BEDFORD, Pa. – Moments after the District 5 Class 1A championship trophy and medal celebration, a wave of blue-clad football fans made their way onto the field at Bedford High School to celebrate, offer hugs and pose for photographs.
The Ramblers fans simply followed the lead of the Windber Area High School players, who also took control of the action on the field throughout a 14-0 victory over previously undefeated Northern Bedford County.
Windber won its first district title in football since 2008. It was the first gold-medal moment for head coach Matt Grohal, who was part of three heart-breaking near misses in 2011, 2017 and 2021.
“What a great win,” said Grohal, a 12th-year head coach, who also was a former assistant and player at Windber. “I told them we’re happy, but we’re not satisfied.
“We’re going to go on the road next week.
“See if we can get healthy this week and give whoever we get a good game.”
The second-seeded Ramblers improved to 11-1 and will face Saturday’s winner of a game between District 3 Steelton-Highspire and District 12 Belmont Charter.
Top-seeded Northern Bedford closed an 11-1 season.
“We just worked so hard.” @WindberFootball senior Jake Hostetler had one of three Ramblers’ interceptions in a 14-0 win over Northern Bedford in the D5 1A championship game. pic.twitter.com/kSuEtscuaA
— Michael Mastovich (@masty81) November 11, 2022
“It’s just an unreal feeling. We worked so hard for this and we deserved this,” said Ramblers senior linebacker Jake Hostetler, who had one of three Windber interceptions. “Coach Grohal has been in it for 12 years. I’m just so proud to finally get him a championship.”
Led by senior back John Shuster’s 185 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, the offense was solid out of the single wing.
But Grohal thought his defense’s performance against a talented Northern Bedford team put Windber over the top.
Northern Bedford entered the championship game with 1,770 passing yards and 2,217 rushing yards, with 18 TDs through the air and 40 touchdowns on the ground.
“I’m just so proud of my defense,” Grohal said. “We did enough offensively to get the win, but our defense has just been lights-out for six, seven, eight weeks. We’ve given up 49 points in 12 games. That’s pretty darn impressive.
“Coach (Frank) Tallyen is amazing. He’s been with me since Day 1. Coach (Mike) Phillips. I just love those guys. I want to share this with all those guys and with this community.”
Northern Bedford was poised to strike early. The Black Panthers ran 15 plays and used 6 minutes, 51 seconds of game clock while moving as close as the Windber 6-yard line on the game’s opening drive.
But Collin Yeatts’ 25-yard field-goal attempt missed.
Windber’s Shuster needed only one carry and 14 seconds to change the momentum via his 80-yard touchdown run.
Bryson Costa’s extra-point kick made it 7-0 with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
“We stood strong.” @WindberFootball John Shuster ran for touchdowns of 80 and 17 yards to complement the Ramblers’ strong defensive effort in a 14-0 win over Northern Bedford. D5 1A championship. pic.twitter.com/X6nscUPb0F
— Michael Mastovich (@masty81) November 11, 2022
“That was a big momentum change for us,” Shuster said calmly after he granted numerous fans and family members’ requests to take photographs with the championship medal.
“That was a big play for sure.”
Grohal was more emphatic about the turn of events.
“That was massive,” Grohal said. “We bent a little bit there, but we found a way to get a stop. Johnny needs one play to do what he does. What a special run that was. We took all the momentum right there.”
Neither team scored during the remainder of the half.
Northern Bedford had an opportunity after the Panthers stopped Windber on fourth-and-2 at the Ramblers’ 40.
But Hostetler’s interception ended the threat.
Shuster had a 59-yard touchdown run negated by a holding penalty on the ensuing possession, and the Ramblers had four penalties for 40 yards to end the half.
Evan Brady’s interception of an Eion Snider pass just over a minute into the third quarter, followed by his 29-yard return, set up Shuster’s second touchdown run that counted.
He scored from 17 yards out, and Costa’s kick made it 14-0 at 9:38.
“It was a tough battle. They were a really tough team. It just feels great to win it,” Shuster said.
“Our defense played lights out. They moved the ball but we stood strong when it came down to the goal line.”
Windber limited Northern Bedford to a net 44 rushing yards on 22 carries. Junior Adam Johnson, who had 1,549 yards and 28 TDs entering the game, gained 13 yards on 10 carries.
Quarterback Snider completed 8 of 19 passes for 121 yards and three interceptions.
“We just played hard the whole game, stuck to our game plan and never got worried when the moved the ball,” Shuster said. “We stayed strong.”
Blake Klosky complemented Shuster by gaining 40 rushing yards on nine carries. Shuster now unofficially has 6,658 career rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns. This season, he has 2,607 yards and 37 TDs.
On defense, Ethan Brady made Windber’s third interception and gave the Ramblers the ball with 5:22 left.
Windber then ran out the clock.
“We talked about getting some turnovers this week,” Grohal said. “We were a plus-3 in the turnover battle. When you get in a playoff battle, that usually determines the winner of the game. Plus-3, we’ll take that any day of the week.”
The win might have eased the sting of those three close losses in title games under Grohal against North Star in 2011, Northern Bedford in 2017, and Westinghouse this past season in the District 5-8 Class 2A final.
“It’s special. We’ve been close,” Grohal said. “We’ve never been blown out in one of these.
“You need a little bit of luck on your side.
“(Former Windber coach) Phil DeMarco was my hero growing up. I didn’t have a father in my life. He was my father-figure. I wish he was here. This is special. I’m going to call him tomorrow morning and share this with him. He means a lot to me.”
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5083. Follow him on Twitter@Masty81.
