It is not often that a high school football team gives up 50 points in a game and comes out a winner.
But that’s what happened at Memorial Field on Nov. 18 when undefeated State College held off Erie McDowell in three overtimes, 57-50, in the District 6-9-10 regional championship game.
Both teams’ offenses marched up and down the field all night in a game that, in the end, came down to McDowell’s Artis Simmons running in a nine-yard touchdown with 24 seconds to play that tied the game at 36-36.
The Little Lions looked like winners late in regulation when they had McDowell in its own territory with less than a minute to play.
But two quick passes from quarterback Ben Moore and Simmons’ run sent the wild game into overtime.
And OT was more of the same.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first and second overtimes with the score then tied at 50-50.
In the third overtime, SC quarterback Finn Furmanek connected with wide receiver Michael Gaul for a 10-yard touchdown and a 57-50 lead.
McDowell came right back, however, with Simmons bulling a first-down run to the one-yard line.
On second down, it was Simmons again trying for another tie, but the SC defense knocked the ball loose and the Lions recovered, ending the game and sending State College into the PIAA 6A quarterfinals.
It was a stunning finish to an epic football game that saw Furmanek throw for 174 yards and two touchdowns and freshman running back D’Antae Sheffey carry 15 times for 148 yards and another two touchdowns.
In the end, the Little Lions remained undefeated and will now face District 7 champion North Allegheny at home on Friday night.
In the other local playoff game, Penns Valley could not keep up with Bishop Guilfoyle’s Karson Kiesewetter and Cooper Rother and fell, 56-35, in the District 6, 2A championship game at Altoona’s snow-covered Mansion Field on Friday night.
Kiesewetter ran the ball 29 times for the Mauraders for 230 yards and five touchdowns and also completed six of eight passes for 114 yards and another touchdown. Rother chipped in with 24 carries and 151 yards and a touchdown as BG opened an early lead and then held on for the title.
Penns Valley was more than competitive all night, and at one point the Rams pulled to 28-21 after a touchdown just before halftime.
But Guilfoyle responded with two third-quarter touchdowns by Kiesewetter and pulled away to 42-21. Penns Valley would score twice more, but so would Kiesewetter, and the Marauders prevailed and took home the trophy.
Penns Valley’s season ended with a 10-3 record, and Bishop Guilfoyle will now take on District 4 champion Southern Columbia at Mansion Park in Altoona on Friday at 7 p.m.
In State College at the same time, the Little Lions will be meeting up with D7, No. 1 North Allegheny. Here’s a brief look at that game:
NORTH ALLEGHENY (11-1) AT STATE COLLEGE (12-0)
PIAA 6A QUARTERFINALS
NOV. 25, 7 P.M.
MEMORIAL FIELD, STATE COLLEGE
North Allegheny finished its regular season with just one loss, to Pine Richland, 28-17, on Sept. 30. The Tigers went on to edge Canon-McMillan, 7-0, in the D7 semifinal and then outscored Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 35-21, in the WPIAL championship on Saturday night.
Against PCC, the game was tied at the half, 21-all, but the Tiger defense took over in the second half and shut out the Vikings.
North Allegheny jumped ahead with two scores in the third quarter and then held on for the title and a date in the PIAA tournament with the Little Lions.
The Tiger numbers are more modest than those of the Little Lions from playing in the defense-heavy WPIAL, but they still gain more than 250 yards per game, including 127 on the ground.
Andrew Gavlik is the top runner, with an average of 104 yards per game, and quarterback Logan Kushner throws for 150 yards per game. In all, Kushner completed 91 of 149 passes for 1,189 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Gavlik has 729 yards and four touchdowns on 130 carries.
Junior Khiryn Boyd is the top receiver, with 563 yards in nine games.
For State College, Furmanek and Sheffey will be center stage, but the Lion defense will again be severely tested, this time by the Tigers.
Last year, the Little Lions came into this position and faced games against Delaware Valley and then conference foe Harrisburg. The Lions toughed out wins against both of them, but they finally fell to last year’s WPIAL champion, Mount Lebanon, 49-28, in the PIAA semifinal.
This year, it will be the 7-1 team immediately coming in to challenge the undefeated Lions.
This one doesn’t look at first like another 107-point explosion, but it could be just as close and just as memorable.
Kickoff is at Memorial Field at 7 p.m.
This story appears in the Nov. 23-30, 2022 edition of The Centre County Gazette.
