HERSHEY, PA – Archbishop Wood’s football team is comprised of players who prefer doing their work on the field instead of talking about it off the field.
Ask for a superfluous explanation of a victory, but don’t be discouraged if the response is a polite sentence or two.
On December 9 at Hershey, Wood startled Harrisburg High School, 37-10, to win the PIAA Class 5A state crown. The recipe that produced the Vikings’ third state title in four years and fourth included a torrid running game and an aggressive defensive effort to thwart a squad favored by most national and local pundits.
(#7) Shawn Thompson beats a Harrisburg defender en route to end zone - PSD Photo by Brandon Stivers
Harrisburg, however, outside of taking an early 7-0 lead, had never seen the likes of Archbishop Wood.
“We all played together as one,” said senior running back Shawn Thompson. “Harrisburg was a very good team. We did not want to lose – that was our mindset. We were not gonna let anyone stop us.”
Considering how the season began for the Vikings, watching players hoist the state title plaque high above their individual heads was remarkable. Back in early September, Wood was pounded by St. Joseph’s Prep, 43-24, and fell to an uncharacteristic 0-2-1.
Gut check time.
“I think we just all realized that we had to work harder than we had been if we wanted to accomplish our goal,” said senior two-way tackle Anthony Diodato. “The goal was to win a state championship.”
Attempting their 11th straight win, Wood coach Steve Devlin and his assistants devised an offensive game plan that could not have been less complex.
Run. The. Ball.
Sophomore quarterback Jack Colyar – his touchdown pass to junior tight end Kyle Pitts tied the game at 7-7 – spent most of the game handing off to either Thompson or fellow star Raheem Blackshear, and Harrisburg (11-4) was simply overmatched. Blackshear was the main cog, amassing 243 yards and three touchdowns on 35 rushes. Thompson carried 19 times and contributed 133 yards and one score.
Leading 17-10 at halftime, the Vikings took control. After a 10-yard touchdown run by Blackshear supplied some breathing room at 23-10, the Vikings diffused any remaining suspense on fourth-quarter TD runs by Blackshear (four yards) and Thompson, a 35-yard jaunt.
During Wood’s five-game march to the title, the Vikings outscored the opposition by 232 to 48. Although Colyar threw 21 touchdown passes, it was the running game that solidified the Vikings’ stronghold against Class 5A competition. Thompson gained 1,310 yards and 20 touchdowns on 142 carries; Blackshear 1,257 yards and 25 touchdowns on 147.
(#2) RB Raheem Blackshear takes a hand-off from sophomore QB Jack Collar - PSD Photo by Brandon Stivers
Anytime two running backs combine for 2,567 yards and 45 touchdowns, a stud-filled offensive line is close by. For the Vikings, that would be junior center Tom Walsh; guards Matt Arcidiacono (senior) and Connor Bishop (sophomore); and tackles Diodato (senior) and Albert Glasgow (junior).
Diodato also plays tackle for an underclassman-laden defensive unit that includes both Blackshear and Webb at cornerback; Pitts, junior Adrian Lambert, and senior Rhys Vaughn at end; junior Tom Walsh and junior Bill Shaeffer at tackle; juniors Matt Palmer and Tyler Smith at linebacker; and junior Nasir Peoples and senior Dan Freeman at safety.
“Even though they had the big touchdown pass, I don't think anyone was worried,” said Diodato. “They had a ton of talent, but we knew that if we played our game and focused on technique and playing our game, we would be fine.”
That’s putting it mildly.
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com.)
