Storybook ending for Central Catholic

FROM THE MORNING CALL

HERSHEY, Pa. — A Central Catholic offense that blitzed opponents for 15 weeks found itself in a position it had not faced all season.

Eighty-eight yards separated the Vikings from the end zone. They would need 13 yards on third down to keep their drive, and possibly their chance at a perfect season, alive.

Desperate for one of the explosive plays that had been their hallmark, they went to one they had practiced since midseason but never run in a game. Perfect execution set them up to secure a state title.

When Central Catholic's Jack Sandherr, playing tight end because of the left leg injury Shane McNeely suffered last week, lined up at left tackle as an eligible receiver, Bishop McDevitt of Harrisburg left him uncovered. Quarterback Brendan Nosovitch saw Sandherr break free from the line of scrimmage and floated a pass that Sandherr snared and rumbled with for a 70-yard catch-and-run that placed the Vikings in the red zone.

Nosovitch burst 18 yards up the middle on the next play for a game-tying touchdown, and Tim DiGiacomo's extra point set the final margin as Central Catholic earned a 28-27 win in the PIAA Class 3A football final Friday night at Hersheypark Stadium.

The victory capped an undefeated season for the Vikings (16-0), ranked No. 1 in the state all year, and gave them the third state title in program history. They also won 3A championships in 1993 and 1998.

"We expected to be here, and we had a target on our back," said Nosovitch, who had a hand in all four touchdowns. "We just took that and stepped up all season long. To go undefeated is something I'm never going to forget. It's an unbelievable accomplishment."

Said Central Catholic coach Harold Fairclough: "This has been an unbelievable journey. I'm blessed with the staff I have and the kids that are on this team. The kids are just amazing. This is like a dream come true. This is ridiculous. I can't even believe this."

Central Catholic's game-winning drive answered the one lingering question about its ability: Could it drive the field to win a game after blowing many an opponent out?

Bishop McDevitt had scored 13 unanswered points, the last six coming on a Jameel Poteat 3-yard run with 6:54 to play, to take a 27-21 lead. The Crusaders, however, missed the extra point after Poteat's touchdown, a miscue that wound up costing them.

The Crusaders had limited the Vikings to one first down in the second half over a five-possession span after Central Catholic scored on its first second-half possession. A huge hold by Central Catholic's defense -- it stuffed Bishop McDevitt quarterback Matt Johnson (18-for-34, 235 yards) for no gain on a third-and-1 with under four minutes to play -- gave its offense one final chance to pull out the game.

It did so, in stunning fashion.

Starting its last drive from its own 15, Central Catholic faced a third-and-13 after an incomplete pass, a false start, and a 2-yard completion from Nosovitch to Sandherr (five catches, 128 yards). The Vikings then called on their trick play, sending four players wide right, including normal left tackle Tad McNeely, and lining Sandherr up at left tackle.

Sandherr slipped out uncovered and wound up with a 70-yard gain after catching Nosovitch's pass and being run down by Miles Williams at Bishop McDevitt's 18-yard line.

"I was wide open every day in practice," Sandherr said. "We ran it to perfection, and Brendan put it on me."

As he did all season, Nosovitch delivered one more clutch play for the Vikings. Lined up in the shotgun, he took the snap and darted 18 yards through Bishop McDevitt's defense for his third rushing touchdown of the night. He finished with 47 yards on 21 carries and also went 16-for-27 for 236 yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air.

"There was no doubt in my mind we were going to do it, and we did it," Nosovitch said.

With Bishop McDevitt just a field goal away from winning, Central Catholic needed its defense to rise up. It did after allowing the Crusaders to get a first-and-10 at Central Catholic's 35-yard line.

Central Catholic senior defensive linemen Jared Pitts (five tackles, four tackles for loss) came up with a sack on second-and-10 that pushed the Crusaders back seven yards. A 2-yard scramble by Johnson left Bishop McDevitt with a fourth-and-15.

Vikings linebacker Teddy Airoldi (5 tackles, one sack) provided the clinching play by coming off the edge untouched on a blitz, hitting Johnson as he threw the ball. The ball fluttered to the ground incomplete, starting Central Catholic's celebration.

Defensive linemen Pitts and Tad McNeely; linebackers Airoldi, Sandherr and G.B. Harkins; and defensive backs Noah Robb, Kevin Gulyas and Nosovitch led a strong second-half effort by the Vikings defense. They held Johnson to 79 yards on 7-for-17 passing in the second half after he burned them for 156 yards and one score in the first half.

"We couldn't cover them in zone, so we had to man up and play man the whole second half," Gulyas said. "Everyone stepped up, and it was awesome."

After Nosovitch took a couple of knees to run out the clock, Central Catholic could let loose.

The Vikings had a target on them all season. They took everyone's best shot without succumbing.

"The perfect recipe to win it is to take it one week at a time, and that's what we did," Gulyas said. "We took it week-by-week, and it led to this."

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