On Oct. 10, the Little Lions hosted their final regular-season home game against Central Dauphin East at Memorial Field. The night also marked senior night, filled with plenty of excitement and energy before kickoff even began.
WSCH, State High’s broadcasting program, hosted its own spin-off of the famous ESPN College GameDay show right outside of Memorial Field before the game. Co-host and senior Hannah Smith commented on how this has been in the making for a while.
“This has really been in the works for a long time. I remember talking about this last year, but to see it all come to fruition right now is just so incredible,” Smith said.
The live broadcast aired for an hour straight with minimal breaks between segments. The team interviewed coaches and players, shared their own insights, and even peaked at over 200 viewers at one point.
“Everyone just had so much fun, and it was so cool to be able to do something like this and be live on air. I think we really moved through the challenges as they came, and I think we did a great job,” Smith said.
The show didn’t end there, as just a couple of minutes later, senior night ceremonies began. Despite the brisk fall air, the energy remained high as the game kicked off. The game started off close through the first quarter, tied 7-7 as the Little Lions struggled to move the ball down the field. But, as the offense struggled, the defense thrived.
Before the game, sophomore quarterback Connor Kulka reflected on how the defense could help take some pressure off the offense.
“You know, not having to go out there and put up 50 a game to win. It’s amazing. You don’t have to be completely reliant on yourself 100% of the time; you can make some mistakes, but it gives you that confidence going into that,” Kulka said.
That confidence showed in the second quarter. The Little Lions’ offense came alive, putting up 20 points, and Central Dauphin East couldn’t respond a single time, with the help of junior AJ Fry, who had two interceptions on the night. Fry spoke about what helped him have a standout game.
“Honestly, it was our coaches, all week we have been working hard at it, and this was one of our best practice weeks, so definitely our coaches,” Fry said.
With such a great margin coming into the second half, State College decided to slow down the pace, but senior star running back D’Antae Sheffey didn’t. Sheffey had 183 yards on the ground, complemented by four rushing touchdowns. Yet Sheffey, on a sentimental Senior Night, gave all of the credit to his teammates and coaches.
“The O-Line unlocked it all, the play calling, everything. This will definitely be a night I’ll never forget, coming out with a W,” Sheffey said.
State College capped off the night with a dominant 39-7 win to honor their seniors. With two passing touchdowns from Kulka, four rushing scores from Sheffey and key picks from Fry and senior Daimear Coad, the game was unforgettable.
The Little Lions are back in action on Oct. 24 when they travel to take on the defending 5A state champions of Bishop McDevitt.
