Harrisburg Blows Past State College 27-7 To Reach 6A Championship

Written by: Bruce Badgley on Sunday, December 4th, 2022. Follow Bruce Badgley on Twitter.

ALTOONA – Mansion Park in Altoona is as well known for its wild weather as it is for being a classic venue for PIAA football games. The 6A Semifinal matchup between State College and Harrisburg would only add to the legion. The first quarter of driving wind and rain turned into three-quarters of gale-force swirling winds that wreaked havoc on passing games and kicks. Effective running games became the priority in moving the football due to the conditions. After a lackluster first half, Harrisburg exploded on the ground in quarter three to advance to the PIAA 6A Championship topping State College 27-7.

Harrisburg running back Kyle Williams had a performance for the ages. The Senior Temple commit ran around and through State College for four second-half TD’s. The Harrisburg Defense always seemed to be in the right spot all game long State College quarterbacks were pressured all game long and never seemed to have any time in the pocket to find open receivers.

The first quarter was dominated by the weather. A driving wind-whipped rainstorm never let either offense get on track or comfortable. Early in quarter two, State College mounted a drive. D’antae Steffy got into the end zone for a Little Lions 7-0 lead. Slippery turf and howling winds took their toll on the offenses for the remainder of the first half. It remained 7-0 State College as we went to halftime.

Harrisburg took the second half kick and things began to click in the running game. With the offensive line leading the way, the Cougars moved the football. Kyle Williams scored on a 33-yard TD run. Williams then added the two-pointer to give Harrisburg an 8-7 advantage. After a quick three-and-out, the Harrisburg offense struck again. Williams plowed in from the one and ther was now a 14-7 Cougar lead. The State College offense again was stymied by the Cougar defense. Harrisburg made it three TDs on three third-quarter possessions with Kyle William’s electrifying 49-yard TD run to make it 20-7.

Kyle Williams scored his fourth TD of the game for Harrisburg on a one-yard run in quarter four. It then turned into a game of keep-away as the Cougars secured a 27-7 victory. Harrisburg moves on to play powerhouse St. Joe’s Prep in the 6A Championship Saturday at 6 PM. The loss was the only blemish to an outstanding season for State College.

Scoring Summary