MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — They say all good things must come to an end, but this is only the beginning for Fort Cherry.
A storybook season that saw the Rangers (15-1) capture the first WPIAL title in program history came to an unceremonious end Thursday, with defending PIAA champion Steelton-Highspire (16-0) rolling to a 42-8 mercy-rule victory in the Class 1A championship at Cumberland Valley High School. Steel-High senior quarterback Alex Erby put the finishing touches on a spectacular career with one of his finest performances, out-dueling Fort Cherry sophomore star Matt Sieg in a highly anticipated matchup of record-setting quarterbacks. Erby completed 28-of-37 passes for 335 yards and 5 touchdowns to go with 4 carries for 36 yards and another score on the ground.
“Being able to do it on your last ride, with the brothers you grew up with since you were 6 or 7 years old — being able to do it with the guys you love the most, it’s truly special,” said Erby, whose twin brother, Andrew, also stars as a powerful lineman for Steel-High. “It’s a surreal moment. I’m just blessed for the opportunity, and I know I’m making my grandma proud up in heaven.”
Facing an elite defense with talented players at all three levels, Sieg completed just 4-of-12 passes for 21 yards, although he did rush for 153 yards and 1 touchdown on 30 carries. Most of his production came on a 61-yard run prior to his 1-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, with the game already well out of hand.
“With a group of leaders like we had this year, anything was possible,” Rangers coach Tanner Garry said about his team’s groundbreaking season. “I think the way the kids battled and the community came together — it’s just been a great experience for the seniors, the community, the school, everyone.
“[The future is] very bright for [Sieg] and very bright for the team.”
In a battle of two undefeated teams boasting talented offenses, the Steamrollers flattened Fort Cherry for most of the game while dominating on both sides of the ball. Steel-High outgained the Rangers, 474-188, committed only one turnover compared to four for Fort Cherry, and did not punt in the game. Rollers receiver Durrell Ceasar caught a game-high 13 passes for 147 yards and 1 touchdown, while Nazier Fuller caught 2 passes for 94 yards and scored on both receptions. Jaieon Perry also added 9 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown for Steel-High.
This is the Rollers’ second state title in a row and their third in the past four seasons — all with Erby running the show — and the win improved their record to 5-0 all time in state championships.
“It’s just amazing,” said Steel-High coach Andrew Erby, who hinted at a potential retirement after the game. “This is the sweetest one. Last one with the boys. … All the preparation, all the time, this was the sweetest one.
“We had something to prove today.”
A Navy recruit, Erby finished his career as Pennsylvania’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, and he also set a single-season state record for touchdown passes in the first half Thursday. Erby finished the season with 4,419 yards passing and 61 touchdowns to go with just 4 interceptions, and his unfathomable career numbers stand at 13,562 yards passing and 175 touchdowns.
Sieg put up video-game numbers of his own this season, finishing with 63 total touchdowns on the year — 40 rushing, 20 passing, 2 on punt returns and 1 on an interception return. He is one of only three WPIAL players to rush for more than 4,000 yards in his first two high school seasons, and although he was heartbroken after the defeat, Sieg knows this isn’t the end for him or the Rangers.
“That’s a good team. Props to them. They’re well-coached. They executed well,” Sieg said. “It was just cool to see the numbers out here [in the stands]. I don’t know how long a drive — it was like four hours. People paid money to stay overnight and show out. The stands were packed. I just wish we could have brought it home for them.”
Fort Cherry entered the game boasting the No. 2 scoring offense in the WPIAL at an average of 44.5 points per game, and the Rangers had scored 33 points or more in each of their first 15 contests while surpassing the 40-point plateau in 13 of 15 games. They simply had nowhere to run against Steel-High’s stout defensive front, and whenever Sieg did look to throw, there were rarely any receivers open.
“We just made some mistakes that we haven’t seen all year. I don’t know the last time we’ve had four turnovers in a game,” Garry said. “Whenever you’re playing against a team of this caliber, it’s hard to battle back from that.”
It didn’t take long for the Rollers to assert their will on offense after receiving the opening kick. Erby led his team right down the field on the opening drive, tying the single-season state record with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Perry for his 57th touchdown pass of the year. After a quick three-and-out by Fort Cherry, Steel-High stretched its lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Erby to Fuller.
Erby then broke free up the middle for a 37-yard touchdown run on third-and-6 early in the second quarter, racing untouched into the end zone to make it 21-0. On the Rollers’ next drive, Fuller caught a shovel pass from Erby and did the rest himself, turning upfield and turning on the jets for a 77-yard score. All of a sudden, the Rangers found themselves in a virtually insurmountable 28-0 hole — and it wasn’t even halftime.
After Steel-High intercepted Sieg for the second time in the first half, Erby dropped a dime to Ceasar for a 32-yard touchdpown — his fourth touchdown pass of the first half and No. 60 on the season. That made it 34-0 at halftime, and most of the second half was played under a running clock after Perry’s 3-yard touchdown run activated the mercy rule midway through the third.
Sieg broke loose for a 61-yard run down the sideline with time winding down in the fourth, then he punched in a 1-yard score moments later to break the shutout with 1:47 left in the game. Only a sophomore, the sky is the limit for Sieg, who put together one of the greatest individual seasons in WPIAL history — and he’s just getting started.
“He’s going to be playing in the Big 10 or Big 12 someday,” Alex Erby said about Sieg. “I think it’s good for both of us to play against this kind of competition. Hats off to that kid. That kid is going to be a problem in [Class 1A] for the next couple of years. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him win two state titles.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
