ERIE - After 43 years, the lonely banner is lonely no more.

Jack Vallely rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns and a stifling defense forced four turnovers as Grove City cruised to a 33-7 District 10 Class AA football championship victory over Harbor Creek Saturday night at Erie's Veterans Stadium.

The win marked the Golden Eagles' ninth straight and brought the football program its first district title since 1961.

Grove City will play Brookville (6-6) - a surprising 42-15 winner over Redbank Valley in the District 9 title game Saturday - in a PIAA quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock University.

"Our athletic program has been so successful in District 10," Grove City coach Jeff Bell said. "Baseball, basketball, volleyball - there are numerous championship banners on the wall of our gym.

"Every time I go in there, I look up and see just one football banner, from 1961. That was it. Each day in the weight room, I told the guys, 'We gotta go get one of those.'"

They got it Saturday - and with surprising ease.

The Eagles (9-2) scored on three of their first four possessions - fumbling at the Harbor Creek 1-yard line on the other - and held the Huskies (9-2) to two first downs in the first half.

"I'm loving it," Vallely said. "This team has just come together. We're a family now. We just want to keep going."

"I don't know how to describe it," 351-pound center Tony Aloisio said. "This makes you feel all warm and tender inside."

Despite a 169-32 edge in total yardage in the first half, Grove City's lead was only 12-0 at halftime.

An Andy Hay 40-yard field goal, which deflected off the left upright and through, capped a 53-yard drive on the Eagles' first possession. Jesse Alfreno then intercepted a pass at the Huskies' 26-yard line.

Alfreno ran for 16 yards and a first down to the 15, but an illegal block nullified the third-down play and Hay booted another 40-yard field goal. This one barely dropped over the crossbar.

With 6:02 left in the half, the Eagles were ready to polish off a 62-yard scoring drive. On third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Dan Wise took a pitch and ran left. As he lunged for the goal line, the ball came loose and Harbor Creek's Jacob Comer recovered at the 1-yard line.

"I was getting nervous," Bell said. "It seemed like it was 6-0 for the longest time. We were lucky to get that touchdown late in the half."

Two offside penalties handed Harbor Creek a first down at its 11-yard line. Kent Uber sacked quarterback Kasey Dolan on third down, however, and Grove City gained possession on a punt at the Huskies 38 with 3:32 left before intermission.

On third-and-10 from the 27, Eagles quarterback Jim Jaskowak found Adam Rudolph in the end zone for a touchdown.

It was the first pass completion for either team.

"We threw into coverage there and Adam came down with the football," Bell said. "That was a huge play."

Harbor Creek never had field position in the first half as all five of its possessions began from its own 20 or worse.

Grove City never punted until the first possession of the second half. The Huskies finally got good field position - starting from the Eagles 49 - but running back Dave Murzynski fumbled and Keenan Kimes recovered for Grove City.

Jaskowak found Rudolph for 35 yards and Vallely carried the ball on four straight plays - the last for an 8-yard touchdown.

A Rudolph interception at the Harbor Creek 35 moments later set up a 2-yard Vallely scoring run with 5:21 left in the quarter.

The lead was 26-0 and the game was over.

"Give the ball to Jack Vallely and it's money," Bell said. "He'll get you the five yards or four or three, whatever you need."

"Coach told us before the game we were just going to pound it right at them," Vallely said. "Our offensive line was all over it."

Harbor Creek threatened to score early in the fourth quarter, but Alfreno intercepted a tipped pass at the 1-yard line with 7:10 to play. The Huskies finally dented the scoreboard on Dolan's 8-yard touchdown pass to Jake Wilczynski with 3:17 remaining.

Dan Sonntag's 19-yard touchdown run for Grove City with 54 seconds left concluded the scoring.

Notes:

Harbor Creek managed just 72 yards rushing. The Huskies ran for more than 300 in defeating Greenville the previous week. … Rudolph caught three passes for 85 yards, comprising all of Grove City's passing offense. … Alfreno rushed for 87 yards.