Pennsylvania High School Wins First State Title in 29 Years

A crushing conference championship loss could have ended their season on a sour note, but the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions had other plans.

On Thursday night in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the girls basketball team defeated Holy Redeemer 52-41 to claim the PIAA Class 3A state championship. It's the school's first state title in 29 years and the first basketball championship for any Westmoreland County team since 2008.

The win was especially sweet after a heartbreaking 57-40 loss to rival Shady Side Academy in the WPIAL championship game just weeks earlier. Instead of letting that defeat define their season, the Centurions used it as fuel.

"We wanted to win the WPIAL too, but this was a dream for us," said senior guard Jayla Peterson, who scored 17 points in the title game. "It's a blessing to get here and win."

Senior Erica Gribble, who will play Division I basketball at Richmond, had dreamed of this moment since her freshman year. She finished her high school career with a school-record 2,380 points and 18 points in the championship game.

The road to Hershey wasn't easy. The PIAA moved GCC up from Class 2A to 3A due to their competitive success, forcing them to play all their playoff games on the road. Their gym was deemed too small to host a state tournament game.

The Centurions responded by dominating every opponent, winning five state tournament games by an average of more than 20 points. They even got their redemption against Shady Side Academy, beating them 49-27 in the semifinals.

Why This Inspires

This championship represents more than just a trophy. Three seniors—Gribble, Peterson, and Abby Dlugos—transformed a program that had come up short in back-to-back state semifinal appearances.

Over four years, they compiled a 92-26 record, won two WPIAL titles, and created what will be remembered as "the Gribble era" at GCC. Dlugos made a remarkable comeback from a knee injury to contribute to the championship run.

Coach Chris Skatell, who coached through illness during championship week, watched his vision come to life. "From when we started in November, this was our end goal," he said while holding the heavy gold medal around his neck.

The future looks bright too, with key players like junior Avery Jones and Nolan Althof returning next season.

For three graduating seniors heading to play college basketball, they're leaving Greensburg Central Catholic better than they found it.