2024 PIAA Class 4A Championship Preview: Lampeter-Strasburg (14-0) vs. Bonner Prendergast (11-2)

Each year brings a new level of uniqueness when the Pennsylvania high school football community converges on Chapman Field at Cumberland Valley High School the first week of December for the PIAA state championships.

This year is no different.

Last year, four state champions returned to defend their titles. This year, there is only one, two-time defending Class 6A state champion St. Joseph’s Prep, which is looking to threepeat.

For the first time ever, there will be three Philadelphia Catholic League teams in the state finals: St Joe’s Prep (6A), Roman Catholic (5A) and Bonner Prendergast (4A). Last year, there were three programs that reached the state finals for the first time in school history. This year, that number has doubled to six, which includes District 9 1A champion Port Allegany, District 4 2A champion Troy, District 9 2A champion Central Clarion, District 3 4A champion Lampeter-Strasburg, District 12 4A titlist Bonner Prendergast and District 12 5A champion Roman Catholic.

Last year, eight of the 12 teams involved in the state championships were undefeated. This year, that’s been cut to five: Port Allegany (14-0),

Troy (15-0), Central Clarion (14-0), Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) and Lampeter-Strasburg (14-0). Of the 12 teams competing in the states this weekend, eight have never won a state title, and that includes three games that will crown a first-time state champion: Class 2A Troy-Central Clarion, 3A Avonworth-Northwestern Lehigh and the 4A game between Lampeter-Strasburg and Bonner Prendergast, along with 5A Roman Catholic and 1A Port Allegany.

Until this season, neither of the Class 2A finalists, Troy and Central Clarion, along with Roman Catholic and Lampeter-Strasburg, ever won a state playoff game.

While at Class 6A, nothing it seems impedes Philadelphia heavyweight St. Joseph’s Prep. The Hawks were considered a young team entering this season and have grown considerably as the year has progressed. St. Joe’s Prep will be making its ninth-straight championship appearance, going for its second threepeat in program history, sixth state title in seven years, and its ninth state title overall in the last 12 years. The Hawks top the list of large school state champions (8—two at 4A and six as a 6A) since the PIAA instituted the state high school playoff system in 1988. Since the 6A system was incorporated in 2016, St. Joe’s Prep has been involved in every Class 6A state championship.

Of the 12 teams playing in the state championship this weekend, for the first time in PIAA state championship history, District 12 leads all areas with three teams from the same league (Bonner-Prendergast, Roman Catholic and St. Joe’s Prep), followed by two teams each from District 7 (Avonworth, Pittsburgh Central Catholic), District 9 (Port Allegany, Central Clarion) and District 3 (Lampeter-Strasburg, Bishop McDevitt), and one each from District 4 (Troy), District 6 (Bishop Guilfoyle) and District 11 (Northwestern Lehigh).

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball [twitter.com].

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Class 4A Thursday 7 p.m. at Cumberland Valley

(D-3) Lampeter-Strasburg (14-0) vs. (D-12) Bonner Prendergast (11-2)

Not many expected this. Statewide, the anticipation was for a Thomas Jefferson-Bonner Prendergast title clash, but the Pioneers of Lampeter-Strasburg crashed the party with a comeback 20-16 victory over Jefferson, after trailing 16-3 at halftime. Things were so bad for Lampeter-Strasburg that it was limited to a mere 11 yards of total offense in the half and just four plays in the second quarter. Pioneers’ senior quarterback Caileb Howse then put the team on his back and pulled them to a second-half comeback, rushing for one score and throwing for another. Lampeter-Strasburg kicker Peter Fiorello is a weapon, who booted 19- and 31-yard field goals. This is the first time for both Lampeter-Strasburg and Bonner Prendergast in the state finals. The Friars and St. Joe’s Prep, however, hold a unique distinction over the other 12 teams in the state championships this week—as the only two teams to have beaten a state finalist, District 12 5A champion Roman Catholic, this season. Bonner Prendergast’s only two losses this season have come against arguably the best two teams in the state, two-time Class 6A champion St. Joe’s Prep and District 12 6A runner-up La Salle. Undefeated Lampeter-Strasburg has not faced any team on its schedule comparable to Prep or La Salle. Can the Pioneers contain the Bonner Prendergast’s explosive tailback tandem of Saalem Frink and Mikhail Johnson, who combined for 326 yards and 6 touchdowns in the Friars’ overpowering 55-26 state semifinal win over District 11 champ Southern Lehigh? Who will match up with Bonner Prendergast’s West Virginia-bound 6-foot-3, 180-pound wide receiver/defensive end Jalil Hall? How will Lampeter-Strasburg deal with the Friars’ speed?