1996 PIAA Class AAA Football Championship
December 6, 1996 at Altoona Mansion Park Stadium
Berwick 34 Blackhawk 13
| Team Statistics | Berwick | Blackhawk |
| Rushing Yards | 214 | 151 |
| Passing Yards | 123 | 109 |
| Total Yards | 337 | 260 |
| First Downs | 13 | 11 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 3-8 | 2-11 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties | 3-34 | 5-50 |
| Punts | 3-107 | 5-150 |
Berwick was in search of their third straight state championship while Blackhawk was seeking their first title in three tries. In 1992, the Bulldogs caged the Cougars for a 33-6 victory in the Class AAA final.
Leading by just five points (18-13) entering the final frame, Coach George Curry’s group just made a defensive stop on a 3rd and 7 run play by Trent Wissner, stopping #29 just inches short of the first down marker. Following an 18-yard punt, the Bulldogs marched down the field on four plays to score on a 24-yard run by Bryan Smith to give the Dawgs some breathing room, 24-13. After a 3-and-out by the Cougars, Berwick utilized a 7-play, 41-yard drive en route to a Jeremy Chapin 40-yard field goal.
Down 14, Blackhawk mounted one last gasp. Cougar quarterback Mike Arbogast was picked off by Jerry Superko, who returned the interception 73-yards to pay dirt to give the Bulldogs another championship and their 40th win in a row.
It was a game in which Blackhawk turned the ball over three times and allowed Berwick to recover a kickoff on their own 4-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Blackhawk’s wide out Mark Cokain fumbled a catch which was recovered by the Bulldogs’ leading tackler, Jeremiah Dyer. One play later, Bryan Smith scampered 12-yards for the game’s first score. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, the Cougars did not touch the ball and the hustling Dawgs were able to recover and set up another Smith six-pointer.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Berwick – Bryan Smith, 12-yard TD run (kick failed) – Berwick, 6-0
Berwick – Bryan Smith, 1-yard TD run (pass failed) – Berwick, 12-0
Blackhawk – Trent Wissner, 8-yard TD run (Trent Wissner kick) – Berwick, 12-7
Second Quarter
Berwick – Bryan Smith, 51-yard TD catch from Jeremy Chapin (run failed) – Berwick, 18-7
Blackhawk – Nate Stewart, 1-yard TD run (kick failed) – Berwick, 18-13
Fourth Quarter
Berwick – Bryan Smith, 24-yard TD run (pass failed) – Berwick, 24-13
Berwick – Jeremy Chapin, 40-yard FG – Berwick, 27-13
Berwick – Jerry Superko, 73-yard INT return for TD (Chapin kick) – Berwick, 34-13
| Passing Leaders | COMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
| Jeremy Chapin (Berwick) | 5 | 9 | 123 | 1 | 0 |
| Mike Arbogast (Blackhawk) | 7 | 16 | 109 | 0 | 2 |
| Rushing Leaders | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Bryan Smith (Berwick) | 16 | 82 | 5.1 | 3 |
| Tom Lockard (Berwick) | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 0 |
| Ryan Mason (Berwick) | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 0 |
| Roy James (Berwick) | 8 | 25 | 3.1 | 0 |
| Nate Stewart (Blackhawk) | 13 | 82 | 6.3 | 0 |
| Trent Wissner (Blackhawk) | 15 | 55 | 3.7 | 1 |
| Adam Smith (Blackhawk) | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Receiving Leaders | REC | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Bryan Ament (Berwick) | 3 | 56 | 18.7 | 0 |
| Bryan Smith (Berwick) | 1 | 51 | 51.0 | 1 |
| Kip McCabe (Berwick) | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 |
| Mark Cokain (Blackhawk) | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 |
| Chad Marsilio (Blackhawk) | 2 | 50 | 25.0 | 0 |
| Nate Stewart (Blackhawk) | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 |
| Quarterback Sack Leaders | QB Sacks |
| Ryan Mason (Berwick) | 2.0 |
| Josh Myers (Blackhawk) | 1.0 |
| Interception Leaders | INT |
| Jerry Superko (Berwick) | 2 |
Starting Lineups
Berwick Offense
QB – Jeremy Chapin
TB – Bryan Smith
FB – Ryan Mason
WR – Bryan Ament
WR – Kip McCabe
TE – J.D. Stanley
T – Gus Felder
T – Micah Hannah
G – John Ohl
G – Manny Henrie
C – Bob Uram
Berwick Defense
DE – Barney Bowman
DE – J.D. Stanley
NG – Tim Schecterly
DT – Manny Henrie
DT – Ryan Mason
LB – Jeremiah Dyer
LB – Percy Hayes
CB – Leroy Spencer
CB – Tom Lockard
S – Tim Mason
S – Jerry Superko
Blackhawk Offense
QB – Mike Arbogast
TB – Nate Stewart
FB – Adam Smith
WR – Mark Cokain
FL – Chad Marsilio
TE – Bo Campbell
T – Paul Ondrusek
T – Craig Saunders
G – Brian Bell
G – Bryan Lodovico
C – Pat Davis
Blackhawk Defense
DE – Josh Myers
DE – Mike Arbogast
NG – Mark Shansky
DT – Paul Ondrusek
DT – Bo Campbell
LB – Adam Smith
LB – Bryan Lodovico
CB – Chad Marsilio
CB – Nate Stewart
S – Mark Cokain
S – Dane Hesing
Stats are unofficial
