2025 PIAA Class 2A Championship Preview: Southern Columbia (14-1) vs. Farrell (13-2)

This marks the fourth year that Cumberland Valley High School’s Chapman Field will be hosting the three-day PIAA state football championships.

This year, three defending state champions return, all looking to repeat: At Class 1A, District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle; At 3A, District 11 titlist Northwestern Lehigh; and at 5A, District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt.

There will be two rematches: undefeated District 7 champion Avonworth against defending state champion Northwestern Lehigh at 3A and defending state champion McDevitt against District 12 champion Roman Catholic at 5A.

Of the 12 teams playing in the six classifications, three are undefeated: Both 3A state finalists Avonworth (14-0) and Northwestern Lehigh, and 4A finalist Twin Valley (14-0).

Two teams will be making their first appearances in a state final, which happens to be for the Class 4A state championship between Southern Lehigh and Twin Valley, while coaching legend Jim Roth goes for his unprecedented 15th state championship for Southern Columbia, which takes on District 10 champion Farrell for the 2A championship.

Seven of the 12 teams that have reached the state championship are public school teams (Clairton, Southern Columbia, Farrell, Southern Lehigh, Twin Valley, Avonworth and Northwestern Lehigh), while five are private (Bishop Guilfoyle, Bishop McDevitt, Roman Catholic, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and La Salle College High School). Three of the games will feature an all-public matchup: Southern Columbia/Farrell at 2A, Avonworth/Northwestern Lehigh at 3A and Southern Lehigh/Twin Valley at 4A, while Class 5A (McDevitt/Roman) and 6A (Pittsburgh Central Catholic/La Salle) are all-private-school matchups. The one private-against-public matchup is at 1A between defending state champion Bishop Guilfoyle against Clairton.

District 7 has the largest representation in the state finals with three teams (1A-Clairton, 3A-Avonworth, and 6A-Pittsburgh Central Catholic), followed by two teams each from District 12 (5A-Roman Catholic, and 6A-La Salle), District 3 (4A-Twin Valley, and 5A-McDevitt) and District 11 (4A-Southern Lehigh, and 3A Northwestern Lehigh), with one each from District 6 (1A-Bishop Guilfoyle), District 4 (2A-Southern Columbia) and District 10 (2A-Farrell).

While Southern Lehigh and Twin Valley will be making their first appearances in the state championship, of the remaining 10 schools, Avonworth (3A) and Roman Catholic (5A) will be joining those two teams in search of their first state championship. Clairton (1A) has not won a state title since 2012 (20-0 over Dunmore in the 1A championship), La Salle has not won a state title since 2009 (24-7 over State College for the 4A championship under the 4A system), becoming the first Philadelphia Catholic League team to do so, Pittsburgh Central Catholic has not won since 2015 (21-18 over Parkland for the 4A championship under the 4A system), Farrell last won in 2019 (10-7 in overtime over Guilfoyle for the 1A crown) and Southern Columbia last won in 2023 (21-20 over Westinghouse for the 2A championship).

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball [twitter.com].

Here is a thumbnail bio of 2A:

Class 2A Friday at 1 p.m. at Cumberland Valley HS

2A (District 4) Southern Columbia (14-1) vs. (District 10) Farrell (13-2)

This marks the 23rd time the legendary Jim Roth and Southern Columbia have been to the state championship game. Roth will be attempting to win an unprecedented 15th state championship, after the Tigers’ nine-year streak of making the state finals was snapped last season. Southern got here by beating District 12 champion Lansdale Catholic, 24-7, behind touchdowns from Ayden Hockenbroch and Grady Garcia. The pair combined to rush for over 130 yards. It was Hockenbroch’s 31-yard TD run that busted the game open with 3:51 left in the third quarter. It was typical Southern Columbia, playing almost mistake-free football, with a pounding ground game and stubborn defense.

This will be the seventh appearance in the state championship for Farrell, but first at Class 2A. The Steelers last won a state championship in 2019 (10-7 in overtime over Guilfoyle for the 1A crown). Farrell got here by beating WPIAL champion Seton LaSalle, 40-19, behind senior tailback Juelz Johnson’s 240 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Johnson is the state’s leading rusher, with 2,287 yards this season and 35 touchdowns, averaging 10.7 yards a carry. Johnson, a Nebraska commit, has rushed for a combined 440 yards in state playoff victories over Richland and Seton LaSalle—with defenses designed solely to stop him. Farrell has faced—and twice beat—Southern Columbia in the state championship, repeating as Class 1A state champions (under the Class 4A system) in 1995, winning 6-0, and again in 1996, 14-12. Farrell is one of the rare programs with an undefeated record against the unrivaled Hall of Famer Roth. It will be no mystery what Farrell intends to do to win: Run Johnson; and what Southern Columbia has to do to win: Stop Johnson. He’s been a one-man wrecking machine with no reverse button.