ALTOONA — Not many people gave Central Catholic a chance going into its PIAA Class 6A semifinal matchup Saturday at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona against defending state champion St. Joseph’s Prep.

After all, the Hawks have won four of the past six PIAA championships in the largest classification and came into the game ranked No. 22 in the country by USA Today. They beat the Vikings in both the 2013 and 2016 PIAA championship games, and neither matchup was close. Even with junior quarterback and Ohio State recruit Kyle McCord out nursing a knee injury, most expected St. Joe’s to run over Central Catholic on its way back to Hershey.

Instead, the Vikings (12-2) gave the Hawks the fight of their lives — only to come up just short. After tying the game on a fourth-down touchdown pass with 15 seconds left, St. Joe’s (12-2) emerged victorious in overtime from one of the most exciting state playoff games in recent memory, 31-24.

Wide receiver-turned-quarterback Malik Cooper scored on a 5-yard run in overtime for the Hawks, then St. Joe’s defensive back Keenan Nelson Jr. made an interception at the goal line to seal the win.

“It was a roller-coaster ride, but our kids, they stick together,” Hawks first-year coach Tim Roken said. “They trust and love in each other and us as coaches and the scheme that we have, and they were able to battle.”

Central Catholic running back Eddy Tillman ran for 142 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries to finish his senior season with 2,047 yards and 26 scores. Vikings quarterback Dom Pieto completed 9 of 21 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, and also had a 40-yard touchdown run in the defeat.

“I can’t say enough about how Dom has played this year and today from where he came from as a junior,” Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. “He was great today.”

Cooper played a phenomenal game in McCord’s place, completing 21 of 24 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown while also adding a 37-yard rushing score. Roken thrust Cooper into the starting role under center when McCord injured his knee in a district semifinal game, and he had mostly been used as a run-first quarterback before Saturday’s game.

“I’m just speechless right now,” Cooper said. “The feeling is amazing. I had no doubt in my team from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, St. Joe’s star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer and also an Ohio State recruit, caught seven passes for 124 yards — none bigger than the spectacular 12-yard touchdown grab he made in the back right corner of the end zone to send the game to overtime.

“I was just trying to make a play for my teammates,” Harrison Jr. said. “The seniors wanted to end their season off right, so I just tried to be great.”

After John Opalko made a 33-yard field goal to put the Vikings on the board first, the Hawks flexed their muscles with a four-play, 72-yard touchdown drive capped off by Cooper’s 37-yard scamper. Pieto answered with a 40-yard touchdown run of his own to put Central Catholic back on top, 10-7.

Antonio Chadha then nailed a 26-yard field goal to tie the game before Blake Romano intercepted a pass by Pieto that was batted at the line of scrimmage. That set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Sahmir Hagans on the very next play, and St. Joe’s took a 17-10 lead into the break.

With the Vikings trailing, 17-10, early in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Sharod Lindsey soared up and made a contested catch on a deep pass from Pieto, then outran everybody into the end zone for a game-tying 51-yard score. Central Catholic then forced a turnover on downs, and Pieto led the Vikings down the field for a go-ahead score with 2:46 to play as Tillman raced in from 19 yards out.

The Hawks then needed Cooper to lead them 82 yards down the field to send the game to overtime, and that’s exactly what the backup quarterback did — with a little help from an other-worldy catch by his go-to receiver.

“We practice getting a foot in bounds each day at practice, so hard work paid off right there,” Harrison Jr. said.

Going into the matchup, Totten said he believed these were the two best teams in the state. Even in defeat, the thrilling nature of Saturday’s game certainly didn’t alter that perception.

“My guys came in and battled. They battled all day,” Totten said. “The way it went down, it could very well be [my most painful loss] … It’s something we’ll always remember. I think this, in essence, was the state championship.”

First Published: November 30, 2019, 11:19 p.m.