Picks and Predictions: PIAA Championships

Standings:

Name; Last Week; Overall

Andy Shay:2-1; 196-53

Andy Sandrik: 2-1; 193-56

Adam Kulikowski: 3-0; 189-60

PIAA Championships:

All games at Cumberland Valley High School.

December 4: 

Class A:

Clairton vs. Bishop Guilfoyle, 1 p.m.

Andy Shay: Bishop Guilfoyle 28, Clairton 7: On a level playing field, BG defense runs the show and getting two touchdowns feels impossible. Clairton’s only chance is to crack the code and make BG chase the game.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop Guilfoyle 21, Clairton 7: Take a closer look at the Marauders’ playoff run. Bishop Guilfoyle had a close quarterfinal win, 7-6, over Westinghouse, but has outscored its other four postseason opponents by a combined 177-0 score. That’s all the convincing I need to take the Marauders to win their sixth PIAA title.

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop Guilfoyle 31, Clairton 14: Bears quarterback Jeff Thomson picked apart defenses all season en route to more than 2,200 passing yards and 34 TDs. Can that prowess provide enough of a spark to counter what the Marauders can throw?

Class 4A:

Twin Valley vs. Southern Lehigh, 7 p.m.

Andy Shay: Twin Valley 28, Southern Lehigh 25: This one is going to be crazy and expect some big plays to happen. TV hasn’t lost a game this season and for the most part it’s been pretty easy. The last couple weeks have tested their mettle and it passed with flying colors. Bit of a homer pick because Southern Lehigh has the single best player on the field.

Andy Sandrik: Twin Valley 21, Southern Lehigh 20: I love the work TV has done in back-to-back weeks with wins over Susquehanna Township and Aliquippa. If the Marauders can sustain drives and limit the big plays from 3,000-yard rusher Sean Steckert, they’ve got more than a puncher’s chance to win this one.

Adam Kulikowski: Twin Valley 35, Southern Lehigh 32: What head coach Brett Myers has done with this Twin Valley program is truly remarkable. Finishing the job Thursday even is the perfect capstone to a stellar campaign. 

December 5: 

Class 2A:

Farrell vs. Southern Columbia, 1 p.m.

Andy Shay: Southern Columbia 24, Farrell 21: Hard to pick against Southern in this game because … well they almost always win this big one. Farrell has some intriguing parts that could rattle the Tigers’ chains. If they don’t and SC is comfortable, it is lights out.

Andy Sandrik: Southern Columbia 28, Farrell 14: It’s wild to think that Southern Columbia and coach Jim Roth are on the verge of winning a 15th state title. Mind boggling.

Adam Kulikowski: Southern Columbia 37, Farrell 27: It feels like we’re writing about Southern Columbia winning a state title every year. Farrell’s Juelz Johnson–a senior running back with more than 2,200 rushing yards this season will have a say in the outcome. Just not sure the Steeler’s defense can produce enough stops to change the outcome.

Class 5A: 

Bishop McDevitt vs. Roman Catholic, 7 p.m.

Andy Shay: Roman Catholic 30, Bishop McDevitt 27: Can’t remember the last time McDevitt didn’t own the advantage at QB. The gap is slim but RC signal caller has been next level the second season. A title for the Crusaders comes down to defense and making the QB uncomfortable. Fantastic matchup.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 33, Roman Catholic 27: I fully expect this game to come down to the wire, and perhaps into OT like last season. McDevitt can make life a little easier if it can find a way to pressure Semaj Beals, who’s thrown for 36 TDs against 3 INTs.

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 28, Roman Catholic 27: This one has all the components of an instant classic. Just watching these two standout quarterbacks sling it out is worth the price of admission. 

December 6: 

Class 3A:

Avonworth vs. Northwestern Lehigh, 1 p.m.

Andy Shay: Northwestern Lehigh 39, Avonworth 34: This is the best game on the card heading into the three-day bonanza without a doubt. Expect Round 2 in this game to exceed the first one and be even better. 

Andy Sandrik: Avonworth 41, Northwestern Lehigh 35: A lot of outlets are picking this state title rematch as perhaps the best game of the weekend. Can Avonworth flip the script and win its first PIAA championship in program history?

Adam Kulikowski: Avonworth 39, Northwestern Lehigh 35: The gents from Avonworth have been waiting a full calendar year for this moment of redemption. Hoisting that coveted championship trophy will require near perfection in every facet. 

Class 6A: 

Central Catholic vs. La Salle College, 7 p.m.

Andy Shay: Central Catholic 28, La Salle College 21: The size of PCC up front on both sides of the ball plays an even bigger factor in the outcome in December. And the Vikings are not small up front on either side of the ball.

Andy Sandrik: La Salle College 32, Central Catholic 28: This game is a coin flip in my book and should be well worth the admission price, which you can pay in cash now, thanks to new rules built in to the education code in the recently-passed state budget.   

Adam Kulikowski: Central Catholic 33, La Salle College 28: Looking for big play potential that changes the tide of a close game? Consider this: the Vikings possess five players who have made more than 10 tackles for loss this season.