On the final day of the season, St. Joe’s Prep will compete for state football supremacy for the eighth consecutive year.
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The Hawks advanced to the PIAA 6A championship next Saturday night at Cumberland Valley High School after dominating from the first snap of Friday night’s game in Coatesville, defeating District 1’s Downingtown West 36-7.
This is how SJP completed the task.
The stars
In place of Ohio State recruit Isaiah West, SJP running back Khyan Billups was a bellcow that evening, carrying 23 times for 101 yards and two scores.
Charlie Foulke, the quarterback, completed 17 of 31 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns.
Jett Harrison caught three passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, and Jamir Rowe caught three passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. For 31 yards and a touchdown, Rameir Hardy also had four catches.
Penn State pledges In the first half, the Hawks defense outscored the Whippets 50-15 thanks to Cam Smith’s recovery of a fumble and kept Downingtown to 28 running yards and 169 total yards.
At the very end of the third quarter, Darian Smith scored the only touchdown for Downingtown West, a 47-yard pass.
The Whippets had an intercepted pass from Max Wolfington.
Moments that decide a game
With a deliberate drive that culminated in a Rowe 44-yard pass touchdown from Foulke, St. Joe’s Prep got off to a fast start.
SJP would make a field goal to take a 10-0 lead after the Whippets made a stop after one of their monster 20-yard passes.
After Billups punched it in from a yard out, the Hawks would force another stop and march straight back down the field.
After forcing a missed field goal on the following possession after a mishandled snap, Downgintown appeared to have gained some momentum.
The Hawks would score on their next two drives to put the game out of reach and establish the mercy rule to start the third when the Whippets fumbled the very next snap.
Next up
Next Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School at 7 p.m., St. Joe’s Prep will play the winner of Saturday’s match between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh Central Catholic in an attempt to win its ninth state championship.
They stated it.
To be honest, it feels fantastic. Because we have made incredible progress from where we were nine weeks ago to where we are today. Thus, it feels fantastic.Charlie Foulke, quarterback for St. Joe’s Prep, on his team’s development before the state championship game
Even though you always aim for perfection, we still have things to work on and one more week to spend together because of that. It’s for everything, and we have a chance to play our greatest game of the year.Timothy Roken, head coach of St. Joe’s Prep, on continuing to work toward something before the state championship game
Prep St. Joe’s 10-20-6-0 — 36
West Downingtown 0-0-0-7 — 7.
The first quarter
10:51 SJP-Jamir Rowe 44 pass from Charlie Foulke (Kick by Leo Ricci)
Kick for SJP-Ricci 35 at 4:59
The second quarter
Ricci kick, SJP-Khyan Billups, 1 run, 9:21
4 run (Ricci kick) SJP-Billups 4:42
Foulke’s 7 pass to SJP-Rameir Hardy (Kick blocked) 0:20
The third quarter
Foulke to SJP-Jett Harrison 14 pass (Kick blocked) 8:25
DW-Darian Smith Cole Bricker’s 47th pass (kicked by Mason Sharp) 0:00
PERSONAL STATISTICS
Will Vokolos 3-8, Logan Dairsow 3-0, Seth Slater 2-5, Tre Henning 1-9, Charlie Foulke 1-(minus-1), Khyan Billups 23-101, and Whippets: Spencer Dunn 10-28, TEAM 2-(minus-8), Mike Taraschi 1-8, and Cole Bricker 1-0
GOING BYHenning 1-6-1-4, Foulke 17-31-0-195, and Bricker 9-20-0-141 are the Hawks.
GETTINGWhippets: Tommy Miller 4-30, JD Weller 3-45, Darian Smith 1-47, Brendon Kimble 1-19; Hawks: Rob Novotny 1-4, Jamir Rowe 3-78, Jett Harrison 3-37, Billups 1-8, Chris Steinmetz 1-8, Gavin McConnell 1-6, and Rameir Hardy 4-31
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