PIAA 1A Championship Preview: Jeannette vs. Steelton-Highspire
Written by: Sean Meyers
November 27, 2020
Tags: Brad Birch Roberto Smith Jimmy Sanders Brett Birch Basil Wilson Toby Cline Noah Sanders Jaydin Canady
PIAA Class 1A Championship
Jeannette (10-1) vs. Steelton-Highspire (9-0) Friday at 11 a.m. at Hersheypark Stadium
>> Pregame at 10 a.m. on WSN Audio - LISTEN LIVE
WSN Broadcasters: Brent Whigham and Anthony DeNunzio
About the Jayhawks: Jeannette used a big second half to dispatch of Reynolds 48-12 last Friday. In the win against the District 10 champs, Jeannette outscored the Raiders 27-0 in the third quarter. Starting at quarterback in place of injured freshman Brad Birch, Roberto Smith Jr was 6-of-14 passing for 274 yards and a score, and he also rushed for 34 yards and three touchdowns. Smith connected with just two receivers – Jimmy Sanders, who had three grabs for 192 yards and a score, and Brett Birch, who had three catches for 82 yards. Basil Wilson also scored a rushing touchdown for the Jayhawks, while Brandon Penn scored a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery return. In addition to Brad Birch, who is expected to miss the state title game, Jeannette also played without Toby Cline and Noah Sanders. Birch’s absence creates a big void, as he passed for 1,676 yards and 28 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. Cline, meanwhile, has posted 33 catches for 517 yards and 10 scores, and is expected to return this week. Jimmy Sanders leads Jeannette in receiving yards, with 590, while Brett Birch paces the squad in receptions, with 40. Jaydin Canady, who was one of the stars of the WPIAL Championship win against Clairton, has 306 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the campaign. Jeannette has scored 47.5 points on average this season, while surrendering just 12.3.
About the Steamrollers: Steelton-Highspire edged Bishop Guilfoyle 16-14 on Saturday to advance to the title game. The winning points came off the foot of kicker Bryan Hernandez, who converted a 34-yard field goal in the final minute. The Steamrollers scored all of their points in the final quarter, with star receiver Mehki Flowers accounting for a pair of touchdowns, including an 86-yard reception. Flowers, a junior who ranks as a four-star recruit and top 150 recruit nationally as either a receiver or defensive back, compiled 129 yards receiving and 29 yards rushing in the win. Freshman QB Alex Erby passed for 147 yards, completing half of his 14 attempts. For the season, Erby has amassed more than 2,300 yards passing and 31 TDs. Flowers, meanwhile, has 56 catches for 940 yards and 14 scores, while running back Odell Greene has nearly 1,500 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns, and he produced 129 yards rushing in the semis. Steelton-Highspire averages 43.5 points per game, while permitting 21.0. Head coach Andrew Erby guides the Steamrollers.
About the Matchup: Jeannette is playing in its fourth PIAA Championship, winning titles in 2007 and 2017. It’s the third time for Steelton-Highspire, which captured gold in 2007 and 2008. Both programs boast more than 700 career victories.