Ryan Stover (No. 16) leads Upper Dublin.

With his arm and legs quarterback Ryan Stover leads the FootballStories top-ranked high school team in Pennsylvania into the PIAA AAAA state semi-finals. On Saturday afternoon at Souderton High School, the Cardinals (14-0) will face Parkland (13-1) with the winner advancing to Hershey for the championship game next Saturday.

Upper Dublin scored on four-straight possessions in the second half to pull away from North Penn to win 46-21 and claim the District One title. The Trojans had a tougher time with LaSalle, they won in overtime 16-13 and became the first District 11 team to beat a Philadelphia Catholic League team in the state playoffs at the AAAA-level.

Stover has thrown for 26 touchdowns and almost 2,300 yards while adding 12 scores and nearly 1,000 yards on the ground.

“He’s duel-threat,” said Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover, about his son. “He’s proven this year that he can handle the pass game, we knew that coming in to the year. He added the run element this year that’s made him a little tough to defend.”

The Trojans have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in quarterback Devante Cross, who has verbally committed to Boston College, and running back Erik DiGirolamo.

Like most teams still playing this time of year both teams have gaudy stats, the Cardinals have rolled up 602 points while allowing just 116. For Parkland it’s 519 to 189.

Like all players still playing this time of year, Ryan Stover isn’t ready for the season to end.

“It awesome to be out here with these guys,” said Stover, a senior who is drawing attention from FCS-level colleges. “We believe, we know we have a pretty good team. We show up every week and get down to business.”

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At the AA-level West Catholic (10-4), the PCL’s last hope, battles Southern Columbia (14-0) at Northern Lehigh High School. The Burrs haven’t played in a state semi-final game since 2011 and haven’t been to Hershey since their championship season of 2010. Southern Columbia was a perennial visitor to Chocolate Town while playing at the A-level. The Tigers have won six state titles at that level (the last in 2006) and have appeared in 13 championship games since 1994. In 2014, they moved to AA and lost in the District 4 semifinals.
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Imhotep Charter will play for the AAA Championship on Friday night. They raced past Saucon Valley 72-27 and will face Erie Cathedral Prep in Hershey.