Nov 23, 2013 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – In the minutes leading up to Saturday’s WPIAL Class AA title game, a steady snow fell on Heinz Field while the wind reached 20 miles per hour. With South Fayette’s aerial passing attack being the focal point of the matchup with Aliquippa, many thought the weather would hinder the Lions’ ability to drive the ball downfield.

How could you blame the critics? Aliquippa was making its sixth straight title game appearance and has won a WPIAL record 15 championships. The Quips’ running game features two big-time talents in Dravon Henry and Terry Swanson with an offensive line that outweighed the Lions by an average of at least 60 pounds.

Players from rival high schools even took to Twitter to question South Fayette’s passing game being able to stand the test of Mother Nature. It did not take long for the Lions to silence those remarks. Junior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns as South Fayette won its second WPIAL championship in four years.

“They played hard,” Henry said. “They have talent, just how we do. They came to play, just how we did. They tried to win the championship, just like us. That’s the thing about sports. Nobody is prepared to lose.”

The Lions reclaimed the championship by using a defense that has allowed a mere five points per game entering Saturday and that Aliquippa head coach Mike Zmijanac called earlier this week “terrific.” The five-time championship-winning coach was correct.

The Quips failed to convert on five fourth-down attempts, three of which were in the red zone, and threw two interceptions to the Lions’ defense in the fourth quarter. While Swanson was Aliquippa’s best player on offense – rushing 26 times for 166 yards and three touchdowns – his counterpart in the Quips’ running attack, Henry, was held to just 68 yards on 19 carries. On twelve drives for Aliquippa, the Quips scored three touchdowns, turned the ball over on downs five times, punted twice and threw two interceptions.

The achievement is remarkable when you consider the size difference that South Fayette’s line overcame, closing the gaps on defense and not giving Aliquippa room to do much.

“I told everyone that the key was not to look at Dravon or Terry’s back,” South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi said. “If we could just withstand them driving and make some stops, then we’d be okay. We were bending but we didn’t break. We were giving up 60 to 70 pounds average on the line.”

The defensive stands often put the Lions deep in their own territory, but South Fayette’s quarterback was up for the challenge. On the game-winning drive for the Lions, the junior signal-caller completed three passes for 63 yards, capped by a 19-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Conner Beck, who fought off Henry to cross the pylon.

Brumbaugh’s performance pushed him past the 3,000-yard mark on the season. He has successfully followed in the footsteps of his brother, Christian, who defeated Aliquippa in the 2010 title game at Heinz Field.

“It’s very important but as a family, all three of us are very competitive,” Brumbaugh said. “We always just joke around about who is the better quarterback and I can put a ring to my name now.”

The Lions’ season will continue, despite the doubters who thought the offense would not be the same after Zach Challingsworth graduated and accepted a scholarship to Pitt. Brumbaugh performed Saturday as all great quarterbacks do in critical situations. He made the players around him better, made critical throws when his team needed them the most and bounced back after a second-quarter interception. With South Fayette trailing 28-27 late in the game and the clock reaching the two-minute mark, Brumbaugh’s words to his teammates put the situation in perspective.

“We talked about that it is time to be great,” Brumbaugh said. “We live for these moments. A fourth-quarter comeback, we said let’s get the job done this year and get the championship.”

South Fayette advances to the PIAA quarterfinals to face Karns City on Saturday at Clarion University with kickoff set for 1 p.m. Lions senior wide receiver Justin Watson and his classmates have their minds set on how to cap their high school careers. If South Fayette continues it’s hard-nosed, relentless brand of football, the goal is an achievable one.

“We talked about maybe being the best team to ever come through South Fayette and getting that first state title so that would be surreal,” Watson said.