CATAWISSA R.R. - When Southern Columbia takes the field Friday in Hershey, the Tigers will have already made history with their 13th appearance in a state championship game.
That, itself, is outstanding.
Nobody else even comes close.
Since 1988 when the PIAA began holding its football state championships, there have been 92 games played - that's 184 state finalists in the four classes combined - with 95 different schools participating.
Southern's 12 appearances during that time frame exceed all other finalists by far.
Berwick - we'll get back to the Bulldogs in just a bit - is closest with seven. Mount Carmel Area, Central Bucks West and Rochester are next with six, followed by Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Aliquippa, Upper Saint Clair and Strath Haven with four each.
That's a pretty impressive list of football elite.
And now, back to Berwick. The Bulldogs, with six victories in seven appearances, are tied with Southern in that department. A victory by the Tigers over two-time defending champion Clairton this week would allow them to stand alone atop that list of elite teams as well.
Heading into the finals, following Southern and Berwick with six, the championship leaders are Mount Carmel Area with five, Central Bucks West with four, and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Allentown Central Catholic, Thomas Jefferson and Rochester with three apiece.
Southern is the only team on that list with a berth in this year's four championship games.
The 2011 game will be the Tigers' first against Clairton. In championship game action through the years, they've played Rochester five times, Farrell twice and Western Beaver, South Side Beaver, Bishop Carroll, Duquesne and West Middlesex once each.
Their first appearance was in 1994 against Western Beaver when a 49-6 victory gave them their first title. They then lost their next six appearances, including two to Farrell, three to Rochester and one to South Side Beaver, before going on a five-game state championship winning streak. During that span, there were two victories over familiar foe Rochester, and one each over Bishop Carroll, Duquesne and West Middlesex.