South Fayette going for storybook ending
South Fayette senior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh has spent many nights lying in bed thinking about the Lions becoming the first Class AA team to win back-to-back PIAA titles. He reflects on how much the Lions’ seniors have accomplished over four years.
In middle school, the Class of 2015 was anything but dominant. The group finished 3-6 as eighth graders and didn’t exactly take football seriously.
“We were always fooling around and getting yelled at by the coaches,” said senior Logan Sharp. “As seniors now, we’ve grown so much. It’s great how much the players have matured and to see how everyone has progressed.”
Their high school careers have been anything but a laughing matter. The Lions (15-0) have won back-to-back WPIAL Class AA titles and are on a 31-game winning streak. Today, they will attempt to accomplish the feat that kept Brumbaugh awake.
The 16 seniors will play their final high school football game when the Lions face Dunmore (14-1) for the PIAA Class AA championship at Hershyepark Stadium. Kickoff is noon.
The talk among the seniors has centered on repeating. First it was back-to-back WPIAL titles. Now, the Lions hope to defend the state title.
“For the seniors, it’s our last week of high school football practice,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re all just cherishing it and reminiscing over the years, but we’ve been focused all week and we’re excited about going to Hershey to play for another state title.”
After defeating Imhotep Charter last December to win the state title, the Lions’ senior class was able to go out on top. Sharp, Brumbaugh and the rest of the current seniors want that same feeling to cap their careers.
Sharp remembers watching players such as Justin Watson, Ben Berkovitz and Conner Beck celebrating at midfield. The current seniors made a pact to return to Hershey and bring another state title to South Fayette.
“I told myself last year that this is where I want to be next year,” Sharp said. “I don’t want to go off the field crying after a loss. I want to go off as a winner with a state championship. I’m working as hard as I can to get that trophy. There’s nothing like it. It was great to see how happy those guys were.”
Though it has been 757 days since the Lions lost – to Washington in the 2012 WPIAL semifinals at Chartiers Valley High School – they don’t forget the agony of coming up short.
That loss ended the high school careers of 12 seniors. Tears were shed as the Prexies celebrated a trip to Heinz Field. One thought crossed Brumbaugh’s mind – never again.
“Ever since then, we wanted to be that team that didn’t lose,” Brumbaugh said. “Though we’ve had our backs against the wall sometimes, we never doubted ourselves. We always believed we’d win. That game has definitely driven us to where we never wanted to feel that feeling again.”
South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi stresses how impressed he is with his team’s chemistry. There are plenty of personalities in the Lions’ locker room, but egos are nowhere to be found. Playing sports with one another for more than 10 years can forge the bond necessary to win 31 consecutive games.
Every night, the Lions’ seniors talk through a group text message. The eighth-grade season is often the topic of discussion. Now, the conversation has shifted toward the task at hand – beating Dunmore and finishing like the seniors before them.
“We’ve really connected over the years,” Sharp said. “You grow up with these kids and you get to know all of them just like they are one of your brothers. The whole team is a family. There’s nothing like it.”