The Fumbler has a confession to make. As much as he loves high school football, he agrees with many others who say playing games a week before Christmas is absolutely ridiculous.

This is the latest the PIAA championships have ever been scheduled. The Fumbler is so ticked off that he is not attending the games, just as a show of protest. He is going to Hershey, but only to visit Chocolate World and also his Aunt Bea, who dresses up as a Krackel candy bar and greets visitors at Chocolate World.

He'll then stop at Isaac's, one of his favorite sandwich shops in the commonwealth. The Fumbler is thinking of grabbing a hotel room in Hershey, just to watch the games on PCN. But he refuses to pay money for tickets.

The Fumbler's knowledge of teams around the state paid off for him last week as he went 7-1 in PIAA semifinal games. That made his postseason record 58-19 (.753 percentage) and his season record 537-120 (.817).

This is The Fumbler's final column of the year. Be sure to check out his cousin, The Dribbler, in the Post-Gazette in coming weeks. Here are The Fumbler's thoughts on this weekend's PIAA finals (all games played at Hersheypark Stadium).

State College (12-2) vs. LaSalle College (13-1), 7 p.m. tomorrow -- It's the first PIAA championship appearance for either team. LaSalle College is the first Philadelphia Catholic League team to make it to a title game in Class AAAA. The Fumbler thinks LaSalle might have a little better all-around team. Winner: LaSalle College.

Manheim Central (15-0) vs. Selinsgrove (15-0), 7 p.m. tonight -- The Fumbler watched Manheim Central beat West Allegheny last week on television and was extremely impressed with Manheim Central quarterback Justin Gorman, who has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000. He could be the difference in this Class AAA final, although Selinsgrove has limited 12 of 15 opponents to seven points or less. Winner: Manheim Central.

Greensburg Central Catholic (13-2) vs. Lancaster Catholic (14-1), 1 p.m. tomorrow -- Much of the talk in this game has been centered around Lancaster Catholic quarterback Kyle Smith, the leading passer in Pennsylvania history. But The Fumbler believes the biggest key to this game is Lancaster Catholic's defense and whether it can slow down Greensburg Central running back David Miller. The Fumbler says no. Winner: Greensburg Central Catholic.

Clairton (14-1) vs. Bishop McCort (14-0), 1 p.m. today -- Did you know Bishop McCort is the alma mater of Steelers great Jack Ham and Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley? Enough of the trivial things. As for something that matters, how about Clairton's defense? The Bears have allowed only three touchdowns in six postseason games, and one of those came on a kickoff return. That defense will be the difference. Winner: Clairton.

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