DISTRICT 3-A CHAMPIONSHIP
YORK CATHOLIC VS. STEEL-HIGH
NOON SATURDAY, HERSHEYPARK STADIUM
RECORDS: No. 2 York Catholic 8-3; No. 1 Steel-High 10-1
WHY THE FIGHTING IRISH WILL WIN: Honesty moment here. York Catholic winning its first District 3-A championship since 1982 looks nearly impossible. So the better concept for this match up is how will the Fighting Irish stay within earshot of the Rollers heading to the final 12 minutes. At the top of the list is to try and avoid the explosion. Big plays will happen, but prevent that 20-30-point outburst in a short period of time. Precious few have prevented this from happening. Junior QB Hakeem Kinard is 128 yards shy of 3,000 total for the season. Give him a chance to do his thing. The heat and pressure is coming from the Rollers’ defense. Kinard has thrown seven interceptions this season. Steel-High has at least one pick in all 10 of its games.
WHY THE ROLLERS WILL WIN: Simply put Steel-High has more playmakers. It’s a mix-and-match scenario and you never know where it’s coming from. James Warren, Anthony Ferguson, Sy’heed Johnson, Shameim Moody-Williams, Logan Davis, Jaki Haywood and Jorge Caraballo. They all find a way to contribute with big-time plays at different times. Playing defense against this outfit must make you feel like your head is on a swivel. And this team has been on a re-building mission for two years with winning this game as target No. 1. So despite being heavy favorites, the Rollers will be motivated.
POSTSEASON SNAPSHOT: Steel-High is gunning for its ninth District 3-A title, but first since 2008. This will be the playoff game No. 32 for the Rollers. They are 26-5 in the previous 31 contests. This is the first visit to the title game for the Fighting Irish since 2002 when it lost to Camp Hill. The first District 3-A title in 1982 went to York Catholic. It was also the last time the Fighting Irish won it all. Since then the Irish are 5-12 overall.
SHAY SAYS: When it comes to Steel-High (-34) it’s not a matter of if the explosion will happen, but rather when will it happen. Last week against Fairfield, a team that beat York Catholic, it was 32 fourth-quarter points after taking a slim 7-6 lead into halftime. York Catholic’s one-man show at quarterback gives that ferocious Steel-High defense a No. 1 target. At this level, 48 minutes must feel like an eternity for the opposition.
SHAY ON TWITTER: @APShay
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