Unexpected title sweet for Marauders
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By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
HERSHEY -- Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic played well enough to win the state championship in 2019 when it lost to Farrell in overtime.
When the Steelers were moved up to Class 2A following that title due to the PIAA's success formula, it seemed as though the Marauders were a sure bet to win the title in 2020.
Bishop Guilfoyle cruised to a District 6 title that season and appeared to have Steelton-Highspire beaten when a defensive pass interference and a late field goal ended BG's season a game short of the state final.
The Marauders lost plenty of talent from that team to graduation, including two-time Mirror high school football player of the year Keegan Myrick. After Haiden Garner, a star junior on that team, was injured in camp this year, a state title was no longer on the radar.
"We talked, even last year, about unfinished business," Bishop Guilfoyle coach Justin Wheeler said. "We got so close and felt like we were a state championship team and didn't get it, and last year it happened again. At the start of this year, we stopped talking about it a little bit because we were just trying to win a game early on. Once we realized we had guys that were starting to figure it out, our message became that we had to finish games and it started with Forest Hills. It's been pretty special."
The Marauders capped another special season with the program's fourth PIAA Class 1A championship in eight years Thursday at Hersheypark Stadium with a 21-14 win over Redbank Valley.
They won the title in style, even using a trick play that failed in 2019, to help them win it all.
Bishop Guilfoyle fans might be talking about three straight state titles for the second time in a row if Myrick's jump pass to Andrew Yanoshak had made it through a strong wind two years ago in overtime, but Kiesewetter's toss to Anthony Cioffari on a similar play for a 57-yard score Thursday turned into one of the key moments.
"This feels so good, but it makes me feel awful for those guys that missed out. That was my brother's class (last year), and I wish they could have got one," Kiesewetter said. "But it was great to see it work. It was a great call."
The play came shortly after Redbank Valley had tied the game, and when the Bulldogs tied it again in the fourth quarter, Kiesewetter and Cooper Rother connected on a 43-yard pass to set up Rother's game-winning 14-yard touchdown run.
"In the huddle before the game, I took everyone in and said that we had been talking about unfinished business for two years," Rother said. "We came up short last year, and those seniors can't get it back. Our mission today was finish business for this year's seniors, and that's what we did."
The Marauders held the ball for more than 19 minutes in the first half and held Redbank Valley to minus-2 rushing yards. The performance was in stark contrast to the way BG played at the start of the season when it began the year 1-2.
"We couldn't stop the run, and we struggled early, but we focused on the details," Wheeler said. "I want to give a shoutout to my assistant coaches. They come every day for 18 weeks and work hard and prepare these guys and make them better. What you saw today is a coaching staff that took some kids that maybe didn't trust themselves early in the season and turned them into a team playing lights-out defense in a state final."
The same line that allowed all those yards and couldn't get the offense going in September is now celebrating a state title in December.
"This is the best feeling I have ever had," Rother said. "Our line dominated, and I think that's why we won. They were creating holes in that gap all day, and they did it again on that touchdown. It was the best touchdown I've ever had."
And with Rother, Kiesewetter and several other key players returning next season, he might be in for more special memories.
Michael Boytim can be reached at 814-946-7521 or mboytim@altoonamirror.com