Archbishop Wood trounces Somerset in semifinal

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Archbishop Wood secured its fourth straight trip to the PIAA Class AAA football final with a 63-20 demolition of Somerset in the semifinals on a rainy and cold Saturday at Trojan Stadium.

The Vikings will be looking for their second straight state title and third in the last four seasons when they face Central Valley, which defeated Bishop McDevitt, 26-21, Friday night. The title game is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Hersheypark Stadium.

Wood (13-1) game-planned for the weather, as it attempted just two passes, both incomplete, and ran the ball 39 times for 525 yards and 18 first downs.

"The conditions were bad, so we figured that if we could run the ball effectively, then that is what we would do," Wood coach Steve Devlin said. "We saw the forecast on Wednesday, so we prepared for it."

Somerset (13-2) won the opening toss and deferred, and the Vikings took little time in jumping on the Eagles. Alex Arcangeli capped a 65-yard scoring drive with a 9-yard scoring run a little more than three minutes into the game.

Jarrett McClenton scored the next two Vikings touchdowns, on runs of 90 and 3 yards.

Jacob Heiple provided a spark for the Eagles when he darted in from 59 yards on the first play of the second quarter, but McClenton had an immediate answer: a 54-yard scoring dash on Wood's first play from scrimmage after the Somerset touchdown.

Two 12-yard scoring rushes by Arcangeli sandwiched around Ryan Barrett's 27-yard TD run on a sweep sent Wood to the locker room in front, 49-7.

McClenton and Arcangeli were done at halftime, each finishing with three TDs. McClenton ran for 232 yards on 14 carries, and Arcangeli piled up 141 yards on 10 rushes.

Sophomore Shawn Thompson took over the ball-carrying duties for the Vikings in the second half and scored twice, running five times for 102 yards.

"We don't take any game lightly or for granted," Devlin said when asked if he had expected his team to reach the state final once again. "Our experience playing at this level helps us to prepare for these types of games."

Wood's 49 first-half points set a record for points in a half in a PIAA Class AAA semifinal.

Somerset 0 7 7 6 - 20

Archbishop Wood 21 28 14 0 - 63

AW: Alex Arcangeli 9 run (Dan McDonald kick)

AW: Jarrett McClenton 90 run (McDonald kick)

AW: McClenton 3 run (McDonald kick)

S: Jacob Heiple 59 run (Wes Reed kick)

AW: McClenton 54 run (McDonald kick)

AW: Arcangeli 12 run (McDonald kick)

AW: Ryan Barrett 27 run (McDonald kick)

AW: Arcangeli 12 run (McDonald kick)

S: Bryce Mostoller 17 pass from Dylan Barnes (Reed kick)

AW: Shawn Thompson 39 run (Dan Zanine kick)

AW: Thompson 13 run (Zanine kick)

S: Mike VanLenten 2 run (run failed)