Mike Mastovich | 'We were that close': Penn Cambria's Vinglish eyes PIAA semifinal rematch after Panthers' near miss
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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A year ago, Corbin Vinglish glanced at the scoreboard at Norwin High School’s Knights Stadium on a snowy, frigid late-November Friday night.
District 6 champion Penn Cambria’s historic season had just ended in a 16-6 loss to District 7 winner Avonworth in a PIAA Class 3A semifinal – one week shy of the state championship game.
“I’m not a guy that likes to look in the past,” said Vinglish, a junior running back and middle linebacker, “but knowing that they’re the team that knocked us out last year, I remember looking up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and thinking, ‘Wow. We were that close.’
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“Avonworth went into overtime in the (state) championship game (loss) the next week. We were that close.”
Much is similar this week, but Vinglish and repeat District 6 champion Penn Cambria (12-2) are determined to change the ending against undefeated and state top-ranked Avonworth (13-0) in Friday’s PIAA Class 3A semifinal at Indiana Area Senior High School’s Andy Kuzneski Field.
“When the games get bigger, you’ve got to step up and play to that level of game,” Vinglish said.
The area’s leading rusher with 1,506 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns, Vinglish lives up to those words. He’s also third among area tacklers with 147 stops, 10.5 a game, for the state third-ranked Panthers.
“He’s one of the leaders even though he’s an underclassman,” Penn Cambria coach Jason Grassi said of Vinglish.
“He’s been through this. He played a lot as a freshman and started last year and this year. He’s played a lot of football for us, and he’s a guy we lean on a lot.”
In Penn Cambria’s four postseason games – two District 6-3A contests and a pair of PIAA dates – Vinglish has 516 rushing yards, an average of 129 yards a game and 6.0 per carry. He’s collected 48 tackles in that same four-week span.
“He’s a natural athlete, a natural football player,” Grassi said. “He puts a lot of time in the film room. He calls things out. He knows what other teams are doing. When he’s on defense, he gets us lined up and he knows the tendencies of the teams.”
Grassi pointed to a key moment in the Panthers’ 12-7 quarterfinal win over District 10 Sharon at PennWest Clarion University.
“At the game last week, it was fourth-and-4,” Grassi said. “He said, ‘Coach, I think we can get them to jump.’ So, we went on a hard count. They jumped (offsides). We got the first down.
“He just knows the game of football. He knows what’s going on and he can call anything out.”
Vinglish quietly shares credit for any success he’s had, and points to the team’s goals.
“It starts with the guys in front of me, sacrificing, giving me the ability to do what I do,” Vinglish said. “Just stick to my game.”
Avonworth numbers: The District 7 repeat champion Antelopes have outscored opponents 535-127 in 13 wins.
Eight opponents have scored eight or fewer points against Avonworth.
Only North Catholic scored more than 20 points against the Antelopes this season (in a 44-24 Avonworth win).
Senior success: Penn Cambria’s senior class enters the game as part of teams with a 44-8 record since 2022. In the past two seasons, the Panthers are 26-3 heading into Friday’s game.
“This senior group has really led us and got our team each week ready to go and play the next game,” Grassi said.
Penn Cambria’s seniors have been in four straight District 6 title games (going 2-2).
Overall, the program appeared in five consecutive 6-3A championship contests since 2021 (going 2-3).
Avonworth’s senior group has produced a 48-7 record entering Friday’s game. The Antelopes posted records of 11-2 (2022), 12-1 (2023), 12-4 (2024 state runner-up) and 13-0 this season.
Who’s next?: The semifinal winner will advance to the PIAA Class 3A championship game Dec. 6 at Cumberland Valley High School (1 p.m.).
Friday’s other 3A semifinal pairs defending state champion Northwestern Lehigh (14-0) from District 11 and Trinity (11-3) out of District 3.
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