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Southern Going Back To Final

Tagged under: District 3, District 4, News, Playoffs

| December 3, 2022


Tigers headed to record 21st State Final

First it was Altoona. Then, a long stretch in Hershey. Now, Mechanicsburg is the destination.

After many thought getting out of the District 4 playoffs was a slim chance, Southern Columbia is headed back to the pinnacle of Pennsylvania high school football.

On Friday night, Southern Columbia dismantled District 3 champion Trinity, 42-7, inside of Harold L. Bolig Memorial Stadium in Selinsgrove.

Any luck that the Shamrocks thought they had against the five-time defending PIAA champion Tigers quickly diminished.

After SCA’s defense, which allowed just one first down in the game until being pulled early in the first quarter, forced a three-and-out to start the game, the offense drove right down the field.

A six-play drive, all coming on the ground, finished off with an eight-yard touchdown run by junior Louden Murphy, showed what was to come as the Tigers jumped in front 7-0 with 7:58 to play in the first quarter.

After a dominant performance in all three facets of the Tiger squad, senior Wes Barnes put the game into the Mercy Rule on a 37-yard touchdown run with 8:59 to play in the third.

“I can’t say enough about the way the players have played in these playoffs. Just a tremendous effort by everyone,” said Southern head coach Jim Roth.

For Barnes, who missed over half the regular season with a torn ligament in his elbow, the fullback finished the game with a career-high 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.

“We just came out and played the way that we know how. That’s the Southern Columbia football way,” Barnes said. “Yes we lost some games in the regular season, but that doesn’t mean a thing at this point. We are back in the state final because we believed that we were capable of getting back when everything started to click.”

Additionally, Murphy capped off the game with a trio of touchdown runs. The rushing attack was on full display behind a masterful job from the guys in the trenches.

“The offensive line played awesome. They were opening up the holes that us backs needed to make plays,” said Murphy.

Senior Braeden Wisloski also did damage on the ground with 132 rushing yards. In the first half, Southern ran the ball 28 times for 341 yards.

“It is a great feeling, but we obviously didn’t just build the tradition that we have by getting there. We have one more week to go, and we are on a mission to win another title,” senior right tackle Chris Treshock said.

On the first eight Trinity offensive possessions, Southern’s defense forced three-and-outs.

The one that highlighted the effort came late in the first quarter, after the Shamrocks picked up nine yards on the first play. Back-to-back running plays were stuffed for no gain forcing a punt.

“I have to give a shoutout to all our defensive linemen. I feel like I barely had to make any tackles with how great they played,” sophomore linebacker Dom Fetterolf said. “Everybody that was on the field did their part and the final result really showed.”

The starting unit held Trinity to just 37 yards of total offense on 22 plays.

“This is the fourth week in a row that we have been able to shut down a strong running team. Troy, Mount Carmel, and Bishop Guilfoyle all had success this year with their ability to run the ball consistently along with Trinity,” Roth said. “To the credit of our players, they have done an outstanding job. Now we have one more game to that we need to execute in if we want to reach the ultimate goal.”

Although it wasn’t the result that they hoped for, Trinity now knows what it takes.

With former Steel-High star Jordan Hill, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, as the head coach, the Shamrocks have a good foundation.

Southern will take on Westinghouse on Friday at 1:00 at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.

The Bulldogs are the first Pittsburgh City League team in 25 years to reach the state finals after beating Steel Valley 26-7 on Friday.

“I think we will be seeing more passing next week, but with the confidence that our team has I am confident that we will have a good week of practice in preparation for the final game,” said Roth.

The Tigers aren’t just looking to extend their record of state championships to 13, with the next closest six unless St. Joe’s Prep wins a seventh next weekend, but they are looking to break a record that they currently hold.

From 2002-2006, Southern won a record five straight Class 1A state golds. Now, they are looking to break that mark with a sixth straight state championship in 2A.

“Everyone will be coming in fired up. We will be fully prepared, and if we execute we will be happy with the result. If we continue to run the football the way we have been and play well on defense, we are going to win,” said Barnes.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
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