penn Conference and Lancaster-Lebanon League has. But here they are as the York-Adams first District 3 champion (big school) with a quarterback everyone wants in his junior year. According to HFSA, Central is 94th in the US, SJP 8th.
St. Joe’s has what many are calling their best collection of talent ever. Best team? Probably, having overwhelming scores against all their opponents by an average of 45 to 10 (224-51), making this one of their best offenses ever in points scored, second only to 2018’s 13-0 state champion that averaged 46 a game. The defense is their best since 2012’s 10-1 team, both at 10ppg. Against their top 4 opponents, Life Christian Academy (2-3), LaSalle (5-2), Archbishop Wood (2-4) and Souderton (7-1), only Souderton scored in the first half with LCA at 28-0, LaSalle and Wood both down 38-0, Souderton 44-7, meaning, they’re outscoring opponents 116 to 7 at the half. That’s a deep hole to dig out of.
Interesting seeing if Central York’s players can hold up with most of the team going both ways, and how St. Joe’s handles a worthy dual threat quarterback. That’s not the case with the Prep with a drop back in Kyle McCord and few going both ways.
**** Please see this week’s District 3 Rankings for more detail.
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