State College Routs McDowell in Subregional Game

Tagged under: District 10, District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

Noah Radio | November 9, 2024

It was a cold and windy night at Memorial Field, but State College didn’t let the weather slow it down as it cruised to a 35-7 win over Erie McDowell on Nov. 8. The Little Lions rode a 35-0 first half to pick up the PIAA Subregional victory.

After three consecutive punts to open the game, senior running back Lamar Wilson got State College on the board with a 23-yard touchdown run with 7:00 remaining in the first quarter. The score was Wilson’s 13th touchdown on the season.

The McDowell offense did gain some traction on a couple of drives but was constantly killed by turnovers. First, senior quarterback Blayze Myers fumbled at the McDowell 44-yard line, which State College sophomore Kellen Williams recovered. The Little Lion offense capitalized on that turnover with a 40-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Eddie Corkery to fellow senior Cooper Brushwood.

After a quick McDowell punt, State College struck again, this time with a 78-yard pass from Corkery to fellow senior and childhood best friend, Ty Salazer, to put the Little Lions up 21-0 with 11:42 remaining in the second quarter.

Another turnover stalled McDowell on its next drive. With 8:14 to play in the first half, Brushwood picked off Myers at the State College 9-yard line. Brushwood’s big play set up another quick strike from Corkery to Salazer, this time a 72-yard bomb over the top of the Trojan secondary.

“They’ve been doing it all year; they’ve been doing it for the past two years,” Senior Michael Gaul said. “Those two are great players, and honestly I wouldn’t want to play against them for a single down because they’re home run hitters just waiting to happen.”

The Trojans nearly got on the board late in the first half, but the State College defense forced a fumble on the goal line and Williams picked it up in the end zone for a touchback. The State College offense took over on its own 20 with 3:32 left in the first half and wasted no time extending its lead.

Corkery hit Salazer with back-to-back passes of 32 and 29 yards to take the Little Lions down to the three-yard line where Wilson punched it in to give the Little Lions a 35-0 lead going into halftime.

The Trojans finally got on the board with both teams’ starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. Junior running back Brody Bonsell made the score 35-7 with a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:30 left in the game.

The significance of the night for the State College program was threefold. Obviously, the playoff victory was important, but more importantly, it was the team’s 31 seniors’ last time playing together on Memorial Field. After the game, Corkery, Salazer, Brushwood and Gaul walked the length of the field together twice before exiting for the final time.

Salazer said, “We all came here as little kids watching the games from the hill. It’s always been a dream to play down here, so for it to be our last game it’s definitely sentimental so we’re just trying to soak it all in.”

Adding another layer to the night, State College Head Coach Matt Lintal recorded his 100th win. Lintal is a players-first coach who emphasizes doing things the right way while caring for one another, which made his milestone all the more special for everyone involved.

“First and foremost, I’m just so grateful for the support of my family. I wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of my loving wife, my kids at home, and my parents that come to every game,” Lintal said. “Win, lose, or draw, to be able to come home to a place that loves me and cheers me up no matter what’s going on, it’s really special.”

The family atmosphere in Lintal’s program was evident after the game when the team collectively pulled their coach up onto the ledge beneath the video board to take a photo under the graphic celebrating Lintal’s 100th win.

“[Lintal is] just like another father to me,” Gaul said. “He’s led me to be a better person, he’s built me up in so many ways, he’s kept me humble in so many ways, so the least we can do as a team is get him to a hundred because he deserves so much more than that.”

With this win, State College moves on to face Williamsport in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs next weekend at a time and location to be determined.

Erie McDowell’s season is now over, the Trojans finished as District 10 Champions with a 7-5 record.

(Left to right) State College seniors Cooper Brushwood, Eddie Corkery, Ty Salazer and Michael Gaul walk the length of the field one final time. (Noah Radio)

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