Peters Township overcomes 19-point deficit to win 5A WPIAL Championship
Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs
Annabelle Aquino | November 23, 2025
Trailing 19-0 and without a completed pass heading into halftime, Peters Township was far from becoming WPIAL Class 5A Champions. But as the Indians began to gain momentum, Cole Neupaver scored three touchdowns spread throughout the final two quarters and the team slowly climbed to a 20-19 comeback victory.
No. 2 Peters Township (13-0) extended its undefeated season this Saturday at Acrisure Stadium by defeating No.1 Pine-Richland (11-2) in the Championship for the second time in three years.
“This team is legendary. We’re undefeated, but we’re not done yet. This team is relentless,” senior quarterback Nolan Dilucia said. “We were down 19 to nothing at the half, and we came all the way back. It just shows how great this team is.”
The familiar foes battled until the very end. Neupaver ran in three touchdowns, including a 74-yard and 22-yard rush. His final touchdown came with just five minutes left, and the following extra point put the Indians in the lead 20-19.
Peters Township takes the lead!! Neupaver with the hat trick this one a 1yd run. 20-19 Peters Township 4:50 4Q @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/JD94DGDZxm
— WPIAL Football Zone 🏈 (@AJWPIAL) November 23, 2025
PT’s James Spratt recovered a Ram fumble on their next possession, securing victory for the Indians. Spratt recorded 22 tackles throughout the night.
Though PT struggled initially with Pine-Richland’s pressure, they eventually flipped the script.
After Pine-Richland’s first 5-minute drive, capped by a touchdown, the Indians trailed 6-0.
Senior Jeremy Poletti intercepted Pine-Richland’s next offensive attack, and the Indians began their next drive on the 4-yard line. Unable to advance, PT punted off on fourth down.
The Rams scored another touchdown early in the second quarter, and the Indians trailed 12-0 after stopping another attempted 2-point conversion.
On their next offensive drive, quarterback Nolan Dilucia attempted to take the ball himself, but the play resulted in a fumble. The Indians forced Pine-Richland to punt away on this possession.
Both teams struggled to make much progress until Pine-Richland launched a 23-yard pass into the endzone on fourth down and made the extra point. The Indians trailed 19-0 with just over four minutes left in the first half.
Coming out of halftime, the Indians began to gain momentum slowly.
“As soon as I walked in [to the locker room], I said, ‘This is not how my season ends. It does not end tonight.’ Everyone looked at me, and they knew what I meant,” Dilucia said.
With 7:47 left in the third quarter, Neupaver rushed the ball 74 yards for the team’s first touchdown of the game. PT cut their deficit to 15, trailing 19-6 for the rest of the third quarter.
The momentum intensified in the fourth quarter. Only a minute into the fourth quarter, Dilucia completed a pass into Pine-Richland territory, and Neupaver rushed 22 yards into the endzone on the subsequent play.
The successful extra point put the Indians in striking distance, trailing 19-13.
PT’s defense held strong, allowing the Indian offense to take over again. The team slowly worked downfield until Neupaver capped the drive with a 1-yard rush into the endzone. Anthony Maiello knocked down the extra point, allowing the Indians to take their first lead of the game, 20-19.
Still 4:50 left on the clock, Pine-Richland took over on offense. But the PT defense held strong, Gabe Kita stripped the ball, and Spratt picked up the fumble.
With the ball in their possession, the Indians trekked down the field. An attempted field goal missed the posts, and the Rams had one last shot to win. The PT defense came up big with a fourth-down stop, securing victory for the Indians.
PT advances to play Bishop McDevitt next Friday in the PIAA semifinals.
“We’re going to celebrate this tonight, but come tomorrow, we’re looking forward,” Dilucia said.
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
You must be logged in to post a comment.