Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

The 1994 McKeesport Tigers pitched four shutouts and permitted just 7.8 points per contest. And so it is fitting that the defense is remembered for the goal line stand in the PIAA Quad-A Final against nationally-ranked Downingtown that secured a perfect 15-0 season for Coach George Smith and his club. Brandon Short, who went on to a stellar career at Penn State and with the New York Giants, led the surge that prevented the Whippets’ two 1,000 yard rushers from scoring early in the fourth quarter. With 6:34 remaining, the Tigers’ wishbone triple-option offense churned out a 9-play 67-yard drive chewing 3:50 off of the clock. Glenn Allen’s 31-yard blast set up quarterback Bill Isbir’s 11-yard scamper around the left end that put the Tigers up for good 17-14. A Downingtown fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Keonte Campbell and sealed the deal on McKeesport’s first undefeated season since 1936, its first WPIAL title since 1938, and its first-ever state crown. That championship season galvanized a community rocked by the collapse of its industrial base as 52 busloads of fans made their way to Altoona to witness the game on a cold and rainy night.