TROY, P.A. (WETM) – Southern Columbia football continued their dominant run in District IV, following a Class AA championship win over Troy.

Troy football’s unbeaten season came to a close in a 14-0 loss, on Friday. The Trojans fell to 12-1, after a hard fought loss to Southern Columbia in the PIAA District IV 2A title game. Friday night was a rainy and muddy one at Troy’s Alparon Park, but that did not stop either team from making big plays. The Trojans came away with a strong showing in the first half, thanks to a big defensive effort. Troy’s Evan Woodward ripped away a pass for an interception, with 29 seconds to go in the 1st half. Woodward and the Trojans would flip over to offense after the turnover and take a shot towards the endzone. On a 2nd down pass, Lincoln Chimics collided with Southern Columbia’s Brayden Andrews , preventing a potential touchdown. After the incompletion, the Trojans would not score and the game would go to the half tied at zero.

In the 2nd half, each team would pick over a turnover on the other, but the Tigers would finally break the scoring drought. With 57 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Southern Columbia’s Garrett Garcia took a handoff around the end, giving the Tigers the 7-0 edge. After a short drive, the Trojans could not respond to the Tiger’s score. Once again with possession, Southern Columbia drove down the field with a steady diet of Garcia runs, killing most of the final quarter. To close out the drive, Garcia leapt over the line of scrimmage on the goal line, taking 2 hits and getting his 2nd touchdown. With the clock ticking down, the Trojans looked to go to the air in hopes of scoring, but Southern Columbia’s Gavin Krebs ended their drive with an interception.

With the win, the Tigers have now won their 9th-consecutive District IV Class AA title and have also claimed their 31st Class 1A or 2A crown in the past 33 seasons, dating back to 1991. Southern Columbia will enter the PIAA tournament, seeking their 7th-consecutive state championship. Meanwhile, Troy will have to wait another year to chase down their first District IV crown since the 2013-14 season.

Over the past 33 seasons, the Tigers have sent 1 alumni to the NFL. 2007 Southern Columbia grad Henry Hynoski played at the University of Pittsburgh, following a 4 District IV titles with the Tigers. Hynoski impressed at Pitt and signed with the New York Giants as a fullback, helping them win Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots. After claiming a Lombardi Trophy in just 4 NFL season, the standout fullback returned to Pennsylvania for a career in education. Hynoski joined the Shamokin Area School District, where he became the assistant principal, dean of students, and head football coach. In July, the Southern Columbia grad’s career came full circle. Hynoski is now the principal at Southern Columbia High School.