PIAA Finals:
6A:
St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Central Catholic
at Cumberland Valley High School December 7 at 7 p.m.
Andy Shay: St. Joseph’s Prep 38, Central Catholic 27: The kingpin of Class 6A is here again to announce its presence with authority. SJP is always the heavy favorite in this game.
Andy Sandrik: St. Joseph’s Prep 32, Central Catholic 25: Is there a three-peat in store for the Hawks? I think so, but Central Catholic will have a say in this outcome.
Adam Kulikowski: St. Joseph’s Prep 35, Central Catholic 24: Prep has appeared in every Class 6A Championship bout since the class was established in 2016, winning six of eight titles along the way. Some say this team is ‘more beatable’ than in years past, but that doesn’t mean the road will be easy for Central.
5A:
Roman Catholic vs. Bishop McDevitt
at Cumberland Valley High School December 6 at 7 p.m.
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 28, Roman Catholic 21: Love the quarterback matchup in this one. However the hidden key for me is the play of each defense. Where I think the Crusaders have the slightest of edge.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 24, Roman Catholic 21: I think there were a lot of folks expecting Pine-Richland to be here, but McDevitt did a convincing job of dispatching the Rams and now finds itself as a favorite in the state championship game, at least in my book.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 34, Roman Catholic 31: For the third time in four years, Bishop McDevitt will play for a PIAA championship—this time against the District 12 champion Cahillites. Junior QB Semaj Beals has carved up opponents all season with more than 4,000 passing yards and 48 touchdowns.
4A:
Bonner Prendergast vs. Lampeter Strasburg
at Cumberland Valley High School December 5 at 7 p.m.
Andy Shay: Lampeter-Strasburg 24, Bonner Prendergast 21: Call this my homer pick all the way. It’s a slim path to victory for the Pioneers, but this season they have answered every question asked. BP will ask some new ones, though.
Andy Sandrik: Lampeter-Strasburg 28, Bonner Prendergast 21: You just never know what’s going to happen in a state title game, but the Pioneers have slayed dragon after dragon to get here. I think they can do it one more time to complete their undefeated season.
Adam Kulikowski: Bonner Prendergast 45, Lampeter Strasburg 30: Both teams will play for their first state championship December 5. Bonner enters this bout with just two losses on the season–against 6A powerhouses St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle College. For the undefeated Pioneers, they must find a way to slow down a Bonner offense that averages more than 38 points per game and features a high-powered air attack.
3A:
Northwestern Lehigh vs. Avonworth
at Cumberland Valley High School December 7 at 1 p.m.
Andy Shay: Northwestern Lehigh 35, Avonworth 14: The Tigers have carved up anybody and everybody this season. Nothing changes in the highest stakes game of the season. NOTHING!
Andy Sandrik: Northwestern Lehigh 31, Avonworth 24: One of these programs will win a first state title. Odds certainly favor the unbeaten Tigers, who have absolutely demolished the competition this season.
Adam Kulikowski: Northwestern Lehigh 34, Avonworth 21: Lehigh enters this battle as the heavy favorites and for good reason. Here’s just a few… the Tigers are winners of 30 of their last 31 games and have outscored their opponents 634-93 this season. Running back Eli Zimmerman is one of the slickest cats in the Commonwealth, rushing for more than 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns.
2A:
Troy vs. Central Clarion
at Cumberland Valley High School December 6 at 1 p.m.
Andy Shay: Troy 34, Central Clarion 31: Something tells me Troy is built to handle what Central Clarion is going to throw at them. If the game gets sideways and becomes a tight squeeze Troy will know exactly what to do.
Andy Sandrik: Central Clarion 27, Troy 18: Not only will Wildcats senior QB Jase Ferguson be seeking his 50th TD pass on Friday, but Central Clarion could very well be gunning for District 9’s first-ever state title, assuming Port Allegany doesn’t beat them to the punch in Thursday’s 1A final.
Adam Kulikowski: Central Clarion 45, Troy 21: Central Clarion has imposed the mercy rule in 12 of its 14 wins this season. In its three state playoff games, they outpaced opponents by a combined 145-12 score. Yep, the Wildcats are an imposing obstacle to say the least.
1A:
Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Port Allegany
at Cumberland Valley High School December 5 at 1 p.m.
Andy Shay: Bishop Guilfoyle 28, Port Allegany 14: There’s just something about the way BG sucks the life out of the opposition that is kinda boring to watch, but very enjoyable from a football geek perspective. District 6 raw power will be on display.
Andy Sandrik: Port Allegany 35, Bishop Guilfoyle 28: My gut was originally telling me to go with Bishop Guilfoyle, but it’s really hard to ignore the high-powered Gators, who have beaten every one of their postseason opponents by at least three scores.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop Guilfoyle 27, Port Allegany 21: Experience matters when the pressure is at its peak–and the Marauders have plenty when it comes to playing for a PIAA title.
