2024 PIAA 5A Title Preview : The Bishop Mcdevitt Crusaders
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Quincy Piper | December 5, 2024
Bishop McDevitt v Bonner-Prendie
2024 PIAA Class 5A State Title Game
Friday, 7pm
Bishop McDevitt Crusaders
PIAA District 3 5A
Coach Jeff Weachter
Overview: For the 3rd time in the last 4 years, the Mid-Penn Dynamo Bishop McDevitt Crusaders find themselves playing for PIAA gold. This time though in a brand new division at 5A. Both of the Crusaders’ setbacks this season came to 6A heavyweights State College (58-55) and Harrisburg (35-33), however, their point differential in their 13 wins sits at 27.6 ppg.
How did McDevitt get here?
The Crusaders arrive in Mechanicsburg, having peaked at the exact right time. Winners of 5 straight, but just last week, junior tailback Nazir Jones-Davis went for 221 yards and a touchdown, and UK pledge Stone Saunders added 3 more TDs through the air. As the Crusaders overcame the elements and the Pine-Richland Rams last Friday at Mansion Park.
2024 Schedule:
13-2(7-2 Mid Penn)
Date Time Team Score Result
08-24 4:30 pm vs. Mount St. Joseph (MD) 45-15 W
08-31 12:00 pm vs. Harrisburg 33-35 L
09-06 7:00 pm @ Chambersburg 40-3 W
09-13 7:00 pm vs. Cedar Cliff 56-16 W
09-20 7:00 pm @ Carlisle 56-7 W
09-27 7:00 pm vs. Altoona 28-21 W
10-04 7:00 pm @ Cumberland Valley 30-8 W
10-11 7:00 pm vs. Central Dauphin 28-10 W
10-18 7:00 pm vs. Central Dauphin East 41-21 W
10-25 7:00 pm @ State College 55-58 L
11-01 7:00 pm vs. Lower Dauphin 42-7 W
11-08 7:00 pm @ Conrad Weiser 42-7 W
11-15 7:00 pm @ Mechanicsburg 26-14 W
11-22 7:00 pm @ Exeter Township 48-14 W
11-29 7:00 pm vs. Pine-Richland 28-14 W
12-06 7:00 pm @ Roman Catholic 0-0 –
Key players
QB Stone Saunders (SR)
A SEC-bound signal-caller due to make his 58th career start Friday evening, the PIAA’s TD pass leader is as electric as they come. 202 TDs and counting however thats not the only record that may be his after Friday, as he’s 14 completions short of taking the all time completion record. That record is 776 currently held by longtime friend of Saunders and current Naval Academy QB Alex Erby. Saunders comes into this clash looking to put the final touches on a storybook-worthy career, with a 2nd PIAA championship
and a 52nd win.
RB/LB Nazir Jones-Davis (JR)
An eye-popping 8.5 yards per carryand 17 TDS only begins to illustrate the big-play ability of the two-way standout. Just one half of a one-two punch alongside backfield mate Maurice Barnes, who totaled 914 yards and 8 TDs.
Defense: The Crusaders’ defense is no slouch either. They’re propelled on that side of the ball by RB/LB Nazir Jones-Davis (81 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss) and the Bucknell wrestling-bound Lucas Lawler (89 tackles, 14 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss).
Special teams: The Crusaders are secured in this department by a man with a (62/64) .9685 PAT percentage and (6/8) .75 field goal percentage: Junior Aidan Grella.
Offensive keys to victory:
For the path of minimal resistance, the Crusaders will need to establish Jones-Davis and Barnes early on the ground. While Saunders is capable of winning a game on his own, the passing attack will bear more fruit if Roman Catholic hasto respect the ground game.
Defensive Keys to Victory:
Stop, or at least slow, the passing game. In the Crusaders’ lone two setbacks, it was an inability to stop the passing attack that did them in.
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