The Greatest Games I Ever Saw (Part 8 – More Nail-biters)
Tagged under: News, pfn, The Greatest Games Ever Played in PA High School Football History
Phil Myers | May 19, 2023
https://www.twobirchwinery.com/
(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. All of these game recaps are from my memory, my notes, and some research which included newspaper articles from the DuBois Courier-Express, the Lock Haven Express, the Indiana Gazette, the Altoona Mirror, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Trib-Review, 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.)
Bishop Guilfoyle 19 Clairton 18 – On Friday afternoon December 12, 2014 at Hersheypark Stadium two powerful football teams collided head-to-head and battled for 48 minutes. When the smoke cleared, the BG Marauders claimed their first state championship by one measly point over four-time titlists, the Clairton Bears. Combined, these two teams scored 1,636 points in 2014, an average of 54.5 a game. Clairton scored 940 of those. They hold the state record at 958, tacking on 18 more after this game. Defensively, the two averaged yielding 7.2 a game, with Guilfoyle allowing less than 6 a contest.
There was no scoring in the first quarter, but a lot of action as there was throughout the game. In fact, the teams racked up 745 yards with Clairton accounting for 471 of that number. Aaron Mathews’ pass to Ryan Williams gave Clairton a 6-0 lead 7 seconds into the second quarter. Williams ended up with 156 yards throwing the ball. The two-point try was no good. At the 7:06 mark Brandon Chadbourn found Sam McCloskey for a 22-yard TD, but the kick failed and the game was tied at 6. A minute later Lamont Wade caught a pass between two BG defenders and turned it into a 61-yard touchdown giving the Bears a six point lead after another two-point try was stopped by the Marauder defense. Chadbourn’s run of 13 yards tied the game with 3:44 om the second period clock. Josh Trybus then booted the PAT and what would prove to be the game-winning point.
Evan Chadbourn (BG #28) gets a first down on a fake punt and is pushed out of bounds by Lamont Wade (Clairton #38). Photo by Trib-Review as was the feature photo.
McCloskey’s run toward the end of the third gave Guilfoyle a 19-12 advantage entering the fourth. Lamont Wade’s spectacular zig-zagging 64-yard run cut the lead to 19-18, but the third two-point attempt failed by inches. Clairton, which won four consecutive titles from 2009-12, was denied the win when James Hines caught an 8-yard pass from Ryan Williams on fourth down with 47 seconds left but was ruled out of the back of the end zone. The game got ugly at the end when a few Clairton players couldn’t control their emotions after the hotly contested football game. Officials then refused to allow the teams to shake hands at the end, but a few Clairton players did congratulate the BG players. Clairton later issued an apology.
Wade, who ran for a game high 212 yards, played safety at Penn State. Mathews played WR at Pitt. Harrison Dreher of Clairton played DB at IUP. Guilfoyle’s Chadbourn (Villanova), McCloskey (Lehigh), Luke Frederick (Delaware), Andrew Irwin (Harvard), and Andrew Berger (Gannon) all played in college.
Bishop McDevitt 24 Cathedral Prep 21 – You don’t often see anyone comeback from an 18-point halftime deficit, especially in a state semi-final game. But that is exactly what the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders did on Friday December 10, 2010 at DuBois’ Mansell Stadium. Cathedral Prep owned the first half by taking a 21-3 lead into the intermission thanks to sophomore quarterback Damion Terry, who scurried for a 25-yard touchdown, and running back Anthony Jordan, who raced 50 and 37 yards for scores. Terry finished the game with 177 yards on 8 completions.
McDevitt’s quarterback, Matt Johnson, who threw for 217 yards, rallied the troops in the second half. But the comeback was started by the defense. Miles Williams intercepted an errant Terry pass and returned it 42 yards to cut the Rambler lead to 21-10. Johnson, who at the time was the fifth leading passer in PA history, threw an absolute bullet through coverage to Shaun Self near the end of the third to make it a one score game 21-17. RB Jameel Poteat finished the comeback with 6 minutes left by scoring on a short run. Prep had two more possessions to score but only got to midfield with 50 seconds remaining before a 4th down pass was broken up.
2010 File photo of Matt Johnson pitching the ball to a RB. Photo by Patriot News.
In another greatest game of all-time, Allentown Central Catholic upended McDevitt 28-27 the next week in the 3A championship tilt. We will review this game in the coming weeks. Matt Johnson went on to become the MAC Player of the year in 2015 with Bowling Green. He has the single season passing and touchdown record at Bowling Green and in the MAC with 4,946 yards and 46 TD passes in 2015. He will be the 2023 offensive coordinator for Kent St. Damion Terry went to Michigan State and saw action in 25 games over his career as quarterback for the Spartans. Noah Spence played on defense for the Crusaders. He later played for Ohio State, then transferred to Eastern Kentucky. He played a handful of years in the NFL. The two coaches in this game are great ones. McDevitt’s Jeff Weachter is still coaching and has 261 career victories. He won his first state title last year (2022). Mike Mischler of Cathedral Prep retired at the end of the 2021 season winning 214 games and five state championships.
Marion Center 26 Homer Center 20 (O.T.) – John R. Mallino Stadium in Marion Center was the site of this Friday Septempber 18, 2009 contest between the Stingers and the Wildcats of Homer Center. Both teams came into the game 2-0. The hard-hitting game was tied 6-6 at halftime. Homer Center scored on their first drive of the second half to go up 14-6. The Wildcats took that lead into the fourth quarter where Marion Center tied the game on the second play. The physical, smash mouth football game got even more exciting in the final three minutes of the game.
Facing a fourth down inside the Wildcat 40, Marion Center gambled, but fumbled and Wildcat lineman Eric Cusimano picked up the loose ball and rumbled 55 yards to give Homer Center a 20-14 lead. It didn’t look good for the home team, but Marion Center’s quarterback, Ryan Lightcap, proceeded to drive the Stingers 65 yards and Marion Center tied the game with 1:05 left sending the crowd into a frenzy. He had only been 3 of 14 passing for the entire game, but completed all 4 of his passes on that drive. Lightcap scored in overtime and the Stinger defense kept Homer Center out of the end zone to win 26-20.
Eisenhower 20 Clarion-Limestone 18 – “It’s like living in a fairy tale,” said Eisenhower’s coach Conrad Danielson after this PIAA Class A first round playoff game. The contest was held in Punxsutawney on a chilly, breezy Friday night November the 19th, 1993. In the first half, C-L outgained the Knights an astonishing 282 total yards to 25, yet only led at the intermission 18-7. The Lions moved the ball with ease throughout the opening half of play, but a costly turnover on their own 13 allowed Eisenhower to score and actually take the lead at the time 7-6.
There was no scoring in the third, but Clarion-Limestone did make it to the Eisenhower 9 before they were stopped. With just under 9 minutes remaining, the Knights scored their second TD and cut the C-L lead to 18-13. With about three minutes to go, Clarion-Limestone faced a 4th and less than a yard at their own 34. The Lion coaching staff decided to go for it and C-L came up short giving the ball to Eisenhower along with an excellent chance to pull out the win. Erich Kutschke (whom Danielson had moved from WR to quarterback in the second half) proceeded to hit Jerry Van Ord for 28 yards to the 6-yard line. After two running plays gained nothing, Kutschke threw a perfect over the shoulder pass to Scott Witte for the winning score with 1:02 left on the clock.
For the game C-L won the yardage battle 368-194. Kutschke had 126 yards passing, all in the second half. He also booted both of the Knights’ extra points. Clarion-Limestone running back, Luke Huwar, gained 131 yards. He made the all-state team as a defensive back.
Lock Haven 20 Westinghouse 19 – It was a Friday night at Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium on November 20, 1992. Lock Haven wasn’t supposed to win, after all Westinghouse was ranked as the #3 team in the state in Class 3A. With grit and determination, the Bobcats upset Westinghouse, a big, fast, talented football team. In the first, a vicious hit by Lock Haven on a punt return by Westinghouse caused the ball to rocket backward at least 15 yards into the end zone where Bobcat Jeff Smalley recovered it for the touchdown and a 7-0 Lock Haven lead. Moments later a tipped pass was intercepted by George Conklin at the ‘House seven. Conklin did the honors of scoring on the next play to put his squad up 13-0. From there the Bulldogs slowly took charge of the game even though the Cat ‘D’ grudgingly yielded yardage.
Westinghouse’s Elrades Wright (in white with ball #32) is tackled by Lock Haven’s Corey Jacobs (#37). Photo by Lock Haven Express.
With 4:08 left in the half, Westinghouse scored on a 47-yard pass from Wally Goldston to TE Taibu Wright. At halftime Lock Haven led 13-6. It stayed that way until one of the most exciting 4th quarters you’ll see. Goldston’s sneak capped a 55-yard drive to pull the Bulldogs to within one at 13-12 with 8:28 left. Elrades Wright gave the Westinghouse their first lead at 19-13 on his 35-yard run with only 3:53 left in the game. Moments later on a third down from their 44, QB Joe Caruso fired a pass over the middle to Smalley who outraced the Dog D-Backs to the end zone and the Cats regained the lead, 20-19, after the PAT by Travis Forney. But the game was not over. Westinghouse drove from their 6 to the Lock Haven 24 (seventy yards) but time ran out before they could get off the next play. The Bobcat season came to an end in the western finals the next week as they lost to Blackhawk.
Goldston ended the game 17 for 25 passing with 205 yards for the ‘House. The Dogs outgained the Cats 330 yards to 181. Lock Haven’s placekicker, Travis Forney, went to Penn State and became one of the Nittany Lions’ best kickers ever. Caruso was an all-state DB, but went to Alabama for baseball and played professionally for several years. Shawn Yancey, a DL for Westinghouse, made all-state.
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.
Follow Phil Myers on Twitter @Protime_PFN
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
You must be logged in to post a comment.