Jeannette comes up just short in PIAA championship loss to Steelton-Highspire
Written by: Dan Flickinger
November 28, 2020
Tags: Roberto Smith Toby Kline Brad Birch Brett Birch Jimmy Sanders Ryan Kimmel Eli Binakonsky
Jeannette's Jaydin Canady runs for a first down against Steelton-Highspire in the PIAA championship game Friday.
HERSHEY - Jeannette was only 26 yards away from scoring the go-ahead and quite possibly game-winning touchdown. But with just under two minutes remaining, Steelton-Highspire's Damein Hammonds intercepted a pass from Roberto Smith Jr. and returned it for a touchdown to give the Steamrollers the eventual 32-20 victory in the PIAA 1A championship game at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday.
Jeannette had driven from its own 25-yard-line down to the Steelton-Highspire 26 before the intercepted pass. Just a few plays prior to the pick-6, Toby Kline hauled in a screen pass from Smith Jr. and raced 45 yards to the Steamrollers 42. It looked like Kline was going to keep running for a touchdown but Hammonds, who came up with the interception, made a shoe-string tackle that may of prevented Jeannette from winning its third state title.
“I know it stings right now, but there were two teams left in the state finals, and we were one of them,” Jayhawks coach Roy Hall said. “I told them that after the game, but right now it doesn’t register. They accomplished a lot. Honestly, no one ever thought we’d be here, but they were here.”
Jeannette (10-2) got on the board first at the 6:15 mark of the first quarter. Smith Jr., who was playing in place of starter Brad Birch for the second straight game, hit Brett Birch for a 34-yard touchdown pass on a nice, twisting grab by the junior wideout and it was 7-0.
Steelton-Highspire answered just three minutes later as Division I prospect Mehki Flowers brought in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Alex Erby to tie the game.
After a failed faked punt by the Steamrollers in the second quarter, Jeannette took over and completed a 35-yard drive with 4-yard touchdown run by Smith Jr. to give the Jayhawks a 14-7 lead. But late in the second quarter, Steelton-Highspire put together an 82-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Odell Greene with 18 seconds left to tie the game at 14-14 at halftime.
The Steamrollers began the third quarter by going on another long drive, this time 85 yards, which ended with a 24-yard field goal by Bryan Hernandez and gave Steel High its first lead of 17-14 going into the fourth quarter.
With 6:28 remaining in the game, Smith Jr. threw his first of two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, this one was taken back by Daivin Pryor 79 yards to paydirt to extend the Steamrollers advantage to 24-14. Just plays later, however, Jeannette's Jimmy Sanders hauled in a screen pass and raced 47 yards for a touchdown. The extra point clanged off the upright and it was 24-20.
On the ensuing possession for Steelton-Highspire, Greene was finding a lot of running room and was about to put the game away but Ryan Kimmel forced Greene to fumble and Eli Binakonsky recovered to give the Jayhawks one final chance starting from their own 25.
But after moving to the 26 of Steelton-Highspire, Hammonds got his hands on the football and raced to the end zone to end the game.
Smith Jr. completed 22-of-42 passes for 382 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored a rushing touchdown.
“I don’t want to take anything away from what Roberto did for us,” Hall said. “For being a backup quarterback, he stepped in and did a wonderful job. Who knows what would have happened if Brad played?”
Cline caught seven passes for 149 yards while Birch finished with six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. The two also each intercepted a pass on defense.
Jeannette, which beat Clairton in the WPIAL championship game, is now 2-2 all-time in PIAA championship games. The Jayhawks won the state title in 2007 and 2017. In the 2006 state final, Jeannette suffered a one-point loss to Wilson Area in Terrelle Pryor's junior season.
PIAA 1A Championship
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th |
F |
| Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers |
7 |
7 |
3 |
15 |
32 |
| Jeannette Jayhawks |
7 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
20 |