NEPA Sports Nation

Crestwood rides ground game into state 4A football quarterfinals

Noah Schultz runs against Valley View in last week’s District 2 Class 4A championship game.

By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com

Crestwood takes an 11-game winning streak and a streak of rushing for at least 256 yards in 11 straight games into Saturday’s 1 p.m. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A football state quarterfinal.

The Comets (12-1) travel to the Northeast Supersite in Philadelphia to take on Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division champion Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast (11-1).

Crestwood had run for at least 345 yards in 10 straight games before the 256 was enough to get past Valley View, 12-7, in last week’s District 2 Class 4A championship game. Noah Schultz ran for two touchdowns and added late clock-killing first downs that helped clinch the victory.

The Comets have run for 69 touchdowns while averaging 9.4 yards per carry and 380.3 yards per game on the ground. They have run on 88.5 percent of plays this season and had seven games where they threw four or fewer passes.

Schultz surpassed 2,000 yards in the district semifinal, then carried 31 times for 180 yards against Valley View. The senior running back is averaging 10.3 yards per carry while running for 2,291 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Jaden Shedlock has averaged 9.7 yards while running for 1,024 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Shedlock has also hit 61.1 percent of his 54 passes without throwing an interception. He has passed for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Schultz is also the team’s leading receiver with 14 catches for 137 yards.

Josh Hilpp leads in receiving yards (152) and touchdowns (2) on his seven catches.

Senior linebacker Cole Kakalecik leads the defense with 71 tackles and 19 assists.

Magnus Bibla, another senior, has 11 sacks and 21 total tackles for losses. His brother Lincoln Bibla, a freshman, has 13 tackles for losses.

Nick Miscavage has intercepted five passes.

Bonner-Prendie comes in on a 10-game winning streak.

Avery Hankey ran for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week’s come-from-behind win over Interboro. He has run for more than 1,000 yards on the season.

Saturday’s winner advances to play Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, a 40-0 winner of Manheim Central in Friday night’s District 3 championship game. That game is likely to be played Dec. 2.

The Class 4A state bracket is down to five teams.

Aliquippa and Allentown Central Catholic advanced to the other semifinal with victories Friday. Aliquippa defeated Central Valley, 34-7, in the District 7 final. Allentown Central Catholic pounded Meadville, 50-7, Friday in a state game.

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