MOSCOW, PA — When Cole West broke through the Bishop Shanahan defense on a rain-soaked Friday night in Downingtown, dragging defenders into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown with 45.5 seconds left, he wasn’t just saving his team’s undefeated season.

He was finishing what his father started 34 years ago.

The 2025 North Pocono Trojans accomplished something no team in program history had ever done: win a state playoff game. They finished 13-1, eclipsing the 12-0 record set by the legendary 1991 squad—a team that never got the chance to compete for a state title due to a convoluted PIAA ratings formula that kept them home.

Three players on this year’s roster are sons of men who wore the Trojan maroon and gold in 1991. Cole West’s father, Jeff. Evan Wolff’s father, Randy—who now coaches alongside his son as a North Pocono assistant. Matt Laboranti’s father, too.

The connection wasn’t lost on any of them.

Tears on the Field

The moment North Pocono secured the District 2 Class 4A championship with a 38-6 demolition of Dallas on November 7, Cole West could barely hold himself together. Evan Wolff broke down entirely, tears streaming as gold medals were draped around his neck.

“This is such a special feeling to do this on this field in front of this crowd,” West said that night. “Especially had more meaning for me, Evan, and Matt Laboranti, because our fathers share this being on that 1991 team.”

They had matched their fathers’ record. But unlike 1991, the Trojans weren’t done.

North Pocono’s run to the District 2 title was dominant. The defense—coordinated by Randy Wolff—suffocated opponents all season. They held Nanticoke Area to 14 rushing yards. Wyoming Valley West managed 47. Abington Heights, despite going 5-0 entering their matchup, was limited to 33 yards on the ground.

At the heart of the defensive line sat Dylan Castor, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound nose guard who occupied double teams and freed up linebackers Aidan Maguire and Jayden Taylor to roam.

Offensively, the Trojans ran through, over, and around opponents. Running back Josiah Gray finished the season with 1,104 yards and 15 touchdowns. West—a do-everything junior—broke the school’s career receiving record with 1,454 yards, surpassing Nick Bell’s mark from 2009-11. Quarterback Chase Zimmerman orchestrated it all with poise beyond his years.

The Night That Made History

When the Trojans traveled to Bishop Shanahan for the PIAA Class 4A first round, they were 12-0 but facing a hostile environment. The PIAA’s bracketing system—which alternates home-field advantage between districts—forced undefeated North Pocono to play on the road against a 7-4 team.

Fans were outraged. Social media erupted with complaints about the perceived injustice.

The Trojans didn’t care. They had business to handle.

North Pocono jumped out 13-0 behind two Josiah Gray touchdown runs. But Bishop Shanahan responded. The Eagles clawed back, and by the fourth quarter, the game had turned into a shootout with six lead changes in the final 16 minutes.

Shanahan’s Anthony Aquila connected with receiver Civitella from midfield to give the Eagles a 36-33 lead with just 2:14 remaining.

Too much time.

The Trojans drove 55 yards in five plays. On the final snap, with 55 seconds left and the ball at the Shanahan 21-yard line, Cole West took a direct snap in the Wildcat formation.

What happened next will be replayed in Moscow for generations.

West broke one tackle. Then another. A third defender grabbed his jersey—West dragged him forward. A fourth hit him at the 5-yard line. West kept churning, refusing to go down, and tumbled into the end zone with a pack of Shanahan defenders clinging to him.

Shane Youngblood’s extra point made it 40-36 North Pocono with 45.5 seconds remaining.

Shanahan’s final gasp ended when Aquila was sacked and stripped of the football with 34 seconds left. The North Pocono sideline erupted.

They had done what their fathers never could.

The 13th Win

The victory over Bishop Shanahan was more than a playoff win. It was the 13th victory of the season—one more than the 1991 team had ever achieved. The Trojans had officially surpassed the legends.

“We broke the record,” coach Greg Dolhon said afterward. “The 1991 team never got the opportunity we had. We made the most of it.”

The following week, North Pocono faced Cardinal O’Hara at Whitehall’s Zephyr Stadium in the state quarterfinals. The Lions, a Philadelphia Catholic League team hardened by games against La Salle, Roman Catholic, and St. Joe’s Prep, proved too physical.

A Simon Horta 55-yard kickoff return swung momentum in the second quarter, and O’Hara’s speed on defense stifled the Trojan ground game. The final score—28-6—didn’t reflect how close North Pocono had played through much of the first half.

“They did what they had to do to win the football game tonight,” Dolhon said. “But I’m just so proud of our kids. We played a great football team.”

The loss ended an historic run, but it couldn’t diminish what the Trojans accomplished.

A Legacy Renewed

The 2025 North Pocono Trojans finished with the best season in program history by any objective measure. They won the first Lackawanna Football Conference title since 2009. They claimed the program’s first state playoff victory. They broke every relevant school record.

And they did it with their fathers watching from the stands—or in Randy Wolff’s case, from the sideline.

For Cole West, Evan Wolff, and Matt Laboranti, the season wasn’t just about wins and losses. It was about honoring the men who came before them, the ones who taught them how to play, who showed them what it meant to be a Trojan.

The 1991 team set the standard. The 2025 team exceeded it.

“Our fathers share this,” West said on championship night, gold medal around his neck, history secured.

Thirty-four years later, the sons finished what the fathers started.

2025 North Pocono Trojans – By the Numbers:

• Record: 13-1 (12-0 regular season)
• District 2 Class 4A Champions (first title since 2009)
• First PIAA state playoff win in program history
• First LFC team to win a Class 4A state game since PIAA moved to six classifications (2016)

Key Players:

• Cole West (Jr.) – 1,454 career receiving yards (school record); game-winning TD vs. Bishop Shanahan
• Josiah Gray (Sr.) – 1,104 rushing yards, 15 TDs
• Evan Wolff (Sr.) – Emotional leader, dominant blocker and defender
• Chase Zimmerman (Jr.) – Quarterback
• Dylan Castor – 6-8, 330-lb nose guard
• Aidan Maguire & Jayden Taylor – Linebackers

Coaching Staff:

• Head Coach: Greg Dolhon
• Defensive Coordinator: Randy Wolff (father of Evan Wolff, member of 1991 team)