LaSalle College tops Pittsburgh Central Catholic for 6A crown
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Gavin Sidwar threw for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns and LaSalle College played error-free ball in defeating Pittsburgh Central Catholic 34-20 Saturday in the PIAA Class 6A championship game at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.
The state championship is the second for the Explorers (13-1) and their first in Class 6A. They became the first Philadelphia team to win a state football title in 2009, at the Class AAAA level, at that point the largest of the PIAA’s four classes.
| Final | |
| La Salle College | 34 |
| Pittsburg CC | 20 |
The Explorers intercepted three passes and did not turn the ball over.
The championship-game loss was the second straight for the Vikings (13-2), who lost to St. Joseph’s Prep 35-6 last year.
Sidwar, who completed 21-of-29 passes, put LaSalle on top after a scoreless first quarter with an 11-yard TD pass to Owen Johnson.
The Vikings tied it at 7-7 with 4:48 to go in the first half on Chrys Black’s 17-yard TD run.
LaSalle regained the lead seven seconds before halftime on Sidwar’s 6-yard TD pass to Johnson, his second of three touchdown catches. He finished with eight receptions.
LaSalle extended its lead to 21-7 with three minutes left in the third quarter on Joey O’Brien’s 2-yard TD toss to Johnson.
Central Catholic pulled within 21-14 a minute-and-a-half into the fourth quarter on Black’s 5-yard run. LaSalle put the game out of reach on Ahzir Nelson’s 2-yard run with 3:50 left, extending its lead to 27-14. Two minutes later the Explorers scored again, on Joey O’Brien’s Pick-6, for a 34-14 lead with 1:17 left.
Central Catholic scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left.
Ahzir Nelson led LaSalle with 127 rushing yards on 28 carries. O’Brien had 10 receptions for 98 yards.
Central Catholic quarterback Owen Herrick connected on just 14-of-32 passes and was picked off three times.
It was LaSalle’s ninth straight victory since a 39-36 loss at Roman Catholic in Week 5.
The Explorers opened their playoff run by beating defending champ St. Joseph’s Prep 24-14 in the Catholic League championship game, ending the Hawks’ season.
LaSalle beat Imhotep Charter 31-16 for the District 12 championship and Easton and North Penn in the state playoffs.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic has won five PIAA championships.
