Steelton-Highspire spoils Fort Cherry’s 1st trip to state final
MECHANICSBURG – Steelton-Highspire senior quarterback Alex Erby came into the final game of his high school football career as Pennsylvania’s all-time leader in passing yards (13,227) and touchdowns (170).
Erby, who will head to Annapolis next season to play at Navy, added 340 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Steamrollers’ 42-8 victory over Fort Cherry on Thursday afternoon in the PIAA Class A championship game at Chapman Field on the campus of Cumberland Valley High School.
“This is really special because I get to do this with my two sons,” said Steelton-Highspire coach Andrew Erby, who is the father of Alex and Andrew Erby Jr. “These guys, since they were little, wanted to be here. Some kids talk about it, but they put in the time and the work and remain humble. I also taught them about the importance of serving others, and they know that.”
Steelton-High (16-0) won its second straight title and the third in the last four years. The Steamrollers have won five state football championships.
The Rangers, who were playing in their first state title game, finished the season with a record of 15-1, which included the first WPIAL championship in program history.
“Our community has gotten behind us so much, and it’s something that we needed,” Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry said. “We haven’t had a WPIAL championship in a team sport since 2001, so this is something that has been a long time coming. Our community has missed that feeling of being involved in the big games, and whenever they get the opportunity, they are going to come out and support.”
Steelton held Fort Cherry’s offense to 180 yards on 55 plays, but the Rangers’ Matt Sieg rushed for 153 yards on 30 carries and scored Fort Cherry’s lone touchdown. Shane Cornali added the two-point conversion run.
Sieg’s touchdown run was his 40th this season.
“It stings that we just lost a state championship, but at the same time, that kid’s (Sieg) a sophomore,” Garry said. “Hopefully, we will be able to continue to build off this, get better and hopefully this isn’t our last time stopping up here.”
Steelton-High won the coin toss, elected to receive and capped an eight-play, 59-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown on a shovel pass from Erby to Jaeion Perry for a 7-0 lead at 8:23 of the first quarter after Judah Hernandez made the first of four PATs.
Fort Cherry forced the Steamrollers into a fourth-and-one at the Rangers’ 27 on the drive but Steelton was able to convert before the score. The Steamrollers were 2-for-2 on fourth down.
“You never know what would have happened if we got that stop,” Garry said. “I don’t think we played our best football either. We made mistakes that we have not made all year.”
Steelton forced Fort Cherry to punt on its first drive and capped a six-play, 75-yard drive on Nazier Fuller’s 17-yard touchdown reception from Erby for a 14-0 lead at 5:09 of the first quarter.
The Steamrollers took advantage of a turnover and Erby ran an option 37 yards into the end zone for a 21-0 advantage at 6:53 left in the second period. Erby, who is known more for his arm than his legs, was alone in the backfield when he took off up the middle.
“We started to put in some plays this year where I would run, but I am not known as a runner,” Alex Erby said. “We lost in 2021 and I used that as motivation in putting in the work to win the last two years.”
Steelton-High added two more touchdowns in the second quarter, but missed the second extra-point attempt for a 34-0 halftime lead.
Fuller took a pitch in the middle of the field, cut to the outside and raced 77 yards down the sideline in front of the his team’s bench at 4:31 of the second before the Steamrollers took advantage of a second interception by the Rangers and Durrell Ceasar Jr. pulled in a 32-yard reception from Erby at 3:25 of the second quarter.
Caesar Jr. caught 13 passes for 147 yards, Fuller gained 94 yards on 2 receptions and Perry pulled in 9 receptions for 84 yards.
“We have a very young secondary group,” Garry said. “We have been pretty stout at stopping the run all year, but there’s no secret that we don’t have the experience in the back side. Those kids played well. We knew what they were going to try and do and what they were good at, but they are also a team that runs the ball well. They are a balanced football team.”
Erby threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Taevon Legrande and Perry ran in the two-point conversion for Steelton-High’s final score with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
Fort Cherry’s Brayden Kirby ended a Steamrollers’ drive with an interception.