HERSHEY, Pa. — The previous time Pine-Richland had played at Hersheypark Stadium, the Rams were involved in what was considered one of the greatest games in PIAA championship history.
This one might deserve to go in the same class. But unfortunately for Pine-Richland, the result was the same.
The Rams came close to pulling off the greatest comeback in PIAA championship history Saturday night, but came up short, losing to St. Joseph’s Prep of Philadelphia, 49-41.
A handful of PIAA championship records were broken in the game. So was Pine-Richland’s winning streak as the Rams finished 15-1. The Rams were trying to win their first PIAA title after losing to Manheim Central, 39-38, in double overtime in 2003 on a snow-covered field. Pine-Richland lost because of a missed extra point in the second overtime.
An extra point was crucial this time, too. Pine-Richland trailed by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter before making a furious comeback. When D’Ondre Gastion caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Ben DiNucci with 2:15 left in the game, the Rams pulled within 42-41. Pine-Richland could have kicked the extra point and tied the score, but coach Eric Kasperowicz decided to go for the lead.
DiNucci’s pass for the 2-point conversion, however, was intercepted in the end zone.
“I thought we had all the momentum. That’s why we made the decision to go for two,” Kasperowicz said. “That’s how we played all year, free flowing and letting it all go.”
Kasperowicz said he decided when the possession started that he would go for two if the Rams scored.
“I had some bad memories of that 2003 game,” he said.
But 21 years ago, Kasperowicz ran for a 2-point conversion late in the game as North Hills’ quarterback to give the Indians a 15-14 victory against Central Bucks West in a PIAA title game.
“I didn’t think of that until afterward,” Kasperowicz said outside a quiet Pine-Richland locker room. “You win some and you lose some.”
DiNucci said, “To be completely honest, what are you going to say? Obviously, we wanted to tie the game, but, for coach to have that much confidence in us to go for two, whatever he called was good.”
After the failed 2-point conversion, Pine-Richland failed to recover an onside kick, and, three plays later, St. Joseph’s D’Andre Swift ran 47 yards for a touchdown. St. Joseph’s gave Pine-Richland a Swift kick a number of times in the game. Swift rushed for 226 yards on 23 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Pine-Richland wouldn’t go away, though.
The Rams took the kickoff and moved to the St. Joseph’s Prep 25 with 2.9 seconds left. But DiNucci’s pass into the end zone was intercepted.
“We know we left a legacy on this program,” DiNucci said. “We lost, but, heck, that was the most fun I ever had playing in a game.”
The 90 points scored by the two teams was the second highest in a Class AAAA final and the 1,147 yards for both teams was a championship-game record. DiNucci completed 32 of 46 passes for a championship-game record 383 yards. Early in the second half, DiNucci became the first quarterback in Pennsylvania history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. His four touchdown passes tied a record for the finals set by Berwick’s Ron Powlus in 1992.
Pine-Richland receiver Mike Merhaut also set a finals record with 14 receptions. Merhaut, Gastion and Anthony Battaglia all had 100 yards receiving.
“The game was just nuts,” Kasperowicz said.
St. Joseph’s (11-3) won its second consecutive PIAA title as the Hawks finished with 334 rushing yards.
St. Joseph’s scored the first two touchdowns, but Pine-Richland came back and tied it, 14-14, at halftime. St. Joseph’s Prep appeared in control when it took a 42-21 advantage in the third quarter.
“But I knew our guys had no quit in them,” Kasperowicz said. “That’s just the way they are.”
For more on high school sports, go to “Varsity Blog” at www.post-gazette.com/varsityblog. Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1975 and Twitter @mwhiteburgh.
First Published: December 14, 2014, 2:24 a.m.
Updated: December 14, 2014, 3:50 a.m.
