Pennsylvania HS football championships

Did this a year or two ago and it got a little interest. The PIAA Football Championships begin Thursday night in Hersheypark Stadium, which locals like to call the Coldest Place on Earth.

This is the first year of expanded playoffs in Pennsylvania; they went from four to six classes. Eight of the 12 finalists played for a state title in 2014 or 2015. Here are matchups with a little detail.

7 p.m. Thursday, Class 4A: Imhotep Charter (13-0) vs. Cathedral Prep (13-0)

A rematch of last year's 3A final in which Philadelphia's Imhotep dominated Erie's signature program, Cathedral Prep, by a 40-3 count. Imhotep sent its starting RBs to Temple and Delaware State, but QB Nasir Boykin (20:3 TD/INT ratio, 7.1 yards per carry) is back. Cathedral Prep has a nice pitch-catch combination in 2,600-yard QB Joe Mischler and 1,000-yard wideout Tyler Oedekoven.

1 p.m. Friday, Class 1A: Clairton (14-0) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (14-0)

Well ... when these teams met in last year's 1A final, this happened:

Clairton is not used to losing, having played seven state finals in the last nine years. But Bishop Guilfoyle from Altoona has won 46 consecutive games. Clairton, outside Pittsburgh, does have the best player on the field in five-star RB/DB Lamont Wade, who will choose between Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Tennessee and UCLA the week after the final.

7 p.m. Friday, Class 5A: Harrisburg (11-3) vs. Archbishop Wood (10-2)

It's new territory for the capital city's high school. Curious little season for the Cougars in which Penn State signee Micah Parsons, a big-time DE/RB, transferred in from Central Dauphin at midseason and SB/LB Zion Patterson materialized from Carlisle. Parsons joined fellow Penn State recruit Damion Barber to provide bookends to a stunning D-line and, as a somewhat surprising bonus, has emerged as an offensive force. Very talented team; also very volatile. Archbishop Wood (suburban Philly) is going for its fourth state title in five years, led by RB/WR Raheem “Speedy” Blackshear (1,014 rushing, 16 TD; 26-433 receiving, 5 TD), headed to Temple, and WR Mark Webb, a Georgia commit.

11 a.m. Saturday, Class 2A: Southern Columbia (15-0) vs. Steel Valley (14-0)

Southern Columbia, 10 miles from Bloomsburg in Catawissa, makes a record 15th state-finals appearance. But the Tigers are just 7-7 in those games, and this is the first year they won't be playing in the smallest class. Coach Jim Roth has a 395-62-2 record in 32 seasons. Freshman HB Gaige Garcia ran for 1,935 yards, but tore up an ankle in the semifinals. Soph QB Stone Hollenbach, though, has thrown for more than 2,000. Steel Valley, a Pittsburgh suburb, has seen its first-team defense allow two touchdowns in 14 games and has a three-time all-state RB in Dewayne Murray (2,008 rushing yards in 2016).

3:30 p.m. Saturday, Class 3A: Beaver Falls (12-1) vs. Middletown (14-0)

Perhaps the most surprising stat of this weekend is that these two football-crazy communities will both be seeing their first state final. After a two-decade run of mediocrity, Middletown (10 miles out of Harrisburg, right next to Three Mile Island) has steamrolled through 14 opponents behind QB Chase Snavely (2,112 passing yards, 23 TD) and RBs Jaelen Thompson (1,595 rushing yards) and Brady Fox (1,427). The Blue Raiders, though, haven't seen anyone like Beaver Falls' 6-6, 265-pound DL, Donovan Jeter, a Michigan recruit. And Jeter is the smallest Beaver Falls defensive lineman.

8 p.m. Saturday, Class 6A: Saint Joseph’s Prep (13-0) vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (14-1)

Back to a pair of Hershey veterans in the big-boy game. Saint Joe's Prep from Philly will take aim on its third state title in four years and is ranked 18th nationally in USA Today's Super 25. Georgia-bound RB D'Andre Swift has amassed 4,000-plus career yards.

Then there's Dan Marino's alma mater in Pittsburgh, the defending 4A champion which has played in seven state championship games. RB J.J. Younger saw little action off the bench last year in Hershey, but he's the main man for PCC this time. Junior QB Troy Fisher (6-5, 220) is a prospect.

 

OOP's up next with the Steelers report.

 

Aren't we all more concerned about how the old gang is doing?

 

What old gang?

 

No school with "Area" in its name? That's not very Pennsylvanian.

 

Oh that's just too perfect. You think that name would have been changed by now.

 

Y'know, I think it IS Middletown Area Senior High School.

 

It is indeed. In Texas it would be a medium-sized 4A with its enrollment (647).