Trib HSSN high school football state semifinal preview capsules for Nov. 27, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, November 27, 2024 | 8:28 PM

---

Welcome to the PIAA final four with 11 games scheduled for Friday and one for Saturday.

With 24 teams set to collide post-Thanksgiving for the opportunity to play in a state championship game, let’s provide a breakdown of which districts remain in the hunt for PIAA gold.

For the second straight year, the WPIAL, which is guaranteed four schools will play in the semifinals because of the bracket set up, has all six of its champions set to play in the PIAA final four.

Since expansion in 2016, the WPIAL has at most sent five teams to the PIAA finals, both in 2021 and 2023.

Districts 3, 4 and 12 each have three schools remaining. In fact, the three D-3 teams left all square off against District 7 teams at Mansion Park in Altoona on Friday (two games) and Saturday.

Districts 1, 6, 9 and 11 each have two schools left.

District 2 has one school standing in the state semifinals.

Absent from PA’s golden chase are Districts 5, 8 (City League) and 10.

Here is a look at all six of the state semifinals games involving WPIAL teams set for Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Class 6A semifinals

Harrisburg (11-2) vs. Central Catholic (11-2)

1 p.m. Saturday, Mansion Park in Altoona

Coaches: Calvin Everett, Harrisburg; Ryan Lehmeier, Central Catholic

How they got here: Harrisburg was the No. 4 seed in the District 3 Class 6A playoffs but knocked off top seed Manheim Township in the semifinals and then defeated No. 2 West Lawn Wilson in the finals a week ago. Central Catholic knocked off North Allegheny to claim the WPIAL 6A championship before ousting District 6 winner State College in a state quarterfinal last week.

Last week: Harrisburg 42, West Lawn Wilson 14; Central Catholic 41, State College 19

Players to watch: Messiah Mickens, Harrisburg (Jr., 5-11, 200, RB/DE); Elijah Faulkner, Central Catholic (Sr., 5-9, 185, RB/LB)

Team notes

Harrisburg: In beating Wilson West Lawn in the District 3 championship game last week, the Cougars captured their fourth straight D-3 crown. One of the bright spots again for Harrisburg was junior running back and defensive end Messiah Mickens. The Penn State recruit rushed for two early touchdowns and also registered three sacks. Cougars quarterback Jaiyon Lewis was 6 of 8 passing for 156 yards. However, his favorite target, junior wide receiver Elias Coke, was injured after catching three balls for 110 yards and a touchdown. Coke, who has offers from over 20 D-1 programs including Penn State, was on crutches after the game and his status is unknown.

Central Catholic: In a year in which they have had great success through the air with first-year starting quarterback Jy’Aire Walls, the Vikings have gone back to the old school and relied heavily on a ground game that has been led by a senior bell cow. Elijah Faulkner carried the ball 28 times for 188 yards in the District 7 title game win over North Allegheny, then turned it up a notch in the PIAA quarterfinal victory over State College. Faulkner carried the ball 38 times and rushed for 235 yards and scored on three 1-yard scoring plunges and added a fourth touchdown on a 33-yard gallop to the end zone. Walls hit on 9 of 13 passes for 113 yards and a 40-yard scoring strike to senior wide out Bradley Gompers.

Historic factoids

• This is the second time Harrisburg and Central Catholic have met with the Vikings beating the Cougars in a state semifinal 17 years ago. They were scheduled to open the 2020 season in Week Zero, but the game was postponed due to covid-19.

• In the only other meeting, with a berth in the 2007 PIAA championship game at stake, Central Catholic defeated Harrisburg, 14-6. Vikings senior linebacker Jon Petrigac returned a fumble 62 yards for a touchdown.

• Central Catholic is 18-5 all-time in PIAA playoff games, including a 8-1 record in state semifinals. The Vikings have defeated Brashear, State College (twice), Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg, Lower Dauphin, Cumberland Valley and Wilson West Lawn, while the one final four loss was to St. Joseph’s Prep in their most recent semifinal in 2019.

• Harrisburg is making its seventh trip to the PIAA postseason and has an all-time record of 3-6, including 3-2 in semifinals. The Cougars’ three wins came in 2016 against West Allegheny, 2018 against Coatesville and 2022 against State College. The two losses were to Central Catholic in 2007 and North Allegheny in last year’s PIAA final four.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class 6A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. against the winner of the St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Downingtown West semifinal Friday.

Class 5A semifinals

Bishop McDevitt (12-2) vs. Pine-Richland (11-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Mansion Park in Altoona

Coaches: Jeff Weachter, Bishop McDevitt; Jon LeDonne, Pine-Richland

How they got here: Bishop McDevitt was the No. 6 seed in the District 3 Class 5 A playoffs but beat Lower Dauphin, Conrad Weiser, Mechanicsburg and Exeter Township to win the D-3 title. Pine-Richland ousted Franklin Regional, Bethel Park and Peters Township in the WPIAL playoffs to win D-7 gold.

Last week: Bishop McDevitt 48, Exeter Township 14; Pine-Richland 20, Peters Township 9

Players to watch: Stone Saunders, Bishop McDevitt (Sr., 6-2, 200, QB); Aaron Strader, Pine-Richland (Soph., 5-10, 160, QB)

Team notes

Bishop McDevitt: The Crusaders cruised to victory in the District 6 Class 5A title game last week by scoring 20 unanswered points in the first half, then scoring 22 more points in the third quarter to enjoy a big 42-0 lead heading into the final quarter. Senior quarterback Sone Saunders was tough as a rock, completing 14 of 18 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, both to senior wide receiver Dominic Diaz-Ellis. The Bishop McDevitt ground game relies on a pair of junior running backs. Nazir Jones-Davis had 12 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns while Maurice Barnes ran for 73 yards on 13 carries and a score. The Crusaders’ losses were both to 6A opponents: Harrisburg, 35-33 in overtime, and State College, 58-55.

Pine-Richland: The Rams extracted sweet revenge in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game. A year after losing big to Peters Township in the finals, Pine-Richland scored the only points in the second half to turn a one-point lead at halftime into an 11-point victory for the program’s ninth WPIAL crown. Rams sophomore quarterback Aaron Strader only threw the ball 13 times, but he connected on seven of them for 147 yards and both Pine-Richland touchdowns. Strader connected with senior wide receiver Tanner Cunningham on a 64-yard scoring strike and junior wideout Jay Timmons on a 22-yard TD. The team’s leading rusher was junior Maclane Miller with 57 yards, and senior kicker Grant Argiro booted home two field goals in the D-7 finals.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between Bishop McDevitt and Pine-Richland. BTW, there are two schools named Bishop McDevitt in the state. One is in Wyncote near Philadelphia in District 12. This Bishop McDevitt is in Harrisburg in District 3.

• Pine-Richland is appearing for the seventh time in the PIAA postseason and has a combined record in state playoff games of 12-3, including a 5-1 mark in the semifinals. The Rams have final four wins over Bradford, West Lawn Wilson, Manheim Township, Governor Mifflin and Cocalico in their most recent PIAA playoff appearance in 2022. The lone loss came at the hands of St. Joseph’s Prep in 2018.

• In 15 previous appearances, Bishop McDevitt has a 10-13 record in the PIAA postseason, including 6-8 in semifinals. The Crusaders are 3-4 against WPIAL teams in the state playoffs with victories over Burrell in 1995, Montour in 2011 and Aliquippa in 2022. The losses were to Central Catholic in 2004, McKeesport in 2005, Central Valley in 2014 and Aliquippa in 2021.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class 5A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. against the winner of the Roman Catholic vs. West Chester Rustin semifinal Friday.

Class 4A semifinals

Lampeter-Strasburg (13-0) vs. Thomas Jefferson (14-0)

1 p.m. Friday, Mansion Park in Altoona

Coaches: Victor Ridenour, Lampeter-Strasburg; Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson

How they got here: Lampeter-Strasburg was the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Class 4A playoffs and defeated ELCO, Twin Valley and No. 2 Wyomissing last week to win the D-3 championship. Thomas Jefferson secured its 11th WPIAL football title with a victory over McKeesport before blanking District 9 champion Clearfield in the PIAA quarterfinals a week ago, 35-0..

Last week: Lampeter-Strasburg 30, Wyomissing 27 in OT; Thomas Jefferson 35, Clearfield 0

Players to watch: Caileb Howse, Lampeter-Strasburg (Sr., 6-0, 205, QB/FS); Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson (Soph., 5-11, 170, RB)

Team notes

Lampeter-Strasburg: The Pioneers are still alive for state gold thanks to the kicking expertise of junior Peter Fiorello. He was 3 for 3 on extra points as well as 3 for 3 on field goals, including the game-winning kick in overtime. On offense for Lampeter-Strasburg, senior quarterback Caileb Howse connected on 11 of 21 passes for 148 yards and touchdown tosses to seniors Christian Nolt and Danny Weichler. The ground game for the Pioneers was headed by senior running back Dominic Brown, who carried the ball 33 times for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas Jefferson: There was absolutely no championship letdown for the Jaguars as they handled District 9 winner Clearfield on both sides of the ball. The Thomas Jefferson defense limited the Bison to 129 yards of total offense, while the TJ offense was once again led on the ground by sophomore running back Tyler Eber, who carried the ball 33 times for 146 yards and scored twice on a 2-yard run and a 19-yard pass from senior quarterback Luke Kosko, who finished 5 of 8 passing for 143 yards and three TDs. The other two scoring passes were brought in by senior wide receiver Brayden White, who has four touchdowns in the last two games.

Historic factoids

• This is the second meeting between Lampeter-Strasburg and Thomas Jefferson with the Jaguars having defeated the Pioneers in the PIAA playoffs five years ago.

• In the 2019 Class 4A state semifinals, Thomas Jefferson crushed Lampeter-Strasburg, 44-2. The Jaguars’ Dylan Mallozzi rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Shane Stump passed for 182 yards and three scores.

• This is the 10th appearance in the PIAA playoffs for Thomas Jefferson with an all-time record of 16-4. The Jaguars are 5-1 in semifinals with wins over Erie Strong Vincent twice, West York, Lampeter-Strasburg and Oil City in the program’s most recent state postseason appearance in 2022. The lone loss was to General McLane in 2006.

• This is the fourth appearance in the state postseason for Lampeter-Strasburg, which is still looking for its first PIAA victory. The Pioneers are a combined 0-3 with all the losses coming in the state semifinals. The District 3 champs lost to Garnet Valley in 2007, Thomas Jefferson in 2019 and Jersey Shore in 2020.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class 4A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. against the winner of the Southern Lehigh vs. Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast semifinal Friday.

Class 3A semifinals

Penn Cambria (14-0) vs. Avonworth (11-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium at Norwin

Coaches: Nick Felus, Penn Cambria; Duke Johncour, Avonworth

How they got here: Penn Cambria won the District 6 Class 3A title with a win over Tyrone and then knocked off District 5 champion Somerset in the PIAA first round and District 10 winner Hickory is the state quarterfinals. No. 5 seed Avonworth defeated Greensburg Salem, Beaver, top-seeded Imani Christian and No. 2 Central Valley to win its second WPIAL championship in five years.

Last week: Penn Cambria 30, Hickory 7; Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0

Players to watch: Gavin Harrold, Penn Cambria (Sr., 5-11, 185, RB/WR/DB); Nico Neal, Avonworth (Sr., 5-10, 225, RB/LB)

Team notes

Penn Cambria: The Panthers were consistent in their PIAA quarterfinals victory last week over Hickory, scoring one touchdown in each quarter while limiting the Hornets to only a first-quarter TD. Senior Gavin Harrold led the way on the ground for Penn Cambria last week, carrying the ball 18 times for 102 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Thomas Plunkett added 77 yards on 16 carries and junior quarterback Brady Jones connected on 6 of 10 passes for 60 yards. The Panthers defense has been big with three shutouts this season, limiting opponents to single-digit points scored in eight of their 14 wins.

Avonworth: The third time was a charm for the Antelopes, who were playing in their third straight WPIAL Class 3A championship game following back-to-back losses to Belle Vernon in the 2022 and 2023 district title games. The Avonworth running game relied heavily on the Neal brothers, with senior Nico leading the way with 102 yards on 23 carries and both touchdowns for the ‘Lopes on short runs of 2 and 3 yards. Junior Luca Neal finished with 33 yards on 16 carries as the Antelopes relied on the ground with only two pass attempt by junior Carson Bellinger.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between Penn Cambria and Avonworth.

• This is only the second appearance for Avonworth in the PIAA playoffs with a 1-1 record. The Antelopes’ lone state semifinal was a victory over District 10 Wilmington in the 2019 postseason, 33-21.

• This is the first appearance in the PIAA postseason for Penn Cambria, which was established in 1966 and is located 15 miles west of Altoona.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class 3A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. against the winner of the Danville vs. Northwestern Lehigh semifinal Friday.

Class 2A semifinals

Central Clarion (13-0) vs. South Park (12-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Lou Falconi Field at Farrell

Coaches: Dave Eggleton, Central Clarion; Brian Abbey, South Park

How they got here: Central Clarion captured the District 9 Class 2A title with a victory over Karns City before eliminating District 10 winner Farrell in the PIAA first round and Cambria Heights in the state quarterfinals. WPIAL Class 2A No. 2 seed South Park defeated Mohawk, Ellwood City and Seton LaSalle to win its fourth District 7 title and first since 2005.

Last week: Central Clarion 49, Cambria Heights 6; South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14

Players to watch: Jase Ferguson, Central Clarion (Sr., 6-0, 195, QB/FS); Eric Doerue, South Park (Sr., 6-1, 200, RB/OLB)

Team notes

Central Clarion: In the fifth year following the merger of Clarion, Clarion-Limestone and North Clarion high schools, the Wildcats have been picture perfect this season in winning the District 9 championship and eliminating traditional power Farrell and undefeated Cambria Heights. In the win over the Highlanders last week, senior quarterback Jase Ferguson was dominant, hitting on 16 of 20 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns, plus he rushed for 141 yards and four scores. For the season, Ferguson has thrown 49 touchdown passes and leads the defense with seven interceptions.

South Park: It had been nearly two decades, but the Eagles would not be denied district gold last week against the previously undefeated Rebels. South Park played keep-away from Seton LaSalle by dominating the time of possession and physically imposing its will at the line of scrimmage. A dominant effort by the offensive line helped senior running back Erie Doerue rushed for 149 yards on 34 carries and touchdown runs of 6 and 8 yards. Junior quarterback Robert Lenzi only threw three passes but added 25 yards in rushing and scored the Eagles’ second touchdown in the opening quarter.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between Central Clarion and South Park.

• This is the third appearance in the PIAA playoffs for South Park with a perfect record of 5-0 overall and 2-0 in state semifinals. The Eagles defeated Wilmington in the 1997 final four, 33-7, and then knocked off Reynolds in the 2005 semifinals, 28-2.

• Central Clarion is participating in a third straight PIAA postseason and has a record of 2-2. The Wildcats lost in the first round to Westinghouse in 2022 and 2023. The wins over Farrell and Cambria Heights this year are their first two state playoff victories. This will be their first state semifinal. Clarion was 2-4 all-time in the PIAA playoffs, Clarion-Limestone was 2-2, and North Clarion never played in a state playoff game. Combined, they were 0-1 in the semifinals with Clarion losing to North Catholic in 2013.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class 2A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Friday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. against the winner of the Troy vs. Taylor Riverside semifinal Friday.

Class A semifinals

Port Allegany (13-0) vs. Fort Cherry (14-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium at PennWest Clarion University

Coaches: Justin Bienkowski, Port Allegany; Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry

How they got here: Port Allegany won the District 9 championship two weeks ago with a win over Redbank Valley before knocking out District 10 winner Wilmington in the PIAA quarterfinals last week. Fort Cherry captured a second straight WPIAL crown with postseason victories over Brentwood, Cornell, Jeannette and Clairton in the final a week ago.

Last week: Port Allegany 38, Wilmington 20; Fort Cherry 21, Clairton 20

Players to watch: Aiden Bliss, Port Allegany (Jr., 6-0, 210, RB/MLB); Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry (Jr., 6-0, 175, QB/DB)

Team notes

Port Allegany: Following a 34-point victory over Redbank Valley in the District 9 Class A title game, the Gators remained undefeated with a win over District 10 champion Wilmington by 18 points. Junior running back Aiden Bliss was outstanding for Port Allegany, rushing for 284 yards on 35 carries for an average of 8 yards per tote. He also scored three touchdowns. Sophomore running back Kellen Veilleux ran for 81 yards and a score for the Gators.

Fort Cherry: In what became an instant classic among WPIAL championship games, the Rangers got past the Bears on a thrilling drive, late touchdown and extra point. Junior quarterback Matt Sieg added to his legendary status. The Penn State recruit rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns and connected on 8 of 15 passes for 161 yards and the game-winning score by improvising a throw to Ryan Huey for a 13-yard score. Nick Massey was a perfect 3 for 3 on extra points, which proved to be the difference for the Rangers.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between Port Allegany and Fort Cherry.

• This is only the second appearance for Fort Cherry in the PIAA playoffs with a 1-1 record. In their only other state semifinal, the Rangers defeated Redbank Valley from District 9, 33-23, in the 2023 final four.

• This is the fourth appearance in the PIAA postseason for Port Allegany, which is 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the PIAA semifinals. Both final four losses were to WPIAL teams, falling to Clairton in the 2012 semis and Union in the 2022 state semifinals.

• The winner advances to the PIAA Class A championship game at Cumberland Valley on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. against the winner of the Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Muncy semifinal Friday.

Tags: Avonworth, Central Catholic, Fort Cherry, Pine-Richland, South Park, Thomas Jefferson