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Expect Wood to cruise into final

Archbishop Wood clinched its seventh consecutive berth in the PIAA Class AAA state semifinals with a romp last Friday over Great Valley.

Archbishop Wood's Ryan Barrett (23) is congratulated by teammates after Barrett scored a touchdown against Great Valley during the first half of their PIAA Class AAA football quarterfinal game. (For the Inquirer/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Archbishop Wood's Ryan Barrett (23) is congratulated by teammates after Barrett scored a touchdown against Great Valley during the first half of their PIAA Class AAA football quarterfinal game. (For the Inquirer/Joseph Kaczmarek)Read moreJoseph Kaczmarek

Archbishop Wood clinched its seventh consecutive berth in the PIAA Class AAA state semifinals with a romp last Friday over Great Valley.

Next for the white-hot Vikings, who are looking to earn their fifth trip to Hershey, is a clash with District 5's Somerset at 1 p.m., Saturday, at Chambersburg Area High.

Somerset is a small town about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The Golden Eagles (13-1) easily dispatched mistake-prone Bethlehem Catholic, 30-0, in a quarterfinal Saturday at Chambersburg.

Spurred by senior tailback Jarrett McClenton, who has rushed 161 times for 1,726 yards and 30 touchdowns, Wood (12-1) is averaging 43.5 points.

Steve Devlin's Vikings, ranked No. 2 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, are bidding for their third state crown in four years.

Somerset suffered its only loss in Week 10, falling to District 6's Bishop Guilfoyle, 27-3. Guilfoyle is 14-0 and in the Class A semifinals.

Here is a closer look at the matchup.

Coaches. Devlin is 96-17 (.850 winning percentage) in eight years in Warminster. Bob Landis is 31-16 (.660) in his fourth year at Somerset.

Turnaround. The season before Landis took over, the Golden Eagles went 0-10. They average 41 points this year.

Field general. Wood's Anthony Russo, a junior and first-year starter, has completed 85 of 151 passes for 1,541 yards and 22 scores.

Go-to guy. Somerset's Jake Heiple, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior, has rushed 171 times for 1,498 yards and 25 TDs.

Powerful. The Vikings' potent offensive line is headed by center Ryan Neher, guards Tom Cardoza and Shawn Scroger, and tackles Ryan Bates and Kurt Stengel.

Signal-caller. Golden Eagles QB Dylan Barnes, a 6-1, 175-pound junior, has completed 83 of 156 attempts for 1,470 yards and 19 TDs, with six interceptions.

Pick. The Vikings, a bit miffed at having to travel 23/4 hours to Chambersburg, take out their frustration on the outmanned Golden Eagles. Wood, 49-7.