Jeff Lewandoski is not a celebrity, but every once in a while he still gets a little taste of fame.

Lewandoski, 37, was a member of the 1988 Cambridge Springs football team that played for a state title. Twenty years later and no team from Crawford County has come as close as the Blue Devils to a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association football title.

Although, Cambridge Springs lost to Camp Hill, 18-7, in the Class A title game, it was a magic season that captured the imagination of the players, coaches and community.

Since that 1988 season, 90 other teams in the state have had the opportunity to play for a state football championship over the years. Only eight teams, however, have the distinction of being the first.

The Blue Devils had the honor of being one of those teams, joining Berwick, Aliquippa, Camp Hill, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Cedar Cliff, Bethlehem Catholic and Wilmington as part of that inaugural class.

“It was quite an experience,” said Jeff Lewandowski, who like his younger brother, Matt, played tailback for the Spa that year. “Still, people recognize the name, mostly because of my brother, and will ask, ‘Were you involved with that team from Cambridge Springs that went to the state championships?’

“People still remember. It was a pretty big experience for a small town.”

Cambridge Springs’ run to the state championship game began with an impressive regular season. The Spa’s only hiccup — and a minor one at that — was a 6-6 tie to Conneaut Lake.

Cambridge Springs went on to outscore its next six opponents 174-0. That run included a 58-0 win over Kennedy Christian, which later became Kennedy Catholic.

“A lot of things just came together,” said Walt Nottingham, who enters his 26th season as Cambridge’s head football coach this fall.

With its unblemished regular season record, Cambridge Springs earned a spot in the District 10 Division III title game where it defeated league rival Saegertown, 16-3. Then came the waiting game.

“We win the District 10 championship and then we had to wait and see what would happen next,” said Jeff Lewandowski, who just recently turned 37 years old.

In 1988, there were no guaranteed state playoff berths. The PIAA instead used a formula similar to the Bowl Championships Series Rankings in the NCAA where it ranked teams by classification. Those rankings determined which teams advanced to the East and West finals.

“It was all based on ranking,” Lewandowski said. “I remember it was a Saturday and we all went bowling and had pizza. We were waiting to see what happened in a game between Monaca and Farrell, I think. Whoever won that game would determine if we would go or Pittsburgh.

“It was a nailbiting experience.”