HERSHEY – St. Joseph’s Prep could have been leading by three points on 30 points. It didn’t much matter.
Such was the mindset of the Hawks’ defense in the PIAA Class 6A state championship December 10 against Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
“We were told not to look at the scoreboard,” said senior outside linebacker James Johnson. “We all took that to heart.”
Whether or not Johnson and his defensive mates were truly unaware of the methodical dominance that ultimately resulted in a 42-7 landslide, the end result was that the Hawks held a team averaging more than 50 points per game to a single touchdown.
Although definitely a team effort, Johnson’s heroics stood out both during the game and later film study. A one-man wrecking crew, Johnson was involved in double-digit tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The latter occurred midway through the fourth quarter with the Prep leading by more than four scores.
“That’s when I looked at the scoreboard,” said Johnson. “That’s when I really knew that this was over.”
(#10) James Johnson gets pumped up on defense with junior DL Ryan Bryce (#75) - PSD Photo by Brandon Stivers
Johnson was being dead serious.
“Pittsburgh Central Catholic is capable of scoring 40 points in the blink of an eye,” said Johnson. “They did it throughout the entire season against every team they played, and they were all good opponents.
“My approach was to treat every play the same. Exercise true will. Attack the ball. Get into my stance. Every play.”
Johnson is the third sibling to star at the Prep. Paul graduated in 2013 and played at Amherst College; Thomas, from the Class of 2015, is a sophomore at Princeton University, which is where James will play next fall. All three brothers played on defense and all were team captains. Their youngest brother, Liam, played linebacker and safety on the Prep’s freshman team.
Unless Liam can experience being on an undefeated team that ties a Catholic League record for the best record ever at 14-0 (La Salle did likewise in 1996), James will have the honor of saying he played on arguably the best team in St. Joseph’s Prep history, which is quite a statement considering the Hawks also garnered consecutive state titles in 2013 and 2014.
“It’s kind of scary,” said Johnson, a two-time, first-team All-Catholic. “We soaked it in after the game, but not really. I think it will take a couple of months, maybe years, maybe when I’m older, to see how successful we were.”
SJP Fan Photos (11 photos by Brandon Stivers)
Asked if winning the state title this year took away the sting of being stunned by rival La Salle in last year’s Catholic League final, Johnson didn’t mince words.
“It’s meaningless to live in the past,” he said. “But during the summer, we talked about winning this year for the guys who graduated, but mostly for ourselves, to do something special. There will always be salt in the wounds of losing, but this is the present, and we have a lot to celebrate.”
Although the Prep’s offense made most of the headlines this season, Johnson said there was “zero” animosity regarding fanfare.
“We took pride in trying to get our monster offense on the field as quickly as possible,” said Johnson. “They’re so explosive, and they’re so much fun to watch.”
The Hawks’ offense put on quite a show in front of a packed crowd on a frigid evening. En route to scoring 35 or more points for the 13th time, the Hawks’ catalyst remained University of Georgia-bound running back D’Andre Swift.
Following the blocks of center Mack Grey; guards Jackson Evans and Carter Lynch; and tackles Sal Cinaglia and Taron Hampton – all seniors – Swift turned 27 carries into 161 yards and three touchdowns. It was fitting that Swift started the scoring with a 34-yard run and finished the game – and season – with a six-yard TD scamper. In between, he added a one-yard touchdown plunge to end the third quarter.
In nine games (technically 10, but in one contest, he only carried once as a decoy), Swift amassed 1,564 yards on 149 carries and added 405 yards on 21 receptions, finishing with 30 total touchdowns. Swift saved his best work for his final three performances – 747 yards and nine touchdowns on 76 carries.
“It was a wonderful season,” said Swift, who dealt with a nagging leg injury that cost him significant playing time throughout the first half of the campaign. “It really does start with the guys up front. If they don’t do their job, I can’t do mine.”
The line also allowed junior quarterback Marquez McCray enough time to complete 12 of 22 attempts for 171 yards and a 35-yard touchdown toss to junior Darryle Simmons (4 catches for 88 yards). McCray finished the season with 149 completions for 2,164 yards and 21 touchdowns.
(#7) RB D'Andre Swift celebrates with QB Marquez McCray (#14) - PSD Photo by Brandon Stivers
McCray’s main receiver, senior Terrance Greene, caught six passes for 88 yards and a 20-yard touchdown on a trick-play pass from senior wide receiver/defensive back Richard Carr. For the season, Greene led the squad with 48 catches for 741 yards and 12 total touchdowns – nine of them receiving. Over the past three games, Greene caught 18 passes for 250 yards and five touchdowns.
At times this fall, the Prep’s dominance sometimes took a while to unfold, as it did against Pittsburgh Central Catholic. However, once that occurred, the Hawks’ opposition was cooked.
“After the third quarter, when (PCC) was on defense, you could see their defensive line was exhausted,” said Carr. “Hands on their knees and players not really getting in their stance. On the offensive side, the players started arguing with each other and tried to take cheap shots at us. I knew that it was ours from there.”
Coach Gabe Infante was humbled by his team’s amazing ride.
“We are in the business of production, not projection, and rarely do they both meet,” said Infante. “On the occasion when it does, it can be magical. This was a magical group who set high expectations for themselves and, ultimately, met those objectives. I am just grateful they allowed me to be a part of their journey.”
As for Johnson, he looks forward to the rest of the school year, the summer, and then beginning new adventures at Princeton. He will have much to discuss with his new teammates.
“No ‘one’ moment can define my Prep experience,” said Johnson. “I have had memories I will keep with me for the rest of my life.”
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com.)
