COLLIER TWP. — There’s a simple formula when it comes to playing in the postseason and that is to survive and advance.
While No. 3 Hopewell might not have played its best football in the second half of its WPIAL 3A high school football quarterfinal matchup against No. 6 North Catholic, it did just enough to advance to the semifinals with a 27-21 win on Friday, Nov. 13.
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“We made some mistakes tonight that let them gain some momentum, but hats off to North Catholic; they capitalized on our mistakes and that is what good teams do,” Hopewell head coach Matt Mottes said. “It’s a culture thing. These kids are conditioned differently than Hopewell teams of the past, have a winner’s mindset and when things don’t go our way, we still fight and pull out games.”
Holding a 14-point lead at the half, Hopewell (11-1) seemed to have all the momentum, with athlete Brody Rock rushing for his second four-yard touchdown of the game late in the second quarter to give the Vikings an opportunity to double-dip as they would receive the second-half kickoff.
Instead of capitalizing on a first-half, second-half touchdown, two turnovers from the Hopewell offense would allow North Catholic (8-4) back into the game.
Out of the break, Hopewell quarterback James Armstrong threw a backwards pass that couldn’t be corralled by running back Nasir Wade.
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North Catholic would take advantage of that turnover, with quarterback Teagan Thomas finding Jack Croft for a 14-yard touchdown.
Hopewell quarterback James Armstrong (5) scrambles outside of the pocket in the WPIAL 3A quarterfinal game between No. 6 North Catholic and No. 3 Hopewell, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 at Chartiers Valley Stadium in Collier Twp., Pa.
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Then, with the game tied in the fourth quarter, Armstrong would fumble a snap in the red zone and shift momentum back in favor of North Catholic.
“We needed to stay resilient through it all,” Armstrong said. “I was telling everyone on the sideline that god put us in that position and he wanted to challenge us to see if we could win close games. We got challenged tonight and kudos to North Catholic.”
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Following the second Hopewell turnover, the Vikings forced a turnover on downs in their own territory, opening the door for Armstrong to put the team back on top.
The Penn State commit delivered in a big way, moving the ball swiftly downfield on a multitude of quarterback draws and capped off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to put the team up six points with just under four minutes to play.
“In my mind, I knew that if I had another opportunity to get the ball in my hand, I was going to take it to the crib,” Armstrong said. “That turnover was my mistake and I wanted to fight for my guys. I needed to take ownership of that mistake and make up for it on the next drive.”
Hopewell defensive back Nasir Wade (4) celebrates after intercepting his first pass of the night in the WPIAL 3A quarterfinal game between No. 6 North Catholic and No. 3 Hopewell, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 at Chartiers Valley Stadium in Collier Twp., Pa.
While the offense put together a game-winning drive, it was the Hopewell defense that rose to the occasion to keep the team in the game.
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The Vikings defensive unit forced three takeaways, all via interceptions, with Wade coming away with a pair of picks while Avery Bokor iced the game with an interception of his own.
“At the end of the day, it’s players making plays,” Mottes said. “These kids didn’t want to be denied. We were down two linemen who were out with injury, but these kids didn’t quit.”
With the win, Hopewell will now take on No. 2 Propel Braddock Hills at a site and time to be determined on Friday, Nov. 20, with the team looking to punch their first ticket to the championship game since 2009.
Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Contact him at emorrison@usatodayco.com and follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Hopewell survives upset scare from North Catholic to advance to WPIAL semifinals
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