Apr 18, 2015 4 min read

Many high school football fans wondered how South Fayette would respond this season after losing seven starters on both offense and defense, including three linemen, a top tailback and two of the WPIAL’s top wide receivers.

Could it avoid a post-state championship hangover?

It did not take long for the Lions to silence any critics, scoring at least 40 points in every regular-season game, producing a 35-point average margin of victory. Though the Lions were tested in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals by South Park, it was much of the same type of domination in the postseason as in 2013.

The Lions’ high-powered offense, led by record-setting senior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh, rolled through the competition in the postseason. South Fayette defeated Aliquippa, 31-22, in the WPIAL championship game at Heinz Field to win the program’s second consecutive district title.

The state playoffs presented several stern challenges and defenses that were geared toward stopping the Lions’ potent passing game. Those opponents did not account for junior running back Hunter Hayes. The powerful 5-11 tailback ran for 1,168 yards and 12 touchdowns during seven playoff games. He carried the Lions when they needed it the most and finished the season with 2,103 yards and 33 touchdowns. His 198 points were more than 50 teams in the WPIAL.

Arguably no performance was greater than his one on Pennsylvania’s biggest stage – Hersheypark Stadium. Hayes ran for 263 yards – a PIAA championship game record – and two touchdowns, including a 95-yard score late in the third quarter that lifted South Fayette over Dunmore for the PIAA Class AA title. It was the Lions’ second consecutive state title – the first back-to-back Class AA state championships in PIAA history. It extended the Lions’ winning streak to 32 games.

The South Fayette football team will be honored with the Observer-Reporter Sports Headliner trophy at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the Year Banquet April 26 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands. The banquet begins at 5 p.m.

The high school coaches of the year in football, wrestling, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball and Olympic sports will be honored at the banquet along with Special Award and Special Recognition selections, Athletic Director of the Year, TRICADA scholarship recipients, sportsmanship award winners and the Bill Christy Memorial Award selection for exellence in officiating.

Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are on sale at Washington High School, 201 Allison Avenue, Washington, Pa., 15301. Reservations can be made by calling athletic director Joe Nicolella at 724-223-5085, ext. 2091.

All proceeds from the banquet benefit Special Olympics.

South Fyaette’s season saw Brumbaugh named the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Player of the Year after becoming the state’s all-time leading passer. He also set the WPIAL’s single-season touchdown mark. Brumbaugh finished his career with a PIAA record 11,104 passing yards – the first passer in state history to surpass 11,000 career yards – that included 3,728 yards and 42 touchdown passes as a senior. He threw 127 career touchdown passes while completing 63 percent of his throws. South Fayette was 42-2 with Brumbaugh as its starting quarterback.

It was not a one-man show.

South Fayette’s offense averaged 43.9 points per game and featured a talented and deep receiving corps and an offensive line that played playing its senior leader in the state playoffs. The Lions’ defense was key in the postseason run, allowing just 13.6 points a game and frustrating some of the WPIAL’s top running attacks along the way. Led by Penn recruit Logan Sharp, the defense had 51 takeaways. Fourteen players recovered at least one fumble and nine players had interceptions, led by seniors Roman Denson (6) and Jack Relihan (5).

“Our defense is the biggest part of this team,” Brumbaugh said. “Whenever we need to make a play when we’re struggling, we wait on them and they always come up big for us. It was great last year.”