Phil Jurkovec leads Pine-Richland past St. Joseph’s Prep to win PIAA Class 6A title

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, December 9, 2017 | 9:18 PM

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HERSHEY — Hersheypark Stadium has witnessed championship performances from some of the state’s best high school quarterbacks, a list of names that now surely includes Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec.

Might Jurkovec be the best?

That’s an argument his coach is willing to make after Jurkovec ran for four touchdowns and threw a fifth Saturday night to defeat defending champion St. Joseph’s Prep, 41-21, in a wintery PIAA Class 6A final in Hershey.

On a field where Terrelle Pryor once rushed for 209 yards, Jurkovec passed for 200 yards and rushed for a team-high 88, a exceptional effort that toppled the Philadelphia Catholic League power. He had touchdown runs of 1, 17, 13 and 6 yards, and threw a 25-yard touchdown.

The Notre Dame recruit finished his senior season with 3,969 passing yards and 1,227 rushing.

“He solidified himself as the best quarterback to ever play in the state of Pennsylvania,” Rams coach Eric Kasperowicz said as his players celebrated on the stadium’s snow-covered turf. “He’s doing it on the biggest stage in the biggest classification versus the best competition. Period.”

This win also establishes a place in state history for undefeated Pine-Richland (16-0), as well as Kasperowicz, a former North Hills quarterback who now owns state title as both a player and a head coach.

“The word to describe it is fulfilling,” Jurkovec said, “because of how much effort and time, how you’re always thinking about it, it’s always in the back of your mind. It’s almost like a relief too.”

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St. Joseph’s Prep (13-1) had won the state’s largest classification three of the past four seasons, including a Class 4A victory over Pine-Richland in 2014. But this time the Rams forced four turnovers Saturday and Jurkovec capitalized on the short-field chances.

Pine-Richland scored six touchdowns Saturday but rarely did the offense have to travel far. The drives covered 59, 52, 31, 25, 24 and 12 yards, helped along by four fumbles lost by Prep and two long kick returns by Jordan Crawford.

Ahead 14-7 at half, the Rams scored three times in the third to pull away. Jurkovec reached the end zone on third-quarter runs of 13 and six yards, then delivered a 25-yard touchdown throw to Ben Jochem to lead 35-14.

Jurkovec completed 15 of 27 attempts with one interception.

Prep sophomore Kolbe Burrell rushed for 158 yards on 13 carries, junior Marques Mason added 72 on 15 carries and both scored touchdowns. But the Hawks offense was often pinned deep.

Prep quarterback Marquez McCray completed just 12 of 35 attempts for 121 yards and one touchdown. McCray almost had another until wideout James Cherry was hit and fumbled just short of the end zone in the first quarter. Rams linebacker Tyler King recovered the fumble in the end zone, the first of four takeaways for Pine-Richland.

Kenny White, Luke Meckler and Jared Marfisi also were credited for fumble recoveries.

“Our defense gave us great field position forcing turnovers and forcing them to punt deep in their end,” Jurkovec said. “Defense won us the game.”

Jurkovec was a freshman three years ago when he and some teammates sat in the Hersheypark Stadium bleachers and watched Pine-Richland lose in the state finals. In the stands that day they made a promise.

“We all saw how they were so close,” Jurkovec said of Pine-Richland’s 49-41 loss to Prep in 2014. “Everybody said, we’re going to get back there.”

Now seniors, they returned Saturday and left as champions.

The state title was the first for Pine-Richland, which also was runner-up in 2003. The Rams lost the Class 3A title to Manheim Central, 39-38, in overtime.

“The fact that we promised each other this is one of the most special things ever,” senior defensive end Tommy Camino said, “and nobody will ever forget it. We’re all going to move on and do bigger and better things, but this moment right here is something we’re going to carry with us for the rest of our lives.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Pine-Richland