Pine-Richland faces SEC-bound quarterback with PIAA touchdown record in state semifinals

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, November 29, 2024 | 12:20 AM

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An SEC-bound quarterback with a record-setting arm and rock-solid game awaits Pine-Richland in the state semifinals.

Bishop McDevitt senior Stone Saunders is a Kentucky recruit with a state-record 199 career touchdown passes. While preparing for Friday’s matchup with the District 3 champion, Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne talked with some coaches who‘d already game planned for Saunders a couple of times.

Those were Aliquippa’s coaches.

Saunders and Bishop McDevitt ran into the Quips in consecutive PIAA 4A finals in 2021 and ’22. Aliquippa won the first and lost the rematch.

“Me and coach (Mike) Warfield talked a little bit earlier this week about their past experiences,” said LeDonne, an Aliquippa graduate. “I reached out to coach (Vashawn) Patrick and talked with him as well. They shared a little bit about what worked for them and what didn’t.”

Pine-Richland (11-1) faces Bishop McDevitt (12-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Saunders passed over college offers from Georgia, Miami (Fla.) and Michigan to commit to Kentucky prior to his junior year. His father is a former strength and conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

This season, Saunders has completed 203 of 309 passes for 3,157 yards and 43 touchdowns. He was intercepted nine times. This was his fourth 3,000-yard season.

“He’s a four-year starter, so he’s making every throw that he has to,” LeDonne said. “He has so many tools in his toolbox. … Some of the throws he’s making are just unbelievable for a high school quarterback to make.”

One of Saunders’ biggest games was a 438-yard, five-touchdown effort in a 58-55 loss to State College on Oct. 25. He also threw for five touchdowns in a Nov. 8 victory over Conrad Weiser and tossed six in a Sept. 20 win over Carlisle.

Yet Saunders isn’t doing it alone.

Senior receiver Dominic Diaz has 69 catches for 1,279 yards and 15 touchdowns. Sophomore counterpart Jontai Quick has 15 touchdowns and 1,051 yards on 57 catches.

Diaz has a couple of MAC offers.

The Crusaders also have a 1,312-yard rusher in running back Nazir Jones-Davis, and fellow junior Maurice Barnes has 889 yards. Jones-Davis and Barnes have 24 touchdowns combined.

“They’ve got two solid running backs and two really good receivers to stretch the field,” LeDonne said. “They’ve got some athletes, and they’ve got some size up front. It’s a tough matchup for sure.”

It’s the next challenge for a Pine-Richland defense that has held opponents to 11.6 points per game. The Rams have intercepted 10 passes, led by junior Jay Timmons with four and senior Tanner Cunningham with three. Cunningham, a three-year starter, intercepted a pass in a 20-9 victory over Peters Township in the WPIAL finals.

Joining Cunningham (82 tackles) and Timmons (40) in the secondary are seniors Braden Lenz (67) and Eli Wentz (13) and junior Dajaun Webb (42). Webb has two interceptions.

“Tanner has 40-some games of experience back there, so he’s taken control of the secondary,” LeDonne said. “It’s an experienced group with a really good skill set.”

As a freshman against Aliquippa, Saunders completed 13 of 24 passes for 239 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in a 34-27 loss in the 4A finals. A year later, he went 10 for 16 passing with 167 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-18 victory over the Quips.

He has 13,299 career passing yards. LeDonne said the best strategy against Saunders would be to keep him on the sideline as much as possible.

Senior running back Maclane Miller leads Pine-Richland with 1,279 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Aaron “Oobi” Strader has 1,561 yards passing and 18 TDs.

“Our mentality all year has been that we neutralize good offenses with our own offense,” LeDonne said. “By keeping them off the field, sustaining drives and moving the sticks.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Pine-Richland