Quaker Valley, Pine-Richland win PIAA titles
HERSHEY – Jordan Taylor rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns while Quaker Valley’s defense held through steady snow and as the Quakers defeated Middletown 41-24 in the PIAA Class 3A Football championship game Saturday afternoon at Hersheypark Stadium.
Middletown’s second straight appearance in the 3A final ended nearly even to its first, when WPIAL champ Beaver Falls took a 30-13 victory.
This time, WPIAL champion Quaker Valley (14-1) used stellar play by quarterback Ricky Guss and a strong defense that held the Blue Raiders to 148 total yards through three quarters. Middletown scored two late touchdowns.
Taylor’s 34-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring, and Guss countered a 55-yard punt return by Middletown’s Tre Leach with consecutive scoring strikes to Ethan Moore. The latter had 98 receiving yards on five catches.
Guss, who was six of 14 passing for 104 yards in the snowy conditions, also rushed for 97 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Taylor’s 35-yard run pushed Quaker Valley’s lead to 28-7 early in the second half.
Lamar Venture’s 70-yard scoring in final quarter mad ehim Middletown’s leading rusher. Brady Fox finished with 56 yards on 18 carries.
Middletown quarterback Scott Ash was 0-for-7 with two interceptions in the opening half.
The championship capped an unlikely season for Quaker Valley. The Quakers’ head coach resigned 18 days before the start of the season.
Pine-Richland 41, St. Joseph’s Prep 21: Standout quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Notre Dame recruit, led Pine-Richland to a dominant 41-21 victory over St. Joseph’s Prep in the PIAA Class 6A championship came Saturday night.
Jurkovec had five total touchdowns, including four rushing and one passing.
Jurkovec completed 16 of 26 passes for 191 yards in the snow. He also ran for 84 yards on 19 attempts as the Rams won their second state championship.
Jordan Crawford had a 12-yard TD run for Pine-Richland.
St. Joseph’s Prep outgained Pine-Richland in the first half but didn’t have much offense in the second half until late in the fourth quarter.