Dec 8, 2002 4 min read

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) – Hopewell didn’t reach the PIAA Class AAA championship game by passing the ball. Once they got there, they weren’t about to start. With zero passing yards, Mike Bruce rushed for two touchdowns and Paul Posulszny ran for a third as Hopewell beat Strath Haven 21-10 Friday night for its first state championship.

“We believe in what we do here, and that’s not passing the ball,” Hopewell coach David Vestal said. “Our offensive line came off the ball, and it was unbelievable. They couldn’t stop us.”

Hopewell (14-1) led 7-3 in the third quarter when Bruce sprinted 44 yards to give the Vikings a first-and-10 on the Strath Haven 13-yard line. Two plays later, Bruce went through the middle again, muscling his way 6 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead with 10:56 left in the third quarter.

It was Hopewell’s first time playing in the state championship game. Strath Haven (14-1) was runner-up last year and won the AAA title in 1999 and 2000.

Lenny Carter ran 10 yards on a sweep around the left side to bring the Panthers within 14-10 midway through the third quarter.

But Bruce answered with a 4-yard TD run to make it 21-10 with 2:15 left in the third.

Posulszny, who has verbally committed to play for Penn State next year, finished with 167 rushing yards, and Bruce had 118.

Class AAAA

Parkland 34, Woodland Hills 12 – Austin Scott rushed for 251 yards and five touchdowns Saturday to lead Parkland to victory over Woodland Hills in the PIAA Class AAAA championship game.

Scott’s rushing yards set a record for all PIAA championship games, and his season total of 3,859 yards easily give him the state rushing record. The previous single-season record was 3,089 yards set in 1995 by James Mungro of East Stroudsburg.

Scott, a Penn State recruit, scored a touchdown on the game’s first play, sweeping to the right, finding the corner, then sprinting almost untouched 61 yards into the end zone. Chris Rossman’s PAT kick was wide left, giving Parkland (14-1) a 6-0 lead.

It was the second year in a row Woodland Hills (14-1) lost in the title game. Last year, the Wolverines were beaten 21-7 by Neshaminy.

Woodland Hills used two big plays to take a second-quarter lead. First, Justin Oliver wrestled a catch away from Trojan defensive back Sean Reed on the right sideline, then ran 68 yards for a touchdown to tie the game 6-6.

Later, Ryan Mundy caught a punt at midfield, found a seam, broke three tackles and ran 50 yards into the end zone for a 12-6 lead.

Class A

Southern Columbia 31, Rochester 6 – Matt Murdock caught an interception and a 49-yard touchdown pass from Mark Wojtowicz in the second quarter as the Tigers beat Rochester in the PIAA Class A championship game Friday.

Southern Columbia (13-2) had reached the championship game in eight of the last nine seasons, missing out only in 1997. But this was the Tigers’ first title since 1994, when they beat Western Beaver 49-6.

Rochester (12-3) is the team that denied Southern Columbia in three of the last four years. The Rams, who beat Southern Columbia in the 1998, 2000 and 2001 title games, could have been just the third team ever to win three consecutive state championships.

“They got a few breaks when they needed them, and they capitalized. We didn’t,” said Rochester coach Gene Matsook. “That allowed them to get out to a big lead that we couldn’t overcome.”

Class AA

Mount Carmel 18, Seton-LaSalle 13 – Drew Letcavage had a 63-yard touchdown catch and made an interception to put the game away as the Red Tornados (15-0) defeated Seton-La Salle on Saturday.

Seton-La Salle (14-1) came within 18-13 when Joe DelSardo made a 28-yard touchdown catch with 3:35 left. DelSardo had five catches for 97 yards on the drive.

But the Rebels couldn’t get to the onside kick, and Mount Carmel (15-0) ran the clock down to 1:04 before giving up the ball on downs.

Seton-La Salle had one last chance, starting on their own 32-yard line. But Letcavage intercepted Anthony Doria’s third-down pass, allowing the Red Tornados to run out the clock for the win.

Doria, pressured all day by Mount Carmel’s blitzing defense, threw for 196 yards, completing 18 of 31 with two interceptions.

“He was getting hit hard, and they kept coming,” Rebels coach Lou Cerro said. “But he stayed in there and tried to make plays. He’s been like that all year. If you throw for almost 3,000 yards, you’re doing something right.”

Doria scored the Rebels first touchdown on a 1-yard run, making it 12-7 late in the third quarter. Carmen Connolly set up the score with 56 all-purpose yards on the 75-yard drive.