By Lisa Byers
August 28, 2008 02:09 am
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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.”
Cambridge Springs wound up earning that spot and the right to face East Brady on Dec. 3 in the PIAA West final — a game that really belonged to Jeff Lewandowski.
East Brady and Cambridge Springs finished the first half tied at 6-6. Lewandowski scored for the Spa on an 18-yard pass from Chris Adams.
Lewandowski then took the second-half opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown to lead the Blue Devils to a 12-6 win and a spot in the inaugural state championship game.
“That was my biggest personal memory right there,” said Lewandowski, whose performance earned mention in USA Today. “It was nice to be able to contribute to the team.”
Nothing would ever be the same for the 1988 Cambridge Springs football team after that victory.
“As a young kid it was absolutely amazing,” said Jason Turner, who played tight end for the Spa and is now an assistant coach under Nottingham. “To be on the radio and things like that … It was quite an experience. Something none of us will ever forget.”
Cambridge Springs’ trip to the state championship game didn’t end as it would have hoped. But as hard as the loss was, the team knew it had simply been beaten by a better team.
“The better team beat us,” Nottingham said. “We didn’t have any bad feelings about it because we knew we got beat by a better team.”
Or, so Nottingham thinks.
“They were a really good team,” Turner said. “It was still devastating, though. I do remember that.”
Nottingham said coaching the 1988 team was a privilege.
“They were easy to coach,” he said. “They were all good kids. They really worked hard and did what you asked. They were good athletes. It was easy. It was a fun year.
“And, contrary to popular belief, I will throw the ball.”
That was one of the keys to the Spa’s success in 1988. Cambridge Springs is traditionally known for its talented running backs. But while the Spa certainly had its share of talented runners in 1988, the team had plenty of other assets.
Quarterback Chris Adams was the French Creek Valley Conference Most Valuable Player and later became the first all-American on defense at Gannon University.
The Blue Devils also had a solid defense and an very talented offensive line, which Jeff Lewandowski credited for his and his brother’s success.
“Everybody carried the workload,” Lewandowski said.
Lisa Byers can be reached at 724-6370, ext. 277 or by e-mail at lbyers@meadvilletribune.com.
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