MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The 2023 Peters Township Indians may have been the best team in their school’s history, but they couldn’t finish the job after a 38-13 loss to the Imhotep Charter Panthers in the PIAA 5A State Championship game on Friday.
The Panthers’ rushing offense proved too much for the Indians, as Georgia commit Jabree Wallace-Coleman ran for 214 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Quarterback Mikal Davis scored three rushing touchdowns of his own and threw for another.
Peters Township receiver Thomas Aspinall caught two touchdown passes, but it wasn’t enough for the Indians to go blow for blow with the Panthers’ star-studded offense.
Imhotep Charter is located in North Philadelphia, and the Panthers took after their city’s professional team to open the scoring. Davis scored from one yard out on the Eagles’ patented ‘tush push’ play to open a 7-0 lead.
Peters Township went three-and-out on their first drive, but the Indians forced an interception on the next play from scrimmage to set their offense up in plus territory. Sophomore linebacker Reston Lehman, who has two Group of Five offers, tipped a pass into the waiting arms of defensive lineman Dante Recker.
Imhotep Charter Controls the Game
Pitt commit Jah’Sear Whittington—who made eight total tackles, including two for a loss—sacked Peters Township quarterback Nolan DiLucia on third-and-10 from the 17, forcing the Indians to miss a 41-yard field goal.
Davis completed a wide-open 63-yard pass to receiver Nile Brown on the next drive, but Indians’ defensive back Darius McMillon closed the gap to save a touchdown. Peters Township managed to hold the Panthers there, limiting Imhotep to a field goal.
Davis added two more rushing touchdowns in the first half, stretching dramatically to the pylon on each of them as Imhotep built a 24-7 lead. The Indians, meanwhile, managed a sensational toe-dragging touchdown from DiLucia to Aspinall in the back corner of the end zone.
Wallace-Coleman broke a 68-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, and Davis found tight end Johann Hennigan for a 50-yard touchdown on another splash play.
Indians’ backup quarterback Lucas Rost found Aspinall for another touchdown with five minutes to play.
