The best things in life can sometimes be so simple.
Desmon, the tailback, and Brandon, the fullback, are now seniors and they'll play their college football at Rutgers and Temple, respectively. At each school they'll tell stories that will have their new teammates doing major Google searches, just to make sure everything is true.
It is.
Before a huge crowd at ch-chilly HersheyPark Stadium, thrilling not only students and parents but also recent players who'd reached the semis or more in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and turned out in large numbers, Wood demolished Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, 52-0, to seize the PIAA Class AAA state championship.
You read that right. The Vikings won a state final by 52 points . . . 1 week after storming to a 56-point win (70-14) in a semifinal vs. Allentown Central Catholic.
The demolition derby finalized their record at 14-1, with the one loss, to Pittsburgh Central Catholic, having come in the season opener.
All the Peoples cousins did was combine for five rushing touchdowns and 323 yards. Brandon led in TDs, 3-2, and yardage, 172-151, while Desmon had a shade more carries, 18-16. From his defensive back spot, Desmon added a pair of interceptions.
Again and again over the last 5 1/2 minutes, and then 50 more times in the postgame celebration, Desmon and Brandon shared unbridled emotion. Rumor has it they left the stadium with injured faces . . . from smiling for so many pictures.
"I'm glad I accomplished this with Brandon," Desmon said. "This is one moment we will always remember for the rest of our lives."
Said Brandon: "To get to play with my cousin for 2 years and win a championship like this, there's nothing more I could ask for."
