CHESWICK, Pa. — For the first half of Friday night’s PIAA Class A Western Final, it seemed possible that Port Allegany football coach Mike Bodamer who called his team “a 60-point underdog” could keep up with mighty Clairton.
Standing toe-to-toe with the touted Bears and matching Clairton’s first score with a quick touchdown of their own, the Gators proved they belonged on the same field.
But in the end, Clairton showed why it’s the three-time defending state champion. With flashes of brilliance from stars Tyler Boyd and Terrish Webb and a ferocious pass rush that had Port A quarterback Matt Bodamer on the run all night, the Bears broke the game open in the third quarter to cruise to a 44-12 victory — their 62nd straight — and a return trip to next week’s final in Hershey.
“We did our best,” Mike Bodamer said. “We just met a Goliath, and David didn’t beat him this time.
“There’s a reason why those guys are probably four-time defending state champs after next week. Matt threw the ball, and when a kid caught it there were kids closing on him so fast, they just … whole different athletes there. They deserve it. They’ve got a good team.”
Boyd did it all for the Bears (15-0), rushing for two touchdowns and passing for another to fellow Division 1 recruit Terrish Webb. And when Port needed a stop to stay in the game trailing just 16-6 early in the third quarter, it was Clairton’s star weaving his way through the Gator defense on a scintillating 33-yard score.
“We had two guys on him in the backfield, and he broke it and went all the way back across the grain and scored. That’s the type of kid he is,” Mike Bodamer said. “He just breaks games wide open. Nick Budd came off and I just looked at him and said, ‘Boy, that kid’s got moves.’ Nick said, ‘Yeah, I can’t even touch him.’ That’s why he’s a Division 1 prospect. He definitely looks the part.”
Meanwhile, Clairton’s team speed on defense proved to be the antidote for Port’s prolific passing attack.
Facing heavy pressure on almost every dropback, Bodamer managed to complete just 11-of-22 passes for 193 yards while being intercepted twice.
Fittingly, the final pass of Bodamer’s stellar career was a touchdown, the 10-yard toss to Nick Conway with 0:47 left tying Kyle Smith’s single-season PIAA record at 52. He also broke Derek Buganza’s single-season yardage mark on an earlier throw to Conway, finishing with 3,951 yards.
“That’s a good accomplishment for him and for the team, but I think they’d much rather have the game or played a little bit closer,” Mike Bodamer said. “Matt’s over the idea of state records. He just wanted to keep winning.”
So while Clairton moves on, Port Allegany (13-1) ends the most successful season in school history one step short of the state championship game, but with plenty to be proud of.
“I feel bad that it had to end this way, but it had to end sometime,” Mike Bodamer said. “The last two years these kids have been 25-3 and won two district titles. People try to compare District 9 and District 10 with this league down here. It’s just a different brand of football.”
