3A East
Conwell Egan D12 7-6 vs Middletown D3 15-0, Rustin HS, 12/2, 1.
Conwell Egan gave the Colonial League a taste of the Philadelphia Catholic League with a 34-17 win over previously undefeated Palisades (13-1) 34-17. Eagle back Patrick Garwo was unstoppable, rushing for 284 yards on 28 carries and 3 scores. But now they face a more talented adversary, playing last year’s 3A runner-up Middletown who pounded Scranton Prep (14-1) senseless with 3 backs. Brady Fox led the way with 104, with Tyreer Mills getting 93 and Tre Leach 84. Jose Lopez (1752ry) was out with an injury but not this week. They shut down Prep’s Qb Leo O’Boyle to 12 completions on 24 attempts for 82 yards while grinding out 278 yards on the ground in a 35-0 win. CEC will definitely be able to hang with Middletown up front but will they be able to corral the backs the Blue Raiders throw at you, something like West Catholic, Episcopal and Lansdale Catholic do with a reliable rushing attack. Can Middletown manage Patrick Garwo’s (1842 ry) speed and power? I used to live in Middletown that borders Highspire then Steelton along the river and can tell you they’re tough kids. It’s a football centric area. This one is hard to call (all of em are!) with CEC’s size and Garwo vs Middletown’s backs and defense. But the math says the Blue Raders take it by 22.72 points. Seems high.
3A West
Sharon D10 10-3 vs Quaker Valley D7 12-1, North Hills HS, 12/1 7.
Sharon’s big and diverse offense generated 467 total yards of offense (174r-293p) beating a game Forest Hills (11-2) 45-25. Soph Qb Lane Voytik completed 16 of 24 for 293 yards (2154 total) with Jordan Wilson (5-11, 215, 1302 season) getting 152 yards rushing and Ziyon Strickland (1432 season) snagging 7 passed for 96 yards. Nice array of skill. Rangers Qb Adam Cecere threw 3 touchdowns, completing 28 of 48 passes for 336 yards in a losing cause. Quite an aerial display by both teams! They’ll play Quaker Valley who is coming off a bye week after winning their first Wpial crown with the 2-0 (safety) defeat of Aliquippa (12-1) the week before. They’ve made a statement this year with Coach John Tortorea resigning August 4th (!), replaced by Jerry Veschio. But they’re a handful for anyone with a senior, veteran team along the lines, a talent at wide out in Isaiah McNair and a duel threat in quarterback Ricky Goss. Pretty sweet being here off a 5-4 season last year. Wins over North Catholic, Seton LaSalle twice and Aliquippa make this a lean to QV over Tigers with losses to Wilmington, Greenville and South Range-OH. Quakers by 8.77 points.
4 East
Imhotep Charter School D12 12-1 vs Bethlehem Catholic D11 12-2, Germantown Supersite, 12/1, 7.
Imhotep had no trouble with Valley View (10-4) opening up a 28-0 half time lead that ballooned to 41-0 by games end. The stats matched the score with the Panthers gaining 562 total yards of offense of which 472 came on the ground. No surprise here knowing VV allowed 17ppg coming in! Bethlehem Catholic is next after escaping Selinsgrove (11-3) 33-32. Seals Qb Logan Leiby almost got them, completing 14 of 24 passes for 328 yards and 4 scores. But the weight of Beca’s assault evidently wore them down (battered by Bisko, winded by Banks), after a 13-12 deficit to score 21 4th quarter points….in large part by way of 194 yards rushing in that quarter alone. Super soph Tavion Banks rushed for 178 yards on 10 carries with senior Matt Bisko adding another 156. That’s who the Panthers have to stop, especially Banks while the Golden Hawks attempt to contend with Isheem Young (793ry, 18 Tds), Qb Jalen Sutton-Christian (1568, 22 Tds) and others. ICS beat Beca last year 24-13 and have the edge here in a homer and with a more diverse attack and real passing threat. A win here gets them to their 3rd consecutive finals appearance. ICS takes this one by 12.04 points.
4A West
Berks Catholic D3 13-0 vs Cathedral Prep D10 12-0, Somerset HS, 12/1, 7.
Berks Catholic finally got well-earned status in the district and beyond by defeating the dominant private school power from Harrisburg, Bishop McDevitt, in the District-3 title game 45-25. Berks had this one in hand from the beginning, with a 28-9 halftime lead and 31-17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. This was a pounding, with the Saints running right at them, getting 445 yards on the ground, featuring Syracuse bound Cooper Lutz’s 222 yards (school record) on 18 carries. He has 3016 career yards, 754 coming in the last 4 games. Terrance Derr threw enough to keep them honest completing 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards. Up next is the team that beat them last year in the semifinal, Erie’s Cathedral Prep. Cathedral had little trouble getting their 26th win in a row beating Thomas Jefferson 42-17. This is their 3rd consecutive win over TJ in a state playoff to preserve their record of not losing to a WPIAL team in 8 years! Qb Joe Mischler (Ohio, all time D10 pass leader, +7400 yds) completed 13 of 22 for 190 yards, with WR/DB Terry Roberts (1032py), WR Tyler Oedekoven (964py), RBs Matt Lupo (821ry) and Billy Lucas (626ry), OL/DL Juice Scruggs (PSU), linebacker Matt Bauer (Notre Dame) doing their usual damage. Scary team, remembering they beat the pants off Pittsburgh Central Catholic 40-7 at the top of the season….as convincingly as Pine Richland did at the end, 42-7. This looks like a competitive game as BC is the real deal, losing to Cathedral last year 28-14 in a tight one. The Ramblers might win with one, with a few more weapons but it will be competitive with the Saints going down hard by 8.71 points.
Conwell Egan D12 7-6 vs Middletown D3 15-0, Rustin HS, 12/2, 1.
Conwell Egan gave the Colonial League a taste of the Philadelphia Catholic League with a 34-17 win over previously undefeated Palisades (13-1) 34-17. Eagle back Patrick Garwo was unstoppable, rushing for 284 yards on 28 carries and 3 scores. But now they face a more talented adversary, playing last year’s 3A runner-up Middletown who pounded Scranton Prep (14-1) senseless with 3 backs. Brady Fox led the way with 104, with Tyreer Mills getting 93 and Tre Leach 84. Jose Lopez (1752ry) was out with an injury but not this week. They shut down Prep’s Qb Leo O’Boyle to 12 completions on 24 attempts for 82 yards while grinding out 278 yards on the ground in a 35-0 win. CEC will definitely be able to hang with Middletown up front but will they be able to corral the backs the Blue Raiders throw at you, something like West Catholic, Episcopal and Lansdale Catholic do with a reliable rushing attack. Can Middletown manage Patrick Garwo’s (1842 ry) speed and power? I used to live in Middletown that borders Highspire then Steelton along the river and can tell you they’re tough kids. It’s a football centric area. This one is hard to call (all of em are!) with CEC’s size and Garwo vs Middletown’s backs and defense. But the math says the Blue Raders take it by 22.72 points. Seems high.
3A West
Sharon D10 10-3 vs Quaker Valley D7 12-1, North Hills HS, 12/1 7.
Sharon’s big and diverse offense generated 467 total yards of offense (174r-293p) beating a game Forest Hills (11-2) 45-25. Soph Qb Lane Voytik completed 16 of 24 for 293 yards (2154 total) with Jordan Wilson (5-11, 215, 1302 season) getting 152 yards rushing and Ziyon Strickland (1432 season) snagging 7 passed for 96 yards. Nice array of skill. Rangers Qb Adam Cecere threw 3 touchdowns, completing 28 of 48 passes for 336 yards in a losing cause. Quite an aerial display by both teams! They’ll play Quaker Valley who is coming off a bye week after winning their first Wpial crown with the 2-0 (safety) defeat of Aliquippa (12-1) the week before. They’ve made a statement this year with Coach John Tortorea resigning August 4th (!), replaced by Jerry Veschio. But they’re a handful for anyone with a senior, veteran team along the lines, a talent at wide out in Isaiah McNair and a duel threat in quarterback Ricky Goss. Pretty sweet being here off a 5-4 season last year. Wins over North Catholic, Seton LaSalle twice and Aliquippa make this a lean to QV over Tigers with losses to Wilmington, Greenville and South Range-OH. Quakers by 8.77 points.
4 East
Imhotep Charter School D12 12-1 vs Bethlehem Catholic D11 12-2, Germantown Supersite, 12/1, 7.
Imhotep had no trouble with Valley View (10-4) opening up a 28-0 half time lead that ballooned to 41-0 by games end. The stats matched the score with the Panthers gaining 562 total yards of offense of which 472 came on the ground. No surprise here knowing VV allowed 17ppg coming in! Bethlehem Catholic is next after escaping Selinsgrove (11-3) 33-32. Seals Qb Logan Leiby almost got them, completing 14 of 24 passes for 328 yards and 4 scores. But the weight of Beca’s assault evidently wore them down (battered by Bisko, winded by Banks), after a 13-12 deficit to score 21 4th quarter points….in large part by way of 194 yards rushing in that quarter alone. Super soph Tavion Banks rushed for 178 yards on 10 carries with senior Matt Bisko adding another 156. That’s who the Panthers have to stop, especially Banks while the Golden Hawks attempt to contend with Isheem Young (793ry, 18 Tds), Qb Jalen Sutton-Christian (1568, 22 Tds) and others. ICS beat Beca last year 24-13 and have the edge here in a homer and with a more diverse attack and real passing threat. A win here gets them to their 3rd consecutive finals appearance. ICS takes this one by 12.04 points.
4A West
Berks Catholic D3 13-0 vs Cathedral Prep D10 12-0, Somerset HS, 12/1, 7.
Berks Catholic finally got well-earned status in the district and beyond by defeating the dominant private school power from Harrisburg, Bishop McDevitt, in the District-3 title game 45-25. Berks had this one in hand from the beginning, with a 28-9 halftime lead and 31-17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. This was a pounding, with the Saints running right at them, getting 445 yards on the ground, featuring Syracuse bound Cooper Lutz’s 222 yards (school record) on 18 carries. He has 3016 career yards, 754 coming in the last 4 games. Terrance Derr threw enough to keep them honest completing 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards. Up next is the team that beat them last year in the semifinal, Erie’s Cathedral Prep. Cathedral had little trouble getting their 26th win in a row beating Thomas Jefferson 42-17. This is their 3rd consecutive win over TJ in a state playoff to preserve their record of not losing to a WPIAL team in 8 years! Qb Joe Mischler (Ohio, all time D10 pass leader, +7400 yds) completed 13 of 22 for 190 yards, with WR/DB Terry Roberts (1032py), WR Tyler Oedekoven (964py), RBs Matt Lupo (821ry) and Billy Lucas (626ry), OL/DL Juice Scruggs (PSU), linebacker Matt Bauer (Notre Dame) doing their usual damage. Scary team, remembering they beat the pants off Pittsburgh Central Catholic 40-7 at the top of the season….as convincingly as Pine Richland did at the end, 42-7. This looks like a competitive game as BC is the real deal, losing to Cathedral last year 28-14 in a tight one. The Ramblers might win with one, with a few more weapons but it will be competitive with the Saints going down hard by 8.71 points.
