After three straight losses here in the WPIAL finals, three words summed up Central Catholic’s mood this week: “Enough is enough.”
This time, the Vikings were too much.
Top-seeded Central Catholic scored on its first five possessions, played stifling defense and enacted the mercy rule early in the third quarter of a 45-14 win over No. 2 North Allegheny in the WPIAL 6A final Saturday night at Norwin.
The title was the ninth for Central Catholic (10-2) but the team’s first since 2020.
“Enough was enough,” said senior quarterback Jy’Aire Walls, who passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more. “Three years losing. Enough was enough. We came out here and knew what we had to do. We had to dominate, so that’s what we did.”
They scored the first 45 points.
North Allegheny (10-2) was a two-time defending champion, but any thoughts of a third straight title at Central Catholic’s expense vanished very quickly.
Central Catholic needed just one play.
Walls connected with wide receiver Bradley Gompers for a 45-yard touchdown pass on their first snap, foreshadowing what laid ahead. Walls passed for 213 yards and running back Elijah Faulkner rushed for 190.
“The theme of the week was, ‘Enough is enough,” said Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier, in his second season with the Vikings. “We wanted to come out here and put our best foot forward. … I challenged the kids, saying we’re going to play their best football game. I thought we did.”
Central Catholic was making its sixth straight appearance in the finals, but recent history wasn’t on the Vikings’ side. They’d lost to North Allegheny 44-41 last year and 35-21 in 2022. Mt. Lebanon won the 2021 title over Central Catholic, 47-7.
“Ever since I got to Central, I’ve always dreamed of bringing back another championship,” said Xxavier Thomas, a four-year starter and Penn State recruit. “This feeling right now is unlike anything I’ve felt before. It’s super surreal. I couldn’t be more blessed.”
With a 7-0 lead, Central Catholic scored touchdowns on its next three possessions. Walls scored on a 2-yard run and threw touchdown passes to Thomas (13 yards) and junior Maceo Watkins (32 yards).
The Vikings led 31-0 once kicker Billy Lech made a 44-yard field goal on their fifth drive with 8:35 left before halftime.
“They were really fast tonight. They were in sync. They were on from the beginning,” North Allegheny coach Art Walker said. “And it obviously wasn’t our night.”
North Allegheny was trying to become the first team to win three consecutive 6A titles.
“We’re not going to be defined by 48 minutes for the three years these seniors put in,” Walker said.
Central Catholic scored twice in the third quarter to enact the 35-point mercy rule. An 8-yard touchdown run by senior Elijah Faulkner and a 1-yard run by Walls pushed the lead to 45-0.
“The mindset was just don’t get complacent,” Faulkner said. “We were coming to ball. We knew they weren’t ready for us.”
Faulkner rushed for 190 yards on 28 carries. This was his third championship appearance.
“Of course last year was motivation,” Faulkner said. “But the past is the past. We wanted this for ourselves and this team.”
With the clock running under the mercy rule, North Allegheny broke the shutout with a couple of touchdown passes by backup quarterback Jackson Failla. The junior threw a 7-yarder to James Donaldson in the third quarter and a 76-yarder to Colman Craft in the fourth.
But the Tigers were already in a deep hole.
They’d managed only 13 yards and one first down on 26 plays before halftime. NA quarterback Brady Brinkley was sacked three times. Central Catholic had rolled up 322 yards and 14 first downs before the break.
“It’s unbelievable, the resiliency and the resolve of these kids,” Lehmeier said. “In moments like this, you’re at a loss for words.”