PIAA Class A Western Final – Friday, December 9, 2011 at Slippery Rock
Sharpsville (13-0) vs. Clairton (14-0) at 7 p.m.
State Championships
Sharpsville, 1 (1997)
Clairton, 2 (2009 & 2010)
Western Finals
Sharpsville Blue Devils
Dec. 1, 2000 - lost to Rochester, 27-3, at Wexford
Nov. 29, 1997 - def. Riverview, 18-0, at Erie
Clairton Bears
Dec. 10, 2010 - def. Farrell, 48-8, at Wexford
Dec. 11, 2009 - def. Farrell, 13-7, at Slippery Rock
Dec. 5, 2008 - def. Farrell, 24-21, at Wexford
Dec. 9, 2006 - lost to West Middlesex, 37-30, at Ambridge
Dec. 2, 1989 - lost to Keystone, 15-14, at Sharon
Points Scored Per Game
Sharpsville, 40.4
Clairton, 45.7
Points Allowed Per Game
Sharpsville, 9.7
Clairton, 3.6
Opponents Combined Record
Sharpsville, 66-71 (48.2%)
Clairton, 88-60 (59.5%)
Clairton has amassed some of the most impressive accolades that high school football fans in Pennsylvania have seen in sometime. The Bears won the past two Class A state titles. The black and orange have won 45-straight games. This year, Clairton has blanked their opponents 9-times. So to say that this Friday's contest for Sharpsville will be daunting task may be an understatement.
The resilient Blue Devils trailed by 20-points in the second quarter (26-6) of last week's match up against Port Allegany. However, Sharpsville persevered to win, 35-33. The Devils' senior running back Spencer Bland plowed his way for 3 scores and 96 yards on the ground. The team's senior signal caller Jake Henwood threw for 97 markers and a touchdown strike.
The Devil defense will have their hands full with junior Tyler Boyd. Clairton's head coach Tom Nola said, prior to the WPIAL Championship, that Boyd was the best player that he has coached as a Bear. Tyler did not let his coach down as he ran 87-yards to pay dirt on the first play from scrimmage in their quarterfinal showdown with North Star. Boyd finished with 177 rushing yards on 7 carries. The Bears' quarterback Capri Thompson threw for 136 stripes on 3 of 4 passing in Clairton's 44-0 victory.
The last team to top the Bears was Laurel, 15-8, in the 2009 season opener (September 4).
It's worth noting that in the 23-years that the PIAA has had their football playoffs. Seventeen of those campaigns, the WPIAL has advanced to the Class A State Finals.
Winner will play either Southern Columbia (13-1) or Penns Manor (12-1) in the PIAA Class A State Championship at Hershey Park Stadium at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 16.
