Hayes helps South Fayette repeat as state champions
One play after South Fayette stopped Dunmore five yards from the end zone, Hunter Hayes burst through the Bucks’ defensive line and bolted 95 yards to turn the tide in the PIAA Class AA football title game played Dec. 13 at Hersheypark Stadium. The touchdown hurdled the Lions to victory, 28-16, and their second straight state championship.
The Lions trailed, 16-14, and might have fell behind by more had the Bucks opted for a field before Hayes ripped off the score with 14.8 seconds to play in the third quarter. With 8:27 to play, they tacked on an insurance touchdown when Dan Trimbur hauled in a 37-yard scoring strike from Brett Brumbaugh.
Hayes finished with 263 yards rushing on 27 carries. In addition to his record-breaking run–his 95-yard romp into the end zone is the longest in PIAA championship history–Hayes also managed a touchdown in the first quarter. He capped a seven-play, 60-yard scoring drive with an eight-yard dive into the end zone. The score and Dan Trimbur’s extra point provided the Lions a 7-6 lead at the 7:03 mark in the first frame.
Dunmore, which finished the year at 14-2, scored on its first three possessions but failed to convert on its last nine.
The Bucks intercepted South Fayette’s initial possession and parlayed the miscue into a 6-0 advantage when Garrett Murray raced 34 yards untouched into the end zone. Colin Holmes also rushed for a four-yard score, lifting the Bucks to a 13-7 lead with 2:04 to play in the first quarter.
Murray and Holmes both rushed for over 100 yards. Murray finished with 119 on 18 carries while Holmes had 106 on 27 totes.
The Bucks stretched their edge to 16-7 on Joey Capooci’s 27-yard field goal. However, Ryan Schmider hauled in a nine-yard TD aerial from Brumbaugh to cut the margin to two, 16-14, before intermission.
Brumbaugh completed eight of 18 aerials for 120 yards and two scores. He is the state’s first passer with 11,000 yards. The Duquesne recruit finished his career with 11,068 career yards.
While the Bucks lost for the third time since 2007 in a title tilt, the Lions became the first Class AA team in PIAA history to repeat as champions. They won the title in 2013 and they ride a 32-game winning streak into the 2015 campaign.