Central Catholic ready for championship-caliber challenge vs. St. Joseph’s Prep

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 11:49 PM

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On this side of the state, St. Joseph’s Prep probably finds few fans.

The Philadelphia Catholic League power is a lightning rod for critics who say the eight-time PIAA champion has won titles with players who crossed state lines to get there. But don’t expect to hear any such gripes out of opponent Central Catholic this week.

The Vikings are just fine with their championship draw.

“You’re not going to get any complaints out of me,” Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity that we have Saturday night at 7 o’clock.”

Cumberland Valley hosts the PIAA Class 6A final at 7 p.m. Saturday at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.

Central Catholic (12-2) is a four-time state champion seeking its first title since 2015. This will be the Vikings’ eighth appearance in the finals.

“This is everything I’ve ever wanted,” Central Catholic quarterback Jy’Aire Walls said of winning a state title. “I’ve had dreams and aspirations coming into Central and this is one of them. I’m going to try to achieve it.”

St. Joseph’s Prep (10-2) is a two-time defending champion making its eighth straight appearance in the finals.

This will be the fourth time that the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Catholic school powers have met in the state playoffs. St. Joseph’s Prep won the three previous head-to-head matchups including two in the state finals: 35-10 in 2013 and 42-7 in ’16. A state semifinal in 2019 went to overtime and St. Joseph’s Prep won 31-24.

That OT matchup included a game-tying touchdown grab by then-junior Marvin Harrison Jr., now a rookie receiver in the NFL. Harrison’s younger brother Jett is a freshman starter this year for St. Joseph’s Prep.

As a second-year coach, Lehmeier wasn’t around for those earlier matchups. But he did go 1-1 vs. St. Joseph’s Prep as a Pine-Richland assistant coach. His teams won 41-21 in the 2017 PIAA finals and lost a year later, 37-0, in the state semifinals.

So Lehmeier knows what to expect Saturday.

“They’re well-coached. They’ve got a lot of length and speed in the right spots. They play a really good brand of football,” he said. “Everything you expect to see in a 6A championship, that’s what they present.”

But Central Catholic is no pushover.

The Vikings are coming off a 38-33 semifinal victory over Harrisburg. Walls, a first-year starter at quarterback, passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more in the win. The defense allowed more than 500 yards of offense, but freshman defensive back Chrys Black Jr. made a game-saving interception in the final seconds.

“If you were to tell me we’d give up over 500 yards of offense, (Duke-bound senior) Bradley Gompers wasn’t going to touch the ball and we’d still win, that’s a hard bet to take,” Lehmeier said. “But that says a lot about our team and the collective.”

St. Joseph’s Prep reached the finals with a 36-7 victory over Downingtown West. Sophomore quarterback Charlie Foulke threw three touchdowns to three different receivers in the win.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound passer has completed 169 of 287 passes for 2,333 yards and 29 touchdowns. Pitt, Georgia, Maryland and Syracuse already have offered Foulke scholarships.

His top receiver is Harrison, the son of a former NFL wide receiver and the brother to another. The 6-2, 178-pound wideout has 47 catches for 767 yards and nine touchdowns. Alijah Turner and Temple recruit Rameir Hardy also have more than 30 catches each.

In the backfield, junior Khyan Billups took over running back duties from Ohio State recruit Isaiah West, who has been sidelined since the team’s fifth game. Billups rushed for 942 yards and 13 touchdowns. He rolled up more than 600 rushing yards in the past five weeks.

“They present a lot of balance,” Lehmeier said. “Schematically, they’re pretty buttoned up. Harrison is a young pup, but some of his raw ability jumps off the screen. And they’ve got a young quarterback who plays with a lot of poise.”

West wasn’t the only Power 4 recruit in the senior class.

Middle linebacker Anthony Sacca (6-3, 225) is headed to Notre Dame, outside linebacker Cam Smith (6-1, 205) is a Penn State recruit, and offensive tackle Kahlil Stewart (6-4, 280) is bound for Syracuse. Rivals ranked all three among the state’s top 30 seniors.

Central Catholic has its own. Among them, senior defensive back/wide receiver Xxavier Thomas signed Wednesday with Penn State. Gompers, a linebacker and receiver, signed with Duke.

They’ll all share the field Saturday night.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Lehmeier said. “I think our guys are looking forward to competing against them.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

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