12/05/24 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Bishop Guilfoyle's Jake Kissell (left) is congratulated by Cheryl Wheeler, mother of head coach Justin Wheeler and grandmother his son of Justin Wheeler, as Chase Kissell talks with other fans.

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

MECHANICSBURG — When teams talk about being a family, it’s usually used in a figurative way.

For many of the players on the Bishop Guilfoyle Academy football team, it’s literal.

There are five sets of brothers on the Marauders’ roster — Carter and Carson Boland, Jesse and Nick Georgiana, Monroe and Hamilton Gates, Chase and Jake Kissell, and Rocco and Michael Cacciotti.

“I think that’s one of the most special things,” Bishop Guilfoyle coach Justin Wheeler said. “Besides my family being on the team, we have brothers — and a bunch of them. It’s all about that family and the support that brings you. These guys just want to play for each other. When you are playing for your literal brother, it makes it even easier. It’s been a lot of fun, and having the good family base that we have really helps.”

For the Cacciotti brothers, Bishop Guilfoyle football has been part of their lives as long as they can remember.

“It’s awesome, because my brother and I have been around this since the 2014 team,” Rocco Cacciotti said. “We were waterboys on the sideline having fun with each other. It would have been awesome if we could have played this at Hershey to fulfill one of my dreams and make it full circle, but playing with (Michael) and his friends is awesome. I have no other words to describe it. I wish I could play with him forever.”

Rocco, a sophomore, was a force inside defensively for the Marauders in Thursday’s 41-22 win over Port Allegany in the PIAA Class 1A championship at Chapman Field. His brother Michael, a senior, kicked a pair of extra points and handled the kickoff duties.

“This is my last game ever, probably,” Michael Cacciotti said. “We worked so hard, and this is such a great accomplishment. We worked so hard in the offseason for this, and to finish it off is really nice. It’s been awesome, especially doing this with my brother. I love him to death, and he’s my No. 1 fan. I’m his No. 1 fan, and he was awesome today and really the whole season.”

Senior Hamilton Gates made the biggest play of the game, a 65-yard touchdown run to break a 14-14 tie late in the third quarter. He’s hoping his freshman brother Monroe is the one making a run like that in three years.

“It felt great,” Hamilton Gates said. “Whenever I was a freshman, we had senior brothers, and now I’m the senior and my brother gets to carry on this legacy.”

One of those senior brothers Gates was referring to when he was a freshman was Braden Reilly’s brother Patrick, who was a star on the 2021 championship team.

Thursday was Braden’s turn to shine with an interception and a 27-yard touchdown reception to put the game away.

“It’s really special, because my freshman year, my brother went to states and we won,” Reilly said. “Today, I got a chance to continue that legacy the same way. We put so much work in during the offseason, because we knew that was our dream this year — to win states.”

Carter Boland made all three of his extra-point attempts with his brother, Carson, cheering him on, and junior Jesse Georgiana made an impact defensively with his freshman brother’s support.

“Early mornings, late nights — we all love each other,” Jesse Georgiana said. “It’s hard to put into words how much all of this means. This is everything we could have hoped for. All that work we put in to get here, it’s nice to see that all pay off.”

And now there will be a couple of gold medals in the Georgiana household.

“It means the world to play with my brother, and I know it means a lot to my parents, too,” Jesse Georgiana said. “They now have two state champions in the house, and it gives me an even closer connection to my brother than I already had.”

Chase (a senior) and Jake Kissell (a junior) had perhaps the biggest impact on Bishop Guilfoyle’s state championship as any set of brothers, especially with a huge performance both offensively and defensively in a PIAA quarterfinal win over Pittsburgh City League power Westinghouse.

“It was an experience like none other that I can’t even put words to,” Chase Kissell said. “Playing with him this year, it was unbelievable finishing out my career with my brother winning a state title. I couldn’t ask for a better ending to my high school career.”