Southern Columbia Tigers

PIAA DISTRICT 4 CLASS 2A HEARTLAND DIVISION 3

Tough slate ahead of Tigers

BY KURT RITZMAN

Really, Southern Columbia’s football program has nothing left to prove.

There is, however, one more target that the Tigers have their eye on this year in addition to the annual goal of hoisting a trophy in Hershey in early December.

Playing arguably one of the toughest schedules of any small school team in the state, Southern does have a chance to break another record: Most consecutive wins in Pennsylvania history.

Southern enters the season with 60 consecutive victories dating back to the start of the 2017 season. Seven wins to start this season would snap Clairton’s record of 66, set from 2009-13.

“I didn’t know about that,” said senior running Gavin Garcia, who was the Class 2A Player of the Year in 2020. “That’s another goal to aim for. I’d like to be the team to do that.”

Getting there won’t be easy. Before playing Central Columbia on Oct. 8 — the game that could set the record — the Tigers will have to get through Berwick on the opening Friday night, Bloomsburg, Loyalsock, 2019 3A state champion Wyoming Area, rival Mount Carmel and 2020 3A state finalist Wyomissing. Southern also closes the season with games at Selinsgrove and at reigning District 4 3A champ Danville.

The Tigers haven’t lost a regular-season game since a setback to Mount Carmel in 2011.

If anyone can emerge through that gauntlet unscathed it might be Southern.

After graduating four players who landed at Big Ten schools and another who went Division I for wrestling in 2019, the Tigers steamrolled to a 12-0 shortened season in 2020, outscoring their opponents 457-116.

Winning that state title was important for the younger players on the team.

“Obviously, there’s always a little pressure,” Garcia said. “After winning last year — there were still some doubts about our team — a lot of the pressure is gone. We didn’t

BRAEDEN WISLOSKI

2020 STAT LEADERS

PASSING C-A Int TD Yds Liam Klebon 30-53 3 9 688 RUSHING Att Yards TDs Gavin Garcia 109 1,906 30 Wes Barnes 82 775 8 B. Wisloski 50 504 13 RECEIVING Rec Yards TDs Jake Davis 6 189 3 Jake Rose 6 116 1 Gavin Garcia 8 166 2

2021 SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 Berwick Sept. 3 at Bloomsburg* Sept. 10 Loyalsock* Sept. 17 at Wyoming Area Sept. 24 Mount Carmel* Oct. 1 at Wyomissing Oct. 8 at Central Columbia Oct. 15 Hughesville* Oct. 22 at Selinsgrove Oct. 29 at Danville

*-PHAC-3 GAME

2020 RESULTS (12-0)

W Bloomsburg 41-0 W at Warrior Run 67-0 W at Loyalsock 50-20 W Mount Carmel FF W at Hughesville 56-7 W Lewisburg 42-7 W at Central Columbia 52-3 D4 2A Semifinal W Line Mountain 49-7 D4 2A Final W So. Williamsport 49-14 PIAA 2A Quarterfinal W Richland 57-30 PIAA 2A Semifinal W Bishop McDevitt 42-13 PIAA 2A Final W Wilmington 42-14

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need the seniors (from 2019) to win. We’re all our own team. We can do the same things.”

And now, as coach Jim Roth enters his 38th season, the Tigers return nearly all of their skill players.

Garcia is back after rushing for 1,906 yards on just 109 carries as a junior, scoring 30 times on his way to being named the 2A state player of the year. Entering his senior year, Garcia said he has narrowed his college choices to Princeton, Harvard and Kent State.

The other halfback, state sprint champion Braeden Wisloski, carried the ball just 50 times in a dozen games last year, but scored 13 times and averaged better than 10 yards a carry. Fullback Wes Barnes had 775 yards and eight scores.

Quarterback Liam Klebon is back for his senior year after an efficient first year under center. As a junior, he completed about 60 percent of his passes (30-of-53) for 688 yards and nine scores.

The returning skill players will have an experienced line to run behind. One of the question marks entering 2020, Southern returns three starters up front this fall. Chris Treshock returns to anchor the line along with Joseph Quinton and Carson Savitski.

“We just need to start meshing,” Garcia said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

5-YEAR WIN TREND

15* & 16* &# 16* &# 16* &#

12* &#

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

*-PLAYOFFS; &-DISTRICT CHAMPION #-PIAA CHAMPION

Other 2021 Schedules of Note

BERWICK

8/27 at Southern Columbia 9/03 Crestwood 9/10 Hazleton Area 9/17 at Selinsgrove 9/2 Williamsport 10/01 at Tunkhannock 10/08 at Wyoming Valley West 10/15 Pittston Area 10/22 at Dallas 10/29 Wilkes-Barre BLOOMSBURG

Date Opponent 8/27 at Loyalsock 9/03 Southern Columbia 9/10 at Central Mountain 9/17 at Midd-West 9/24 Williams Valley 10/01 at Mount Carmel 10/08 Hughesville 10/15 at Warrior Run 10/22 Northwest Area 10/29 Central Columbia CENTRAL COLUMBIA

9/03 at Mifflinburg 9/10 at Troy Area 9/17 Warrior Run 9/24 at Danville 10/01 Lewisburg 10/08 Southern Columbia 10/15 at Selinsgrove 10/22 Montoursville 10/29 at Bloomsburg COLUMBIA-MONTOUR VO-TECH

8/27 at Northwest Area 9/04 Muncy 9/10 at Sayre 9/18 at Holy Cross 9/25 Cowanesque Valley 10/02 South Williamsport 10/15 at Cowanesque Valley 10/23 North Penn/Mansfield 10/30 Montgomery HUGHESVILLE

8/27 Montgomery 9/03 Mount Carmel 9/10 at Wellsboro 9/17 Mifflinburg 9/24 at Warrior Run 10/01 Athens 10/08 at Bloomsburg 10/15 at Southern Columbia 10/22 Loyalsock 10/29 at Muncy JERSEY SHORE

8/27 Bellefonte 9/03 at Selinsgrove 9/10 Montoursville 9/17 at Lewisburg 9/24 Shikellamy 10/01 at Shamokin 10/08 at Milton Area 10/15 Danville 10/22 at Bald Eagle Area 10/29 Central Mountain LOYALSOCK

8/27 Bloomsburg 9/03 Shikellamy 9/10 at Southern Columbia 9/17 Danville 9/24 at Montoursville 10/01 Troy Area 10/08 at Lewisburg 10/15 Mount Carmel 10/22 at Hughesville 10/29 at Warrior Run MONTGOMERY

8/27 at Hughesville 9/03 Northwest Area 9/10 Warrior Run 9/17 Sayre 9/24 at South Williamsport 10/01 at Wyalusing Valley 10/08 Canton Area 10/15 at Muncy 10/22 Cowanesque Valley 10/30 at Col.-Montour Vo-Tech MONTOURSVILLE

8/27 Wellsboro 9/03 Lewisburg 9/10 at Jersey Shore 9/17 at Mount Carmel Area 9/24 Loyalsock 10/01 at Danville 10/08 Mifflinburg 10/15 at Midd-West 10/22 at Central Columbia 10/29 Selinsgrove

DEREK BERLITZ

“We’ve got a lot of new guys defensively and on the line. I think it will play out fine; we just need to get the kinks out.”

On defense, all-state defensive end Derek Berlitz returns to anchor a unit that must replace all three starters in the secondary, including allstate corner Jake Davis, now at Bloomsburg University. Southern has Berlitz and junior two-way lineman Treshock back up front along with linebackers Jake Rose and Garrett Garcia. Rose won both hurdle events at the state track & field championships in May and Garcia, younger brother of Gaige and Gavin, led the Tigers in tackles as a ninthgrader in 2020.

The Tigers have won the last four PIAA 2A state titles and five of six. They’ve won a state-record 11 titles overall and 10 since 2002.

With a 42-14 romp over Wilmington in last year’s state final, Southern Columbia completed a fourth consecutive unbeaten season, a victory that also gave Roth the most wins by a high school coach in state prep history. The seniors on last year’s team went unbeaten throughout their four-year careers, something Garcia said this year’s senior class would also like to accomplish.

“Obviously we want to go undefeated in our high school careers,” Garcia said. “It stinks that we had a shortened year last year. We’re looking forward to hopefully a normal season.”

All of the Tigers’ success doesn’t come by accident, but from commitment, according to Garcia.

“The Monday after the season ends, everybody is working,” Garcia said. “They’re either in the mat room (for wrestling), on the basketball court or in the weight room.

“During the summer, it’s easy to relax, but we use that time to work. Coach Roth emphasizes getting bigger, faster and stronger over the summer, so that’s what we try to do.”

The Monday the season ends everybody is working. They’re either in the mat room, on the basketball court or in the weight room.

SOUTHERN COLUMBIA HALFBACK GAVIN GARCIA