2022 PIAA State Championship Class 5A 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 5A Friday at 7 p.m.

(D-7) Pine-Richland (12-3) vs. (D-12) Imhotep Charter (10-2)

This will be Pine-Richland’s fifth time in the state finals (2003, 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2022). The Rams started the season 1-3 and have since won 12 straight games. Pine-Richland arrived here by beating District 3 champion Cocalico, 34-12, behind 5-10, 175-pound senior quarterback Ryan Palmieri, who roasted Cocalico by completing 9 of 10 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown. For the season, the dual-threat Palmieri has thrown for 1,008 yards, and 9 TDs, and rushed for 1,798 yards and 23 TDs. The Rams’ go-to back is 5-11, 200-pound junior Ethan Pillar, who’s rushed for 1,249 yards and 15 TDs. The Rams are 2-2 in state title games, most recently winning the 5A championship in 2020 over Cathedral Prep, 48-7.

This will be Imhotep’s seventh trip to the finals (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022). The Panthers won the Class 5A title in 2015, becoming the first Philadelphia public school to win a state championship in football. Imhotep beat Upper Dublin, 21-14, in the state semifinals. The Panthers are led by 6-foot, 200-pound junior dual-threat lefty quarterback Mikal Davis, who scored two touchdowns and threw for another in the state semifinals. Imhotep’s defense made two crucial red zone stops early in the state semis and will be counted on again to set the tone. The Panthers are giving up an average of 7.3 points a game while relying on sophomore tailback Jabree Wallace-Coleman, a Georgia commit who’s rushed for 979 yards and 11 TDs this season. The Panthers carry the shattering 17-14 overtime defeat to Penn-Trafford in last year’s 5A state finals. This game could come down to Pine-Richland’s ability to move the ball against Imhotep’s suffocating defense.

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