It’s getting more and more difficult to find the words to describe Matt Sieg’s otherworldly output for Fort Cherry on a weekly basis, so here are some numbers instead:
*-3,326 yards passing;
*-5,271 yards rushing;
*-133 total touchdowns;
*-30 wins.
These are just a few of the mind-boggling stats Sieg has accumulated in a little more than two-and-a-half years of high school football, and he is far from finished. Now back to full health after playing the first month of the season with a broken thumb on his throwing hand, Sieg soon could join Jeannette legend Terrelle Pryor as the second player in WPIAL history with 4,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing. And yes, in case you’re wondering, he is already the WPIAL’s first and only member of the 3,000/5,000 club.
Is 5,000/5,000 within reach? You bet. How about 200 career touchdowns? No question. But the most impressive thing Sieg has done since arriving at Fort Cherry as a heralded four-sport freshman is turn the Rangers into a consistent winner and a bona fide juggernaut.
A four-star prospect ranked as one of the top-200 recruits in the nation in the 2026 class, Sieg proved his worth once again by dicing up Cornell’s highly regarded defensive unit to the tune of 287 total yards (7-of-10 passing for 134 yards, 23 carries for 153 yards) and four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) in a 35-6 home win for Class 1A No. 1-ranked Fort Cherry (7-0, 4-0). Senior wideout Shane Cornali also shined with five receptions for 102 yards and three TDs in the win, including two touchdown catches on fourth down.
“They’re a good team. We knew it was going to be a big test,” Sieg said. “I know I can always count on [Cornali]. He’ll make the play. Wherever I put it, he’ll go up and catch it.”
A fast, physical team which always plays with an edge, the Raiders (5-2, 2-2) entered the game allowing less than 8 points per game on defense, but they simply had no answer for Sieg’s sensational dual-threat abilities. Then again, who does?
“You don’t want to sound arrogant, but there aren’t numbers right now that you can comprehend,” said Rangers coach Tanner Garry. “Saying 200 touchdowns — it sounds funny, but it’s within reach. We’re just excited to have him.”
Fort Cherry has had some successful teams over the years, but the Rangers had never won a WPIAL title until Sieg came around and led them to a 15-win season and their first state championship appearance a year ago. In three years under center, Sieg holds a career record of 30-5, and so far Fort Cherry looks as dominant as any team in the area in its quest for back-to-back WPIAL crowns. The Rangers have outscored their first seven foes by a combined score of 275-40, and each of their wins have come by at least three touchdowns.
“If you get a win against an opponent like that and do it the way that we did, you’re going to be happy about it,” Garry said. “If it’s taken as a statement, then so be it, but we’re just going to show up and play.”
Having already developed a reputation as a big-game player, Sieg has turned in his two best performances of the year so far in Fort Cherry’s toughest matchups to date against Monessen and Cornell. After getting the cast removed from his broken right thumb prior to the Monessen game, Sieg passed for 96 yards and two TDs while rushing for 208 yards and another score in a 35-14 win Sept. 20 over the Greyhounds.
Sieg will need to be in top form once again next week at Class 1A No. 3 Bishop Canevin, with the Crusaders looking to avenge two losses from a year ago against the Rangers — including a memorable 48-41 shootout in September 2023 in which Sieg tallied seven TDs. Then again, with a trusted target such as Cornali at his disposal, Sieg doesn’t always have to do everything himself in order for Fort Cherry to win.
Like Sieg, Cornali is a four-sport athlete who excels in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. He and Sieg helped the Rangers capture a gold medal in the 100-meter relay at the WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships in the spring, and their on-field chemistry was evident throughout Friday’s contest.
“We practice every day. We play everything together,” Cornali said about his relationship with Sieg. “I was a little bit nervous coming into this week, but after that first quarter, I was just having fun.”
Limited by his inability to throw in the first month of the season, Sieg may have started off a bit slow in his junior campaign after accounting for 63 total TDs as a sophomore. Not to worry, though — judging by his vintage performance Friday, it appears the Fort Cherry phenom is all-systems-go with the postseason chase fast approaching.
For the season, Sieg now has 900 yards rushing and 15 TDs on 101 carries to go with 435 yards passing and 9 TDs through the air. Expect those numbers to skyrocket by season’s end, with Sieg well on his way to eclipsing some of the WPIAL’s most elusive milestones and joining some of its most exclusive clubs.
Of course, the top two milestones on Sieg’s mind are raising another WPIAL championship banner and bringing the Rangers their first state title. After coming so close to a perfect season in 2023 only to be handed an excruciating defeat in the PIAA championship, Fort Cherry is desperate for another shot at the ultimate prize — but there’s still a long road ahead before the Rangers can make that dream a reality.
With Sieg on their side, though, how can you blame them for dreaming big?
“We love the kid,” Garry said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. All the recognition he’s getting, he is more than worthy of it.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
