HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL A three-peat? Rochester closing in on a PIAA milestone

The Rams will play for their fourth Class A title in five years.
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Rochester is two victories away from doing something only two other schools have accomplished since the PIAA football playoffs began in 1988: win three consecutive state titles.
Berwick won four straight Class AAA titles from 1994-97 and Central Bucks West won three straight in Class AAAA from 1997-99.
If Rochester wins again this year, it will be the Rams fourth in five years. Berwick has won six titles, while Central Bucks West and Mount Carmel have won four each.
The most impressive part of Rochester's run -- the Rams have won 16 consecutive playoff games counting district and PIAA contests -- is it has done it at the smallest classification level. In Class A, teams usually have a number of starters graduate each year and there is not as large a pool of potential replacements as there is at a Class AAAA or AAA schools.
"When I took over in 2000, I was just hoping we'd make the playoffs," coach Gene Matsook said. "I had no thoughts of winning one let alone three District (7) titles. It really hasn't sunk in yet."
Rochester knocked off Duquesne 26-13 in the District 7 final and will face Bishop Carroll (12-1) at East Allegheny High School tonight in the western final.
The winner plays Southern Columbia (11-2) or Schuylkill Haven (12-1) for the PIAA crown Dec. 6 in Hershey. The eastern finalists meet Saturday afternoon at Susquehanna University.
Winning has been a family affair at Rochester. Matsook replaced his brother, Dan, who guided the Rams to the PIAA title in 1998. Ryan Matsook, Dan's son and Gene's nephew, is Rochester's offensive coordinator and a former Rochester player.
Rochester is the only PIAA champion from last year remaining among the four classes this year.
The Rams have an outstanding line anchored by guard Jim Sadler and center Nick Mannerino, who are three-year starters. Junior running back Nate Waldron rushed for a career-high 205 yards on 33 carries and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass on a halfback option in the district final. He has rushed for 1,489 yards on 236 carries.
Still perfect
Perhaps the most interesting PIAA game this weekend will take place tonight at North Allegheny, where Pittsburgh City League champion Perry (13-0) meets District 7 champion Hopewell (12-1) in Class AAA.
Perry, which lost to three-time finalist West Allegheny in last year's western final, has not allowed a point in 12 games this season. Hopewell is led by Penn State recruit Paul Posluszny, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards.
Big game
Pat Kaiser picked the right time to have perhaps his best game of the season. The 5-10, 190-pound running back at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia set two single-game records in the championship game of the Catholic League's Red Division.
St. Joseph's defeated Roman Catholic 38-7 as Kaiser rushed 18 times for 316 yards and scored 32 points. Both of those are championship game totals. He tied a championship game mark with four touchdowns and scored on runs of 74, 65, 9 and 38 yards.
It was the second consecutive title for St. Joseph's Prep and the third in six years.
Basketball season opens
The scholastic basketball season gets underway tonight. One of the most interesting stories this season concerns Maureece Rice, Strawberry Mansion's 6-foot guard.
Rice has scored 1,922 career points and appears to be a lock to break the Philadelphia record of 2,207 set by Wilt Chamberlain, who graduated from Overbrook in 1955.
One of the best basketball players in Western Pennsylvania apparently won't play.
Kenny Johnson, a 6-3 senior point guard who averaged 15.7 points a game for Beaver Falls, has been suspended from the team.