PIAA Class 5A championship preview: Pine-Richland takes on an Imhotep Charter team stacked with Power Five recruits

Imhotep Charter is loaded.

The Panthers have at least a half-dozen players with Power Five offers to play defense and a talented offensive cast that includes a sophomore running back who has already committed to defending national champion Georgia.

But one of the few things the Philadelphia power does not have is a state championship win against a WPIAL opponent. A season ago, Penn-Trafford crushed Imhotep Charter’s title dreams, slipping past the Panthers, 17-14, in overtime in the PIAA championship game.

Imhotep Charter now draws another WPIAL team, Pine-Richland, in the final, so it only makes sense that Rams coach Jon LeDonne reached out to Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane for some pointers.

“No doubt about it,” LeDonne said. “I talk to John a lot. I watched the game last year. He shared some tips.”

Pine-Richland (12-3) will face Imhotep Charter (10-2) for the PIAA Class 5A championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Cumberland Valley High School. The game will be broadcast live on PCN.

Tips or no tips, getting past Imhotep Charter will be a tall task for Pine-Richland, which is seeking its third title. The Rams also won them in 2016 and 2020, while Imhotep Charter is just 1-5 in championship appearances, its lone triumph coming against Cathedral Prep in 2015. 

Imohtep Charter has a laundry list of stars defensively, a group headlined by defensive end Zahir Mathis, ranked the No. 6 sophomore nationally by Rivals who has offers from Georgia, Michigan and Oregon. The Panthers have two of the top 10 seniors in the state in linebacker Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan recruit) and safety Rahmir Stewart (offers from Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma). They also own two of the state’s top 10 juniors in cornerback Kenneth Woseley (offers from Georgia, Mississippi and Oregon) and defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington, who has committed to Pitt. And then there is sophomore cornerback Naim Dantzler, who has been offered by Boston College.

As you might expect, that collection of blue chip prospects has led to lots of positive results on the field. Imhotep Charter has been fueled by a defense that has surrendered only 88 points all season, an average of only 7.3 per game. The Panthers have allowed only 37 total points during their current nine-game win streak and haven’t given up more than 20 in a game all season.

“Their front four are very quick, aggressive and strong,” LeDonne said. “We’re going to have our hands full. But beginning late in the year, we’ve talked about our offensive line and the mentality that they’ve had. It’s been great.”

The play of Pine-Richland’s offensive line will be key. Their improvement and excellence have been among the big reasons the Rams have ripped off 11 wins in a row following a 1-3 start. The starting five consists of senior left tackle Brady Carrigan, junior left guard Jon Smith, senior center Isaiah Kerns, junior right guard Ryan Cory and senior right tackle Jake Beam. Cory is one of the WPIAL’s top juniors and holds offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Oregon and Louisville. Beam has an offer from Marshall.

The Pine-Richland offense continues to run through senior quarterback Ryan Palmieri. Palmieri made the switch from running back to quarterback early in the season, and it has paid dividends ever since. Palmieri is at his best running the ball. He has collected more than 1,700 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns and ran for the winning score in a 21-14 PIAA quarterfinal win against Cathedral Prep. But Palmieri can do damage through the air, too, evidenced by him going 9 of 10 for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-12 win against Cocalico.

“It’s just the leadership role alone that he brings,” said LeDonne. “He’s the first one to practice and the last one to leave. He’s there cleaning the locker room and putting chairs away. He’s a coach’s dream.”

Palmieri is one of two 1,000-yard rushers on the team. Junior Ethan Pillar has rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns. Seniors Andrew Mellis and Brad Gelly have been Palmieri’s top receivers.

Of course, Imhotep Charter has lots of offensive playmakers, as well. Jabree Wallace-Coleman is considered one of the top sophomore running backs in the country. He became Georgia’s first commitment in the 2025 class in July when he chose the Bulldogs over offers from Pitt, Penn State, Michigan, Texas A&M and Tennessee. On the season, Wallace-Coleman has rushed for 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns, both team bests. The other big name to know offensively is junior quarterback Mikal Davis. Davis has thrown for 1,787 yards and 19 touchdowns and has also rushed for seven scores. Davis ran for two touchdowns and passed for one in Imhotep Charter’s 21-14 semifinal win against Upper Dublin.

Pine-Richland senior linebacker Max Heckert hopes to have another strong game. The team’s leading tackler this season collected 15 last week, making him the program’s all-time single-season leader.

When Pine-Richland won its most recent PIAA title two seasons ago, Eric Kasperowicz was the head coach and LeDonne was at Penn Hills, two years removed from guiding that program to a state title. Things have changed a lot since. LeDonne is Pine-Richland’s third coach in three seasons, and the Rams have seen their season trajectory change mightily over the past few months. With that slow start well behind them in the rearview mirror, the Rams hope to take down a powerful team and win a second title in three years.

“The senior class especially has been very resilient in all that they’ve been through with COVID and the coaching changes,” LeDonne said. “They have banded together and have done everything we’ve asked them to do. To bring this back to the Pine-Richland community would mean a lot.”