The 2025 Pennsylvania high school football postseason moves on! Here is Mr. PA Football’s recap of the top games.
Bishop McDevitt’s Defense Shuts Down Mechanicsburg 47-7
The Crusaders ran over and through Mechanicsburg with ease in Friday night’s big District-3 football quarterfinal. Unfortunately, one of the most anticipated Pennsylvania high school football games of the weekend ended up being a lopsided affair.
The game was competitive through the midway point of the second quarter after senior TE/DE Drake Dawson blocked a punt for a touchdown and the Wildcats cut the Crusader lead to 10-7 with 5:34 remaining before halftime. The contest wasn’t close after that point as Bishop McDevitt scored 37 unanswered points leading to a 47-7 District-3 Class 5A quarterfinal win at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium.
The Crusaders led from start to finish and limited Mechanicsburg to 166 offensive yards. The vaunted Wildcat defense couldn’t stop the powerful Bishop McDevitt rushing attack as the Crusaders averaged 7.3 yards per carry on the night in rainy conditions throughout the game. Bishop McDevitt senior RB/LB Maurice Barnes scored three rushing touchdowns to lead the Crusaders offense on Friday night.
Standouts of the Game
Bishop McDevitt:
- Senior RB/LB Maurice Barnes, 63 rushing yards and three touchdowns
- Senior RB/LB Nazir Jones-Davis, 84 rushing yards
- Sophomore RB Jerome Larue, Jr., 51 rushing yards
- Bishop McDevitt Defense
Mechanicsburg:
- Senior TE/DE Drake Dawson
Next Week: Bishop McDevitt vs. Exeter Township and Mechanicsburg (season complete)
Quick Hitters Rundown
Big School Games:
Exeter Township upsets #9 Conestoga Valley 41-34
The Eagles win the rematch behind huge games from senior RB/CB Leomar Brown and senior WR/CB Jayden Ware. The victory avenges the 21-17 loss to the Buckskins last month. Brown is a Postseason Round 2 Player of the Week nominee. Exeter Township will travel to face off against No. 3 seed Bishop McDevitt in the District-3 Class 5A semifinal on Friday night.
Coatesville blanks Council Rock South 14-0
Coatesville Head Coach Matt Ortega and his Red Raiders defense shutout the Golden Hawks. Coatesville bumps their record to 10-2 and face Pennridge in the District-1 Class 6A semifinal this week.
Upper St. Clair rallies to defeat Woodland Hills 36-26
Upper St. Clair rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to beat Woodland Hills with a final score of 36-26 in their District-7 Class 5A quarterfinal on Friday night. The Panthers scored 26 unanswered points thanks to a dominant ground game. Upper St. Clair Head Coach Mike Junko and his Panthers move to 10-2 on the season and play Peters Township in the District-7 Class 5A semifinal in a huge rematch this week.
Bethlehem Catholic comes back to defeat Allentown Central Catholic 34-31
Bethlehem Catholic takes down Allentown Central Catholic in the District-11 Class 4A semifinal. The Hawks rallied to win after trailing 24-13 at the half. Bethlehem Catholic pushes their record to 8-4 on the season and will face Southern Lehigh in the District-11 Class 4A championship this week.
Quips win 14-0 over New Castle
Aliquippa and Head Coach Mike Warfield rolled past the Red Hurricanes 14-0 to advance to the District-7 Class 4A championship and avenged an early season loss to New Castle. The victory bumps Aliquippa’s record to 8-3 on the season and the Quips play McKeesport next Saturday at Pine-Richland in the District-7 Class 4A title game.
#3 Parkland beats Nazareth Area 35-14
Parkland collected its 500th win in program history with its 35-14 victory over Nazareth Area on Friday night. The undefeated Trojans and Head Coach Tim Moncman will have a chance to raise a trophy when it squares off against Easton Area in the District-11 Class 6A championship game next weekend.
Small School Games:
#5 Hickory upends Fort LeBoeuf 34-17
Hickory Head Coach Bill Dungee and his Hornets pulled away from Fort LeBoeuf in the fourth quarter to notch a 34-17 victory. The win makes it five in a row for Hickory and the Hornets face off against Sharon in the District-10 Class 3A championship this Friday night. This game is a rematch and Hickory edged Sharon 21-19 in this first meeting.
#9 Mifflinburg knocks off Montoursville 35-12
Mifflinburg made history by beating Montoursville 35-12 and won its first outright District-4 Class 3A championship in school history. The Wildcats have won five straight games and move to 10-2 on the year. Mifflinburg faces off against Scranton Prep this Friday night in the Class 3A state playoffs.
#2 Clairton survives scare after defeating Jeannette 38-33
Jeannette cut the lead to 38-33 late in the game, but the Bears were able to hold on for the 38-33 win. Senior QB/ATH Kymon’e Brown led a comeback effort that ultimately fell short and was magnificent in defeat. Brown is a Postseason Round 2 Player of the Week nominee. Clairton has now won eleven straight games and squares off against Bishop Canevin in the District-7 Class 1A semifinal this week.
