Grove City Crashes the party
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THE CHOPS
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Grove City Crashes the party
Grove City crashes P.I.A.A. finals party
District #10-(AA) king-pin lacks history in championships.
The Patriot-News :
If the P.I.A.A. Football Championships in Hershey this weekend were a radio format, they would be classic rock.
There are nine past P.I.A.A. football titles among the eight finalists.
These trophies are not evenly distributed, of course. Rochester and Southern Columbia, who will meet for an uncanny fifth time in the last seven years in the Class A finals, have three titles apiece.
Class (AAAA) combatants Neshaminy and Pittsburgh Central Catholic have one championship trophy each, although PCC's might need a little extra polish since the Vikings' title came all the way back in the Dark Ages of 1988.
Manheim Central might have the most savored trophy of the bunch, given the years of angst that preceded the Barons' classic 39-38, double-overtime victory over Pine-Richland in last year's snowblower special.
Which leaves us with Thomas Jefferson, Lansdale Catholic and Grove City, walking around Hershey with the "Ts" on their forehead for "tourists."
Lansdale Catholic has come close to a trophy, nearly beating Bishop McDevitt in the "1995" Class (AA) East Championship game on the latter's way to a state championship.
Thomas Jefferson has finally overcome its past disasters in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs, and at least has some playoffs Chops. (No pun intended).
Grove City? Until it knocked off unbeaten North East 30-27 in overtime, then blasted Harbor Creek 33-7 on Nov. 20th for the District #10-(AA) championship, the Eagles' playoff experience was as blank as drywall.
An unofficial District #10 championship -- it was declared, not contested -- in "1961" was Grove City's previous claim to postseason fame.
Grove City's geographic location -- wedged in an otherwise unpopulated triangle between Sharon, New Castle and Franklin -- lends its itself to secondary media coverage by nearby daily newspapers and radio stations. "In other words they live in the sticks".
It's no wonder that the Eagles, who lost their first two games of the season, were a little slow to show on the statewide radar. This newspaper waited until Week #14 to move Grove City into its Class (AA) top "10", and even then it was in the No. #6 hole.
But they have made the most of their rookie season, knocking off Tyrone 21-17 in what was a terrific P.I.A.A. semifinal game played in State College last week.
That game featured four lead changes, and it was the fourth one that mattered, Dan Wise's 10-yard scoring run with 1:11 remaining.
It was perfect theater for a classification that shattered form this year and hardly followed a straight line to this year's state championships.
Indeed, after Seton-LaSalle knocked off defending champion and presumed favorite Aliquippa in the W.P.I.A.L finals on Nov. 20th, it was Seton-LaSalle that immediately became the favorite.
Well, not so fast. The Rebels were physically pounded in that game and played that way in the state quarterfinals when Tyrone absolutely whipsawed both Seton-LaSalle lines in a 28-7 triumph.
At the same time, Grove City was plodding through a pedestrian 26-12 victory over a Brookville team that entered the District #9-(AA) playoffs with a 3-6 record (the Raiders' team vote to play in the postseason was not unanimous).
So, it followed that Tyrone, a former P.I.A.A. champion, had rightfully gained the favorite's mantle, if only slightly ahead of Lansdale Catholic.
Oops.
Even though Grove City was handily outgained by Tyrone, 342-257, it wasn't outplayed, and that is all that matters when it comes to playoffs.
Performance trumps reputation virtually every time. Grove City's opponents know that all too well this year.
"THE CHOPS".
District #10-(AA) king-pin lacks history in championships.
The Patriot-News :
If the P.I.A.A. Football Championships in Hershey this weekend were a radio format, they would be classic rock.
There are nine past P.I.A.A. football titles among the eight finalists.
These trophies are not evenly distributed, of course. Rochester and Southern Columbia, who will meet for an uncanny fifth time in the last seven years in the Class A finals, have three titles apiece.
Class (AAAA) combatants Neshaminy and Pittsburgh Central Catholic have one championship trophy each, although PCC's might need a little extra polish since the Vikings' title came all the way back in the Dark Ages of 1988.
Manheim Central might have the most savored trophy of the bunch, given the years of angst that preceded the Barons' classic 39-38, double-overtime victory over Pine-Richland in last year's snowblower special.
Which leaves us with Thomas Jefferson, Lansdale Catholic and Grove City, walking around Hershey with the "Ts" on their forehead for "tourists."
Lansdale Catholic has come close to a trophy, nearly beating Bishop McDevitt in the "1995" Class (AA) East Championship game on the latter's way to a state championship.
Thomas Jefferson has finally overcome its past disasters in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs, and at least has some playoffs Chops. (No pun intended).
Grove City? Until it knocked off unbeaten North East 30-27 in overtime, then blasted Harbor Creek 33-7 on Nov. 20th for the District #10-(AA) championship, the Eagles' playoff experience was as blank as drywall.
An unofficial District #10 championship -- it was declared, not contested -- in "1961" was Grove City's previous claim to postseason fame.
Grove City's geographic location -- wedged in an otherwise unpopulated triangle between Sharon, New Castle and Franklin -- lends its itself to secondary media coverage by nearby daily newspapers and radio stations. "In other words they live in the sticks".
It's no wonder that the Eagles, who lost their first two games of the season, were a little slow to show on the statewide radar. This newspaper waited until Week #14 to move Grove City into its Class (AA) top "10", and even then it was in the No. #6 hole.
But they have made the most of their rookie season, knocking off Tyrone 21-17 in what was a terrific P.I.A.A. semifinal game played in State College last week.
That game featured four lead changes, and it was the fourth one that mattered, Dan Wise's 10-yard scoring run with 1:11 remaining.
It was perfect theater for a classification that shattered form this year and hardly followed a straight line to this year's state championships.
Indeed, after Seton-LaSalle knocked off defending champion and presumed favorite Aliquippa in the W.P.I.A.L finals on Nov. 20th, it was Seton-LaSalle that immediately became the favorite.
Well, not so fast. The Rebels were physically pounded in that game and played that way in the state quarterfinals when Tyrone absolutely whipsawed both Seton-LaSalle lines in a 28-7 triumph.
At the same time, Grove City was plodding through a pedestrian 26-12 victory over a Brookville team that entered the District #9-(AA) playoffs with a 3-6 record (the Raiders' team vote to play in the postseason was not unanimous).
So, it followed that Tyrone, a former P.I.A.A. champion, had rightfully gained the favorite's mantle, if only slightly ahead of Lansdale Catholic.
Oops.
Even though Grove City was handily outgained by Tyrone, 342-257, it wasn't outplayed, and that is all that matters when it comes to playoffs.
Performance trumps reputation virtually every time. Grove City's opponents know that all too well this year.
"THE CHOPS".