PIAA Class 5A Title Game Preview: Bishop McDevitt

Tagged under: District 3, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

Jared Samuel | December 4, 2025

BISHOP MCDEVITT CRUSADERS vs ROMAN CATHOLIC CAHILLITES

PIAA District 3 – Class AAAAA
League:  Mid Penn Conference – Commonwealth
Head Coach:  Jeff Weachter

OVERVIEW

The defending Class 5A state champ Crusaders are ready for the chance to repeat. They have won a state title 3 times and have won the District 3 title 18 times. With superstar QB Stone Saunders having moved on to college (Kentucky), McDevitt has picked up right where they left off last season.  After an opening loss to Clarkson North (Ontario) followed by a narrow loss to 6A Harrisburg, the Crusaders ran the table and have averaged just under 40 points per game in the playoffs.  They are no stranger to last second wins, as they got a field goal with 1 second remaining to edge Peters Township 31-28 last week.  It was eerily reminiscent of last year’s state title game, also against Roman Catholic, where an overtime field goal decided the game in favor of the Crusaders.   Many of the same names are back this year as well, and they certainly remember how to win under pressure.

To get a win over Roman Catholic, the defense will need to be ready again for that aggressive hurry-up offense that the Cahillites have perfected. They had to deal with it last year, and the game turned into a shootout.  The McDevitt offense and defense will need to play mistake-free ball, and the Crusaders cannot afford to make any special teams mistakes either.

How they got to the title game:

2025 Bishop McDevitt Schedule

Key Players:

• Jr QB Sebastian Williams: This kid is poised under pressure, has thrown for over 2,100 yards and completed nearly 70% of passes.
• Sr RB Nazir Jones-Davis: Committed to Eastern Michigan.  Another solid year for this guy, averaging almost 100 rushing yards per game.
• Jr WR Jontai Quick: Terrific receiver, but we know that.  Other teams do as well, and double cover him.  He still gets the grabs.
• Sr LB RJ Duffy: Leading tackler for the Crusaders, averaging almost 7 tackles per game.

Look out for:

• Sr RB/LB Maurice Barnes Jr. Good runner with a good burst of speed, and second leading tackler for the Crusaders.
• So RB/DB Jerome LaRue Jr. The 3rd member of the RB trio, and maybe the most elusive.
• So WR/DB Howard Holton Jr.  Very athletic and quick, can avoid many tackles.  This kid is a star in the making.
• Sr WR/DB Gage Ruth.  Always seems to get the tough yards after the catch.  Great over the middle, could play a key role.
• Sr K Aidan Grella. He’s already gotten some clutch game-winners.  He’s proved that he is dependable in the clutch.

Keys to winning-Offense: 

Finding the balance. The Line will need to wear down the Cahillites, and Williams will need to keep a steady hand in leading the offense.  He has the weapons, so executing a good game plan will be key.  They will need to have some sustained drives to keep the hurry-up offense of Roman Catholic off of the field.

Keys to winning-Defense:

Keep their heads on a swivel. The Cahillites hurry-up offense is their claim to fame, and since McDevitt faced it last year they should be ready.  The Cahillites will definitely try to wear out the Crusader defense with their quick lineup and snap-the-ball cadence, so McDevitt will need to capitalize on any mistakes.  A turnover at a key moment early in a drive could be huge in this game.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews