MECHANICSBURG — Central Catholic maybe narrowed the gap with La Salle College since their Week Zero clash, but not enough to deny the Philadelphia Catholic League team a state title.
La Salle’s Owen Johnson caught three touchdown passes, and teammate Joey O’Brien flaunted his five-star talents as the Explorers defeated Central Catholic, 34-20, in the PIAA Class 6A final Saturday night at Cumberland Valley.
The District 12 champions built a 14-minute edge in time of possession, yet the Vikings still had a chance.
They were within a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, until O’Brien intercepted three passes in the final four minutes including a pick-six that the Notre Dame recruit returned 95 yards to the end zone. Rated as the state’s top senior recruit and a five-star safety, O’Brien also caught 10 passes and tossed a touchdown pass.
“They’ve got some really big-time players, and they played big-time in big moments,” Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier said. “We’ve just got to do better. The next time we get the opportunity, we’ve got to make the most of it.”
Missouri-bound quarterback Gavin Sinwar threw two touchdowns to Johnson, and O’Brien tossed the other on a trick play as La Salle (13-1) kept the ball away from Central Catholic for extended stretches.
Running back Ahzir Nelson rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Sinwar completed 21 of 29 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
“Their front seven is really good,” O’Brien said of Central Catholic. “So (the plan) was, spread them out and let our players make plays.”
O’Brien had 98 receiving yards, and Johnson finished with 48 yards on eight catches.
In Week Zero, La Salle scored the first 16 points and won 23-6 at the Wolvarena on Aug. 22. This time, the teams were scoreless after the first quarter and tied 7-7 late into the second.
But merely being competitive with its Philadelphia counterpart in the rematch was little solace for Central Catholic, which lost in the state finals for the second year in a row. Last season, the Vikings lost 35-6 to St. Joseph’s Prep, the Philadelphia Catholic League rival of La Salle.
Central Catholic sophomore Chrys Black Jr., who scored all three of the Vikings’ touchdowns, said he believed the gap had narrowed since Week Zero. He scored on runs of 17 and 5 yards and a 23-yard catch.
“We’re going to be back next year, and I promise you it’s going to be a different outcome,” said Black, who rushed for 61 yards on 14 carries.
Central Catholic ran the ball with success at times — including 42 yards on five carries by Roman Thompson — but the passing game wasn’t always sharp. Sophomore quarterback Owen Herrick completed 14 of 32 passes for 154 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Black led the Vikings with 44 receiving yards on three catches. Aiden Nasiadka (32 yards) and Dominic Perella (31 yards) also had three catches apiece against a stout La Salle secondary that starred the 6-foot-5 O’Brien.
“They present a lot of problems on defense,” Lehmeier said. “They’ve got a lot of length outside of just Joey O’Brien. Those corners are long, and the linebackers get in the windows. They do a really good job. Similar to that first game, they take the air out of the passing game quick.”
Central Catholic, a four-time state champion, was seeking its first title since 2015.
La Salle led 14-7 at halftime behind two second-quarter touchdown catches by Johnson. The sophomore caught an 11-yarder from Sidwar early in the quarter and added a 6-yarder seconds before half.
The Explorers then started the third quarter with a 17-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that consumed nine minutes and ultimately gave them a 21-7 lead. It ended with O’Brien’s trick-play toss to Johnson on fourth-and-goal from the 2.
The long drive helped La Salle finish with a 31-to-17-minute edge in time of possession.
“I thought the momentum in the game really swung in our favor with that opening drive of the second half,” said La Salle coach Brett Gordon, who credited his offensive line, anchored by Notre Dame recruit Grayson McKeough at tackle. “At halftime, they were saying, ‘Let us handle it coach. We’ve got it.’”
Central Catholic answered with its own 13-play, 75-yard drive. A 5-yard touchdown run by Black pulled the Vikings to within 21-14 with 10:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Their chances improved when the defense got a fourth-down stop at its own 28 with 4:38 left. But the Vikings’ hopes for staging a tying drive were dashed when O’Brien picked off a pass near midfield. The turnover set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Nelson, and La Salle led 27-14 with 3:50 left.
About 30 seconds later, O’Brien intercepted another pass, this time all but guaranteeing a La Salle victory. With 1:17 left he picked off a third pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown and a 34-14 lead.
Central Catholic cut into the final deficit with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Herrick to Black with 7 seconds remaining.
“Our kids played hard, we coached hard, we came in here and we gave everything we’ve got,” Lehmeier said. “It just didn’t work out for us tonight.”