HARRISBURG, Pa. — District 3 championships are worth savoring, even when they become an almost yearly occurrence.
But you can excuse Bishop McDevitt's players if it didn't take long for them to set their sights on a larger prize after last week's dominating 48-14 win over Exeter Township in the district's 5A title game.
The victory gave the Crusaders their fourth straight district crown and their first as a Class 5A team. It also tied them with Manheim Central for a record 18th district championship in the program's proud history.
But the postseason continues, and McDevitt is on to the next challenge.
And it's a big one.
The Crusaders will take on perennial state title contender Pine-Richland in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals Friday at Altoona's Mansion Park.
The Rams have won three Class 5A state titles since 2017, the most recent coming two seasons ago. They knocked off Peters Township 20-9 last week to capture their ninth WPIAL championship.
Here's a look at Friday's matchup.
Bishop McDevitt (12-2) vs. Pine-Richland (11-1)
Friday, 7 p.m. at Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona
ABOUT PINE-RICHLAND: The Rams opened the season with seven straight victories before suffering their only loss, a 28-21 setback against Class 6A playoff qualifier North Allegheny on Oct. 18. Since then, Pine-Richland has won four in a row.
Pine-Richland hangs its hat on a defense that allowed just 11.9 points per game in the regular season. In last week's WPIAL final, the Rams held Peters Township scoreless after halftime, forced two turnovers, and had 13 tackles for loss -- including four sacks.
For the season, Pine-Richland's defense has 32 sacks, 16 fumble recoveries, and 10 interceptions.
The Rams have recorded three shutouts this season and have given up just 16 points in three playoff games.
On offense, sophomore quarterback Aaron Strader has completed 80 of 147 passes for 1,561 yards and 18 touchdowns. He's also got 328 yards and four TDs on the ground.
Junior Maclane Miller powers the Rams' ground game, with 1,279 yards and 15 scores on 223 carries. Jay Timmons is Pine-Richland's top receiving threat, with 34 catches for 687 yards and four scores.
The Rams average 314.6 yards and 35.6 points per game.
ABOUT BISHOP McDEVITT: After rolling to three straight District 3 Class 4A titles since 2021, the Crusaders won their first crown as a 5A team with last week's 48-14 triumph over Exeter. Now McDevitt can fully concentrate on its quest to add a third state championship to its crowded trophy case.
If the Crusaders are successful, it will be largely due to senior quarterback Stone Saunders, who is wrapping up a brilliant four-year career under center. The University of Kentucky recruit is the first QB in Pennsylvania history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in four straight seasons, surpassing the milestone this year with a 163-yard performance in the win over Exeter.
This season, Saunders has thrown for 3,157 yards and 43 touchdowns. For his four-year career, he has 13,299 passing yards, and is just 263 yards short of the state career passing yardage record set by Steel-High's Alex Erby last season.
Saunders' 199 career passing touchdowns is already a state mark.
And yet he's far from McDevitt's only weapon. Wideouts Dominic Diaz-Ellis (69-1279, 15 TDs) and Jontai Quick (57-1,051, 14 TDs) are already over the 1,000-yard plateau for the season, while running back Nazir Jones-Davis (152-1,312, 16 TDs) is a big-play threat on the ground.
McDevitt averages 433 yards and 40.7 points per game. Other than a 35-33 loss to Harrisburg in Week 2 and a wild, 58-55 setback against State College on Oct. 25, the Crusaders have been unstoppable.
Friday's winner will face either District 1 champ West Chester Rustin (13-1) or District 12 champ Roman Catholic (10-4) in the PIAA title game on Friday, Dec. 6 at Cumberland Valley High School.
