Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
	Duquesne's Travis Simmons, left, and Ian Maletta hold their heads on the bench in the final seconds against Southern Columbia in the PIAA Class A championship game yesterday at Hersheypark Stadium. Related story Duquesne's volunteer band forced to cancel because of snow storm

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Nothing Southern Columbia did on offense surprised Duquesne. But everything Southern Columbia did on offense overpowered Duquesne.

Duquesne must have welts after getting belted by the Class A bully yesterday. Big, bad Southern Columbia flexed its muscles and defeated Duquesne, 50-19, in the PIAA Class A title game at Hersheypark Stadium.

The win moves Southern Columbia into elite status. The Tigers became only the second team in PIAA history to win four consecutive titles. Berwick won four in Class AAA from 1994-97. Southern Columbia, a District 4 school near Bloomsburg, has five titles overall. The other came in 1994.

It was a bad ending to a marvelous season for WPIAL champion Duquesne (14-1). The Dukes knew all about Southern Columbia's quest for a fourth consecutive title. And the Dukes knew how Southern Columbia would try to get there -- with power football.

But Duquesne was helpless against a Southern Columbia team that had a 6-foot-2, 245-pound fullback, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive guard and a 6-4, 275-pound tackle. All you need to know about the Tigers' power game is they did not complete a pass against Duquesne.

"They only have, like, nine plays," Duquesne coach Pat Monroe said. "We practiced against those plays. We were as ready as we could be. Nothing they did we didn't know. We just couldn't stop them."

Sparked by three touchdowns from Elijah Fields, Duquesne trailed by only 20-19 at halftime. But the Dukes couldn't withstand Southern Columbia's strength in the second half.

"They just wore us down," Fields said.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
	Southern Columbia's Marcus Odorizzi covers Dukes receiver Fitzgerald Bobo in the first half.

Henry "Hyno" Hynoski was the workhorse for Southern Columbia. Never mind a defensive game plan. Duquesne needed a tranquilizer gun for this "Hyno." Hynoski, a standout junior fullback, rushed for a Class A championship record 271 yards on 35 carries and went over 2,000 yards for the season. Hynoski, whose father, Henry Sr., played fullback in the NFL, also scored four touchdowns.

Southern Columbia had 509 yards rushing, which ties a title game record. Central Bucks West also ran for 509 against Upper St. Clair in the 1997 Class AAAA final. Southern Columbia's 50 points was the fourth-highest total in any championship game.

"They ran the same plays that they were running when they would lose in the state championship games," Monroe said of Southern Columbia, which lost in PIAA finals six times from 1995-2001. "Now, they just run them behind a beast of a guard [Josh Marks], and they have a fullback who doesn't look like he's doing much, but every time he gets off the ground he has at least 6 yards."

Southern Columbia's running game was impressive in the first half, rumbling for 204 yards. Then the Tigers were even more impressive in the second half, adding 305 more yards.

"Our game plan was to run at them until they stopped it," Hynoski said. "Everyone saw that we didn't do anything fancy. We just ran inside for the most part and our linemen wore them down."

Fields, Duquesne's talented senior, did everything he could to keep Duquesne in the game. He scored the first touchdown when he jumped higher than a defender for a pass from Durrell Dunn and turned it into a 79-yard touchdown play.

Southern Columbia came back and powered its way for touchdowns on three consecutive possessions. Quarterback Kyle Connaghan scored on an 18-yard run and Hynoski on runs of 7 and 1 yards.

The game was on the verge of a blowout when Duquesne put Fields at quarterback.

"We figured we had to get the ball in his hands as much as we could," Monroe said.

Fields scored on a 59-yard run with 1:40 left in the half, his 18th touchdown this season of 50 or more yards. Southern Columbia couldn't get a first down on the ensuing possession and punter Austin Carpenter fielded a low snap with his knee on the ground, which gave Duquesne the ball at the Southern Columbia 28.

Fields stayed at quarterback, but on fourth-and-7 with nine seconds remaining, Monroe put him back at receiver. Dunn lofted a pass toward the goal line to Fields, who wrestled it away from Connaghan for a 25-yard touchdown catch that brought the Dukes within 20-19. It was Fields' 30th touchdown of the season.

"That young man [Fields] is as fine of a football player and the most elusive we've seen by far," Southern Columbia coach Jim Roth said.

Monroe felt good at halftime, trailing by only one point. But the Dukes didn't have a serious scoring threat the rest of the game.

"Fields is the best player I have ever played against," Hynoski said. "He is so explosive and he is going to name his college. Keeping him to just three big plays was a victory for us."

Southern Columbia dominated the second half. Hynoski scored twice in the third quarter on runs of 3 and 34 yards. Fullmer kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and the Tigers added two more rushing touchdowns to close out the season.

"It will take a few days for our kids to realize what they did this year," Monroe said. "For 14¹/₂ games, they played great football. They should feel good about themselves."