Buganza loses in Pennsylvania football playoffs but wins award

Brockway senior quarterback Derek Buganza, the all-time leading passer in Pennsylvania history, was named the PrepNationRadio.com Edsel Award winner, which is the Web site's Pennsylvania Football Player of the Year award.

Buganza, who led Brockway to a 12-1 record, the District 9 Class AA title and the PIAA quarterfinals, was 184 of 278 passing this season for 3,005 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He finished his three-year career with a state-record 9,752 yards and a PIAA District 9-record 95 touchdowns. During the season, Buganza had five 300-yard passing games and five multiple-touchdown contests including a District 9-record eight touchdown passes in a win over Smethport Sept. 19.

Video of Derek Buganza

In his career, he threw for more than 300 yards 15 times with 20 multiple-touchdown games that included 18 contests of three of more touchdown passes, 12 of four or more and nine with five or more scores. He had a career record of 24-10 as a starting quarterback including 11-1 this season.

BRUMBAUGH AND SOUTH FAYETTE ELIMINATE BUGANZA
Buganza might be the Edsel Award winner, but South Fayette's Christian Brumbaugh is the quarterback still playing after leading the WPIAL champion Lions to a 62-28 win over Buganza's Rovers Friday night in the PIAA quarterfinals, in a game that wasn't put away until South Fayette scored 20 unanswered points in the final six minutes.

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Brumbaugh, a 6-foot-4 senior, was nearly flawless in the win, going 22 of 26 for 380 yards and five touchdowns. He passed Sto-Rox's (McKees Rocks) Adam DiMichele for the all-time WPIAL passing touchdown record (80) and sits just 52 yards shy of DiMichele's WPIAL record of 6,741 passing yards. With 6,690 career yards, Brumbaugh broke the school record of 6,573 set by Andrew DiDonato from 2002-2005, and he has the 14th most passing yards in Pennsylvania history.

Brothers Tyler Challingsworth and Zach Challingsworth combined for 13 catches for 200 yards in the game with Tyler catching nine balls for 108 yards – he also ran for 70 yards a score and had an interception on defense – and Zach four for 92 yards and a touchdown. Josh Patterson caught two touchdowns and had three catches for 93 yards, while Jeff Davis had three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown, eight rushes for 68 yards and a score and picked off a pass on defense.

South Fayette (McDonald) will now face District 6 champion Forest Hills (Sidman), a 21-7 winner over Sharon, in the PIAA semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hempfield High School outside of Greensburg.

CLAIRTON, FARRELL REMATCH FOR THIRD TIME IN CLASS A SEMIS
For the third straight year, the PIAA Class A semifinals in the western half of Pennsylvania will feature Clairton and Farrell.

Clairton, the defending state champion, has won the first two meetings by a combined nine points winning 13-7 last year and 24-21 in 2008 before losing in the PIAA title game. This year’s game will be at 7 p.m. Friday at North Allegheny High School.

Clairton, the WPIAL champion, reached the title game with a 52-0 smashing of District 5 champion North Star thanks to two touchdowns apiece from Capri Thompson, Karvonn Cole and Trenton Cole.

Farrell, the District 10 champion, broke open a 13-7 game at halftime with District 9 champion Curwensville by scoring three touchdowns in a span of 3:30 at the start of the second half to get a 35-14 win. Kevin Brodie ran for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

SHORTHANDED NORTH ALLEGHENY TOPS STATE COLLEGE
A shorthanded North Allegheny (Wexford) team, the WPIAL champions, was still too much for State College, the District 6-9-10 champion, knocking off the Little Lions 21-6 in the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals thanks to two short Vinnie Congedo touchdown runs. The Tigers learned earlier in the week that they had lost leading rusher Alex Papson (2,482 yards, 32 touchdowns) to a season-ending shoulder injury suffered in the WPIAL championship game last week against Woodland Hills.

But Congedo, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound junior, who entered the game with just 32 carries for 181 yards and a touchdown on the season, ran for 142 yards and two scores. North Allegheny will face District 3 champion Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg), a 35-7 winner over Red Lion, in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mansion Park in Altoona.

ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP TOO MUCH FOR CENTRAL VALLEY
District 10 champion Cathedral Prep (Erie) overcame a 14-9 halftime deficit to end the Cinderella run of first-year program and WPIAL champion Central Valley in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals. Damion Terry was 9 of 13 passing for 133 yards and two touchdowns and Anthony Jordan ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass to lead Cathedral Prep, which will face District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg), a 29-14 winner over Cocalico, in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at DuBois’ E.J, Mansell Stadium.