‘Snow Bowl’ remembered as an all-time PIAA classic

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Neil Walker has played in Major League Baseball playoff games, hit a walk-off homer to win on opening day at PNC Park and had numerous other unforgettable moments in his baseball career. But that football game he played in a snowstorm 14 years ago, as a senior in high school, with a PIAA championship on the line, goes right at the top of his list of mostunforgettable moments.

But Walker just can’t bring himselfto look.

“I’venever wanted to watch it,” he said. “I’ve watched both WPIAL [football] championships I played in. I’ve watched the state semifinal game. But I just can’t bring myself to watch any of that last game. I’ve had DVDs of it forever, but I won’t watch it.It’s too painful.”

The game Walker speaks of is the 2003 PIAA Class 3A championship, when he and his Pine-Richland teammates played Manheim Central atHersheypark Stadium in Hershey. On Saturday, the 2017 Pine-Richland Rams play for a PIAA championship at the same place. This title game is stirring up memories of the 2003 gamethat some consider the greatest PIAA championship game. It will be forever remembered as The Snow Game.

The game was a classic for several reasons. It matched two undefeated teams. It had star power with Walker, a standout senior receiverdefensive back. It had drama, with the teams tied at 25-25 after regulation. And Mother Nature added to the setting, turning the turf into a winter wonderland. Snow started falling early in the afternoon of that first Friday in December, and more thansix inches had fallen by the time the Pine-Richland vs. Manheim gameended at night. Two title games forthe next day were postponed until Sundaybecause of the snow.

Workers were shoveling the field during the Pine-Richland game because snow never stopped.

“Ican tell you I shoveled, too,” said PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi, who was the assistant director then. “It was kind of a neat cooperation because everyone sort of pitched in to shovel, people from both schools. I remember going across the field with a shovel and All games played at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pa., and broadcast live on Pennsylvania Cable Network. Class 6A: Pine-Richland vs. St. Joseph’s Prep, 6 p.m. Saturday Class 5A: Gateway vs. Archbishop Wood, 7 p.m. Friday Class 3A: Quaker Valley vs. Middletown, noon Saturday Class 2A: Wilmington vs. Southern Columbia, 1 p.m. Friday