Senior Erik DiGirolamo was the first Trojan to receive a gold medal following Friday's District 11 Class AAAA championship bout with Easton.

And rightfully so.

While it was a complete team effort for the Trojans on defense, DiGirolamo came up with the game's most significant play when the Red Rovers were yards away from punching in the game-winning touchdown.

After Jake Bissell's field goal gave Parkland a 13-10 lead in overtime, Easton had one possession to tie or win the game.

On the Red Rovers' second play, DiGirolamo read Easton quarterback Trey Durrah and intercepted the a pass to cement Parkland's third consecutive district championship.

"I think it was kind of 50-50, but when they ran trips to the wide side, I knew it was going to be a pass," DiGirolamo said. "I knew the three guy was going to do an out, so I waited for him and just sat on it. The rest just happened."

The Trojans led 10-7 midway through the third quarter, a lead that would hold until Easton's last-second field goal.

Easton's final drive began with 4:36 to play at its own 23-yard line, The Rovers methodically drove into Parkland's red zone, converting on a fourth-and-three to keep hopes alive. A pass interference call in the end zone put the Trojans into more of a hole.

But Parkland's defense never lost an ounce of hope in stopping the Red Rovers' offensive attack, something they had done for nearly the entire game.

"They're an extremely tough offense to defend," senior linebacker Preston Saylor said. "Everyone stepped up, from our defensive lineman to our linebackers to our defensive backs."

Stephen Ewald, who had six tackles, one tackle for loss and one-and-a-half sacks, broke through the Red Rovers' offensive line two plays later to disrupt a Durrah throw. The Trojans then stopped Easton on a third-down pass, leaving the Red Rovers with a decision: Go for it on fourth down or try the field goal?

Parkland made it an easier choice for Easton, as the Trojans called for an illegal substitution penalty coming out of a timeout. That set up a first-and-goal for Easton with 10.4 seconds to play. But one key stop was all Parkland needed before the Red Rovers attempted the game-tying field goal.

"I didn't even know what was going on because there were so many timeouts and stuff," DiGirolamo said. "We were like, 'Let's just do what we have to do. If it's a field goal, we'll block it. If they're on offense, we can get the stop. We were pretty confident in ourselves."

"It was a tough situation to be in," Saylor said. "Not many teams get into that situation … but we just had to play our game."

The Red Rovers had 11 drives in regulation, and Parkland's defense held them to three three-and-outs through the midway point of the third quarter.

Easton's 10 points was the team's lowest total of the season after putting up at least 28 a game in its previous 12 contests.

While the Trojan offense was stagnant at times, Parkland's defense made it a bit easier to reach the end zone early on. Saylor blocked a Red Rovers punt on their first possession, setting up Parkland's opening drive deep in Easton territory. Seconds later, Devante Cross' fade ended up in the hands of Kenny Yeboah for a quick 7-0 advantage.

"Coach gave us the opportunity to go all out for it, and we took advantage of that opportunity," Saylor said. "Our offense turned it into points."

Senior lineman Amir Wallace (six tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks) came up with a key sack on Durrah midway through the third quarter, backing up the Red Rovers deep in their end zone on a fourth-down punt. That punt was mishandled, and a subpar kick set up Parkland's offense with excellent field possession.

Bissell then connected on a 33-yard field goal with 5:17 to play in the third that made it a 10-7 game.

"Our offense was struggling a little bit in the first half, and we pick each other up," DiGirolamo said. "When one of us is down, we pick the other one up. We just get it done."

Omar Haddad and DiGirolamo paced the Trojans with nine tackles apiece.