Peters Township Pulls Off Historic Second Half Comeback to Win WPIAL Class-5A Championship
By Joe Fitzgerald
PITTSBURGH — In the third consecutive WPIAL championship meeting between Pine-Richland and Peters Township, the opening stages felt like another chapter of Rams dominance.
Pine-Richland marched down the field with authority on its first possession, finishing the drive with a short touchdown run by Mac Miller, though the Rams missed the two-point try and led 6–0.
Peters Township’s first series ended in a quick three-and-out, a sign of what the entire first half would look like as the Indians managed only two first downs before the break.
The Rams kept control early on.
Peters Township quarterback commit Nolan DiLuccia did not complete a pass in the first half as he was consistently pressured by Pine-Richland’s front and forced to scramble for his life.
Aaron Strader added to the lead with a tough three-yard touchdown run, but another failed two-point attempt kept it 12–0. Strader then delivered again, finding Khalil Taylor late in the half to stretch the lead to 19–0 and send the Rams into halftime with all the momentum.
However the entire tone of the game flipped in the second half.
Peters Township’s defense finally began to settle in, and midway through the third quarter, the stadium exploded when Cole Neupaver broke free for a 74-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 19–6 and giving the Indians their first spark of life.
After another defensive stop, Neupaver punched in a second touchdown, swinging all the energy to the Peters sideline and making it a 19–13 game.
Suddenly, everything was changing more than pine could control.
Peters’ defense delivered yet again, forcing the Rams off the field and giving their offense a chance to take the lead. They did exactly that, methodically marching down the field before finishing the drive and drilling the extra point to go up 20–19 with four minutes left, completing a stunning 20–0 run.
Strader and Pine-Richland still had a shot to reclaim the lead, but Peters Township forced a fumble and recovered deep in Rams territory, sending their sideline into a frenzy.
Pine-Richland managed to get another opportunity after forcing a missed Peters kick, setting up one final, pressure-filled drive. The Rams moved the ball and briefly had hope, but the Indians’ defense slammed the door one final time, sealing an electric comeback victory.
The win marked a dramatic and historic ending for Nolan DiLuccia, closing out one of the great WPIAL careers, and delivered Peters Township a championship defined by resilience, second-half dominance, and the explosive running of Cole Neupaver.
