Plays of the Week – Week Fifteen

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 | 10:05 PM

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More than three months ago, the weather was hot and sunny during the first installment of Plays of the Week for the 2017 season. Conversely, the gridiron was snow-covered for the final edition, which highlights the three WPIAL teams that captured gold in Hershey in the PIAA championships. While Gateway came up short, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley and Jeannette won titles in their respective classifications. Here are the very best plays that made the cut for the final time in 2017.

Pine-Richland 41, St. Joseph’s Prep 21

The Rams and Hawks appeared to be on a collision course for the past several months, and that finally came to fruition on Saturday night. Despite their incredible run through the WPIAL, Pine-Richland actually entered the contest as a slight underdog, as the Hawks were the defending champs and ranked in the top 10 nationally by some experts. The contest was tied at 7-7 late in the first half, but Pine-Richland entered the red zone. Facing a fourth down, Rams’ QB Phil Jurkovec not only converted, but reached the end zone, too. His 17-yard run staked the Rams to the lead heading into the locker room.

The TribLive High School Sports Network’s Josh Rowntree and Sean Meyers provide the audio for the dramatic 17-yard run with just 35 seconds left in the half:

Another Jurkovec run also deserves recognition, as the future Notre Dame signalcaller found pay dirt again in the third quarter. Just about halfway through the frame, Jurkovec powered through defenders for a 13-yard score that extended the Rams’ lead to 21-7, and swung momentum fully in favor of Pine-Richland.

The play by Jurkovec served as an exclamation point on one of the best football careers the WPIAL has seen in decades:

Quaker Valley 41, Middletown 24

Outside of perhaps the Quakers’ locker room, nobody could’ve predicted the incredible season for Quaker Valley. The campaign seemingly taken from a Hollywood movie had a happy ending in Hershey, as the Quakers captured gold. That outcome was in doubt early in the contest, however, as the Quakers and Blue Streaks were deadlocked in the second quarter. With the score tied at 7-7, QV’s Ricky Guss launched a pass down the field, and Ethan Moore made a spectacular catch and run for a 66-yard score.

WBVP-AM 1230 and WMBA-AM 1460’s Bob Barrickman and Tom Hays highlight the play that put the Quakers in the lead, which they were not relinquish.

Jeannette 42, Homer-Center 12

Despite the incredible tradition of Jayhawks’ football, Jeannette had claimed just one state title previously. On Thursday, however, the 2017 version of the Jayhawks wrote their names in the history books with a decisive win against nearby Homer-Center. After trailing in the first quarter, Jeannette exploded in the second quarter to take command. The play that sparked the surge was made by senior Robert Kennedy, who took a snap at QB and ran 56 yards for the touchdown, giving Jeannette a 9-6 edge.

WHJB-FM 107.1’s Mike Zappone and Jimmy Lee Santorella detail the play that catapulted the Jayhawks to gold:

Tags: Homer-Center, Jeannette