2022 PIAA State Championship Class 3A Preview

Written by: Joseph Santoliquito on Tuesday, December 6th, 2022. Follow Joseph Santoliquito on Twitter.

This year christens a new venue for the PIAA state football championships—Chapman Field at Cumberland Valley. This year’s state championships also welcome four teams that have never been to the state finals before, which is in the seventh year under the 6A system.

Only two defending state champions return this season, Southern Columbia going for its sixth-straight title (and all-time high 13th overall) at Class 2A, and undefeated Aliquippa (13-0) looking to become the first team in the storied history of the Quips to become repeat state champions, and in the process become the first undefeated Quips state champion.

There is only one rematch from last year’s state finals, which again will feature Aliquippa, in the Class 4A game against District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt.

Four teams are here for the first time: District 7 champion Union (Class 1A), District 8’s Westinghouse (2A), and the Class 3A state title will involve two new teams to the finals, District 7 champion Belle Vernon against District 12’s Neumann-Goretti.

In Class 6A, Philadelphia heavyweight St. Joseph’s Prep will be making its seventh-straight championship appearance, going for its fourth state title in five years, and its seventh state title in 10 years. The Hawks top the list of large school state championships (6—two at 4A and four as the 6A) since the PIAA instituted the state high school playoff system in 1988. Since the 6A system was incorporated in 2016, St. Joe’s Prep has been involved in every Class 6A state championship.

Last year, there were three undefeated teams in the state finals, this year, just two, Westinghouse (14-0) and Aliquippa (13-0). The Quips also carry the state’s longest winning streak at 24 games.

Of the 12 teams playing in the state championship this weekend, District 7 (Union, Aliquippa, Pine-Richland, and Belle Vernon) leads the state with four representatives, followed by District 12 (Imhotep Charter, Neumann-Goretti and St. Joe’s Prep) and District 3 (Steelton-Highspire, Bishop McDevitt and Harrisburg) with three each. At the same time, District 4 (Southern Columbia) and District 8 (Westinghouse) have one each.

Class 3A Saturday 1 p.m.

(D-7) Belle Vernon (11-2) vs. (D-12) Neumann-Goretti (11-3)

Reaching the state championship is a first for both programs. Belle Vernon arrived here by beating Martinsburg Central, 21-17, behind 132 yards rushing from junior quarterback Braden Laux. But the Leopards’ offense runs through 6-2, 200-pound junior tailback Quinton Martin, who may have been held to 22 yards rushing against Martinsburg Central, his 18-yard run late in the game clinched the victory for the Leopards, who won their first WPIAL title since 1995. This season, Martin has rushed for 1,208 yards and 29 TDs. Martin also leads a talented secondary that also includes Adam LaCarte, Alonzo Wade, and Chase Ruokonen. Belle Vernon’s defense has faced various offenses this season, especially on the Leopards’ journey through the WPIAL playoffs. Belle Vernon is giving up a scant 8.8 points a game, while Neumann-Goretti is almost as stubborn, giving up an average of 11.2 points a game.

The Saints arrived at their first state championship on a 44-yard Hail Mary pass from Mehki Wharton to Qaasim Major with eight seconds left to play in Neumann-Goretti’s 20-17 victory over Wyomissing Area in the semifinals. Regrettably, the Saints may be without their best player, Boston College-bound running back/safety Shawn Battle, who was thrown out of the game late due to a personal foul call. Because he was ejected, Battle is ineligible to play in this game. As of this posting, Battle’s situation is being appealed to the PIAA on Thursday. The Saints’ defense will win or lose this game. They stopped Wyomissing, last year’s state runner-up, three times on fourth down and made a huge play late in the first half on a third-and-goal from the four. Neumann-Goretti coach Albie Crosby becomes the first high school coach in the Philadelphia area to lead a Catholic League (Neumann-Goretti) and Philadelphia Public League team (Imhotep in 2015) to the state finals. Crosby made history in 2015 when Imhotep became the first Philadelphia Public League team to win a state title.

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