‘We want each other to succeed’: Two QBs lead State College to PIAA quarterfinal win
North Allegheny had every reason to go back and forth with State College prior to the football game on Friday night.
The Tigers were 11-1 and the Little Lions were 12-0, but State College had beaten a WPIAL opponent just once in 14 tries. That all changed when the Little Lions pummeled the Tigers, defeating them 28-7 and advancing to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals for the second year in a row.
Starting quarterback Finn Furmanek had two rushing touchdowns and backup quarterback Owen Yerka had a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown of his own for State College.
“Coaches are going to put us in the best position,” Yerka said. “(Finn’s) a dog. You’ve got to give him all of the credit, and there’s nothing you can take away from that man. He’s great.”
Their friendship has been one that’s been forged through competition with Yerka leading State College to the state semifinals last season with Furmanek sidelined with an injury. While the two battled it out for a starting position heading into this season, both have continued to confide in one another.
“Whenever there’s two quarterbacks on the field that are competing for a spot, they usually aren’t really friends,” Furmanek said. “But me and Owen are really close friends, and we want each other to succeed. That is what makes us great, I feel like. No other team will know what’s coming.”
State College first got onto the board with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Yerka to Michael Gaul to give the team a 7-0 lead.
The Little Lions added another touchdown on a 32-yard rush by Furmanek, his first of the game, at the 9 minute, 11 second mark in the second quarter. Furmanek pounded into the end zone once again on a 10-yard run with 6:20 left in the first half that gave the Little Lions a 21-0 lead.
Logan Kushner scored North Allegheny’s lone touchdown with a 4-yard rush with 2:13 remaining in the first half for a 21-7 game.
State College fired on all cylinders defensively in the second half. North Allegheny’s deep drive into Little Lions’ territory was halted at the 36 on a turnover on downs. The Tigers following drive was snatched away with a Will Stone interception off of Kushner on fourth down. Kushner was picked off again by Cooper Brushwood right before the fourth quarter.
The North Allegheny quarterback’s night only got worse on the ensuing drive, when he tossed an interception to Ty Salazer on the first play. State College capitalized off of Kushner’s misfortune with Yerka orchestrating a 12-play, 69-yard drive that burned 6:51 off of the clock. Yerka finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown rush to put away the Tigers with 2:32 left in the game.
The Little Lions fell 49-28 on Dec. 4 to Mt. Lebanon in Altoona’s Mansion Park. With State College awaiting the winner of Manheim Township and Mid Penn foe Harrisburg in the semifinals and likely playing the winner at the same stadium, State College head coach Matt Lintal doesn’t want to dwell on the past or peer into the future.
He just wants to live in the moment.
“We’re just staying focused one week at a time. Truly,” Lintal said. “That’s been our thing the whole time — just staying really present and try to feed off of it. That’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to enjoy this and celebrate the win tonight and then move on and get ready for Manheim or Harrisburg.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 11:09 PM.
