BELLEFONTE, Pa. – The Cathedral Prep Ramblers put on an offensive fireworks display in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A championships on Friday against East Stroudsburg South.
The Ramblers put up 48 points in the first half and scored seven rushing touchdowns en route to a 69-20 win over the Cavaliers.
Mike Parks rushed for three touchdowns, Suhtaun Lewis two and Carter Barnes and Dajoure Hollingsworth one each.
Barnes also accounted for two passing touchdowns, including a 54-yarder to big play man Wakeem Page to open the scoring in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers tied the game 6-6 after a 9-yard touchdown run from Gary Weigle at exactly the midway point of the first quarter.
After that, it was all Ramblers, however, as they scored four touchdowns in the span of seven minutes to take a 33-6 lead.
It started again with Barnes, who called his own number from five yards out to put Prep up for good at 12-6. On the Cavaliers’ next offensive possession, DeMario Crawford intercepted a pass and returned it or a touchdown and the Ramblers were off to the races.
Parks scored on an 8-yard run late in the first quarter and Lewis a 41-yard scamper less than a minute into the second stanza.
Perhaps the most amazing stat in the game was the Ramblers (11-1) ran just 33 offensive plays compared to 89 for East Stroudsburg South. It was of little consequence, however, as Prep averaged 30.8 yards per pass and 11.8 yards per rush.
Parks scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter on runs of 41 and nine yards as the Ramblers took a 48-14 lead into halftime.
With the game well in hand, Lewis added another rushing touchdown (28 yards) and the Barnes to Page connection worked once again for 80 yards in the third quarter.
With the mercy rule in effect, Hollingsworth put the finishing touches on the game with a 40-yard scoring run.
Barnes accounted for 277 yards through the air, 160 of which went to Page. Lewis finished with 69 yards on the ground to lead the Ramblers on just a pair of carries, while Parks had 61 yards on five totes.
The Cavaliers were led by 160 through the air from Rober McClosky, who also had a team-high 85 rushing yards.
Up next for the Ramblers in the PIAA quarterfinals is the winner of Imhotep Charter and Father Judge (12 p.m. Saturday).
PIAA CLASS 6A FIRST ROUND
MCDOWELL 27, ALLDERDICE 13
PITTSBURGH – Trailing 7-3 at halftime, McDowell scored three third-quarter touchdowns to rally past Allderdice out of the Pittsburgh City League in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A championships, 27-13 at Cupples Stadium.
After recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, the Trojans quickly took the lead on a 20-yard touchdown run from Artis Simmons to make it 10-7.
After a turnover on downs, the Trojans took advantage as it was Simmons yet again, this time breaking loose on a 60-yard scoring scamper to make it 17-7 with 8:40 to go in the third quarter.
The third touchdown of the quarter came courtesy of quarterback Ben Moore and receiver Mathew McGregor from 20 yards out. All of a sudden a 4-point halftime deficit was a 24-7 lead for McDowell.
Allderdice scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Azerick Jetter to Cornell Weems.
McDowell’s Alex Sontheimer connected on a pair of field goals in the game, a 21-yarder to account for the Trojans’ only points of the game in the first half and a 44-yarder in the second half.
Simmons had a monster game on the ground, accounting for 220 yards.
The Trojans advance to play the winner of the WPIAL Championship between Mount Lebanon and Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Saturday, 7 p.m.) in the PIAA quarterfinals next week.
