ALTOONA, Pa. — With the ball in Harrisburg’s possession and all of the momentum firmly on the Cougars’ side as the final seconds ticked down, Central Catholic suddenly found itself in danger of a monumental collapse in a frenetic PIAA Class 6A semifinal Saturday afternoon at Mansion Park Stadium.
The Vikings had built a 17-point cushion late in the third quarter, but their lead had all but evaporated as District 3 champion Harrisburg mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback. Trailing by five with less than a minute to play, the Cougars made their way inside Central’s 20, one touchdown away from completing an epic rally and ending the Vikings’ season.
Then, on a fourth-down pass into the end zone that surely would decide the game’s outcome, the Vikings found their savior.
It wasn’t senior defensive back Xxavier Thomas, a Penn State recruit who caught a touchdown pass and made big plays in all three phases of the game for Central. It wasn’t senior linebacker Bradley Gompers, a Duke recruit widely regarded as one of the top overall players in the state. This time, it wasn’t any of the usual suspects for the Vikings’ star-studded defense that made the play when it needed it most.
Instead, it was the youngest player on the field who called “game.”
A talented defensive back who is one of a select few freshmen to start for the Vikings, Chrys Black intercepted a pass intended for star Harrisburg receiver Elias Coke in the end zone to set off a wild celebration on the field, in the stands and on the sideline. Black’s heroics clinched an unforgettable 38-33 win for Central Catholic (12-2), sending the Vikings to the state championship for the first time since 2016. They will take on mighty St. Joseph’s Prep in the grand finale Saturday night at Cumberland Valley High School.
“I couldn’t imagine [this happening],” Black said. “I saw him roll out my way, and his eyes were looking behind me, so as he was running, I was dropping back. Then he threw it, and I just went up to go get it.”
In just two years at the helm, Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier has transformed the Vikings from a methodical, run-centric program into a balanced, fast-paced offensive juggernaut — and Central’s high-octane offense kept the Cougars (11-3) on their heels all game. Now, Lehmeier is one win away from steering the Vikings to their first state title since 2015.
“I’m humbled to be the coach, but it’s a proud day to be a part of Central Catholic,” Lehmeier said. “It’s hard to put into words right now. I’m so happy and so proud of those kids, and happy for our administration and our school, because the expectations are high at Central.
“Our kids met those expectations today.”
Central running back Elijah Faulkner carried the ball 26 times for 118 yards and a score, and senior quarterback Jy’Aire Walls accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) while passing for 88 yards and rushing for 29. But the Vikings’ most valuable player on the field might have been sophomore linebacker Roman Thompson.
Tasked with keeping Harrisburg’s electric dual-threat quarterback Jaiyon Lewis under wraps, Thompson made his presence felt in the backfield early and often, registering a handful of big stops and tackles for a loss on defense. He also shined on special teams, blocking a punt to set up a touchdown for Central in the first half before shutting down the Cougars’ return game as a gunner in the second half.
“All that grinding, it just finally paid off,” Thompson said. “I think I really got the chance to prove to myself that I can compete with the best players in the state, if not the country. … We battled with adversity, and we powered through and finished the game.”
Central got the scoring started with a 32-yard TD scamper by Faulkner immediately after a blocked punt, as Faulkner bulldozed his way through a handful of Harrisburg defenders. Thompson then blocked another punt for Central later in the quarter, setting up the Vikings deep in enemy territory — and this time, Walls kept it himself for a 12-yard TD run on third-and-6 to give Central a 13 -0 lead.
It wouldn’t take long for the Cougars to respond, as Penn State recruit Messiah Mickens broke free for a long run to get Harrisburg into the red zone. He then went untouched into the end zone for an 11-yard score to cut the Vikings lead to 13-7.
After a great kick return by Thomas coupled with a personal-foul penalty, Central began its next possession with great field position once again — and again, the Vikings made sure it wouldn’t go to waste. On the second play of the drive, Walls found Max Roman for a 25-yard TD pass to stretch Central’s lead to 21-7.
“It feels great to know that I’ve got another week with my brothers,” Walls said. “I had goals coming in. Win the WPIAL, then win the state. I’m aiming to win that.”
The Cougars would answer with a 15-yard TD run by Mickens, but the Vikings struck back with a 23-yard TD pass from Walls to Thomas with 1:17 left in the first half. Harrisburg then cut into the deficit just before halftime with a 1-yard TD run by Lewis, making it a 28-21 advantage for Central going into the break.
The Vikings started the second half by forcing a three-and-out on defense, then Walls capped off the following drive with a 1-yard QB sneak on fourth-and-goal to give Central a 14-point cushion. On the ensuing kickoff, the Cougars the Vikings forced and recovered a fumble to take over inside Harrisburg territory for the seventh time in the game. Billy Lech’s 36-yard field goal then extended Central’s lead to 38-21 midway through the third quarter, as the Vikings special teams unit continued to perform at an elite level.
“[Special teams coordinator Ron Fuchs] is Central,” Lehmeier said. “He’s one of the guys I retained. He means so much to me. He means so much to this school, and they mean so much to him. … I’m about to give him the biggest hug I can.
“It’s like anything in life — you get what you emphasize. We put a big-time emphasis on special teams.”
Central seemingly had the game in control, but Lewis found a wide-open Quincy Brannon for a 62-yard TD late in the third quarter to bring the Cougars back to within two scores. Lewis then connected with Coke for a 30-yard score midway through the fourth, as Coke laid out for a spectacular diving grab in the back of the end zone to cut the Vikings lead to 38-33.
After a Central punt gave Harrisburg the ball at its 11 with less than four minutes to play, the Cougars took over in search of a game-winning drive — and they almost pulled it off. A long pass from Lewis to Coke on the first play of the drive moved the ball across midfield, then Harrisburg made its way into the red zone with time winding down and fans on the edge of their seats.
“At times like that, you never want to be frantic,” Thomas said. “You want to stay level-headed and trust your fundamentals and trust your technique. Just do what you do best, fly around and make plays.
“If the ball is in the air, it’s got to be our ball.”
Sure enough, Black took his teammate’s advice to heart.
With the game on the line on fourth-and-3, Lewis scrambled to his right while looking for Coke in the end zone, but his pass found the waiting arms of Black instead — and the Vikings found themselves with a ticket to the state final to play for the ultimate prize.
“I knew they were going to try to target [Coke],” Thomas said. “When I looked back for the ball, seeing Chrys undercut it and pick it off right there, just a surreal moment. … I couldn’t be more proud of that kid.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
