Southern Columbia Football: Triumph In the Face of Tragedy

This was a news story I shot and edited with reporter Carol Han while working at WHP-TV CBS21.

Jason Dagle of Selinsgrove, Pa., wrote: "In the summer of 2004, the Southern Columbia High School team lost two players in a drowning accident at a football camp. That year en route to an undefeated season, the Tigers would only field nine players for their first play, to honor their lost friends. While a few teams tried to a hit a big play against the Tigers' nine-man set, most opponents also fielded only nine players for the first play." In the 2004 Pennsylvania state Class A championship game, Southern Columbia sent out nine players for the first play, and opponent Rochester High responded by sending out only nine. Thus good sportsmanship was shown by Rochester High School and many other Pennsylvania high schools that year.

Southern Columbia would go on to win the PIAA Class A Championship that year.