I was thinking over the past 15 years, I have seen hundreds of HS Football games. Which game would you say is the best HS Football game you ever saw?
One game that comes to my mind recently was in 2006, Bethlehem Liberty defeated Pennsbury in four-overtimes 45-38. That was one of the greatest games that people still talk about.
Another of my favorite games was the 2003 3A State Final game in a snow storm. Manheim Central won in double overtime over Pine-Richland 39-38 to win their first state championship in football.
What is the best game that you ever saw?
61 Responses
Prep vs CB West in 1999 and 2000 for AAAA state championships. What added to drama was both teams ranked in top ten in the nation those years
1998- ACC vs Manheim Central great game, smoker sacked and fumbled on I believe the 20 yard line going in ACC wins 27-21.
1993- ACC vs Berwick classic game up in scranton.
2006- Liberty vs Pennsbury a game people will talk about for a long time.
1999- Beca vs CB West Beca hung with them and the LB gregorek may have been the best player on the field for both teams
one game i seen was 2009 district playoff game aa between panthervalley and northschuylkill at pottsville i think they went to three overtimes
with ns winning ns then went on to make a great come backagainst n lehigh which was a classic battle.
I’d say the AA State Championship game between Wilmington and West Catholic. WC was huge favorites and at halftime it looked like the game would end up being a laugher. The Greyhounds (Wilmington) roared back and ended up taking the much more talented Burrs to OT. It ends up that both teams scored but WC went for the win with a 2 pt conversion. QB, Curtis Drake gets hit shy of the goal line and the Greyhounds side went bananas. What a great game!
Two games both from 2002.
Wilson West Lawn (led by Chad Henne) against Central Dauphin. CD was supposed to be the beast from the East that season, they beat WWL 38-35 in probably the best D-3 final game I ever saw. Henne was absolutely magnificent and it assured me he’d eventually make an NFL roster. Scrambling, running, and rifling the ball all over the field.
CD vs Parkland; Austin Scott was held in check for most of the first half & game. Parkland led the game 28-0 at one point. It was looking like it could be a mercy rule game. CD ends up scoring 21 straight points and recovers a controversial onside kick. Ends up moving the ball a little bit but stalls out and loses. I’ve never seen J. Birney Crum’s one sided field have that many fans in it. Literally endzone to endzone filled with people. Quite crazy.
2005 AAAA playoffs – Neshaminy, a powerful preseason favorite beaten in the final seconds single handedly by the arm and legs of Pat Devlin of Dowingtown East
Mark:
yea, I remember that game. Lota hype leading up to it. There are alot of great games in the suburban one league every year. You don’t even have to wait for the playoffs. Souderton/Pennridge last year. Now there’s a rivalry that goes back many years.
The Council Rock South vs Neshaminy game last year. Two undefeated teams, i think they were both 6-0. It was 6-0 Neshaminy at the end of the half. It was back and fourth the whole game until the 4th quarter when Souths defense stepped up and stopped Neshaminy from scoring again. Then South took the lead late in the fourth and held Neshaminy from going in to score again. South came up on top 28-21. Both teams were ranked in the top ten in the state at the time.
1994 AAAA state title – McKeesport vs. Downingtown. Came down a goalline stand between two future Penn State teammates, Aaron Harris from D-Town and Brandon Short from McKeesport. Four straight handoffs to Harris and four straight stuffs by Short to win the title for McKeesport. Sounded like a shotgun going off at Mansion Park every time their helmets collided.
@Buddy
That’s why I said barelyyyyyyy made it out of single digits and your still bringing up the next week too like why? And by the way, North Penn was ranked 11th in the nation that year so yea, Ridley was a pretty big underdog.
@nick-7:
Last word on this subject, because it really doesn’t warrent anymore. youtube videos are blocked at my computer station. Therefore , I did not see it. So my quess on the score was diggin’ up memory from over 2 years ago. Pretty close quess I think. You shouldn’t assume anything.
@nick7:
I have probably forgot more then you will ever know about that game & high school football in general. I know it pains you that they lost the next game, but a season is more then just one game. By-the-way, 10 is a double digit number, not single.
@Buddy
Ok well you obviously don’t know much about this cause you didn’t know the score when I gave the video and said they barely made it out of single digits and for whatever reason you keep bringing up Lasalle like Lasalle has absolutely nothing to do with that game.
@ nick7del:
Thank you. Still don’t know how Ridley lost the following week to LaSalle. I think they left it all on the field with NP. I do believe Ridley stopped the ineveitable state champ that year. NP might have been looking past them ( big mistake). I think NP would have been the state champ if they had gotten by Ridley. Oh well — hindsight
@Buddy
the score was 19-10
@ nik7del:
That was a good game. NP lost by 8 points ( 17-9), so maybe that’s why it’s not mentioned. Just wasn’t close enough to qualify. However, I see you love to exagerate!! NP was not favored by 45 points!!!! They were not HEAVILY favored either. Indeed they were favored, but only slightly. Ridley simply out-played them in that game with speed & physically beat them. Maybe Ridley’s greatest game ever. I really don’t know how Ridley lost the following week ( Eastern finals), if they would have played in that game like they did against NP, they would not have lost.
Why has no one mentioned Ridley over North Penn in the ’09 District 1 Championship Game!? Ridley was a huge underdog, being predicted to lose by 45 points, yet the Knights barley made it out of single digits. Best, loudest, most hype game ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVDt7NXYt4
@ Dale:
Three good choices. I seen all three, one of them live ( #2). But it’s hard to beat the 2000 state championship between CB West & Erie cathedral prep. That played out like it was scripted for “Friday Night Lights”.
1998 ACC 18 MCA 15 – MCA driving for win when pass gets deflected at the line and intercepted. Both go on to win state championships in AA and AAA.
2000 AAAA state championship – ECP vs. CBW.
2000 PIAA AA playoffs – MCA over Lakeland 12-0. MCA up 6-0 comes up with a goal line stand on 4th and inches with under 2 mins left. 3 plays later Jon Veach breaks a 95 yd TD to seal the win.
2003 AAA state championship – Manheim Central over Pine Richland
2003 MCA 34 SCA 28 in 2OT battle of defending A and AA state champions.
2008 AA state championship – Wilmington over West Catholic
@ pittston:
nah………..just positive
@ Buddy
Awh Confused?
Bethel park vs Liberty (2008 AAAA Finals)
(A little underestimated but a very exciting game to be apart of.. Anthony Gonzales helping Liberty grab the victory in overtime but Bethel Park was just a great “team”.. when they were ‘on’.. they were something special to watch)
LaSalle vs North Penn (2010 AAAA Eastern Finals)
(A back and forth battle between Public and Private to see who was the beast of the east.. A game that will be remembered for years and years to come)
LaSalle vs North Allegheny (2010 AAAA Finals)
(It was great to see LaSalle get completely shut down by a team that just played smashmouth football)
We have all been lucky enough to be apart of some great high school football games in the past few years.
@ Pittston:
nah
Pittston vs Coughlin 2008 hands down
I have to agree with Buddy on this one. Last year’s Eastern Final between La Salle and North Penn. It was a slug fest right from the opening bell. Back and forth. “The game’s got to be over now! Oh wait. No it’s not.” I really believe La Salle lost the Championship game because….. they won the Championship game against NP. Sorta like the Eagles win over Dallas in 1980. Then they lost the Super Bowl to the Raiders.