This quarterfinal figures to be more difficult for CCHS than the past two years

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Central Catholic has generally been on the long and winding road this particular Week 14 Friday night the past three years. There were back-to-back trips to Shamokin in 2009 and 2010 and then there was the trip to Mount Carmel last year. The last two years, frankly, just getting to the games proved more difficult than the games themselves. CCHS crushed Clearfield 55-20 at Shamokin in 2010 and smashed Shamokin 56-14 at Mt. Carmel last year, District 4's reps, frankly, couldn't have won more than three games in the Lehigh Valley Conference the past two years. My sense is that tonight's game in Bethlehem will be much more difficult. This Selinsgrove team isn't nearly as good as the 2009 version that beat CCHS and went on to finish a 16-0 season with a state title. But this is a well-coached Seals team from a traditional program that has played a much more difficult schedule than other District 4 champs. Selinsgrove should provide a much more challenging game than what the last two state quarterfinals have been. Central Catholic has talked about playing football in December again. December arrives at midnight tonight, and I guess about 12 overtime sessions at BASD could get CCHS and Selinsgrove into December tonight. But these Vikings want to start a game in December and that means they need to win tonight to make it happen. Riding a much improved defense and Colin McDermott, I think it happens. I predict a 31-14 CCHS win. My record, by the way, is 195-58 after going 3-1 on both Thanksgiving and last Saturday. Here's the complete preview capsule for tonight's Selinsgrove-Central Catholic game. An abbreviated version of this capsule ran in today's print editions. Colleague Stephen Miller compiled most of it. PIAA 3A QUARTERFINAL Who: District 4 champion Selinsgrove (10-3) vs. District 11 champion Central Catholic (8-5) When: 7 p.m. Friday, Bethlehem Area School District Stadium At stake: A berth in the PIAA 3A semifinals against District 12 champion Archbishop Wood (10-2) or District 1 champion Interboro (11-2) SELINSGROVE •Coach: Dave Hess (fifth season, 47-19) •Key players: So. QB Isaiah Rapp (52-110, 575 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs); Fr. RB-DB Juvon Batts (153 carries, 898 yards, 9 TDs); So. RB-DB Zach Adams (153 carries, 675 yards, 4 TDs); Sr. RB-LB Mike Walter (121 carries, 549 yards, 13 TDs); Sr. WR-DB Walter Jacobs (16 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD); Sr. S Tyler Krebs (93 tackles); Jr. RB-LB Conner Liesenfeld (90 tackles); Jr. WR-DB Mason Pope (5 INTs); Sr. DT Harley Stahl (four sacks). •About the Seals: Reached the state quarterfinals with a 41-14 win over University Prep. … Average 24.7 points per game and allow 13.1. … Posted back-to-back shutouts against Shamokin and Milton to win the District 4 title, scoring 72 points in those wins. … Their losses came to Berwick, Southern Columbia, and Danville. … Defense has posted five shutouts. … Have held 11 of their 13 opponents to 21 or fewer points. Southern Columbia is the only team that scored more than 24 points against them. … Batts ran for 217 yards in the District 4 final. … Their district title was their first since 2009, a season in which they beat Central Catholic in the state quarterfinals en route to the PIAA 3A title. … Have won 12 District 4 titles since 1998. … Went 1-9 last season. … Picked off seven passes and ran for 320 yards in their first-round state win over University Prep. CENTRAL CATHOLIC •Coach: John Cupples (first season, 8-5). •Key players: Sr. RB Colin McDermott (398 carries, 2,742 yards, 35 TDs); Sr. LB Anthony Lynch (65 tackles, 3 sacks); Sr. OL-DL Oscar Ghasab; Sr. OL-LB Rocky Mason (30 tackles); Sr. DL-TE Jeff Gulyas (51 tackles, 11 sacks, 16 TFL; 11 catches, 208 yards, 2 TDs); Sr. QB Anthony Beck (79-159, 1,022 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs); Sr. WR-DB Sean O'Donnell (7 catches, 132 yards, 3 TDs); Sr. RB-LB Kevin Kern (59 carries, 269 yards, 1 TD; 36 tackles); Jr. WR-DB Ryan Beville (37 catches, 523 yards, 4 TDs; 35 tackles, 3 INTs); Jr. C Angelo Lucci; So. WR-DB Paul Leaser (38 tackles, 2 INTs); Sr. WR-DB Timothy Gottshall (22 tackles, 6 sacks, 11 TFL); So. LB Jack Nosovitch (19 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFL). •About the Vikings: Advanced to the quarterfinals with a 23-0 win over District 2 champion Abington Heights. … Making their fourth straight appearance in the PIAA 3A quarterfinals. … Average 26.5 points per game and allow 19.2. … McDermott has run for at least 200 yards in four of their last five games. … Have allowed just 13 points during a four-game winning streak that started after a 47-17 loss to District 11 4A champion Parkland. … Are 7-2 in their last nine games, with the losses coming to Whitehall and Parkland. … Have allowed 21 or fewer points in all of their wins this season. … Kicker Robert Fidati has made three field goals and is second on the team in scoring with 48 points. … Seven players have combined for their 10 interceptions. … Have 32 sacks. •The matchup: Since losing to Selinsgrove 31-10 in the 2009 quarterfinals, CCHS has enjoyed considerable success against District 4 in this same round, beating Clearfield and Shamokin by a combined total of 111-34 the past two years. This one, however, figures to be much more challenging for the Vikings. The Seals will try to grind it out and keep McDermott off the field. Central's task will be to stop the run on first and second downs and force the Seals to the air where they average just over 44 yards per game. On offense, the Vikings will have to be wary of a ball-hawking Selingrove defense that gives a variety of looks and goes after the ball. The Seals thrive on turnovers. The Vikings would love a third consecutive semifinal against Archbishop Wood, but they need to stay focused and mistake-free to continue their improbable run.