Philadelphia High School Football, State Playoff Recaps 2019

Philadelphia High School Football
State Playoff Recaps, 2019

CLASS 6A
QUARTERFINAL
At Bethlehem
SJ Prep 45, Nazareth 24: Forced again to go without injured star QB Kyle McCord, the Prep survived thanks in large part to extras. Sahmir Hagans returned two punts for touchdowns and Anthony Rightley returned a fumble for six more points. Malik Cooper (8-for-11, 58) opened the scoring with a TD pass to Marvin Harrison. Kole Burrell produced 109 yards and two TDs on 15 carries.
SEMIFINAL
At Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona
SJ Prep 31, Pittsburgh Central Catholic 24 (OT): The Hawks scored the final 14 points to win it. Their last drive of regulation covered 82 yards and ended on a successful broken play as Marvin Harrison (eight catches, 134 yards) sprinted to the back, right corner of the end zone and made a leaping TD catch of a 12-yard pass from Malik Cooper (22-for-25, 271 yards). The Prep went first in OT and Cooper sprinted five yards to the left corner for his second TD of the game. Keenan Nelson then created unabashed joy with a goal-line interception. Soph Antonio Chadha contributed seven points, thus tying Anthony Tigano's 2017 school record (83) for kicking points in a season. Chadha's breakdown: 59 PAT, eight FGs.
FINAL
At Hersheypark Stadium
SJ Prep 35, Central Dauphin 13: Under first-year coach Tim Roken, the Hawks rolled to a second consecutive state championship and fifth in seven years. Kolbe Burrell rushed 25 times for 190 yards and two TDs (he was untouched on a 55-yarder) while Malik Cooper passed 9-for-14 for 95 yards and two more scores, one apiece to Sahmir Hagans and Marvin Harrison. The latter became the fifth player in Catholic League history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in one season (1,033) and his 15 receiving TDs left him one short of the CL record (16 by Dougherty's Mickey King in 2000). The defense barged into the scoring column as Sean Walker blocked a punt and Maurice Clark raced 20 yards to the end zone.

CLASS 5A
QUARTERFINAL
At Pennridge
Wood 41, Southern Lehigh 7: Kaelin Costello (12-129) and Shane Collier halved four rushing TDs as the Vikings cruised. Max Keller passed 5-for-8 for 99 yards and a score to Andrew McHugh (3-57).
SEMIFINAL
At Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona
Wood 24, Gateway 21: QB Max Keller slid to an intentional stop at the 8 and Robert Meyer, who'd earlier missed a 40-yarder and this time was twice hit with ice-him timeouts, hammered a 25-yard field with three seconds left to win it. Keller threw a TD pass to Cardel Pigford while Kaelin Costello ran 29 times for 272 yards and scores of 73 and 95 yards. The Vikings racked up seven sacks while earning their eighth appearance in a state final.
FINAL
At Hersheypark Stadium
Wood 19, Cheltenham 15: After Cheltenham seized its first lead, at 15-7, with exactly four minutes remaining, the Vikings needed to cover 65 yards. They did so in 11 plays and, amazingly, only one was a pass -- a 3-yard, left-slide slant from Max Keller to Cardel Pigford at 0:04. The title was Wood's sixth over nine seasons and the first for second-year coach Kyle Adkins, a two-way starter for the squad that started the dominance in 2011. The Vikings' first six points came on field goals by long kicker Ryan Morgan (42 yards) and short kicker Robert Meyer (22 yards). After Tom Pomponi recovered a fumble on the second half kickoff, Kaelin Costello (38 carries, 282 yards) raced 29 yards for a score. Cheltenham, which won its first district championship, was coached by Judge grad Ryan Nase.

CLASS 4A
None (Bonner-Prendergast lost in City Title)

CLASS 3A
DISTRICT 1/12 SUBREGIONALS
SEMIFINALS
At South Philly Super Site
Neumann-Goretti 34, Lansdale Catholic 19: Tysheem Johnson provided 16 points and 195 yards of rushing/receiving as the Saints remained perfect at 11-0. Marqui Adams fired a TD pass to Damien Gabriel (2-74). LC's Jeron Phillips ran for one score and passed to Evan Hannings (also an interception) for another.
FINAL
At South Philly Super Site
Pope John Paul II 29, Neumann-Goretti 28: Tysheem Johnson already owned the school record for points in one season (182), but was stopped short on a late conversion run out of a Wildcat formation with 1:06 left. Marqui Adams had just connected with Malik Griffin for their second TD of the game. Johnson had already scored on a rush (24-165) and punt return while adding a passing TD.

CLASS 2A
DISTRICT 11/12 SUBREGIONALS
SEMIFINALS
At South Philly Super Site
West Catholic 44, Schuylkill Haven 29: Zaire Hart-Hawkins passed 12-for-22 for 210 yards and four scores, with two going to Julio DaSilva (4-93). Carl Smith (4-70) also had a big receiving performance.
At Northeast
McDevitt 42, Mahaony Area 14: Lonnie Rice hustled for four TDs, three on the ground (12-81) and one in the air (8-for-10, 99) to Ty Tindal. Corey Wright-Downing (4-72) had a big receiving performance.
FINAL
At South Philly Super Site
McDevitt 9, West Catholic 8: For the second consecutive game, Ty Tindal turned his lone snag into a TD and Eric Wilson's 26-yard field goal -- his first of the season; it opened the scoring -- wound up making the difference. QB Lonnie Rice (16-103) and Akrie Lilley (26-88) rushed well. Zaire Hart-Hawkins ran for WC's score and passed 8-for-12 for 123 yards. Hart-Hawkins finished his career 307-for-600 for 4,602 yards and 44 TDs. Breakdown: 14-for-43, 279 yards, 1 TD as a freshman at N-G; 293-for-557, 4,323 yards, 43 TDs over the next three seasons at West Catholic.
FIRST ROUND
At Lehighton
McDevitt 28, Dunmore 13: Lonnie Rice (13-163, two TDs) and Akrie Lilley (20-135) did all of the Lancers' rushing while Rice completed eight of 13 tosses for 124 yards and two scores, one apiece to Corey Wright-Downing (3-61) and Ty Tindal.
QUARTERFINAL
At Chambersburg
Richland 29, McDevitt 21: Lonnie Rice turned in quite the performance in defeat, accounting for all three Lancer scores. He rushed 14 times for 84 yards and one TD and twice hit Emmanuel Sia (2-91) for passing scores while going 11-for-20 for 179 yards. He finished his career with 40 TDs via ground and 25 via air.