BERWICK — Berwick’s first drive Friday night did everything the Bulldogs wanted it to do.

Almost.

That initial possession stayed in the Bulldogs’ hands for 20 consecutive snaps. It took more than 11 minutes off the clock. And it kept a high-powered Dallas offense averaging more than 40 points a game on the sideline.

The only thing the drive didn’t do was end in points. And after punting the football away, Dallas didn’t need 20 plays to make Berwick pay. It needed just one, an 80-yard Mark Saracinaj touchdown run.

That swing in momentum marked the final time Berwick was really in the football game Friday at Crispin Field. The Mountaineers scored the game’s first 35 points in a 35-7 win which finished an undefeated regular season and earned them the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title.

The win also vaulted Dallas over North Pocono for the top spot in the District 2 Class AAAA playoff standings. The Mountaineers will host eighth-seeded Hanover Area in the next week’s district quarterfinals. Berwick finished a brutally tough regular season 5-5 and fell to the No. 5 seed in the D2 4A tournament. It will travel to 6-4 Wallenpaupack next week.

“We have a lot of goals, and this was one of them,” said Saracinaj, who ran for a career-high 179 yards and three touchdowns. “We still gotta get back in the weight room on Sunday because it’s a new start for us.”

The first 13:02 of Friday’s game at Crispin Field really couldn’t have better represented who the two teams were. Dallas is a complete operation. It’s offense can hurt you in a number of ways — like the 54-yard Brady McCann catch-and-run to open the scoring less than a minute in, or the Saracinaj 80-yard scoring jaunt. Berwick is a talented, but limited, group which has worked through injuries with guts, guile, and heart to post five wins against a brutal regular-season schedule featuring six playoff teams.

But when Saracinaj ripped off his 80-yard run, it also represented the danger of a Berwick offense which has played on a razor-thin line for much of the season since quarterback Brady Cleaver went down with an injury in Week 4. It must capitalize on the chances it has offensively, especially against a defense the caliber of the Mountaineers’, which allowed one score or fewer for the seventh time this season.

That 20th snap of the football started with a fumble and ended with a 9-yard loss, forcing Berwick to punt. The five first downs gained on the drive were for naught. And with one play, Dallas made coming away with no points hurt even more, putting a two-score lead on the Bulldogs.

“You absolutely have to come away with points there,” Berwick coach CJ Curry said. “It’s like you’re doing well and then it’s a negative play or a penalty and you get yourself behind the chains. It’s been our Achilles heel all season. And then the next play they go 80 yards and it takes the air out of your sails a little bit.”

That run from Saracinaj set in motion a night for the Dallas running game which saw it average better than 11 yards per carry. Saracinaj was the main catalyst. He needed just three carries to eclipse the 100-yard make for the first time this season, and for the first time since he burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago with a 156-yard performance on Sept. 12 against Wilkes-Barre.

The Mountaineers’ offense has been so diverse and efficient this season that it hasn’t needed Saracinaj or senior Hunter Pitcavage to be it’s bell cow back. Neither of Dallas’ top two running backs has 100 carries this season. Saracinaj and Pitcavage have combined for 1,217 yards this year at 7.7 yards per carry.

Even on a night where Saracinaj set a career high in rushing yards, he needed just nine carries to do it thanks to an Earth-moving offensive line, the balance of a tight-rope walker, and the toughness of the 20-win wrestler that he is. And because neither he nor Pitcavage have had to carry the load offensively this year, they’re both healthy and feeling fresh going into the postseason.

“It’s our job to go out and set the tone,” Saracinaj said. “This is what we practice. I trust my linemen, they do their job, and we run it in.”

“We don’t look at the stats much, but we know they’re pretty even,” Dallas coach Rich Mannello said. “And that’s why they work so well with each other. They’re completely different running styles. You can’t appreciate what Mark does until you watch it on film. It’s the wrestling in him. He’s a tremendous wrestler and he runs the same way. You’re not pulling him down with one guy. He can move sideways and not slow down, and that’s hard for a lot of backs to do.”

Dallas ran just 35 plays Friday night, but 15 of them produced first downs, and five of them produced touchdowns. They rode the running game to finish off an undefeated regular season. And no matter how often Berwick’s defense made a hit at the point of contact, it struggled to bring down any Dallas ballcarrier with the first man. Pitcavage carried just six times for 23 yards, but he also added a touchdown run.

“We got killed on two plays. They ran GT counter and they ran buck sweep, and we had no answer for it,” Curry said. “I think it’s things that are fixable, but we’re going to see a Wallenpaupack team who has a senior running back with about 1,200 yards and a good quarterback who can sling it and run. So the road isn’t going to get any easier.”

The one thing Berwick does have going for it heading into the postseason it didn’t have a year ago is that it is battle-tested. The adversity it has faced with injuries, setbacks and losses have better prepared the Bulldogs heading into the postseason this year than it did a year ago when it walked through an undefeated regular season before falling to a battle-hardened .500 Scranton Prep team in districts.

“It’s great to get a chance to compete against teams like Dallas all season long,” Curry said. “Shoot, look at us, we’re still standing and we’re still going to fight. We have to play our best football now and try to execute at a high level. These kids believe in each other, and they believe we can hang with anybody.”

Dallas 35, Berwick 7
Dallas 7 14 7 7 – 35
Berwick 0 0 0 7 – 7

First quarter
D—Brady McCann 54 pass from Talan Geskey (David Worth kick), 10:42

Second quarter
D—Mark Saracinaj 80 run (Worth kick), 10:58
D—Saracinaj 7 run (Worth kick), 1:00

Third quarter
D—Saracinaj 18 run (Worth kick), 6:13

Fourth quarter
D—Hunter Pitcavage 1 run (Worth kick), 11:13
B—Gavin Galutia 4 run (Caleb Yost kick), 6:54

Dal Ber
First downs 15 13
Rushes-yds 25-284 41-168
Com-att-int 4-10-0 7-14-0
Pass yards 81 43
Total yards 365 211
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-0
Penalties-yards 3-35 8-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing—Dallas, Mark Saracinaj, 9-179, 3 TDs; Talan Geskey, 4-40; Hunter Pitcavage, 6-23, TD; Tyce Mason, 2-22; Trevor Slavinski, 1-11; Brock Bolton, 3-9. Berwick, Gavin Galutia, 23-106, TD; Jason Hook, 3-58; Jake Lisnock, 7-4; Landon Zapata, 2-4; Brady Cleaver, 1-4; David Robbins IV, 1-2; Dayton Adamczyk, 1-(-3); Shiloh Escobar, 3-(-7).

Passing—Dallas, Geskey, 4-10-0, 81 yds., TD. Berwick, Escobar, 5-12-0, 30 yds.; Lisnock, 2-2-0, 13 yds.

Receiving—Dallas, Mason, 2-14; Brady McCann, 1-54, TD; Pitcavage, 1-13. Berwick, Zapata, 4-30; Evan Neiderheiser, 2-(-1); Lisnock, 1-14.

RECORDS: Dallas (10-0); Berwick (5-5).

Gavin Graham is not known as a receiver. The Army-bound running back has just six catches all year.

But playmakers make plays.

Graham snagged Trent Haviland’s pass and barreled through to score with 23 seconds left Friday night against previously unbeaten Pennridge, giving his CB South Titans a 19-14 lead they would not relinquish. Javin Kube caught the two-point conversion for the final 21-14 score.

The win also created a three-way tie between Pennridge (9-1, 6-1 National), South and CB West for the SOL National title.

“It all comes down to our O line. They really helped push the defense to create the big running lanes,” praised Titan running back Colin White, who led South with 76 yards on 18 carries. “Our coaches drew up some great schemes tonight. We trusted the schemes, I hit the holes and ran where I needed to run.”

CB South started 0-3- albeit to teams with a 20-6 combined record entering Friday. Since then, the Titans have won six of seven on the backs of an excellent defense. South (6-4, 6-1 National) allowed no more than 14 points in those six wins and held five of their last seven opponents to under 200 total yards.

“All the practice we do. All of the formations and plays: we run them over and over again,” credited junior defensive end Jacob Friedman, who unofficially contributed to five tackles for loss or no gain.

“Practice stinks honestly,” he smiled, “but clearly it works out!”

A late first quarter muffed punt snap gave the Rams the ball at the Titan-35. But Pennridge went backwards thanks to a third down sack from Friedman and Jameson McCuen, followed by a fourth down Graham pass deflection.

“We try not to let the last play affect us,” Friedman said.

Set up by 35-yard bomb to Andrew Rizzo, Graham punched it into the end zone from the three. “Coach is setting up those play action plays,” White said. “You pound the run to set up the pass.”

Pennridge’s last drive of the first half was eventful. Trevor Picciotti went over a thousand yards for the year on a 44-yard burst. Aiden Tetkowski’s first completion of the night was a fourth down aerial that bounced off of Dornon Bradley and landed into the arms of Nate Derstine.

South killed the drive when Friedman hurried a fourth down pass that Sean Bulicki broke up.

“We knew they had other plays and we planned for them to start running other stuff,” Friedman shared. “We made a couple of adjustments. But the big thing was keeping the energy high and going 1-0 every play.

“The D Line works together amazingly. The secondary works together amazingly. Everyone comes together, works together and it makes us win games,” he concluded.

Jaylen Waldspurger’s interception gave Pennridge the ball at the Titan-35. Derstine converted a fourth down and Picciotti scored from the two four plays later to knot the game at 7 late in the third quarter.

Graham returned the kickoff to the Titan-45 and then punched it in nine plays later with a four-yard touchdown. The missed PAT made it 13-7 South.

Pennridge regained the lead, 14-13, on Derstine’s 25-yard touchdown catch with 3:09 remaining. South coolly countered with a 13-play drive, ending in Graham’s touchdown reception.

Graham had 17 touches for 85 yards. Haviland completed 7 of 11 passes for 83 yards.

“In short yardage situations, Gavin is definitely there to get us those yards. When he needs a breather, I can do the same thing. We compliment each other even when we’re both on the field,” White noted. “We both can go out for a pass.”

Picciotti led Pennridge with 110 yards on 18 carries. Tetkowski threw for 114 yards on 19 attempts.

South was the first team to score as many as a dozen points against the Rams, who also got strong special teams play. Austin Keller had two touchbacks and averaged over 40 yards per punt.

Post-season brackets will be formalized on Sunday. Pennridge will likely potentially host two games, while South almost certainly earned themselves a first round home game with the win.

SHAMOKIN – Based on the lengthy postgame celebration with friends and family on the field at Kemp Memorial Stadium, it was easy to see what Mount Carmel’s 23-7 win over Shamokin meant to everyone associated with program. The Red Tornadoes won back the Coal Bucket for the first time in three years, completed a perfect regular season for the first time since 2022, and erased the painful memory of an improbable victory by Shamokin one year ago. Mount Carmel (10-0) will open the District 4 Class 3A playoffs as the top seed, and will host Wellsboro next week in the quarterfinals.

“We had this game circled on the schedule for a year straight,” Mount Carmel fullback/defensive end Max Karycki said. “Everyone could say how they felt about last year’s game, but at the end of the day, when the clock hit zero, that was the score. We lost last year. We worked our absolute butts off for an entire year, just for this game, and being 9-0 going into it, and finishing 10-0, it’s a blessing to play with these guys. I give all the credit to my teammates and my coaches for an awesome job. Great preparation leading up to this week, and it’s the result we looked for.”

On the first two drives, it looked as if Mount Carmel would cruise to recapturing the Coal Bucket against a depleted Shamokin team that was without quarterback Logan Steele and running back Noah Ringes. Jaylen Delaney raced past the defense, and found the end zone on a 50-yard run exactly three minutes into the game. Cooper Karycki then extended the lead to 14-0 when he scored on a 4-yard run off the left side with 5:14 left in the opening quarter. Shamokin (8-2) started the game with Barrett Walsh at quarterback, but quickly switched to freshman Evan Pancher after two unsuccessful possessions.

“So, it was great to come out, score really quick there,” Mount Carmel coach John Darrah said. “I think we had a couple penalties and turnovers in the second and third quarter that were hurting us. But, to our guys’ credit, they stayed with it, and came up big when we had to at the end there.”

The shorthanded Indians did what they could to stay in the game, with a little bit of help from Mount Carmel. Max Karycki recovered a fumble to set up the Red Tornadoes deep in Shamokin territory, but Mount Carmel gave it right back on the very next play with a fumble of its own. A holding penalty would also erase any hope of a scoring threat before halftime. Despite the sputtering and self-inflicted wounds on offense, the Red Tornadoes’ defense held Shamokin to just 60 yards and two first downs in the opening half, while maintaining the two-score lead.

“I thought our defense played great tonight,” Darrah said. “We gave up a play here or there, but we seemed to continue to fight. Definitely hats off to our defense for playing a full 48 minutes there.”

Late in the third quarter, Shamokin made things interesting. Sheldon Sassani recovered a fumble at the Mount Carmel 32, and Pancher would finish the eight-play march with a 2-yard touchdown run at the 2:05 mark. With the large crowd on the home side in it for the first time all night, Delaney provided a huge momentum swing when he got free on a 38-yard run to steady the ship for his team. Delaney finished with a game-high 101 yards on 12 carries.

“I mean, honestly, I can’t even remember what the heck happened,” Darrah said in the midst of the on-field get-together. “I remember kicking the field goal, which I think was a big play. That was a great play by Josh (Miller). But yeah, our guys just played tough. It wasn’t the prettiest, but we got it done.”

The field goal Darrah referred was indeed an important play in the game. Facing a 4th-and-3 at the Shamokin 5 with just under 10 minutes remaining, Darrah decided to give Miller his first field goal opportunity of the season. Miller proved he has a big leg on kickoffs, but he also has an accurate one. His 22-yard field goal gave the Red Tornadoes a 17-7 lead, and put a ton a of pressure on a Shamokin offense that wasn’t able to generate drives on a consistent basis.

“We were kind of looking at how close we were,” Darrah said. “We were a little further away than we thought. I think if it would have been 4th-and-1, we probably would have went for it. But it was about 4th-and-3 or 4th-and-4, and Josh is a great kicker. We haven’t kicked one this year. Great time to get your first one I guess, right?”

A sack by Chance Swatski and Aidan Brokenshire forced a quick Shamokin punt, and Cooper Karycki would deliver the knockout punch. Karycki got loose down the right side on a 45-yard touchdown run to put the game away with 5:17 left. Karycki chipped in with 86 yards on 10 carries, after going over the 1,000-yard mark for the season last week against Central Mountain. Mount Carmel forced yet another three-and-out on defense, then easily ran out the clock. The disappointing 5-6 record from 2025 now seems like a distant memory, as Mount Carmel will begin the quest of trying to win its first District 4 championship since 2011.

“I think it’s big,” Darrah said. “I think our kids fought hard, and we learned a lot about ourselves last year, learning how to face adversity. And you know, it feels great to see how hard they worked, and for it to come to fruition here.”

Mount Carmel 14 0 0 9-23
Shamokin 0 0 7 0-7

Individual Scoring
First Quarter
MC-Jaylen Delaney 50 run (Josh Miller kick) 9:00
MC-Cooper Karycki 4 run (Miller kick) 5:15

Third Quarter
S-Evan Pancher 2 run (Kingston Heim kick) 2:05

Fourth Quarter
MC-Miller 22 field goal 9:41
MC-Karycki 45 run (kick blocked) 5:17

Team Statistics
……………………MC…………S
1st downs………….14…………..5
rush-yds…………44-312………33-65
comp-att-int…..2-5-0………….4-9-0
pass yds…………..4………………35
total yds………….316………….100
fumb-lost………..4-2………….2-1
pen-yds…………..5-40…………10-70

Individual Statistics
Rushing-Mount Carmel: Jaylen Delaney 12-101, TD; Cooper Karycki 10-86, 2 TDs; Mikey Higgins 10-62; Jason Klokis 7-38; Max Karycki 3-34; Team 2-(-9). Shamokin: Trey Taylor 12-48; Evan Pancher 14-13, TD; Ryan Bickert 6-8; Barrett Walsh 1-(-4).

Passing-Mount Carmel: Delaney 2-5-0, 4 yds. Shamokin: Pancher 4-8-0, 35 yds.; Walsh 0-1-0.

Receiving-Mount Carmel: M. Karycki 1-4; Higgins 1-0. Shamokin: Sheldon Sassani 3-27; Bickert 1-8.

Abington Heights 27, Delaware Valley 21

Abraham Lincoln 8, George Washington 6

Altoona Area 35, Cumberland Valley 28

Annville-Cleona 56, Schuylkill Valley 21

Apollo-Ridge 43, Ligonier Valley 35

Archbishop Wood 19, Archbishop Carroll 15

Armstrong 20, Penn Hills 0

Avella Area 48, Frazier 20

Avonworth 19, Propel Braddock Hills 14

Bald Eagle Area 48, Forest Hills 6

Beaver Area 56, Ellwood City 26

Beaver Falls 40, New Brighton 14

Belle Vernon Area 29, Elizabeth-Forward 28

Berks Catholic 30, Lancaster Catholic 14

Bermudian Springs 34, York Suburban 10

Bethlehem Catholic 39, Northampton 17

Big Spring 35, Littlestown 7

Biglerville 33, York County School of Technology 0

Bishop Canevin 21, Seton-LaSalle 10

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy 38, Richland 7

Bishop McDevitt 42, Chambersburg 18

Bloomsburg 54, Northwest Area 7

Blue Mountain 42, Lansdale Catholic 14

Brentwood 56, Riverview 20

Brockway 55, Maplewood 0

Brookville 20, Kane Area 14

Burgettstown 41, Bentworth 14

Butler 55, Brashear 26

California 22, Bethlehem-Center 20

Cambria Heights 49, West Shamokin 6

Cambridge Springs 14, Lakeview 6

Cameron County 48, Coudersport 16

Canon-McMillan 34, Mt. Lebanon 7

Carbondale Area 28, Old Forge 13

Cardinal O’Hara 51, Father Judge 3

Carmichaels 40, Mapletown 26

Cathedral Prep 41, Meadville 7

Cedar Cliff 33, Carlisle 31

Cedar Crest 31, Reading 22

Central (6) 28, Penn Cambria 25

Central Bucks South 21, Pennridge 14

Central Bucks West 41, Central Bucks East 14

Central Cambria 13, Bellwood-Antis 0

Central Clarion 73, Moniteau 8

Central Columbia 14, South Williamsport 0

Central Dauphin 21, Central Dauphin East 13

Central Valley 41, Mars Area 21

Central York 42, William Penn (3) 7

Charleroi 50, Brownsville 13

Chartiers Valley 56, Albert Gallatin 19

Chestnut Ridge 12, Huntingdon Area 0

Clairton 42, Jeannette 0

Coatesville 38, Bishop Shanahan 21

Columbia 40, Pequea Valley 0

Conemaugh Township 42, Conemaugh Valley 6

Conrad Weiser 47, Daniel Boone 28

Corry Area 55, Harbor Creek 49

Council Rock South 49, Council Rock North 14

Curwensville Area 23, Everett 12

Dallas 35, Berwick Area 7

Dallastown 21, Red Lion Area 20

Deer Lakes 33, Knoch 6

Derry Area 48, Greensburg-Salem 21

Downingtown East 42, Kennett 16

Downingtown West 48, Avon Grove 14

Dunmore 53, Lakeland 6

ELCO 14, Northern Lebanon 12

Easton Area 37, Nazareth Area 29

Elizabethtown Area 34, Muhlenberg 14

Ephrata 52, Lebanon 8

Exeter Township 23, Conestoga Valley 13

Fort LeBoeuf 27, North East 0

Freeport 34, Burrell 12

Garden Spot 48, Governor Mifflin 17

Garnet Valley 27, Ridley 14

Girard 41, Iroquois 21

Great Valley 45, West Chester East 35

Greensburg Central Catholic 14, Serra Catholic 13

Greenville 43, Freedom 0

Grove City 31, Wilmington Area 29

Halifax 49, Susquenita 0

Hamburg 33, Kutztown 28

Hampton 17, Franklin Regional 10

Hanover Area 28, Greater Nanticoke 21

Harry S. Truman 42, William Tennent 21

Haverford High 49, Conestoga 14

Hollidaysburg 51, DuBois Area 14

Homer-Center 34, Portage Area 7

Honesdale 52, Riverside (2) 0

Hopewell 42, Aliquippa 10

Interboro 27, Executive Education Academy 22

James Buchanan 12, Hanover (3) 6

Jefferson-Morgan 62, West Greene 38

Jersey Shore 53, Central Mountain 27

Jim Thorpe Area 26, Palmerton Area 10

Juniata 30, Camp Hill 14

Juniata Valley 29, Meyersdale Area 27

Karns City 25, Oil City 12

Keystone 68, Titusville 7

Keystone Oaks 21, East Allegheny 20

Kipp-DuBois Collegiate Academy 16, Overbrook 12

Kiski Area 28, Indiana 12

La Salle College HS 13, Bonner-Prendie 12

Lackawanna Trail 35, Montrose Area 0

Lake-Lehman 28, Tunkhannock 0

Leechburg 56, Springdale 14

Lehighton 17, Northern Lehigh 7

Line Mountain 35, Newport 7

Lower Dauphin 42, Hershey 21

Lower Moreland 19, New Hope Solebury 6

Malvern Prep 34, Episcopal Academy 9

Manheim Township 20, Hempfield (3) 19

Marion Center 53, Penns Manor 0

Marple-Newtown 10, Radnor 0

McGuffey 56, Chartiers-Houston 27

McKeesport Area 44, Shaler Area 0

Mechanicsburg 35, Waynesboro 0

Mercyhurst Prep 66, Conneaut 21

Methacton 27, Pottstown Area 15

Mid Valley 30, Western Wayne 14

Middletown Area 40, Greencastle-Antrim 33

Mifflin County 16, Gettysburg 0

Mifflinburg 22, Lewisburg 14

Milton Hershey 26, East Pennsboro 6

Minersville Area 43, Nativity BVM 8

Model School for the Deaf (DC) 44, Coventry Christian Schools 38

Monessen 32, Sto-Rox 14

Montgomery 28, Cowanesque Valley 13

Montour 33, Blackhawk 16

Montoursville 49, Loyalsock Township 14

Moshannon Valley 13, Berlin-Brothersvalley 12

Mount Carmel Area 23, Shamokin 7

Mount Pleasant Area 33, Southmoreland 17

Mount Union Area 42, Windber 14

Muncy 31, Hughesville 6

New Castle 50, Seneca Valley 28

North Allegheny 22, Norwin 21

North Catholic 38, Highlands 17

North Hills 45, Moon Area 21

North Penn 62, Abington 14

North Pocono 56, West Scranton 18

North Schuylkill 47, Panther Valley 12

North Star 48, Glendale 28

Northeastern 43, Eastern York 22

Northern Bedford 59, Claysburg-Kimmel 7

Northern York 42, Red Land 15

Northgate 7, Cornell 0

Northwestern 35, Reynolds 6

Northwestern Lehigh 49, Catasauqua 12

Octorara Area 44, Donegal 21

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 29, Ambridge 14

Owen J. Roberts 40, Phoenixville 0

Palmyra 43, Shippensburg Area 13

Parkland 38, Emmaus 10

Penn-Trafford 52, Greater Latrobe 28

Penns Valley 20, Somerset Area 19

Pennsbury 20, Neshaminy 6

Perkiomen Valley 41, Upper Merion 7

Philipsburg-Osceola 36, Bedford 22

Pine-Richland 49, Plum 21

Pleasant Valley 40, Stroudsburg 36

Plymouth-Whitemarsh 56, Bensalem 14

Pocono Mountain West 17, Pocono Mountain East 16

Pope John Paul II 28, Pottsgrove 21

Port Allegany 45, Saint Marys 21

Pottsville Area 42, Hazleton Area 13

Punxsutawney 21, Ridgway/Johnsonburg 14

Renaissance Academy Charter 15, Morrisville 12

River Valley 40, Northern Cambria 25

Riverside (7) 29, Mohawk Area 22

Rochester 26, South Side Area 14

Saegertown 21, Eisenhower 0

Samuel S. Fels 20, Benjamin Franklin 0

Saucon Valley 47, Palisades 7

Schuylkill Haven 24, Marian Catholic 7

Scranton Prep 49, Scranton 6

Shady Side Academy 19, South Park 6

Shenandoah Valley 21, Mahanoy Area 12

Shenango 21, Laurel 19

Shikellamy 42, Danville 21

Simon Gratz 48, Olney 6

Solanco 45, Fleetwood 13

Souderton Area 23, Upper Dublin 6

South Allegheny 14, Steel Valley 7

South Fayette 44, Ringgold 7

Southern Columbia 49, Selinsgrove 19

Southern Huntingdon 51, Clear Spring (MD) 0

Southern Lehigh 55, Salisbury 7

Spring Grove 24, South Western 23

Spring-Ford 42, Upper Perkiomen 21

Springfield-Delco 14, Strath Haven 0

State College Area 42, Harrisburg 20

Steelton-Highspire 49, Upper Dauphin 36

Sun Valley/Northley 21, Delaware County Christian School 13

Susquehanna Township 56, Boiling Springs 0

Susquehannock 42, Kennard-Dale 9

Tamaqua Area 35, Pine Grove Area 0

Thomas Jefferson 28, Peters Township 6

Towanda 50, Wyalusing Area 0

Trinity (7) 20, Bethel Park 0

Trinity 28, West Perry 0

Troy Area 74, Canton Area 13

Twin Valley 28, Cocalico 9

Tyrone 38, Greater Johnstown 12

Union City Area 27, Mercer Area 0

Uniontown 22, Laurel Highlands 7

Unionville 15, Oxford Area 8

United Valley 34, Purchase Line 7

Upper Moreland 42, Hatboro-Horsham 7

Upper Saint Clair 45, West Allegheny 13

Wallenpaupack 27, Valley View 13

Warren Area 55, Bradford Area 28

Warrior Run 13, Milton Area 12

Warwick 21, Manheim Central 10

Washington 35, Fort Cherry 14

Waynesburg Central 55, Valley 8

Wellsboro 41, North Penn-Mansfield 0

West Branch 36, Tussey Mountain 0

West Catholic 26, Conwell-Egan Catholic 20

West Chester Henderson 21, West Chester Rustin 17

West Mifflin 53, Yough 0

West Philadelphia 26, Academy of Palumbo 0

West York 47, Dover Area 6

Western Beaver 27, Neshannock 24

Westmont Hilltop 21, Clearfield Area 20

Whitehall 35, Allentown Central Catholic 21

Williams Valley 28, Tri-Valley 21

Williamsport 42, Wilkes-Barre 34

Wilson West Lawn 43, J.P. McCaskey 12

Woodland Hills 37, Gateway 24

Wyoming Area 28, Pittston Area 20

Wyoming Valley West 17, Crestwood 16

York Catholic 14, Delone Catholic 7

The Mr. PA Football Awards are tentatively scheduled to be presented on January 30, 2027, to the best high school football players in Pennsylvania. There will be two awards presented; one for the Small School Mr. Football, which will consist of Class 1A, 2A, and 3A players, and one for the Big School Mr. Football, which will consist of Class 4A, 5A, and 6A players. The Mr. PA Football Selection Committee will select the players nominated for Mr. PA Football. The Mr. PA Football Selection Committee is comprised of media members as well as coaches. There will be fifty players nominated each round. There will be a total of two-hundred nominees selected for the Small School Mr. Football and two-hundred nominees selected for the Big School Mr. Football by the selection committee on the December 7th nomination deadline.

After the nominations process is completed, the players will be chosen by football fans, sportswriters/ sportscasters, and coaches from around the state.  Fans will be able to vote for their favorite players, and the media panel from major media markets as well as coaches from across the state will be voting for the outstanding players.  Wayde Marsico, Director of the Mr. PA Football Selection Committee, will oversee the selection process.  The fans, the media, and the coaches each represent 1/3 of the vote.

Once more, new classifications have been established by the PIAA in 2016 and as a result Mr. PA Football will continue to classify the Small School Award as 1A-3A, and the Big School Award as 4A-6A.  Also, in addition to the Mr. PA Football Award this year, there will again be a separate category of nominations for the Mr. PA Football Lineman Awards.  The nomination list for the Lineman Awards will be acquired from the nominations for Mr. PA Football.  The Lineman Awards will use the same classifications as Mr. PA Football.  The voting for each round and the winners will be chosen by a selection committee.  Again, the Mr. PA Football Selection Committee is comprised of media members as well as coaches. The Mr. PA Football Lineman Award winners will be announced on January 16, 2027.

Past Mr. PA Football winners are:

4A-6A

2010       Rushel Shell – Hopewell High School & West Virginia University

2011*     Rushel Shell – Hopewell High School & West Virginia University

2011*    Noah Spence – Bishop McDevitt High School & Ohio State University/Eastern Kentucky University

2012       Robert Foster – Central Valley High School & University of Alabama

2013       Andrew Ford – Cedar Cliff High School & Virginia Tech University/University of Massachusetts

2014       Saquon Barkley – Whitehall High School & Penn State University

2015       Miles Sanders – Woodland Hills High School & Penn State University

2016       D’Andre Swift – St. Joseph’s Prep & University of Georgia

2017       Philip Jurkovec – Pine-Richland High School & University of Notre Dame/University of Pittsburgh

2018       Daequan Hardy – Penn Hills High School & Penn State University

2019       Evan Simon – Maheim Central High School & Rutgers University/Temple University

2020       Kyle McCord – St. Joseph’s Prep & Ohio State University/Syracuse University

2021       Nicholas Singleton – Governor Mifflin High School & Penn State University

2022       Stone Saunders – Bishop McDevitt High School & University of Kentucky

2023*     Rico Scott – Bishop McDevitt High School & University of Alabama

2023*    Tiqwai Hayes – Aliquippa High School & Penn State University

2024       Ty Salazer – State College Area High School & University of Delaware

2025       Kemon Spell – McKeesport Area High School & University of Georgia

1A-3A

2010       Desimon Green – Clairton High School & Texas Tech University/ California (Pa.) University

2011       Tyler Boyd – Clairton High School & University of Pittsburgh

2012       Tyler Boyd – Clairton High School & University of Pittsburgh

2013       DeAndre Scott – Imhotep Charter High School & University of Maine

2014       Dominick Bragalone – South Williamsport High School & Lehigh University

2015       Michael Shuster – Camp Hill High School & Penn State University

2016       Lamont Wade – Clairton High School & Penn State University

2017       Robert Kennedy – Jeannette High School & North Carolina State University

2018       Julian Fleming – Southern Columbia High School & Ohio State University/Penn State University

2019       Julian Fleming – Southern Columbia High School & Ohio State University/Penn State University

2020       Josh Hough – Beaver Falls High School & Syracuse University

2021       Gavin Garcia – Southern Columbia High School & Kent State University

2022       Jeff Hoenstine – Central Martinsburg High School & St. Francis University

2023       Alex Erby – Steelton-Highspire High School & Naval Academy

2024       Eli Zimmerman – Northwestern Lehigh High School & Bloomsburg University

2025       Luca Neal – Avonworth High School & West Liberty University

The nomination process is open to all high school football players in Pennsylvania.  Players will be selected by fans, media, and coaches via website voting once the voting process begins.  The votes will be tabulated and the results will be posted on the web site after each timeline listed.  The eligibility regulations and the timeline for the Mr. PA Football Awards voting are listed below.  The following will be the selection process timeline:

Mr. PA Football

All positions are eligible for nominations.

Nov. 02    Nominations Open; Nov. 13 Nominations Round One

Nov. 20    Nominations Round Two; Nov. 27 Nominations Round Three

Dec. 07    Nominations Close

Dec. 08    Fabulous Fifty Open; Dec. 18 Fabulous Fifty Close

Dec. 19    Tremendous Twenty-Five Open; Dec. 28 Tremendous Twenty-Five Close

Dec. 29    Terrific Ten Open; Jan. 07 Terrific Ten Close

Jan. 08     Finalists Open; Jan. 15 Finalists Close

Jan. 16    Winners Open; Jan. 25 Winners Close

*Note: Voting for the next round will start after the results are published from the previous round.

*Note: The nominations deadline and selection process time line for voting are subject to change.

Mr. PA Football Lineman

The eligibility regulations and the timeline for the Mr. PA Football Lineman Awards voting are listed below.  The following will be the selection process timeline:

Any interior lineman who plays Offensive Center, Guard or Tackle; Defensive Nose Guard, Tackle or End are eligible for nomination.

Nov. 02    Nominations Open; Nov. 13 Nominations Round One 

Nov. 20    Nominations Round Two; Nov. 27 Nominations Round Three

Dec. 07    Nominations Close

Dec. 19    Terrific Ten Open; Dec. 28 Terrific Ten Close

Dec. 29    Finalists Open; Jan. 07 Finalists Close

Jan. 08    Winners Open; Jan. 15 Winners Close

Jan. 16    Winners Announced

*Note: Voting for the next round will start after the results are published from the previous round. 

*Note: The nominations deadline and selection process time line for voting are subject to change.

Fans can start voting for their favorite players on December 8, 2026!

NBC and Peacock to Present Live Coverage of 2027 Navy All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 9, 2027, at 1 p.m. ET from
the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 28, 2026 – The Navy All-American Bowl Road to the Dome tour will visit Downingtown East High
School in Exton, Pennsylvania, on October 30th to recognize Abraham Sesay as a 2027 Navy All-American. Downingtown East High School will honor Sesay before classmates, teammates, family, and friends during a school-wide pep rally.

Sesay will play in the annual East vs. West matchup inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 9, 2027, live on NBC and Peacock, which marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the event.

The nationwide Road to the Dome tour will honor 100 All-Americans with live and virtual jersey presentations. The series will be released weekly through social platforms across NBC Sports.

Road to the Dome Event Details:

What: Abraham Sesay to be officially honored as a 2027 Navy All-American and presented with his honorary Navy All-American jersey.

Where:
Downingtown East High School
50 Devon Drive
Exton, PA 19341

When: October 30, 2026

Event Start Time: 11:00 AM ET

About the All-American Bowl
As an NBC Sports-owned property, the All-American Bowl is part of a marquee lineup of elite events that includes the Olympics and Paralympics, the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, Notre Dame Football, the Premier League, and primetime’s #1 show for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years: Sunday Night Football. The All-American Bowl is annually the most-watched, most talked about, and most-prestigious high school all-star event with more than four million unique television viewers and more than 25,000 fans in attendance. The history and tradition of the All-American Bowl is unparalleled, as it features: 665 draft picks; 110 Super Bowl champions; 300 Pro Bowl selections; and 18 Heisman finalists. For more information, visit
nbcsports.com/college-football/navy-all-american-bowl or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram (@AABonNBC).