High School Football
Roman Catholic Falls 34-31 to Bishop McDevitt in OT After 18-Point Comeback

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The Roman Catholic overcame an 18-point second half deficit in the PIAA 5A State Championship game on Friday, Dec. 6, taking a 31-28 lead over Bishop McDevitt in the fourth quarter. From there, McDevitt kicker Aidan Grella became the hero, making two field goals to send the game to overtime and then win it.
The Cahillites trailed 21-3 early in the third quarter, then scored two quick touchdowns to get back in the game. A 75-yard defensive touchdown gave Roman Catholic a three point lead with less than six minutes to go, but Grella’s 20-yard kick knotted it 31-31.
Roman Catholic received the opening kickoff and put together a 13 play field goal drive aided by a trio of Bishop McDevitt penalties, including a pass interference flag on a fourth down incompletion and an offsides call on an initial field goal miss.
The Crusaders embarked on a winding drive of their own that chewed more than six minutes off the clock, but they came up short when it mattered most: Roman Catholic stacked up tailback Nazir Jones-Davis on fourth down from the two.
The Cahillites couldn’t get out of the shadow of their own goal line, however, setting up a short field after the punt. Bishop McDevitt quarterback Stone Saunders lofted up a prayer toward Dominic Diaz-Ellis that his defender missed, allowing him to walk into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown.
Roman Catholic drove to the Crusaders’ 25-yard line early in the second quarter, but Diaz-Ellis picked off a pass to maintain the lead. Another red zone stand kept the Cahillites in the game, but a shanked punt set McDevitt up at the Roman Catholic 20… and Jones-Davis made it 14-3 with a 5-yard carry soon thereafter.
Crusaders’ receiver Jontai Quick dropped the second half kickoff but recovered to scoop it off the turf… then sliced through Roman Catholic’s coverage to set McDevitt up at the Cahillites’ 30. Roman Catholic forced a quick 3rd-and-10, then Saunders found Diaz-Ellis for a wide open touchdown.
Roman Catholic Fights Back
The Cahillites found an offensive groove from there, marching downfield behind running back JoJo Delecce. Beals completed a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-six to keep the drive alive, then a goal line fumble nearly spelled disaster… until senior receiver Zamir Newsaun fell on it for the touchdown.
Roman Catholic forced a quick punt, then cut the deficit to 21-17 on a 52-yard fake punt pass from punter Eli Pollack to CJ Miller. Another long kickoff return, this one from Diaz-Ellis, reestablished a double-digit lead 20 seconds later on a 1-yard keeper from Saunders.
The Cahillites struck back early in the fourth quarter, closing the gap to 28-24 on a 31-yard touchdown from Beals to Rayshawn Scott.
Bishop McDevitt looked poised to crush the Cahillites hopes from there, leaning on Jones-Davis to grind down yardage (and clock), but a tipped pass turned into a 75-yard pick six for Louis Gaddy, and a 31-28 lead for Roman Catholic.
The Crusaders’ ensuing drive stalled out inside the Roman Catholic 5-yard line, setting up a game-tying 20-yard field goal from Aidan Grella. Quick picked off a pass at the Cahillites’ 46 with 2:26 to play. McDevitt managed just 20 yards from there, and Grella’s 43-yard kick fell short with no time remaining.
Both teams got one possession from the 10-yard line. McDevitt won the toss and deferred, with both teams attacking the northwestern end zone driving into the wind. Beals got banged up after a 4-yard carry on the first play, ending the Cahillites’ possession almost as soon as it began. The ensuing kick went wide, and Bishop McDevitt won 34-31 on a low 22-yard kick from Grella.