PCN will re-air Pine-Richland’s snowy 2003 PIAA football final
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Thursday, December 12, 2019 | 7:59 PM
Pine-Richland’s Anthony Taormina (83) and Jim Fawcett (52) react after the Rams lost 39-38 to Manheim Central in overtime of the 2003 PIAA Class AAA title game at Hersheypark Stadium.
Pine-Richland’s Brian Smith (23) chases down Manheim Central’s Eric Meyers during the first half of the 2003 PIAA Class AAA title game in Hershey.
Pine-Richland’s Neil Walker holds his head after the Rams lost in overtime Friday night against Manheim Central in the 2003 PIAA Class AAA title game in Hershey.
Pine-Richland tight end Billy Masaro scores past Manheim Central defenders during the second half of the 2003 PIAA Class AAA title game in Hershey.
The images are among the most iconic in PIAA football championship history.
Hersheypark Stadium was blanketed in white and snowflakes fell from the sky as Pine-Richland and Manheim Central battled through two overtimes in the 2003 Class 3A state final. The Pennsylvania Cable Network will rebroadcast the game statewide at 7 p.m. Saturday as part of its PCN Sports Classics series.
Pine-Richland’s season ended in a 39-38 double-overtime loss when Manheim Central blocked an extra point.
“Somebody had to lose,” Pine-Richland coach Clair Altemus said in 2003. “There’s tears right now. It’s been a long time since we’ve lost.”
Senior running back Greg Hough rushed for 126 yards on 34 carries and scored three touchdowns.
Pine-Richland’s roster also featured future MLB player Neil Walker, who at the time was a Clemson baseball commit. Walker rushed for 31 yards on four carries, caught two passes for 45 yards, returned a kickoff 43 yards and led the team with nine tackles.
He also scored a touchdown in overtime.
“That’s what Neil Walker does best,” Altemus said in 2003. “You put the ball in his hands and he makes magic. We’ll never see another one like that. There will never be another Neil Walker.”
Take a look back at one of the greatest high school state championship games ever played on a new episode of PCN Sports Classics.@ManheimCentral took on @PRSchools in the 2003 PIAA 3A Football Championship. Watch it again Saturday at 7 PM on cable & streaming. pic.twitter.com/pFrPu5Mwer
— PCNTV (@pcntv) December 12, 2019
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Pine-Richland
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