AAAA Pennsylvania State Championship Game (December 9, 2000)

Erie Cathedral Prep.....41
Central Bucks West......35

Congratulations to the 2000 PIAA Class 4A State Champion Erie Cathedral Prep. They won a hard fought battle against the CB West Bucks on Saturday, December 9 at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA. The overtime win ended the longest winning streak in Pennsylvania high school football history at 59 wins. Phil DiGiacomo rushed for 96 yards and tied the championship game record with five touchdowns for the night. Fran Golden had four receptions for 68 yards and had a stellar night on defense. This game was the first PIAA Class AAAA State Championship game to go into overtime and perhaps the most exciting high school football games ever played.

               STATISTICS                   DECEMBER 9, 2000

AAAA Eastern Pennsylvania Championship Game (December 2, 2000)

Central Bucks West......27
Bethlehem Catholic......12

December 9, 2000 is the last possible day of football for any high school team fortunate enough to arrive at the state title game. For the fourth straight year, Central Bucks West is one of those fortunate teams. To call the Bucks from Doylestown fortunate would be a huge understatement. To call the Bucks a finely tuned, oiled machine would be more appropriate.

There was the retirement of legendary coach Mike Pettine. The off-field problems that plagued West before they even kicked of their season. The lack of experience on the varsity level with a mere handful of starters returning. All these factors could not slow this locomotive of a team, which is now full steam ahead for its last station stop of the season: the state championship game in Hershey. To get to Hershey, West had to go through Beccahi. A great football team, Beccahi featured an all-state running back in Eddie Scipio and also an all-state receiver in John Dieser. In quarterback Mark Borda they had a record setting passer. These weapons could not ante up the hand dealt by West: a bona fide quarterback in Mike Orihel, running backs James West and Bob Warden, all purpose back David Camburn, linebacker Gavin Potter, and the pride and soul of the 2000 Bucks: Phil DiGiacomo. Defensive linemen Angelo Verrillo and Gene Rich made life difficult for Borda all day long. The defensive secondary led by halfbacks Zach Ingram and Fran Golden virtually left Beccahi’s receiving corps null and void. This total team effort proved to be vital in West’s 27 – 12 domination of the Hawks. Good luck to you gentlemen in your upcoming battle with Erie Cathedral Prep in what will be the last game in an already sensational season.

By Jeff Johnson

AAAA Eastern Pennsylvania Championship Game (December 2, 2000)

The smell of chocolate was in the air by halftime. Chocolate kisses were being tossed into the crowd and onto the field at the end of the game as the scoreboard read 27-12. The Central Bucks West Bucks struck down the Golden Hawks of Bethlehem Catholic in the PIAA Class AAAA Eastern Pennsylvania playoff final. Mark Borda, Becahi QB, came into the game with 2,787 yards rushing but was only able to complete 106 yards on Saturday. Running back Eddie Scipio broke for 2 long runs, the second a 36-yard TD run around the right end to give Becahi a 6-0 lead. The Bucks then began to turn up the heat offensively and defensively. On the next two possessions the Bucks scored. Mike Orihel found Phil DiGiacomo on a short touchdown pass. Jim Wiberly provided the extra point. Angelo Verrillo, Gene Rich, Gavin Potter and the rest of the Bucks defense pressured Borda to throw 2 incomplete passes and forced the punt. A 30-yard punt return by Phil DiGiacomo set up a 13-yard touchdown run by James West. The score was 14-6 early in the second quarter. The defense continued to pressure Borda all day and even Scipio’s runs could not spark the Hawk’s offense to get them back into the game. Dave Camburn went in for a four-yard touchdown run making it 20-6 at the end of the first half.

In the second half touchdowns were traded. John Dieser had a 18-yard pass reception but the extra point was blocked by Zach Ingram. James West ran for a second TD and Wiberly’s kick was good. Angelo Verrillo and Gene Rich accounted for 3 sacks, 2 fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

The Bucks will face Erie Cathedral Prep for the PA State title next week in Hershey. Game time is 5 PM. You don’t want to miss this rematch!

By Luann Ingram

               STATISTICS                   DECEMBER 2, 2000

AAAA District I Championship Game (November 24, 2000)

Central Bucks West......39
Downingtown.............14

"Dazed and Confused in Doylestown" was the name of the show playing in Doylestown Friday night. Not at the County Theater but at War Memorial Field when the Central Bucks West Bucks whipped the Whippets of Downingtown 39-14. The win give the Bucks their fourth straight PIAA Class AAAA District title and their 58^th straight win!

The Bucks knew exactly what they must do to stop the Whippets. They needed to contain running back Mike Recchiuti who came into the contest with 2,129 rushing yards. Recchiuti had 32 carries for 137 yards for the night. Good by most standards but not good enough when you compare that to the Bucks "offense by committee" of Bob Warden (11 for 73 yards, 2 TDs), Phil DiGiacomo (9 for 43 yards), and James West (4 for 88 yards, 1 TD). Quarterback Mike Orihel had one of the best games of his three-year starting career throwing 8-for-15 for 141 yards and completing passes to no less than five different receivers. Zach Ingram caught a 25-yard pass from Orihel on the first offensive play of the game and later added a 29-yard touchdown reception. On that first West possession, Orihel completed three out of four passes for 63 yards including two to senior Fran Golden. That set the Whippets into a tailspin. On West’s second possession, Orihel hooked up with tight end Angelo Verrillo for another 21 yards. Just when Downingtown was convinced that the Bucks would pass the ball, Orihel handed off to his running backs. With a defense waiting for Orihel’s arm to fire on a third and long, CB West crossed it up with a draw play to James West for a 64-yard touchdown run. All night long the Bucks’ defensive line had to manage a much larger Downingtown offensive line. The Whippets’ average player on the line was 250 lbs. Pressure from Gavin Potter, Gene Rich, and Jim Fagnani forced quarterback Chris Warrick to throw two costly interceptions.

One key CB West player missed the mayhem at War Memorial Field. Senior Dave Camburn, having just been released from the hospital, told his fellow teammates by phone that he had no intentions of ending his high school football career listening to it on the radio. Next week, the Bucks will have the opportunity to face Bethlehem Catholic in the Eastern Final of the State Championship.

             STATISTICS             NOVEMBER 24, 2000