Here’s what to know about State College football’s PIAA semifinal matchup with Mt. Lebanon
State College (8-5) is set to take on Mount Lebanon (13-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Class 6A state semifinal game at Altoona’s Mansion Park.
Mount Lebanon began its PIAA playoff run with a 28-17 victory over North Allegheny, followed by a 47-7 win over Central Catholic and a 47-14 rout of McDowell last week.
State College knocked off 12-1 Harrisburg last Saturday in a 16-13 victory. The victory was in large part thanks to the Little Lions’ defense, which came in clutch and had a number of key stops in the fourth quarter.
“This time, it felt good,” State College defensive tackle Justin Castro Dixon said. “We’ve been practicing hard every day and working on new techniques. Their line is big — I’m not going to say it was easy. It was hard. It took a lot of heart and a lot of effort.”
Their play also was paced by physical offensive line play, which paved the way for running back Brady Bendik’s 35 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown, along with quarterback Owen Yerka’s 13 carries for 70 yards. Tight ends Stephen Scourtis and Kyle Kurzinger were able to enter the action in run blocking and watched firsthand as they pushed through the tough defensive line of Harrisburg.
“It felt great,” Kurzinger said. “That’s what helps a team win, for sure. The physicality is definitely a high aspect of our game and we’re going to just keep pushing through.”
With the excitement of the year at hand for State College being front and center, head coach Matt Lintal hasn’t had a chance to look back. The team has won four consecutive games to enter the playoffs and are District 6 Class 6A champions. That still hasn’t been enough for Lintal to be satisfied with, despite being proud of his team.
“I think that we’re still living it, so we’re focusing on the process right now,” Lintal said. “I haven’t taken a whole lot of time to reflect — I probably should, but I think there will be plenty of time for that. Right now it’s been full-steam ahead, focusing on Mount Lebanon and just to trust the process of getting better each and every day, each and every play and making sure these kids are adequately prepared for what lies ahead. Then, if we can trust in that process and let the outcome take care of itself and when it’s all said and done, then we’ll look back and reflect and see how everything really came together for these guys.”
Here’s what to look for in State College’s Class 6A state semifinal game against Mount Lebanon.
Mount Lebanon (13-0) vs. State College (8-5)
Location: Altoona (Mansion Park)
Time: Saturday, 1:00 p.m.
Coaches: Bob Palko (Mount Lebanon), Matt Lintal (State College)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: Mount Lebanon: QB Joey Daniels, RB/LB Alex Tezca, WR/FS Eli Heidenreich, OLB/RB Tommy Boehner, MLB/FB/G Dan King State College: RB Brady Bendik, WR/DB Jashaun Green, OL Michael Dincher, LB JW Scott, LB Jack Roeshot
The Skinny: Mount Lebanon has won every game this season that it has played in. The Blue Devils carry an 8-0 home record, 4-0 away record and are 1-0 on neutral site playing fields. They’ve also outscored opponents 498 to 127, playing a physical brand of defense with a high-flying offense to support them.
The Blue Devils are led by senior quarterback Joey Daniels, who has gone 92-for-158 (58%) on passes for 1,626 yards for 23 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year. Alex Tezca has been the team’s bell cow at running back, with 217 carries for 1,878 yards and 22 touchdowns. Eli Heidenreich also has 51 carries for 560 yards and six touchdowns on the ground to go with 44 catches for 1,025 yards and 15 touchdowns receiving.
Defensively, Heidenreich leads the team with 43 total tackles (38 solo) with one tackle for loss and four interceptions for 66 yards and a fumble recovery. Tommy Boehner leads the team with four sacks on the season and a fumble recovery. He also has 36 tackles (23 solo) with nine for loss.
State College presents a tough defense headed by linebackers JW Scott and Jack Roeshot. Scott has 129 total tackles (81 solo) with four tackles for loss, along with three sacks, four quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. Roeshot has 120 tackles (76 solo) with seven for loss and one sack with nine quarterback hurries. He also has one pass deflection and two fumble recoveries. Senior defensive back Calvin Roan also joins the pair with more than 100 tackles on the season, with 117 total (67 solo), seven passes deflected and two interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Jashaun Green has 33 catches for 533 yards and five touchdowns, adding 20 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown on the year, to go with his interception, two pass deflections and 14 total tackles on defense. Left guard Michael Dincher has mauled defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs alike while paving the way for Bendik, who has 196 carries for 831 yards and six touchdowns.
The winner of this game will advance to the PIAA Class 6A state championship game at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Hersheypark Stadium against the winner of Garnet Valley vs. St. Joseph’s Prep.
