DEC. 18
CLASS AA FINAL
West Catholic 50, South Fayette 14
  West is best!! And perhaps you're now muttering, "Yeah, and it was two years ago, too." No doubt the '08 squad was an all-timer, witness that its top three offensive players, quarterback Curtis Drake (Penn State, as receiver) and co-tailbacks Rob Hollomon (Kent State) and Raymond Maples (Army), have advanced to the D-1 level. But in that year's final, "Enjoy the Show" became "Experience the Heartache" as the Burrs fell to Wilmington, 35-34, in double overtime. So, now we flash ahead to this afternoon and what will remain one of the most enduring memories. On the final scrimmage play of the first half, sr. QB Anthony Reid hit sr. WR Jaelen Strong-Rankin with an EASY, 25-yard TD pass on a right-corner fade -- no defender was even close enough to even THINK about breaking up the play -- and sr. WR Quran Kent, lined up in the backfield, ran for the conversion. Those two plays made it 34-14 and within moments the Burrs were headed to their locker room. At HersheyPark Stadium, the teams must head toward the stands and then down concrete steps. As the Burrs arrived at those stands, numerous recent players were perched against the restraining fence. They knew this game was history. The joy they displayed was unabashed. They screamed and shouted and pounded the shoulder pads of the current players as they passed by and descended. There were even some quick hugs. It was quite a scene. And quite cathartic, no doubt, for the grads. Yesterday I attended West's pep rally and the principal, Sister Mary Bur, mentioned that the team had benefited by playing this year's semifinal at HersheyPark because a win in that venue had canceled the '08 negative vibes for those players still around. Agreed. Anyway, the Burrs mostly frolicked in this one. Though SF did impressively drive downfield on its first possession and score the game's first TD, and West's first chance did result in an interception, the mood along the sideline was NOT "uh, oh, here we go again." There was a certain calm. Not a hint of panic. SF's next possession produced one first down and then on third-and-10, sr. LB Kevin Burns and sr. DE Jim Lynch combined to notch a 9-yard sack. The punt placed the ball at West's 19 and -- oh, baby! -- it didn't stay there long. Soph TB David Williams zoomed 81 yards to the opposite end zone, flashing a move or three along the way, and the explosion was on. The next possession failed, but West tallied four more TDs before halftime. A 75-yard, no-problem fly from Reid to Strong-Rankin, a 7-yard keeper by Reid (after a fumble recovery by sr. CB Brandon Hollomon, Rob's brother; hit by Burns) and then the killers -- two TDs in the final 1:07 after SF had crept within 20-14. The first was a 16-yard burst by Hollomon (right after Reid had hit Kent for 24 yards; Quran finished his career with 1,561 career receiving yards). SF opted to NOT play it safe and get out of the first half with no further damage. The sequence went incompletion, hold, incompletion and yet another incompletion, and then the punt was a disaster. The ball traveled just eight yards and when it bounced high, the coverage guys immediately caught it to prevent even more of a mess. One problem: if they'd let the ball bounce, roll and settle, another 5-6 seconds could have been burned. Instead, the clock showed 0:15. Reid passed incomplete, but there was still more time, of course, and West took advantage with the 25-yard hookup to Strong-Rankin. Again, it was TOO EASY. The sequence told everyone, "West WILL win this game. No other result is even remotely possible." The Burrs then roared downfield to start the third quarter. Hollomon, who finished his career with 3,264 rushing yards, ripped off a 39-yard gain. Williams added a 13-yarder on which he fumbled, but recovered the ball even though, oh, about 67 South Fayette defenders were much closer to it when it hit the turf. He then ran in from the 4 two plays later. Thereafter, the foot was mostly removed from the pedal. The Burrs tried, of course, but an urgency was no longer present. They were riding things out, just waiting to explode in ecstasy when the clock hit 0:00. (Sr. Joshua Mathis, the third TB in the rotation, did have a 26-yard TD run shortly into the fourth quarter.) The next possession began with a carry for sr. FB Dion Givens (thanks to assistant Lincoln Townsend Jr.), who had blocked so passionately since becoming the starter late in the regular season. He was nervous, and even bobbled the ball. But he held on and picked up a yard. Burns finished with 13 tackles, including nine solos and four big pops on special teams. Lynch managed eight, including a sack and two other TFLs that went for 21 yards. Sr. LB Anthony McDonnaugh and jr. DB Kevin Malone halved eight tackles. SF totaled minus-6 yards and no first downs in the second half (well, except for one on a penalty). About the only thing the Burrs did not do well was douse coach Brian Fluck with Gatorade. It was very cold, so perhaps they had second thoughts just as they reached him. Or maybe Brian successfully fended them off. The liquid got his legs, but not much more. Another attempt did get him with ice cubes. In time, Reid was cradling an oversized Hershey bar, and then the players and cheerleaders were posing for group shots in the south end zone. Congrats to everyone associated with the program! Being a Burr ain't easy. West practices behind St. Louis Church, in Yeadon, and the "locker room" is a port-a-potty. Though many players opt to get there on a school bus provided by West, others pile into cars and change from their school clothes to practice gear right in the parking lot. Across this entire country, I can't imagine there are too many state champs that are faced with similar circumstances. One last tidbit: Before the game, West assistant Albie Crosby, whom I've known since his days as a spunky, productive West player, asked for a prediction on a final score. I came out with 28-20, West. His prediction was something like 55-12; somewhere in there. Late in the game, Albie came down to field level and reminded me how close his prediction had been. Indeed! I told him he should hit a casino on the way home and try to continue his run of luck. So, much later, when I was walking into the parking lot to fetch the computer (and download/crop the West pics before the La Salle game), a car approached from the left and stopped right in front of me. I couldn't tell at first who it was. This clinched the guy's identity: "Hey, Ted! C'mon, let's go to the casino!" I doubt Albie followed through -- his kids were with him (smile) -- but it's for certain that he and everyone else who's part of the Burr family, direct and extended, took a trip to this place today: Football Paradise.
Some numbers from Huck, covering West's last four seasons: