Wilmington wins PIAA title!

By JOHN D’ABRUZZO

jdabruzzo@ncnewsonline.com

HERSHEY — It was an all-too familiar situation for the Wilmington High football team.

And that’s exactly what the Greyhounds liked about it.

Facing a game-deciding two-point conversion attempt in double overtime, Wilmington halted Philadelphia West Catholic at the 1-yard line to preserve a 35-34 victory and claim the PIAA Class AA championship Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.

Similar to the show-stopping goal-line stand against Aliquippa in the semifinals, the ’Hounds’ final defensive effort secured the program’s first state football crown and the first for Lawrence County.

Senior Shane Wagner and junior Derrick Burns stopped West Catholic star quarterback Curtis Drake’s 2-yard attempt when Wagner flew through the air like Superman and snagged his ankle before Burns swooped in and flipped him down at the 1.

“That was unbelievable right there,” said Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli, who captured a state title 20 years after taking the program to the PIAA’s first Class AA final in 1988. “That obviously won the game for us. That was quite an effort.”

THE RUN

So was Wagner’s crucial touchdown in overtime.

After West Catholic’s Raymond “Syrup” Maples scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a 5-yard run, Wagner put on the show of shows.

Facing fourth-and-16, the senior quarterback rolled toward his left and then scrambled to his right, zigzagging through defenders before reaching the end zone.

“I rolled out and there was nobody open, so I cut from some blocks and cut again with one guy to beat,” Wagner said. “Then I just jumped in. It felt like a million years, I’ll tell you that.”

“I don’t know how he did that,” his cousin and senior receiver Matt Wagner added. “That was incredible. Shane took off. It was a heck of a run.”

Junior kicker Bryce Wilson notched the PAT kick and booted another following a 1-yard touchdown run by Burns at the start of the second overtime.

Maples, who led all scorers with 177 yards on 19 carries, added another score for the Burrs with a 2-yard run. West Catholic (14-2) then opted to go for the win with a run attempt.

“What an effort,” said Verrelli, whose career total reached 233-102-3. “You don’t need an explanation.”

JUST LIKE LAST WEEK

Down 14-0 at the half, the ’Hounds (15-1) scored 14 in the third quarter and added another score in the fourth to tie the game at 21 and force overtime.

“What did it for us was we came out in the second half and we moved the football and got into the end zone, just like against Aliquippa,” Verrelli said. “Offensively, we kept the football and scored while keeping (their offense) off the field.

“They’re just as explosive as Aliquippa.”

Just like they did against the Quips in the state semifinal, the ’Hounds opened the third quarter with a lengthy clock-consuming drive. The 13-play, six-minute effort resulted in a 11-yard touchdown run by Wagner.

Wagner finished the game with 27 yards rushing while throwing for another 74 yards. He completed 5 of 14 attempts with one interception. Defensively, he also picked off Drake late in the first quarter.

Two plays into the Burrs’ next drive, Matt Wagner came up with a key interception that helped set up a 1-yard run by Burns to tie the game at 14. Burns ran for 46 yards on 14 carries.

“That interception turned it around for me,” said Matt Wagner, who is the quarterback’s cousin. “We didn’t play well in the first half; I dropped four passes.

“Then in the second half, we just all stepped up.”

West Catholic went ahead 21-14 when Rob Hollomon scored on a 4-yard run at the start of the fourth quarter. Hollomon finished with 102 yards on 14 carries.

Matt Wagner, however, came up big again, this time a 29-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter. That catch set up a 2-yard run by junior Jake DeMedal.

“Our team’s tough,” said DeMedal, who rushed for 56 yards on 11 tries. “We’re full of heart and we’re a team and it’s why we come through in the clutch.”

Sophomore Sutton Whiting led the ’Hounds’ ground attack with 65 yards on 15 carries.

HAMMERING DOWN

The Burrs had plenty of time and many opportunities to find the end zone one more time.

But Wilmington’s defense made sure that didn’t happen.

The ’Hounds’ “Hammer” stuffed Drake’s fourth-and-1 attempt on the 1 with less than two minutes left in the game.

Drake, a Penn State recruit, rushed for 112 yards on 16 attempts and completed 2 of 6 passes for 62 yards.

Senior Carson Sharbaugh led the defensive unit with 11 tackles and one sack. Matt Wagner, Shane Wagner, Burns and Chad Palladino followed with seven tackles.

“All year, we’ve heard from our coaches that defense wins championships,” said Sharbaugh, who also had two catches for 15 yards. “And that’s what got it done for us.”

West Catholic still outgained Wilmington in total offense, 460-268. The Burrs held a 284-91 advantage in that department at the half.

However, Wilmington made good on 4 of 6 fourth-down conversions, two in the third quarter and one in overtime.

“We peaked at the right time,” Verrelli said. “We started playing together as a real team and that’s the only way we’re going to win.”