PIAA football playoffs: 30 years in 30 days — Clairton claims 1st of 4 PIAA titles in ’09

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 15, 2018 | 5:42 PM

The PIAA had been hosting state playoffs in all but one fall high school sport since 1976. Soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf, cross country and field hockey all crowned state champions once the district playoffs concluded.

The lone exception to the fall state playoff slate was high school football.

It wasn’t until 1988 when PIAA officials finally pulled the trigger on the idea of having a yearly state football playoff.

From George Novak and Woodland Hills losing in a mud pit to Bob Palko and West Allegheny finding the third time really was the charm to Neil Walker and Pine-Richland competing in a heartbreaking overtime loss in a snowstorm and to Tyler Boyd and the golden Bears of Clairton winning four straight state championships.

There have been a lot of thrills and heartbreak in three decades of state championship football. Leading up to the 2018 state finals, the TribLIVE High School Sports Network will look back at how WPIAL teams have fared in the PIAA championships with 30 years in 30 days.

The Year: 2009

The Site: Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey

The Champs: LaSalle College, Selinsgrove, Lancaster Catholic, Clairton

The Headline: First of four crowns for Clairton while GCC falls

The Lowdown: Every dynasty has a start, even if it starts with a loss.

Clairton reached the PIAA Class A championship game in 2008, its first shot at state gold in school history. The Bears lost to Steelton-Highspire as the Steamrollers cruised to a second straight championship.

Then, the 2009 season kicked off for Clairton with a stunning loss at Laurel, 15-8. The Bears would not lose again for another four years.

After edging Rochester, 14-13, for a second straight WPIAL crown, Clairton crushed District 5 champion Conemaugh Township and District 10 winner Farrell to earn a spot in the finals against District 6 champ Bishop McCort.

After a scoreless first quarter, both teams exchanged field goals with the rare kick for Clairton coming on a Trenton Coles 25-yard field goal.

Clairton quarterback Desimon Green also played defensive back and recovered a fourth-quarter fumble at the Crimson Crushers’ 35-yard line.

Green connected with Kevin Weatherspoon on a third-and-10 pass for 12 yards that kept the Bears’ drive alive. Green later scored on a quarterback sneak.

The Bears put the game away with under two minutes left when Deontae Howard took a direct snap and raced 80 yards for a score that sealed a 15-3 victory.

Bishop McCort finished with 164 total yards as the Clairton defense capped off a dominant postseason in which it allowed only two touchdowns in seven playoff games.

In winning 15 straight games, the Bears outscored their 2009 opponents 634-61. Those 15 wins started the path toward a WPIAL and PIAA record 66 consecutive wins.

The championship left the Bears’ program with mixed emotions. They were celebrating the program’s first state championship with heavy hearts after assistant coach Demonje Rosser was killed the day before the title game.

• The next day in snow-covered Hersheypark Stadium, Greensburg Central Catholic squared off with District 3 champion Lancaster Catholic in the Class AA final.

GCC quarterback Trent Hurley capped off a 12-play, 66-yard opening drive with a 7-yard run.

After the Crusaders tied it the game, Hurley scored again late in the first quarter on a 4-yard run.

Lancaster Catholic scored in the second quarter and the two teams were deadlocked 14-14 at the half.

The only score in the second half came in the third quarter, when Lancaster Catholic ended a 12-play, 56-yard drive as quarterback Kylie Smith scored on a 1-yard sneak to secure the 21-14 win.

After splitting their first four games of the season, the Centurions won 11 straight games, including a 33-7 triumph over Aliquippa in the district championship game.

Tags: Clairton, Greensburg C.C.