Central Valley flies to third straight WPIAL Class 3A Championship

PITTSBURGH — Throughout the first half of the WPIAL Class 3A championship game Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field, a large flock of birds traveled the playing surface and stands.

Their movements were quick, distracting, while also concise and organized — nearly identical to the flying around the Warriors did on the gridiron in their 52-15 victory over the Trojans to secure their third straight District 7 title.

Like the birds, Central Valley was quick.

Entering Saturday, Warriors' running back Landon Alexander needed just 32 yards to pass current Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead as the program's all-time leading rusher. The senior got those yards, and then some.

Alexander showed those in attendance and watching at home why he is viewed by many as one of the top playmakers in the WPIAL, rushing for 217 yards on 18 carries, with 206 yards coming in the first half.

"It felt amazing," Alexander said of his performance, "but like I said before, if we didn't get it the win, (the record) wouldn't have mattered. It would've been my last game. I share a special bond with some of these guys and personal accolades like that means nothing before the team's overall success."

Alexander touched the ball on 51% of his team's offensive plays in the first half. From long runs around the outside, to short catches on broken plays that turned into something big, the new school record holder couldn't be stopped.

"He is special," Lyons said of his running back after the game. "... I don't know what much more colleges need for this young man to do something. I'll be shocked if his phone doesn't start to blow up after this one."

Like the birds, Central Valley controlled the air.

The Warriors were dominant on the ground, but were perhaps even better when they or the opponent decided to throw the football — and a great deal of the excellence can be attributed to Jayvin Thompson.

On offense, Thompson only caught the ball twice, but made both count, scoring two touchdowns. His first touch came on a slant across the middle that he took 69 yards for a score. His second came a quarter later, from 15 yards out.

However, the sophomore's heroics through the air were best on display when he was guarding defenders, rather than attempting to evade them.

Entering Saturday afternoon with a team best seven interceptions, Thompson increased his season total by more than 50%, picking off four passes, all in the first half.

None of the four takeaways were taken in for a score, but Thompson's 127 return yards set up a touchdown for his team each time.

"All the credit goes to the defensive line," Thompson said. "The people up front, they got pressure up front and got it done."

Thompson was the most involved, but others had a big day through the air as well. Central Valley quarterbacks Antwon Johnson and Matt Merritt each threw two touchdowns and combined for 198 yards passing.

Alexander and senior Jack Bible each had a touchdown catch, to go along with Thompson's two.

Like the birds, Central Valley was everywhere.

For a team that averages more than 40 points a contest, it's hard to believe that defense is the Warriors' greatest area of strength. From start to finish, Central Valley spent most of the afternoon in the North Catholic backfield, tallying 6 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.

20 different Warriors were involved in at least one tackle in the victory, making sure 11 hats were to the football each snap.

Central Valley's first team defense held North Catholic scoreless. The first Trojans touchdown came on a 92 yard kickoff return from Liam Straub and the second was allowed by the backups with only 23 seconds remaining.

Altogether, a talented Trojans offense was held to just 173 total yards on 44 plays. After the game, head coach Pat O'Shea could do nothing but tip his cap.

"Central Valley is a really, really good football team," O'Shea said. "We knew if we were even going to be close, we'd have to play a nearly perfect football game and we're weren't really close on that today."

Like the birds, Central Valley will move onward.

Lyons' team became just the 12th program in WPIAL history to win three straight District 7 titles. However, he and his players are the first to admit that the job isn't done yet.

The Warriors are just one win away from making their third straight trip to the PIAA Championship and hope to defend the crown they earned last fall.

"We have the state playoffs coming up," Merritt said. "Tomorrow is a new day, we will have to be ready."

Make no mistake, Central Valley doesn't take its accomplishment from the weekend lightly. Lyons says his group understands what it has achieved but knows come Monday, it's time to fly forward to the next opponent.

Contact Noah Hiles at nhiles@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @_NoahHiles.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Central Valley flies to third straight WPIAL Class 3A Championship