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Westinghouse’s Historic Season Ends With 37-22 State Championship Loss To Southern Columbia

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Westinghouse Bulldogs take the field during the PIAA Class-2A State Championship Game against Southern Columbia at Cumberland Valley High School. (Images by Jared Todhunter)

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. —Westinghouse’s magical run came to an end in the PIAA 2A State Championship Game, as the Bulldogs couldn’t prevent the Southern Columbia Tigers from winning their sixth consecutive state title 37-22.

Southern Columbia’s pass rush gave Westinghouse quarterback Keyshawn Morsillo no time to throw, forcing errant passes against their single-high safety look. The Bulldogs’ defense wore down late in the game as the Tigers dominated the time of possession, allowing 22 points in the fourth quarter. 

Westinghouse received the opening kickoff and went three-and-out. A short punt gave Southern Columbia the ball at the Bulldogs’ 49, but Westinghouse’s defense forced a turnover on downs.

Morsillo slipped out of a tackle and broke outside for a 42-yard carry on the next drive, which running back Khalil Taylor finished with a 22-yard touchdown.

A diving connection from quarterback Tyler Arnold to receiver Kyle Christman converted a Tigers’ fourth down right at the sticks, but the Bulldogs’ succeeded on the next fourth down attempt, forcing an incompletion. 

Westinghouse went for it on their own 26-yard line on the next drive and were unsuccessful. The Bulldogs forced a fourth-and-inches play after freshman defensive back Keyshawn Robinson made a goal line tackle, but Arnold punched in a QB sneak on his second effort to give Southern Columbia a 7-6 lead. 

The Tigers missed a 30-yard field goal—their first and only attempt of the season—with 1:07 to go in the first half, but the Bulldogs ran out of time on their two-minute drill. 

Southern Columbia took a two-score lead late in the third quarter on a 38-yard rush by running back Braeden Wisloski. Arnold kept it on the two-point try to make it 15-6.

Facing fourth-and-four in their own territory, Morsillo completed a screen pass to Taylor, who spun out of a tackle and ran 54 yards for a touchdown. After a holding penalty on the initial attempt, Morsillo found Davon Jones on the two-point try to close the deficit to 15-14.

Westinghouse seized momentum after a holding penalty by the Tigers, but quarterback Blake Wise let the air out of the stadium with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Wisloski to go ahead 22-14.

The Bulldogs’ began the next drive from their own 8 after a penalty and couldn’t make the lead stick. A short punt landed at the Westinghouse 35 and running back Louden Murphy made it 29-14 with his carry on the next play. 

Morsillo lost a fumble at his own 28, but the Bulldogs’ defense pitched a three-and-out to stay in the game.

Westinghouse recovered a fumble near midfield with four minutes to go, and Morsillo threw a 47-yard touchdown—and another two-point conversion—to Jones to make it 29-22.

The onside kick failed, and Tigers’ running back Wes Barnes took a 40-yard carry to the Bulldogs’ 10. Carter Madden finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown carry, and a fake kick carried by Murphy made it 37-22.

Southern Columbia recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and ran out the clock with under two minutes to play.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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