HARRISBURG, Pa. — Bishop McDevitt continues its chase for a second straight PIAA Class 4A title Friday night when the undefeated Crusaders face District 2 champion Dallas in a battle of the unbeaten.
The game will be played Friday at 7 p.m. at Northern Lehigh High School in Slatington, Lehigh County. (Click here for directions.)
Friday's winner will face either District 7 champion and perennial state powerhouse Aliquippa (12-0) or District 4 champ Selinsgrove (13-0-1) in the state final, which is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 7 at Cumberland Valley High School.
Here's a preview of Friday night's matchup.
Bishop McDevitt (13-0) vs. Dallas (14-0)
Friday, 7 p.m. at Northern Lehigh High School
ABOUT DALLAS: The Mountaineers survived a dogfight with Philadelphia Catholic League champ Bonner Pendergrast last Friday's state quarterfinals, emerging with a 28-27 overtime victory. Bonner took a 27-21 lead after scoring on its first overtime possession, but an excessive celebration penalty moved the PAT kick back to the 17-yard line, and Dallas blocked the kick.
The Mountaineers then evened the score with a 1-yard TD sneak by quarterback Brady Zapoticky and successfully converted the PAT kick for a walk-off victory.
Dallas survived against a team loaded with Division 1 talent, including Penn State-bound defensive end Mylachi Williams and wideout Jalil Hall. The Mountaineers won despite being outgained 232-196 in total yards.
Zapoticky led the way for Dallas, accounting for three of the Mountaineers' four touchdowns. He completed 10 of 20 passes for 125 yards and hit Gavin Lewis and Zach Paczewski on strikes of 71 and 10 yards, in addition to his 1-yard sneak that helped decide the outcome in overtime. Dylan Geskey was the top rusher for Dallas against Bonner, racking up 55 yards on 19 carries and scoring on a 10-yard run.
Last week's win was the latest in a series of close shaves for Dallas, which has won six games by eight points or less this season.
Located in Luzerne County, Dallas is making its second trip to the state semifinals in the last five years. The last time they got this far was 2019, when the Mountaineers advanced to the title game before falling 46-7 to Thomas Jefferson.
ABOUT BISHOP McDEVITT: Like Dallas, the Crusaders had their hands full in last week's District 3 Class 4A title game, which also served as the state quarterfinals. McDevitt trailed Manheim Central 17-8 early in the fourth quarter, but a pair of touchdowns in a 15-second span helped lift the Crusaders to a 23-17 victory and their 17th district title.
Quarterback Stone Saunders struggled through much of the game, but he delivered when it mattered most. His 43-yard TD bomb to Gage Ruth pulled McDevitt to within two points of the Barons, and after McDevitt forced a fumble on the first play of Central's ensuing possession, he found Rico Scott for a 25-yard TD strike that put the Crusaders ahead for good.
Saunders, a University of Kentucky commit, shook off a 5-of-19 passing performance in the first half to finish with 121 yards and two touchdowns. He went 9-for-17 through the air after halftime, finishing 14 of 36 with a pair of interceptions.
McDevitt also got a boost from its defense, which forced a safety and scored a touchdown on a 66-yard interception return by Chase Regan.
It wasn't pretty, but the Crusaders notched their 13th straight victory this season. Their winning streak is at 26 games dating back to last year.
Saunders (199-305-2, 3,303 yards, 54 TDs this season) is three touchdown passes away from matching the state record for TD throws in a single season, which stands at 57.
Nazir Jones Davis (104-868, nine TDs) and Maurice Barnes (120-697, seven TDs) lead the McDevitt ground attack, while Scott (80-1,281, 22 TDs) and Regan (41-1,031, 10 TDs) are Saunders' top targets.
McDevitt is one win away from reaching the state title game for the third straight year. The Crusaders defeated Aliquippa 41-18 in last year's championship, avenging a 34-27 loss to the Quips in the 2021 state final. McDevitt's only other state title came in 1995, when the Crusaders captured the Class 2A crown.