Jayhawks win state crown

Howard completed 3 of 7 passes for 64 yards and rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

“I definitely see the dog in Seth Howard that I see in me,” Kennedy said. “He just started with us about the third or second game. He’s definitely an athlete, and he’s going to be really good next year, also.”

Jeannette’s defense held Homer-Center to 92 yards at the half and 163 yards total. The Wildcats’ two senior 1,000-plus yard rushers, Jesse Lee and Mike McCracken, were held to a combined 105 yards on 30 carries.

Homer-Center freshman quarterback Ben Schmidt completed 2 of 8 passes for 32 yards.

On its opening possession, Jeannette took the lead with a 24-yard field goal by Cunningham before Homer-Center responded with a 7-yard touchdown run by Lee. He also added a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Jeannette had stopped the Wildcats in their territory before a costly personal foul call gave HomerCenter a first down. The Jayhawks tallied five penalties for 40 yards in the first quarter before settling down.

“If you look back at our track record, we’re used to getting penalties, but we try and play a whole lot more disciplined,” Kennedy said. “We definitely played good ball today.”

The win carries extra meaning, Cunningham said, as the Jayhawks were finally able to defeat foe Clairton this season. The Bears previously had beaten the Jayhawks six times in a row. Jumping that hurdle allowed Jeannette to continue on its playoff journey and, eventually, bring home a PIAA title.

“Nobody expected us to come this far,” Cunningham said. “For us to actually win it, it’s a great feeling. … We always thought our team was good, but to be this good, we never expected.”

Hall said he felt confident heading into the second half. The Jayhawks made adjustments after Homer-Center’s opening score and relied on their speed.

“I’d say when were up by three touchdowns, because our guys were really playing ball,” Hall said. “After that drive they did, we adjusted. We made some moves. We started shutting them down after that.”

Steph Chambers/Post-Gazette photos Jeannette’s Anthony Johnson, left, douses coach Roy Hall with water after the Jayhawks beat Homer-Center, 42-12, to claim the PIAA Class A title Thursday at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa.

From left, Jeannette’s Imani Sanders, Zack Berginc and Robert Kennedy celebrate a touchdown Thursday against Homer-Center en route to the Jayhawks’ first state championship since 2007.