The Greatest Games I Ever Saw (Part 4 – Both Teams Score 5 Touchdowns)
Tagged under: News, pfn, The Greatest Games Ever Played in PA High School Football History
Phil Myers | April 21, 2023
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(Note: This is a multi-part series of weekly articles that will appear every Friday through June regarding all of Pennsylvania’s greatest games I’ve seen from the 1970s through 2022. I was just a young whipper-snapper in the 60s, joined the Marines in the 70s, and didn’t get to witness many games in the 80s. From the 90s on, I have traversed the state looking for intriguing games and teams I have never seen before. All of these game recaps are from my memory, my notes, and some research which included newspaper articles from the DuBois Courier-Express, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Lancaster Online, and the Patriot News. Since I am a staff of one, time did not permit me to look up every player I witnessed to see where they went to college and if they played in the NFL. So, obviously I may have missed a few and for that I apologize. There are also some great games I saw that may have eluded my memory and notes over the years which I regret.)
Manheim Central 39 Pine-Richland 38 (2 O.T.) – Many people feel this was perhaps the greatest of all the PIAA championship games, not only because of the drama, but because the game was played in a snowstorm. If I could recommend anyone seeing just one PA high school football game, this would probably be it. Now, I must admit because of weather conditions, I couldn’t justify driving through a severe snowstorm to get to Hershey, but I did see this game live on PCN. So, I’ll count it as a game I saw. Both teams were highly touted and rolled into this Friday December 5, 2003 AAA championship tilt with undefeated records.
The first half went about as one would expect the whole game to go, considering the conditions. There was not much scoring. The only touchdown was when Pine-Richland’s Greg Hough returned the kickoff 91 yards after Manheim kicked a field goal late in the first quarter. Pine-Richland added a field goal of their own in the second to lead 9-3 at the break. The second half went off script and was much different than the first. It was what happened in the third and fourth quarters, and overtime that made this a legendary game.
The second part of the game had more lead changes than Cher has costume changes at one of her concerts. It started with the Barons’ Ryan Fennes fielding a Pine-Richland punt at his 27, then dashing down the right sideline 73 yards to send Manheim in front 10-9. The Rams countered with a short pass from Jake Long to Billy Massaro that Massaro turned into a 55-yard touchdown. Now Pine-Richland led 15-10. Manheim took advantage of a roughing the punter penalty to retain possession and a Jeremiha Hunter 45-yard run that eventually allowed them to score on their next drive to forge ahead 18-15 after the 2-point conversion. At 11:39 of the fourth, only three plays after Manheim scored, Hough caught a pass over the middle and stretched it into a 65-yard TD handing the advantage back to Pine-Richland 22-18. Manheim answered with an 80-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard TD toss on a 4th and goal from the Ram ten. Trailing 25-22, the Rams drove to the Baron 14 but had to settle for the game-tying field goal with a minute left to send this doozy of a game into overtime.
Manheim’s QB Jarryd Moyer finds some room. Photo by Lancaster Online.
In the first overtime, WR Neil Walker (a Clemson recruit) scored on a run for Pine-Richland, then Craig Gatchell scored for Manheim. Heading into the second O.T. the game was now tied at 32. Manheim Central’s Shawn Wilt was the MVP in the second overtime. He not only caught a 10-yard TD pass from Jarryd Moyer, but moments later he blocked the potential game-tying extra point after Pine-Richland scored to give the team from Manheim the victory. “This is the most exciting thing that’s happened in my life,” said Moyer. It was the second blocked kick of the game for Central as they blocked a 23-yard FG on the last play of the first half. Neil Walker went on to play major league baseball for 12 years, the majority with the Pirates. Greg Hough and Greg Conti both of Pine-Richland played fullback at Duquesne University and offensive line for Bucknell respectively. Hunter had a very nice career at linebacker for the University of Iowa.
Shawn Wilt gets a piece of the ball on the Rams’ PAT in 2nd O.T. Photo by Lancaster Omline.
Wilmington 35 West Catholic 34 (2 O.T.) – This was a state final game that rivals the Manheim Central win over Pine-Richland. On Saturday afternoon December 13, 2008 at Hersheypark Stadium, West Catholic and most people around the state were shocked as Wilmington came from behind in the second half to tie this 2A title game and then won it in overtime. The contest also had probably the most dramatic, exciting play in the history of the PIAA championships. It happened in O.T. and involved the greatest individual effort in the history of PA championship overtimes. Wilmington’s Shane Wagner became an instant legend, but more on that in a bit.
West Catholic, billed as ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’, was highly favored. They came into the game averaging almost 50 points per contest and scoring 50 points or more in 9 games, including 8 in a row at one point. The Burrs had a virtually unstoppable running attack and their only loss was to 4A powerhouse LaSalle College by a point early in the season. Wilmington only had one loss too, but had won their past two playoff games by a total of three points.
The Burrs gained 398 yards on the ground and had three 100-yard rushers in Raymond Maples (177), Curtis Drake (112), and Rob Hollomon (102). West Catholic outgained Wilmington by almost two hundred yards, 460 to 268 and led at halftime 14-0. It could have been more but the Burrs were stopped just short of scoring at the end of the second quarter and they still had a timeout to take. The Greyhounds got on track in the third quarter to tie the game at 14. Then Hollomon scored on the first play of the 4th quarter and the Burrs led 21-14 until the 6-minute mark when Wilmington tied it again. West Catholic ate up the clock and marched to within a foot of the goal line on a third down run. The Burr coaching staff decided to forego a field goal try and went with Drake on a fourth down quarterback sneak that was stuffed with 1:27 left sending the game into overtime.
West Catholic scored first in extra session #1 going up 28-21 setting up THE PLAY. Wagner, the Greyhound QB, faced a fourth down and goal from the 16. He rolled to his left looking for someone in the end zone. Finding no one, he reversed his field. Then dodging, bobbing and weaving around players, he avoided almost all of the Burrs’ defensive unit. Finally, after what seemed to be a minute, he made it close to the goal line on the far-right side of the field with one Burr left to beat. He got past him and stepped into the end zone to tie the game in what was an absolute beauty of a run. Wilmington scored first in the second overtime and then West Catholic scored. Trailing 35-34, the Burrs went for two and the win. As Drake approached the goal line, he was flipped into the air and landed about a foot short of the win. The man who flipped him with the low tackle? Shane Wagner.
Shane Wagner #11 in the midst of his sensational run.
Wagner went to Ashland University and played baseball. Drake played wide receiver at Penn State, Hollomon ended up being Central Connecticut’s all-time leading rusher when he was done, and Maples had two 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Army.
Bishop Carroll 35 Cameron County 34 (2 O.T.) – It was a rainy and windy Friday night at DuBois’ Mansell Stadium on November 26th, 1999. The field was very wet, but the natural grass held up well considering the weather. Cameron County brought the whole town of Emporium and Bishop Carroll had quite a few who ventured out also. Both squads were undefeated. For Bishop Carroll it was a euphoric night. This marked the first of four western finals the Huskies made in the next five years. For Cameron County, the ending left them hurting and in the subsequent weeks thinking ‘what might have been.’
The score was tied 7-7 after one and stayed that way until just before intermission. That is when Cameron County benefited from not one but two draw plays. The first went for 42 yards and the second a 23-yard touchdown by John Bickford. The PAT was blocked and the Red Raiders took a 13-7 lead into the locker room. It could have been more, but the Raider’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown after the Huskies scored was nullified by a penalty behind the play. On that same possession, Cameron Co. drove to the Carroll 6, but did not score.
The Huskies took the lead back in the third when QB Mike Tremel found WR Derek Salony in the end zone for the second time. Bishop Carroll then took advantage of an onsides kick. The line drive kick bounced off a Cameron Co. player and was recovered by the Huskies inside the Red Raider 40. They scored 7 plays later, just before the end of the third quarter, to go on top 21-13. Cameron County tied it early in the fourth when John Bickford scored his second TD and the two-point conversion was good. On the last play of regulation, the Red Raiders had a chance to win, but the 36-yard field goal was no good.
Bickford of Cameron County is being tackled by Tremel of Bishop Carroll. Photo by Courier-Express.
Both teams scored touchdowns and made the PAT in the first overtime. Both teams again scored TDs in the second overtime. The Huskies made their PAT, but the Red Raider coaches felt they should go for two and the win. As I recall, Cameron County’s Seth Fragale was stopped short, fumbled the ball, and Bishop Carroll recovered in the back of the end zone. That started a wild celebration by the Huskies and their faithful. John Bickford ran for 161 yards. Chad Schilling ran for 177 yards for Bishop Carroll. Bickford made first-team all-state running back and Schilling did the same in in 2001. Tremel (ATH) and Anthony Piccioni (LB) of Bishop Carroll made the 1999 Class A second team all-state.
Clearfield 35 Tyrone 34 – On September 19, 2008 the Clearfield Bison snapped the Tyrone Golden Eagles’ 35-game regular season win streak before a huge crowd at the Bison Sports Complex in Clearfield. The game was an old fashioned back and forth affair with the difference coming down to Tyrone failing to convert their first three extra point attempts (the third being a 2-point try) and four altogether. With that being said Tyrone still had a chance to win at the end as you will see.
The visiting Golden Eagles jumped off to a 12-7 lead after the first quarter. By halftime Clearfield had nudged in front 21-18. After three Clearfield clung to a 28-26 lead. Tyrone scored on the first play of the 4th quarter on QB Levi Reihart’s run to regain the lead at 32-28, but missed another PAT which loomed large. Clearfield surged back in front 35-32 at the 6:59 mark when the Bison quarterback, Jarrin Campman, threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to his brother Trey. Tyrone’s possession ended in a punt that pinned Clearfield deep in their end. On fourth down the Bison took a safety rather than punt and that put the Golden Eagles within one point at 35-34. After the free kick Tyrone had the ball at the Clearfield 42 with three and a half minutes left. Five plays later the football rested at the Bison 27, but it was fourth down and time was running out. Coach John Franco sent out the field goal unit knowing his kicker could make that 45 yarder. But the kick was no good and the Clearfield Bison had ended ‘the streak.’
Jarrin Campman threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for another. Bison RB Isaih Morgan ran for 143 yards with two touchdowns. Reihart threw for 209 yards and a score. Tyrone RB Larry Glaceran for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Clearfield’s coach, Tim Janocko, retired at the end of the 2022 season with 307 career victories which is the most ever in District 9. Tyrone’s coach, John Franco, is still coaching and has 272 career wins. This game was not only a classic, but it had two legendary coaches matching wits.
Conneaut 36 DuBois 35 – This absolute thriller was played on September 12, 2014 in DuBois at Mansell Stadium. Conneaut’s quarterback, Hunter Merritt said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in anything like that before. That was crazy!” Merritt scored all five of the Eagles’ touchdowns, rushed for 156 yards, and threw for 146 more. DuBois had its own star of the game, Devin Clark, who rushed for 246 yards and scored all five of the Beaver touchdowns. How many games has that ever happened where the same player on each team scored all five touchdowns?
Conneaut led 7-0 after the first and 14-6 at the half. DuBois scored twice in the third, sandwiched around an Eagle touchdown. The Beavers led 21-20 when the fourth quarter started. Each team scored early capped off by Clark’s 50-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 28 with just under 9 minutes remaining in the contest. With less than 5 minutes left DuBois intercepted Merritt’s pass at the Conneaut 31. Four runs by Clark had the Beavers facing a third and goal at the one. But Conneaut stuffed Clark’s next two rushes and took over inches from the goal line. With 2:22 left, Merritt ran fifty yards, but offsetting penalties negated the run. A couple of plays later DuBois again intercepted a long pass, but they could not quite get into field goal range. In overtime, DuBois scored and booted the PAT. Then Conneaut scored and going for the win Merritt hit an open Henry Litwin for the triumphant 2-point conversion.
Merritt in white doing some scrambling. Photo by Courier-Express.
Conneaut beat Cathedral Prep in the playoffs in 2014, then lost to state silver medalist, Central Valley. Merritt played DB for Mercyhurst and then Slippery Rock. Litwin walked on at Slippery Rock becoming an All-American wide receiver and holds several SRU records in receiving. Clark went on to Clarion University. Bryson Paulinellie of DuBois played wide receiver at Westminster and also returned kicks.
The thought crosses my mind every time the warriors walk off the football field and I see the winning players elated and the losers dejected, that game of life can be won by everybody if we just look in the right place. Although winning is bliss, sometimes more character can be built through losing than by winning. Kids for the most part are resilient and life goes on. So, win or lose, games like these are memories for sure, not only for those who played the game but also those fans and media who were in attendance.
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