North Pocono Head Coach Greg Dolhon points to the fans after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono’s Josiah Gray finds a path to the end zone during the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bishop Shanahan at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono quarterback Chase Zimmerman hugs teammate Evan Wolff (31) after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono wide reciever Cole West carries the ball through the Bishop Shanahan defense during the PIAA Class 4A championship game at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono wide receiver Cole West carries the ball through the Bishop Shanahan defense during the PIAA Class 4A championship game at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono running back Josiah Gray escapes the defense of Bishop Shanahan’s Anthony Aquila during the PIAA Class 4A championship game at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono’s Henry Wolff runs during the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bishop Shanahan at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono Head Coach Greg Dolhon, center, celebrates after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono’s Jaycee Miller and Mikey Hatala celebrate with fans after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono quarterback Chase Zimmerman runs with the ball during the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bishop Shanahan at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono’s Henry Wolff runs against Bishop Shanahan during the PIAA Class 4A championship game at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono quarterback Chase Zimmerman runs during the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bishop Shanahan at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
North Pocono’s Henry Wolff and Evan Wolff (31) hug after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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North Pocono Head Coach Greg Dolhon points to the fans after defeating Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A championship at Jack Mancini Field in Downingtown Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
DOWNINGTOWN — Bishop Shanahan scored late in a wild second half to reclaim the lead, but the sentiment along the North Pocono sideline was, “They left us too much time.”
Indeed, the Eagles did.
Cole West’s individual effort on a 21-yard touchdown run capped a five-play, 55-yard drive and put the Trojans back in front with 45.5 seconds remaining. The defense then forced a turnover to secure a thrilling 40-36 victory for the District 2 champs in the PIAA Class 4A first round Friday night at Jack Mancini Stadium.
It was a game that featured six lead changes in the final 16 minutes with West’s touchdown landing the final blow for North Pocono (13-0). The Trojans advance to the quarterfinals next week against the District 12 champion, either Cardinal O’Hara or West Philadelphia. Those teams are scheduled to play Saturday morning.
“This game was just body shot after body shot,” West said. “Coach Dolhon preached to us that we had to keep punching. That’s why this was such a great game. They got out a few times, but ultimately we had the better team and got through it.”
Josiah Gray carried 22 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He also recovered the fumble that sealed the victory for the Trojans. West added 84 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and quarterback Chase Zimmerman ran for 59 yards and a score and threw for 90 yards.
Quarterback Anthony Aquila passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 55 yards and another score for Bishop Shanahan (8-5). Aidan Civitella had seven catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
The second of those scoring receptions, a 50-yarder with 2:14 to play, gave the District 1 champion Eagles a 36-33 lead.
On the home sideline, though, Bishop Shanahan coach Paul Meyers had the same feeling that North Pocono had.
“Yeah, we did look at the clock and thought that,” Meyers said. “Their size wore us down during the game. I think that was the difference, just coming right at us. We battled, our kids gave us everything. Just a little too light in the (butt) and it caught up to us.”
With the ball near midfield and two timeouts, North Pocono coach Greg Dolhon didn’t think his team’s running game could be stopped. The Trojans finished with 303 yards on the ground.
“I didn’t think we needed to throw the ball,” Dolhon said. “Somebody said, ‘We’ve got to throw’ and I said, No, we’re going to run the ball for a touchdown and win the game. Because I thought we could run at them.”
West returned the ensuing kickoff 21 yards to his 45. Gray ran for five yards on first down and Aidan Maguire for one yard on second down to set up third-and-4 at the Bishop Shanahan 49. Zimmerman went for 13 yards to pick up the first down to the 36 and West carried for 15 yards to move the ball to the 21. West then took a direct snap and ran to his right. He broke two tackles at the 15 and kept going. He carried two Eagles defenders on his back the final four yards before falling across the goal line for the touchdown. Shane Youngblood’s kick made it 40-36 with 45.5 seconds left.
“It starts up front with everybody. That doesn’t happen without the team,” West said. “Right before the play happened, (offensive lineman) Warren (Kramer) said, ‘Run right behind me’ and that’s what I did. I trust my guys. Nothing happens without them. And Coach Dolhon had faith in me to get the ball in, so that’s what I had to do.”
Still, Bishop Shanahan had time. Danny Keenan returned a short kickoff to the North Pocono 49. On first down, Aquila looked to pass. He felt some pressure and stepped up in the pocket. That’s when the Trojans’ Seamus Maguire sacked Aquila from behind and forced a fumble. Gray was there to recover for North Pocono with 34.5 seconds left, touching off a wild celebration by the players and the large group of North Pocono fans who made the two-plus-hour trip for the game and packed their side of the bleachers.
“I just rushed the quarterback and tried to make a big play,” Maguire said. “He stepped up in the pocket and came right back out. I slipped the guy who was blocking me, made a hit and the ball came out. I saw Josiah fall on it. It was a great play by my friend. Couldn’t ask for any better teammates.
“It was a great, intense, physical game. I feel good playing in these types of games. I enjoy playing in the close games.”
Recovering the game-clinching fumble meant more to Gray than his three touchdowns.
“Because it solidified the game and there was no chance for them to come back after that,” Gray said.
“I dropped back in pass coverage to make sure nothing got behind me. I saw my outside linebacker Seamus come around and swipe the ball. I saw it on the ground. I just jumped on it and made sure I had control of it.”
Offensively, Gray’s third touchdown — an 18-yard run with 7:06 left in the third quarter — gave North Pocono a 20-7 lead. He had a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter.
But Bishop Shanahan scored twice in a 47-second span to take its first lead. Aquila had an 8-yard touchdown run with 4:51 left in the third. Then, two plays into the ensuing North Pocono possession, a Zimmerman pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and into the arms of Keenan, who returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 4:04 left, giving the Eagles a 21-20 lead. Salvi Debellis added both extra points.
That ignited a scoring spree that saw each team keep answering the other.
North Pocono put together an 11-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in a 4-yard touchdown run by West, that gave the Trojans a 26-21 lead with 11:38 left in the fourth quarter as the two-point conversion try was no good.
Facing third-and-14 from their 48, Aquila and Civitella connected for a 52-yard touchdown pass on Bishop Shanahan’s next possession. Aquila then gave a shovel pass to Nate Bracken for the two-point conversion and put the Eagles in front, 29-26, with 8:29 to play.
Henry Wolff returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to the Bishop Shanahan 46. That set up an eight-play scoring drive for North Pocono with Zimmerman scoring on a 1-yard sneak on third-and-goal with 3:39 remaining. Youngblood’s kick gave the Trojans a 33-29 lead.
Aquila and Civitella then connected on their 50-yard touchdown to give the Eagles the lead one final time. However, the score wound up happening too quick and North Pocono was able to rally again.
“I’m just so proud of our kids,” Dolhon said. “I want to say hats off to (Bishop Shanahan). They’re a good program, they’ve got great players. Their quarterback is an excellent player and No. 7 (Civitella) is a great wideout. We just had a little more tonight. I think the game always comes down to five or seven plays and I think we made the majority of those five to seven plays.”