MILTON – Much like he did in a 2025 season that resulted in nine wins and a trip to the Class 2A semifinals, Bloomsburg quarterback Wyatt Brosious tried everything in his power to will his team to victory. Unfortunately for the Bloomsburg University commit, Brosious and his South teammates came up just a little bit short in a wild District 4 All-Star Game played at Milton High School. Loyalsock quarterback Danny Dowell made the last big play in a game that had so many, as his 4-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left proved to be the difference. Dowell rushed for 127 yards and four touchdowns, enabling the North to rally from an early 14-point deficit in the 44-36 win.

“100 percent, I’m disappointed,” Brosious said. “That will bug me for the next couple of weeks.”

Brosious was able to show off what a true competitor he really is while playing with some excellent talent. Both the South and North scored on their opening plays of the night. Line Mountain quarterback Kaiden Maurer connected with Milton’s Monty Fisher on a 67-yard touchdown pass which was followed up by a Brosious run on the two-point conversion on a night where kickers were basically non-existent. The North answered right back when Montoursville workhorse Christian Banks broke free on a 74-yard run down the left sideline, and the ensuing two-point conversion run by Dowell tied things up at 8-8 just 35 seconds into play.

“It was a ton of fun,” Brosious said. “Practice all week was a ton of fun. I looked forward to coming here every day. Any chance I get to play football is a great opportunity.”

In a first half that ended with the North leading 24-22, there was some lingering doubt as to whether or not the game would reach its conclusion. Like several other All-Star games played throughout the state, personal fouls were a common theme. There were 16 accepted penalties for 156 yards, many of which were late hits or unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. When things finally settled down after the halftime, the caliber of football was actually pretty good. To sum it up, the game ended with a total of 27 penalties for 225 yards and took over three hours to finish.

“Not personally, it wasn’t a distraction for me,” Brosious said of the ongoing shenanigans in the first half. “I mean, that’s not good for the game, but it gets some people in the right mindset. I’m not really affected by any of it.”

Once things settled down, the big plays continued. Trailing 30-22 after Dowell’s second touchdown run of the night, Brosious helped engineer a 10-play, 49-yard drive that featured two fourth down conversions. Brosious found Mifflinburg’s Landon Murray on a 19-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to help pull his team even on the scoreboard. Yet again, Dowell would deliver a dagger by sprinting 53 yards to paydirt at the 7:33 mark of the quarter. However, Brosious had one more gem left in him. This time, he hit Murray with an absolute perfect strike down the middle, resulting in a 63-yard touchdown pass, pulling the South into a 36-36 tie with just over five minutes remaining.

“I dropped back, I know Landon is running deep, so I know he’s gonna catch it,” Brosious said. “I just chucked it to him.”

The North capped things off with a 10-play, 87-yard drive, led by some key contributions by Jersey Shore’s Bo Sechrist. Dowell hit Sechrist on a 22-yard pass that set up first-and-goal at the South 9. Two plays later, the North overcame a false start penalty and took the lead for good when Dowell scored.

Brosious had one last longshot opportunity to try and force overtime. The South did reach the North 31, but three incomplete passes ended the game. The final attempt was knocked down by Loyalsock’s Jalil Coates in the end zone as time expired. Brosious completed 7-of-15 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 39 yards and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak midway through the opening quarter. After the game, Brosious received the Coaches’ Award, given to a player who displayed good attitude and effort both in practice and in the game.

“Just wanted to get the ball to end zone, it didn’t end up working out,” Brosious said. “This whole year was a ton of fun. I loved this year. It was my favorite year of playing football. I love the guys I’m around no matter where I’m playing football at.”

Dowell was named MVP after the game. The much-deserved award winner finished with eight carries for 127 yards while also completing 11-of-14 passes for 171 yards. Banks also had a solid night, as he tallied 123 yards on eight carries. Coates led the North with 52 yards receiving on three catches. For the South, Maurer provided a nice compliment to Brosious, as he chipped in with 96 yards passing and a touchdown. Murray led all receivers with 87 yards on four catches and his two scores.

Game MVPs:
Russ Manney Most Outstanding Player: Danny Dowell (Loyalsock)
Jack Young North Coaches Awards: Bo Sechrist (Jersey Shore) & Hunter Shaffer (Montoursville)
Max Snyder Coaches Awards: Wyatt Brosious (Bloomsburg) & Monty Fisher (Milton)
Ken Robbins North Offensive Player of the Game: Christian Banks (Montoursville)
Ray Raffin North Defensive Player of the Game: Bo Sechrist (Jersey Shore
Joe “Jazz” Diminick South Offensive Player of the Game: Landen Murray (Mifflinburg)
Bill Scott Defensive Player of the Game: Ethan Makowski (Southern Columbia)

The 55th Annual Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic may have ended earlier than expected due to severe weather, but Team Ronald McDonald House made sure its performance left a lasting impression, defeating Team St. Luke’s Children Hospital 34-16 in a storm-shortened contest.

With 6:11 remaining in the third quarter, officials halted play due to weather conditions, ending the game prematurely. By that point, Team Ronald McDonald House had already built a commanding lead thanks to explosive offensive plays and clutch execution.

Team Ronald McDonald House wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the opening quarter. Sean Steckert punched in a 3-yard touchdown run with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter to give his squad an early advantage. Just over two minutes later, Cole Ordway electrified the crowd with a 62-yard touchdown run at the 4:32 mark, helping Ronald McDonald House build a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

The offense continued to roll in the second quarter. Ordway showcased his arm, connecting with Caden Meek on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 11:09 left in the half to extend the lead to 21-0.

Team St. Luke’s Children Hospital answered midway through the second quarter when Wayne King connected with Kai Jefferson-Rushing on a 37-yard touchdown strike at the 8:12 mark, cutting the deficit to 21-8.

However, one of the game’s defining moments came shortly afterward.

Facing a critical fourth-and-13 from the Team St. Luke’s 12-yard line, Team Ronald McDonald House turned to quarterback Jack Trickel for a momentum-shifting play. Trickel delivered under pressure, finding Noah Kline for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 5:50 remaining in the first half. 

Instead of potentially turning the ball over on downs, the score pushed Ronald McDonald House’s lead to 27-8 and swung momentum firmly back in its favor.

Ronald McDonald House added one more score before halftime as Trickel again found Kline, this time on a 40-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the second quarter, giving his team a commanding 34-8 halftime advantage.

Team St. Luke’s Children Hospital showed resilience in the third quarter, as Peter Sherman powered into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:19 remaining to make it 34-16. But shortly after, lightning and severe weather forced officials to stop the game permanently in the third quarter with 6:11 remaining. 

Despite the shortened finish, the night celebrated some of the Lehigh Valley’s top graduating football talent while supporting important causes in the community.

Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter:
Team Ronald McDonald House: Sean Steckert 3 yard run 6:44
Team Ronald McDonald House: Cole Ordway 62 yard run 4:32

2nd Quarter:
Team Ronald McDonald House: Caden Meek 12 yard pass from Cole Ordway 11:09
Team St. Luke’s Children Hospital: Kai Jefferson-Rushing 37 yard pass from Wayne King 8:12
Team Ronald McDonald House: Noah Kline 18 yard pass from Jack Trickel 5:50
Team Ronald McDonald House: Noah Kline 40 yard pass from Jack Trickel 0:00

3rd Quarter:
Team St. Luke’s Children Hospital: Peter Sherman 1 yard run 9:19

NOTE: GAME WAS STOPPED WITH 6:11 REMAINING IN THE 3RD QUARTER BECAUSE OF WEATHER.

Jake Howe MVP QB WBA

WILKES-BARRE-The 75th Unico Game took place on a somewhat chilly Thursday night at Wilkes-Barre Area High School. Despite the cool weather conditions, it was some hot tempers that brought an abrupt end to things with just under two minutes remaining. The end result was a 14-14 tie.

It looked like the Pioneers made a huge play on a 4th and 12 that would have put the ball deep in Miners territory at the 1:52 mark of the fourth quarter. However, a penalty negated the long pass completion on a trick play. Flags flew shortly thereafter, as it appeared a Pioneers player was not happy with the call and was subsequently thrown out. The referees didn’t waste any time calling the game. Earlier in the third quarter, a scuffle on the Pioneers sideline on a kickoff return resulted in multiple ejections, and it definitely seemed like there were deep discussions of whether or not to continue the game then.

The game itself featured totally contrasting styles. Wilkes-Barre Area quarterback and Lock Haven commit Jake Howe completed 8-of-17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, good enough to capture the MVP award. His scoring strike went to fellow Wolfpack teammate Kevon Creech, which tied the game for a second time with 1:38 left in third quarter. Creech led the pass-happy Miners with five catches for 91 yards. It was quite an interesting day for Howe, who played shortstop on the Wolfpack baseball team in a playoff game against Hazleton Area earlier in the afternoon.

“We played in the District 2 6A championship game before this,” Howe said. “We sadly lost 6-2, but then I got here. I think it was the second or third snap of the game, and then it was just a great feeling to come and play one last high school football game.”

The Howe-to-Creech connection gave the Pioneers defense issues all night. That duo got started with a 14-yard completion on the Miners second possession of the game. Howe found Creech for gains of 15 and five yards on the Miners first scoring drive that was capped off by a 2-yard run from Wyoming Area’s Trustin Johnson that tied the game at 7-7 with 24 seconds remaining in the first half. Ironically, just before the long TD pass, Creech was stopped for a six-yard loss on the previous play. But Creech got well behind the defense on the next snap and easily hauled in the pretty pass from Howe.

“It felt great,” Howe said. “I had to like, get the rust off a little bit, but it felt good. One last pass to teammate I’ve been playing with for four years, so it just felt great.”

For the Pioneers, it was a run-heavy plan of attack without a true passing threat at quarterback. Dallas wide receiver Logan Geskey took the majority of the snaps, while Paulie Ferentino did play a couple of series. Lake-Lehman’s Jayden Skipalis led all rushers with 105 yards on 12 carries, and his 13-yard run put gave the Pioneers a 14-7 lead with 3:04 left in the third quarter. Skipalis shared the load with Brody Spindler of Pittston Area. Spindler had a productive night, as he tallied 52 yards on 12 carries. He crossed the goal line from four yards out in the middle part of the second quarter to open the scoring.

“I had a good time tonight,” Spindler said. “It was going back-and-forth. None of us are really in the best shape. The refs were kind of questionable tonight. But we can’t let the refs determine the game. Overall, it was a great time. I had fun my with my friends and made new friends in the process.”

Before the stoppage, the Pioneers ran 40 offensive plays. Of the 40 snaps, 35 were runs. In addition to Spindler and Skiplalis, Geskey chipped in with 43 yards on nine carries. Despite not playing football and taking on contact in months since his season ended, Spindler didn’t seem to mind the workload.

“It wasn’t as bad as other games before,” Spindler said. “Like I said before, I’m not in the best shape right now. But, we still were switching everybody in and out, so it wasn’t that bad.”

There were lots of changes to each roster leading up to the game. Obviously with Spring sports still going for some and graduation on the horizon, it was tough to get commitments from players. Despite limited practice time and learning to play along side new teammates, there were very few penalties outside of the second-half scuffles. Howe somehow found time to juggle multiple sports at the same time and had fun while doing so.

“It’s been rough but I love the grind,” Howe said. “It was great, and I’m not able to get these weeks back because I’m a senior. I had a bunch of fun.”

Miners 0 7 7 0-14
Pioneers 0 7 7 0-14

Individual Scoring
Second Quarter
P-Brody Spindler 4 run (Cole Baldwin kick) 5:04
M-Trustin Johnson 2 run (Jaedyn Sanchez kick) :24

Third Quarter
P-Jayden Skipalis 13 run (Baldwin kick) 3:04
M-Kevon Creech 61 pass from Jake Howe (Sanchez kick) 1:58

Team Statistics
………………………….M……………P
1st downs…………11……………..13
rush-yds…………16-68………….35-205
comp-att-int…….8-17-0……….0-5-0
pass yds…………..131…………….0
total yds……………199…………..205
fumb-lost……….3-1…………….0-0
pen-yds………….1-5……………2-20

Individual Statistics
Rushing-Miners: Trustin Johnson 7-28, TD; Jake Howe 5-13; Ashton Smith 2-11; Kevon Creech 1-10; Gene Ardo 1-6. Pioneers: Jayden Skipalis 12-105, TD; Brody Spindler 12-52, TD; Logan Geskey 9-43; John Richards 1-4; Aidan Brody 1-1.

Passing-Miners: Howe 8-17-0, 131 yds., TD. Pioneers: Geskey 0-3-0; Paulie Ferentino 0-2-0.

Receiving-Miners: Creech 5-89, TD; Jordan Kieselowsky 3-42.

SPRINGFIELD, PA — It happened six months ago and Chester’s Jalen Harris cannot let it go. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Clippers’ four-year starting quarterback can only bring himself to watch a portion of the first quarter and then he reaches for the remote. He winces at the replay, anguishing still over Chester’s 34-12 loss to Springfield (Delco) in the PIAA Class 5A championship back in November.

He can’t escape it. He blames myself. Harris sent Clippers’ coach Dennis Shaw a text an hour after the game apologizing that he let his teammates down. Even as Harris played in the 48th Annual Hero Bowl Thursday night at Cardinal O’Hara, that District Title game resonated.

“It’s why I won’t look at my high school career as a success, because I never won the big one when it counted,” Harris said. “And I don’t know if anyone can convince me that my high school career was a success.”

That is a little hard to fathom, considering Harris did things no other Chester High football player ever did.

Actually, no quarterback in the history of Chester—nor Delaware County—did what Harris achieved. There is a mountain of convincing evidence that screams Harris may be the greatest football player in the long, storied history of Chester High School football.

Before he arrived, no Chester team ever won four-straight Del-Val League titles. Before he arrived, no Chester team ever won a District 1 playoff game. Before he arrived, no Chester quarterback ever threw for a career 8,135 yards and 112 touchdowns.

In his four-year career, Chester, not coincidentally, had its best four-year run, producing a 45-7 overall record, including the Clippers’ school single-season record 13-1 mark his senior year. Before he arrived, no Chester team ever reached the PIAA District 1 Class 5A championship. Harris led the Clippers to two district championship games.

Harris goes down as Delaware County’s all-time leading passer with a career-record 8,135 yards passing and 112 touchdown passes, and a single-season county record 35 touchdown passes, which he set his freshman year.

So, it’s interesting when Harris questions his success at Chester, while it is quite the opposite, he has been nothing but successful wearing the orange and black.

Harris, who is committed to Division II Lincoln University, took almost a week to return back to school after the district championship loss.

He did not consider how he put the program on his shoulders and elevated the program to heights it never reached before. He was the one who opened gates that were previously locked. Daron Harris, Jalen’s twin brother, was a game-changing, impact player, but it was Jalen who had the ball in his hands every play the last four years.

“I took this Hero Bowl like a playoff or district title game, but I had fun,” Harris said. “I never got over the district championship loss. Maybe further in my football career, I will feel better about my high school career. I try to watch a replay of the (district title) game, but I can’t past the first quarter. I did not play the way I am capable of playing.

“I think it’s why I don’t look at my high school career as a success. I’m about winning, and we didn’t win. Some of the records and winning has sunk in a little. But each time it happens, I think about the district championship game. That’s where this game helped, because it brought me back to playing with my childhood friends. I think I may appreciate the things I did at Chester in time.

“Just not now.”

For the time being, Shaw and everyone else associated with the Chester community and the Delaware County football community view Harris as a generational talent.

The Clippers’ 10-0 regular season was the first time Chester went undefeated during a regular season. This past season, there were times Shaw did not even send in plays. The staff entrusted Harris to make the right calls based on what he saw.

“Jalen is the greatest player the school has ever had, his numbers alone say that, and he did things no other Chester player ever did,” said Shaw, who is 35-5 in his three years as head coach. “He led us to four-straight Del-Val titles. No other Chester team did that. His four years produced the best four years Chester football ever had. In his time at the helm, we only lost seven games in four years and won 45. That’s pretty amazing.”

Shaw is hoping someone in the future comes close to Harris, because the Clippers coach openly questions whether or not he will have a player like Harris again. Shaw refers to Harris as a leader; as a warrior; and as a competitor.

He knew he could always count on Harris.

Jalen left the field Thursday night as the measure of future Clippers.

“As a coach, you go into certain games with questions. I was always at peace, because I knew we had Jalen,” Shaw said. “This was not easy, the last time with Jalen and this special group. Everyone on this Hero Bowl team looked to Jalen. He leaves a legacy. You hope to get a player in the future do what he did, but it is unrealistic. Jalen not only did it on the field, but he was also a leader.

“Jalen makes everyone around him better. We’re always going to be in touch. It was not easy saying goodbye to him. We have a saying if a kid plays football or are you a football player. Jalen is one of those kids who is a football player.”

Harris went out a winner, being named East Offensive MVP in leading the East team (Del-Val League) to an 18-17 victory over the West (Central League).

What terribly marred a highly competitive game were fights breaking out in the stands where law enforcement was involved. While the stands were swirling with fights, Hero Bowl officials suspended the game with 5:27 left in the third quarter.

There were over 5,000 tickets sold and it was the largest Hero Bowl gate in over a decade.

A Hero Bowl official said for the safety of everyone involved it was best to suspend the game.

Afterward, there was some talk among Hero Bowl organizers and some coaches about suspending the game permanently moving forward.

Left to right Imhotep’s: Joseph Sondah, Zaire Pollard, Charles Belser and Jesse Moody

MECHANICSBURG, PA — It’s not the way they wanted to end their high school football careers, though they got to do it together. The Imhotep Charter quartet of Joseph Sondah, Zaire Pollard, Charles Belser and Jesse Moody all had an impact Sunday in the 69th Big 33 game against Maryland all-stars.

Finally, after two overtimes, Maryland came out ahead for the second-straight year, 18-10, at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field, despite 9 tackles by the uncommitted Belser, who was all over the field.

Last year, Maryland had snapped a long draught by beating Pennsylvania, which leads the series 16-5.

Belser will be going to Garden City Community College in Kansas and then renew his college options. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Imhotep inside linebacker still has his mind set on Michigan State, and by his play, was willing to go all out in an all-star game.

“That’s what I was hoping to prove by anyone watching me,” Belser said. “It’s the reason why I played in this game. I had to show people what I was capable of since I was going JUCO. I didn’t want people to forget about me.”

Maryland won the game in the second overtime when Arundel’s Jonathan Coleman ran a two-yard sweep on fourth-and-goal. Wise’s Kameron Parker added the two-point conversion and Pennsylvania could do little offensively to tying the score.

“I’m upset, our offense should have been stronger, and I wanted to go out a winner,” said Moody, who is committed to the University of Maryland and is scheduled to report on June 13. “It was great going out with my guys though. It’s all good. I’m ready for college. I;m ready to go and be a star.”

Maryland tied the score late, when on a second-and-12 from the 21, a scrambling Blake Pasik (Northern) hit Michael Robinson (Edgewood) for a tying score with 2:12 to play.

Pennsylvania, meanwhile, struggled to move the ball on its first four drives of the second half, going three-and-out each time. The furthest PA went in those four series was the PA-32. Otherwise, PA could not cross midfield.

Before PA’s final drive of the game, Maryland had outgained PA 123 to minus-4 in total yards. For the game, Maryland outgained Pennsylvania 272 to 122, with PA going minus-7 yards of offense in the second half and overtime, while Maryland pounded PA for 153 yards of offense in the second half and OT.

After Maryland tied the score, Maryland helped PA by kicking the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving PA possession at the PA 40, its best field position of the second half. From there, Neshaminy’s Michael Eckart got PA to within the Maryland 37, before throwing an interception to Maryland’s Kyree Murphy (Milord Mill) in the final seconds of regulation.

Pennsylvania went into halftime leading, 7-0, in what was a pretty lackluster first 30 minutes for both teams. Pennsylvania ran off 23 for 129 total yards, averaging 5.6 yards a play. Maryland was slightly off, amassing 119 yards over 30 plays, averaging 3.9 yards a play. The play was chippy, with post-play shoving and pushing, with Maryland drawing five penalties for 45 yards, including two personal foul calls, while Pennsylvania was flagged four times for 28 yards.

Pennsylvania took its opening drive 75 yards over 11 plays, with some help from a roughing-the-quarterback call and 23-yard run by Imhotep Charter’s Zaire Pollard, taking the ball to the Maryland 24. Pennsylvania scored four plays later, when Manheim Township’s Jack Kenneff hit Spring-Ford’s Blake Turner crossing over the middle for a 13-yard score.

Otherwise, it was an uneventful half.

Maryland had its chances to score. Maryland drove to the PA 23 on its first drive, but a 40-yard field goal attempt by Severna Park’s Gavin Fetty failed. Midway through the second quarter, Maryland was on the move again, but Maryland quarterback Blake Pasik’s attempt to reach the PA 20 was thwarted at the PA 21. By halftime, Imhotep’s Charles Belser had five tackles, three within the first two drives.

In the closing seconds of the half, Pennsylvania had a chance to go up 10-0, but a Brady Biscoe’s 31-yard field goal failed ending the second quarter.

Scoring Summary

Maryland 0 0 0 7 3 8-18

Pennsylvania 0 7 0 0 3 0-10

1st Quarter

PA – Blake Turner (Spring-Ford) 13 pass from Jack Kenneff (Manheim Township) (Brady Biscoe (Hempfield) kick), 1:24

4th Quarter

MD – Michael Robinson (Edgewood) 21 pass from Blake Pasik (Northern) (Gavin Fetty (Severna Park) kick), 2:12

OT

PA – Biscoe 51 FG

MD – Fetty 24 FG

2OT

MD – Jonathan Coleman (Arundel) 2 run (Kameron Parker (Wise) run)

PA – Failed

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.

MECHANICSBURG, PA — It had to end this way. It was the only way it could end—with Keira Quinn holding the ball aloft after another win.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy senior and the Maxwell Club national high school flag football Player of the Year faced some mild adversity in her last game—the Big 33 All-Star Flag Football tournament on Sunday between top all-star senior teams from Philadelphia (Eagles), Washington, D.C. (Commanders), Baltimore (Ravens) and Pittsburgh (Steelers).

For the first time all season, Quinn was looking up at the downside of the scoreboard. For the first time in the Big 33 all-star round-robin tournament, Quinn and her Eagles’ teammates were scored on. Quinn, and her Eagles’ teammates, responded—scoring two unanswered touchdowns and hung on at the end to threepeat as Big 33 champions, 21-13, over the Commanders at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.

Quinn scored all three Eagles’ touchdowns, two rushing, and on an 18-yard pick-six in the final minute of the game that sealed the victory.

Quinn had a star-studded team around her that included North Penn’s Amani Keys, who had a team-high four receptions for 74 yards, including a 19-yard reception that led to the Eagles’ go-ahead touchdown, and Palumbo’s Reece Jackson-Roane and Bea Kaeli, whose game-changing interception midway through the second half helped put the Eagles up 14-7.

“On the (fourth-quarter) interception, a lot of schools that played against Gwynedd ran that play and we practiced against it,” said Quinn, who played the last game for her father, GMA head coach Tim Quinn. “When Amani was put in during the second half, I looked to her, and she’s such a big spirit on and off the field. When we got down (in the first half), we didn’t panic. We were only a point down, and we knew we would come back.”

Keira will be attending Montgomery Community College in the fall, help her father coach GMA’s flag team next spring, and begin looking at a college to continue her flag career.

“I think what I’ll remember most is all of the girls, the time we spent together and the memories we made,” Quinn said. “It is true, that was the first I ever trailed in a game this season. When we were down, the attitude was to go out and just play football.”

Keys was a difference-maker in the second half. Quinn began looking for her down the middle of the field and adding a boost to the Eagles’ offense. The Eagles team had not been scored on in the previous three tournament games as the only undefeated team.

“Our focus was not to get in our own heads, and my focus was to catch the ball, look it in and get yards,” said Keys, who will be attending Eastern University to play flag football. “I get to go as a winner and it was great connecting with all of the girls on this team. It’s probably what I will remember the most.”

As for Tim Quinn, he closed an amazing run with his youngest daughter Keira. But Quinn considers all of the girls who play for him his daughters.

Quinn recalled being the head coach at North Catholic in 2002 and 2003 when his teams finished a combined 2-22 in two years—and Quinn never thought he would lose a game.

“I did like the way this ended,” Tim Quinn said. “We were down, but I had no doubts we would be back. Last night, we honored a young man who played in the Big 33 who died in Vietnam. There are bigger things than winning and losing. I’m so glad to have players like Amani, who I have coached since she was 10. She was the leader of the team all weekend.

“I was happy to win a game like this, because we did come back, and we were tested, and we passed the test. I’m coming to create the way for women to coach flag football, and credit to the Washington staff and how they adjusted to us. I told the girls that the game would come we get tested—and we did. I’m happy we were tested and we answered.

“It’s what great teams do.”

It could not have ended any other way.

Scoring Summary

Commanders 7 6 – 13

Eagles 6 15 – 21

1st Half

Eagles – Keira Quinn (Gwynedd Mercy Academy) 1 run (pass failed), 16:43

Commanders – Adriana Ortiz-Mayorga (South County) 8 pass from Sophie Toole (Oakton) (Toole run), 10:42

2nd Half

Eagles – Quinn (GMA) 3 run (Amani Keys (North Penn) pass from Quinn), 16:43

Eagles – Quinn (GMA) 18 INT return (Reece Jackson-Roane (Palumbo) pass from Quinn), :51

Commanders – Toole 66 pass from Julia Clark (Northwest) (pass failed), :34

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — No one wanted to leave. Gwynedd Mercy Academy team and their adjoining contingent of family and friends filled the last sprinkle of sunlight on a nasty, sticky Monday basking in the gated side lot of the Eagles’ Jefferson Health Training Complex.

They took selfies and team shots, winning stage shots, and photos upon photos of a special award that will never be given out again—the Eagles award as Pennsylvania flag football state champions for another year.

With the PIAA officially making girls’ flag football a varsity sport throughout the state in 2027, Monday marked the last time the girls’ state championship would be played at the Eagles’ complex, and the last time the Eagles award would be issued.

It seemed fitting with this special Gwynedd Mercy team and the singular bond this group formed over the last four years would get it, since perhaps no other team may ever be as dominant in the coming years as this 2026 GMA team.

The Monarchs placed an exclamation point on a priceless, poignant season that was as near perfect as perfect gets with a 33-13 victory over a very good, well-coached, and athletic Palumbo Academy squad in what was the last Pennsylvania Flag Football Championship under the NFL and the Eagles’ pilot program.

So, no one wanted to leave afterward because they did not want to leave each other.

“That’s why this is so tough for me,” said Monarchs’ junior Lily Walker, who scored two touchdowns, one on a 21-yard pass that proved to be the backbreaker for Palumbo at the end of the first half and the other on the second of three pick-sixes for GMA. “I missed playing in this game last year. I was at a soccer tournament, and it was one of the most regretful decisions I have ever made in my life. The girls on this team really took me in and keep me alive. I never wanted to miss this again.

“I made up for it. I knew we had to come out and be dogs. Palumbo was a very good team. We spent so much time together there is a bond with us. The emotion comes from how hard we work. We wanted to prove everyone wrong. There were a lot of people that said some things about us, and we wanted to prove people wrong. No one was going to take us down. I’ll always remember us sticking together. I’ll always remember how every girl on this team has each other’s backs. It’s probably why no one wants to leave.”

Throughout the last two years, Sophie Caufield was one of the most athletic players on the Monarchs. She bypassed a Division I soccer scholarship to Richmond to commit more time to flag football and is instead attending Michigan State.

She made a decisive interception in GMA’s PA state championship victory over Lansdale Catholic last season and had two pick sixes on Monday, one a 24-yard TD return in the first quarter bookended by a 25-yard pick six in the fourth.

Against North Penn in the Monarchs’ threepeat win as Suburban Champions, it was Caufield who dove through the air looking like Lynn Swann between two defenders to take down a sideline pass setting up a touchdown.

“I lost my passion for soccer, and I knew nothing about football when I joined the (GMA) flag team my sophomore year,” Caufield said. “There is no other team I was on like this. We are so supportive of one another. We have a few weeks to graduation, and most seniors want to leave, but I want to stay, that’s how much I feel about these girls. I’ll miss our cheers. I hate to be on the other side when we do them. I’ll miss the closeness of everyone.”

Perhaps hit hardest was GMA’s winning quarterback, Keira Quinn, the Maxwell Club national high school flag football Player of the Year. This last month has been difficult for Quinn, playing for her father the last time, GMA head coach Tim Quinn. Each game was a winding ticker to when Keira would be wearing a GMA jersey for the last time.

“This is the last of Gwynedd flag for me,” said Keira, pushing back tears. “I played here as a freshman. I met my best friend here on this field. Palumbo and Coach (Chris) Donnelly are amazing. This is a great way to go out. I wish we could stay here forever. It’s hard. Most seniors want to graduate and leave. If it were up to the seniors on this team, we would stay here forever. It’s why right now, with the all the years playing with everyone here, it’s so hard that it is ending.”

Tim Quinn was the last one to leave the field. The Monarchs’ coach received his accolades, but his attention was elsewhere as he walked off the field—thinking about his players, his daughter Keira, and a group of girls who he will not forget.

“We finally learned how to sing,” said Tim, laughing. “When we started our cheers, no one could sing a tune. I never imaged this, and how this would turn out. When Terry Fasano, the former athletic director at Gwynedd Mercy, asked me three times to coach and I turned her down each time. I finally gave in. Gwynedd has been a blessing in our lives. We jumped into the fire and look where the game is.

“People get the wrong impression of our girls, because of our cheers. The first year we were terrible (with the cheers), and the second year, we had some girls who could carry a tune. By the third year, we had great harmony.”

That, obviously, translated on to the field.

Despite the score, Palumbo made it a competitive game. After the Monarchs scored on their opening possession, and Caufield’s first pick-six made it 13-0, that’s where the score sat until late in the second quarter, when Quinn hit Walker for a 19-0 lead with four seconds left in the half.

“I’m really proud of my kids,” said Donnelly, who has done wonders with the Palumbo program. “The reality is, Gwynedd is a great team. We have a super team, and we have a solid freshman, sophomore and junior classes. We will miss players like Tasci (Xavier), and Raniyah (Bennett), Bea (Kaeli), Ava (McKee) and Reece (Jackson-Roane). They can’t be replaced. But we like where we are going.”

Perhaps the most gifted player on the field was Xavier, who will be going to Chestnut Hill College to play flag football. The speedster does not run so much as she glides when she had the ball.

“Although we fell short, I am very proud of our team,” Xavier said. “That last touchdown at the end of the half killed us; just the wrong play at the wrong time. This has been a journey, and I wouldn’t have done it with anyone else.”

A sentiment certainly shared on both sides of the field on Monday.

Scoring Summary

Palumbo 0 0 7 6-13

Gwynedd Mercy Academy 13 6 0 14-33

1st Quarter

GM – Shiloh Okiro 25 pass from Keira Quinn (Rowan Cunningham pass from Quinn), 9:07

GM –Sophie Caufield 24 INT return (pass failed), 6:29

2nd Quarter

GM – Lily Walker 21 pass from Quinn (pass failed), :04

4th Quarter

P – Reece Jackson-Roane 1 pass from Anyla Byrd (Raniyah Bennett pass from Byrd), 10:12

GM – Walker 35 INT return (Okiro pass from Quinn), 3:10

GM – Caufield 25 INT return (Walker pass from Quinn), 1:26

P – Tasci Xavier 41 pass from Byrd (pass failed), :25

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. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball [twitter.com].