State College Defeats Bishop McDevitt in Senior Night Shootout

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Noah Radio | October 26, 2024

On Oct. 25, Bishop McDevitt traveled to State College for a highly anticipated Mid-Penn Commonwealth matchup. The Little Lions got out to an early lead and rode it to a 58-55 wire-to-wire victory.

State College leaned heavily on the arm of senior quarterback Eddie Corkery and jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. En route to 409 passing yards, Corkery threw two touchdowns to fellow senior Ty Salazer, and Michael Gaul accounted for the third with a one-yard rush.

Bishop McDevitt finally got on the board late in the first quarter after having a field goal blocked and fumbling on its first two drives. With four seconds remaining in the quarter, senior quarterback Stone Saunders hit Jontai Quick for a 5-yard touchdown pass.

The two quarterbacks traded touchdowns to begin the second quarter. First, Corkery connected with Salazer for an 8-yard score, then Saunders went deep for a 52-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-14 with 9:16 remaining in the second quarter.

A chaotic final four minutes of the half began with Nazir Jones-Davis picking off Corkery at the McDevitt one-yard line. The Crusader offense couldn’t do anything in the shadow of their own goalpost and immediately punted back to State College. After Jones-Davis’ diving interception, it appeared that both defenses left the stadium because 27 points were scored in the next two minutes.

State College scored twice, once on a direct snap to Gaul, and once on a 42-yard pass from Corkery to senior captain Cooper Brushwood. Not to be outdone, Saunders hit senior Dominic Diaz-Ellis for a 15-yard touchdown and Jones-Davis ran for a 25-yard score. After the dust settled, State College led 41-28 at the half.

Gaul continued his brilliant two way performance in the second half. On the Crusaders’ first drive, Gaul picked off Saunders and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown, then almost exactly one quarter later scored his third rushing touchdown of the game.

Between Gaul’s third and fourth touchdowns, Saunders added two to his tally, a twenty-yarder through the air and a one-yard rush. With under 11 minutes to play, Bishop McDevitt trailed 55-42 and either needed its defense to finally get a stop or Saunders, the Kentucky commit, to produce some magic.

They got neither, as Brushwood intercepted Saunders at the McDevitt 27-yard line with 10:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. State College did have to settle for a field goal, but sophomore Shane Markowski drilled the 35-yard attempt and put the game out of reach.

McDevitt Head Coach Jeff Weachter was less than thrilled with his team’s performance. “We just made too many mistakes, especially early in the game,” Weachter said, “First play of the game we just overthrew a guy wide open by thirty yards, we’re driving here again in the first half, we fumble, but I’m proud of our guys, we didn’t quit, they’re [State College is] a good football team.”

Bishop McDevitt made the State College faithful sweat it out into the final minute by scoring two more touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough. State College junior Hank Lustig recovered McDevitt’s onside kick and finally allowed the Little Lions to kneel out the clock and celebrate a senior night victory.

After one of his last games at Memorial Field, Brushwood said, “On senior night, I mean you couldn’t draw it up any better, it was amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything more than to do it alongside my brothers. I was getting emotional there at the end, but there’s truly nothing I wouldn’t do for these guys.”

State College, who has clinched the District VI Championship and at least a share of the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Championship, is back in action on Nov. 8 when they host either Erie or Erie McDowell in a subregional game.

Bishop McDevitt is back in action in the 5A District III playoffs on Nov. 1, likely as the fifth or the sixth seed.

State College senior Cooper Brushwood peers over to the sideline to see the play call. (Noah Radio)

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