All About the 7-1-7
Bishop McDevitt due keeps Harrisburg at the forefront
By Anthony Jaskulski

Together they created the biggest high school sports buzz Harrisburg had seen in quite some time. But they still left that puzzling question on everybody's mind.

Who's the best?

Only a couple of years removed, LeSean "Shady" McCoy and Aaron Berry have taken their friendly rivalry-and their pride in their hometown of Harrisburg-from the football field of Bishop McDevitt High School to the primetime lights of Heinz Field for the Pitt Panthers.

"They were pretty close, and two of the bigger talkers that you'll ever find," said Bishop McDevitt head coach Jeff Weachter. "They used to always face each other in scrimmages and have quite the running dialogue after every play, trying to beat one another. I always say practice isn't quite as fun without those two around."

Weachter described Berry, Pitt's starting cornerback as a sophomore, as "an awkward kid in rec-specks" when he joined the McDevitt football team as a freshman. But despite image, Berry defined himself as one of the better players on an exceptional team with his quick moves and ability to burn anybody down the field.

"A lot of people didn't think my primary position was wide receiver in high school," Berry said. "But I was actually recruited by a lot of schools to play that position."

After a tough couple years that including missing five games due to a shoulder injury, Berry tore teams apart his senior season. He was named to the AP Class AAAA All-State first team after pulling in 67 receptions for 1,278 yards (19 yards per catch) and 21 touchdowns. He also had eight interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns, and averaged 21.3 yards per kick return on special teams.

Berry's stellar season led to an overall ranking of 13th in Keystone Recruiting's Top-50 and a spot in the Big 33 game.

On a team that was littered with D-1 talent, with players like quarterback Jeremy Ricker (Maryland), defensive end Jason Kates (Michigan) and offensive tackle Tucker Baumbach (Syracuse), it was tough to stand out.

But Berry and McCoy pulled it off with ease.

Despite suffering a compound fracture of his right ankle in the fourth game of his senior season, McCoy finished his high school career as one of the more exceptional backs to ever come out of the state. On top of finishing as Pennsylvania's ninth all-time rusher with 6,640 yards and 75 touchdowns, McCoy was named AP Class AAAA player of the year as a junior and finished his senior season-despite the injury-as Keystone Recruiting's top-rated prospect in the state.

"We brought LeSean up to varsity as a freshman," said Weachter. "At the time we had a really good linebacker and the very first time he tried to tackle him, LeSean put him right on his nose. Seeing he and Berry and the exceptional talent of that team stand out like that, and the great chemistry they all had, was a joy."

McCoy's and Berry's competition for "Harrisburg's best" started long before their high school days, however.

From tee-ball to midget football, from rec. basketball to pick-up games, the middle of the state was able to enjoy both brilliant athletes' pageantry, which eventually led to the question of "who is the better athlete?"

"Which one of us was better was the big thing going on in Harrisburg at the time," says McCoy, who ran for over 1,300 yards and broke the legendary Tony Dorsett's freshman touchdown record as a true freshman at Pitt. "When we grew up, it got bigger and bigger throughout high school, and I don't think we had an answer for the question. I know I got the edge on him for right now, but you never know he might catch up and get me."

The two have not forgotten their roots, either. Both represent Harrisburg on the football field today; Berry with a tattoo on his arm, which indicates his heritage of where he comes from, while McCoy writes "717" on his eye-strips, which is the area code of the city.

"It's just a love for your city and remembering where you came from," said Berry. "We both love the fact of being from Harrisburg and show it as much as possible. In a lot of ways, we became who we are today because of growing up there."

Climbing from youth sports to high school, both soon reached that inevitable and daunting question of choosing a college. For awhile, it seemed as if the two would take completely different paths.

Berry saw his future lying between Pitt and West Virginia, while McCoy had nothing but the bright lights of Hollywood in his eyes after a successful visit to Southern Cal-a visit that almost turned into a letter of intent for the star if not for the injury.

"I didn't see both going to the same school at all," said Weachter. "It came down to Pitt and WVU for Aaron and he felt Pitt was a better fit for him. As far as Shady, Pitt wasn't even on his radar. He always said he wanted to go to USC after his visit there, but after his injury and his grades sliding a little bit, they sort of backed away from him knowing they needed a back who could immediately step in."

With Berry ready for college immediately and grades forcing McCoy to prep school, Berry's decision to suit up as a Panther for the next four years of his life came before McCoy's.

While Berry was battling for playing time as a freshman at Pitt, McCoy's battle back from his injury and grades was just beginning at Milford Academy in upstate New York, where he was forced to swallow his pride and accept a back-up role. He rushed for 547 yards and four touchdowns behind Miami-bound tailback Craig Cooper.

It was after his first season at prep school that it came down to a Pitt vs. Penn State battle for McCoy, a decision he ultimately made after a wild weekend where he was welcomed at a Pitt basketball game by a clearly Shady-hungry Oakland Zoo. McCoy decided to choose the Panthers and reunite with his best friend.

"It was great to reunite with him and the experience became a lot easier when he came," said Berry. "At first it was crazy that your best friend ends up coming to the school you are at. I never thought we would be at the same school, but now our biggest concern is trying to find an off-campus apartment to live in next year."

With both McDevitt stars starting for a young Pitt team last season, the star-studded futures of the two best friends remain a green light. Through it all, though, forgetting where they came from is something the two will never have to question.

"Having the area code on me and our symbol of representing Harrisburg is simple," says McCoy. "We represent a lot of great athletes that come out of that area, but most importantly it's there to not forget where we come from. No matter what you just can't forget that."