Pennsylvania has nation’s No. 1-ranked small school football team

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, June 30, 2019 | 4:23 PM

Defending PIAA champion Southern Columbia was ranked Sunday as the No. 1 small school football team in the country by the website High School Football America.

The District 4 power has won the state’s Class 2A title three of the past four years and owns nine PIAA titles overall. The Tigers defeated Wilmington, 49-14, in the PIAA championship last season.

They’re 8-2 in their last 10 trips to Hershey, with losses to Steel Valley in 2016 and Clairton in 2011.

Southern Columbia features rising senior receiver Julian Fleming, an Ohio State commit and one of the top recruits in the country.

Also making the Small School Top 25 were Farrell at No. 14 and Philadelphia’s West Catholic at No. 19.

Southern Columbia (Pennsylvania) ranked No. 1 in High School Football America Preseason Small Schools Top 25 https://t.co/FfTjYjvHMS @SoCoTigerSports @EPAFootball

— HS Football America (@HSFBamerica) June 30, 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.