Somerset (2-3) at Richland (4-1) Friday 7:00 Herlinger Field
Richland faced a 2 touchdown deficit to a pretty good McCort team at the half and reeled off 3 scores to overtake the Crushers. This team has come up big and defeated two formidable teams in McCort and Forest Hills, and gave Johnstown just about everything they wanted. This team is legitimate and they could make a serious push at Tyrone for the AA crown. Rizzo is coming off his second 200 yard game of the season, and his season total is at 894 yards and 9 touchdowns. He is a beast, and is having a best of a year. Matt Shaffer has assumed the role as the primary quarterback for the team, and I think that was something they needed to clear up before the playoffs. The two man system worked for a while, but the team needs one guy it can point to for the rest of this season, and moving forward. The move is paying off, he had a huge game aginst McCort and has a current streak of four straight 100 plus yard games. The Rams offense is solid, but still the defense will remain a question. They lost in a shootout to Johnstown, and gave up 28 points to McCort in the loss. Although they did hold McCort scoreless in the second half, a promising sign for the Rams. Somerset was leading the conference favorites at the half last week, very unsuspectingly. Somerset is either getting better, or Johnstown wasn't interested. Either way, it shows Somerset was up for the game and ready to play. Coach Miller is doing a fantastic job with this group. Tanner Stull has 408 passing yards and 123 rushing yards through 5 games. He is a quick, young quarterback that will be one of the top players in the league next year. He is still searching for his first touchdown, but he is gaining valuable experience. Matt Boyer is another sophomore who has impressed, and he put forth a 76 yard, one touchdown performance against Johnstown on only eleven carries. The defense, with the exception of one game, has been very good. Bad weather or not, the Eagles still held a potent Johnstown offense in check for most of the game, and only allowed 21 points. Richland is atop the District standings right now, and I'm sure they will do everything in their power to remain there. Although the Rams got their three biggest games off the schedule, they still have plenty to play for, in terms of seeding. Somerset is getting better, its evident, but Richland's offense is just a machine right now. Hard to go against the Rams.Rams 42 Golden Eagles 14
Westmont (1-4) at Bishop McCort (4-1) Friday 7:00 Point Stadium
Bishop McCort is coming off two tough loses Friday night, the 35-28 loss to Richland and the loss of key linemen Gap Barbin. It will be interesting to see how the Crushers replace the hard nosed junior. Bishop McCort still has the offensive firepower that many would envy. The Crushers stalled in the second half, but put up 4 touchdowns in the first half, thanks in large part to senior quarterback, Jesse Cooper. He raised his passing total 716 yards and 8 touchdowns for the year. Christian Leech hauled in another score giving him five, and Jerqual Wilson grabbed three interceptions and had caught a touchdown last week. The Crushers have the passing game, and the good ground game with Varga and Belskey , but with a hobbled line how good will it be? Westmont has not played well, and they are riding a four game losing streak, BUT they are very capable in winning this game. McCort has shown that their lack of size on defense is an issue, and an attacking point for other teams. The physical play of Marcus Shippey and Rizzo will ultimately point to a heavy dosage of Ryan Burnheimer. He hasbeen asked to carry Westmont all year long, and has responded with 658 yards on the ground and 5 scores. He is in the physical mode of Rizzo and will be coming right at you, top that with a pretty good offensive line led by Josh Duplin, I put the Crushers on upset alert. The Hilltoppers played well in their losses, and some of their losses aren't as bad as the score indicates. I will still take McCort because they have more speed, and play making ability, but if Westmont gets the ground game going, and McCort's offense sputters, don't be shocked to see Westmont take advantage. I still think McCort will put up points, and with Westmont being a one man show, the game could go on as an easy McCort win. McCort has Johnstown and Forest Hills in the coming weeks, but the game at hand is the one they should watch out for.Crimson Crushers 34 Hilltoppers 16
Johnstown (5-0) at Bedford (3-2) Friday 7:00
I said it for the Crushers, I'm also saying it for the Trojans.....Upset Alert. For one reason or another, Johnstown only came up with 21 points against a young Somerset team. The weather was bad, but Richland and McCort were able to combine for 63 points only a few miles down the road, so I really am not sure. Also the weather will contribute to the field in Bedford, and it will be tough to play on. I think this game will be really close. Johnstown is led by the do everything, Gervon Simon. He is having another impressive season, but last year to this point he only had two interceptions, and he is already at nine. The mistakes have been a problem for the Trojans, but they have not let it cost them a game to date. Tim Odum's emergence on the ground has been quite impressive, he is averaging 10 yards a pop, and Dwight Andrews is just hard to stop on the outside. The Trojans offense is fast on turf, but how will it be Friday, especially in less than ideal conditions? We shall see. Bedford is a little more built to grind out games. Shippey has thrown for 682 yards this year, but he is not just a one man team anymore. Dakota Hess, Luke Campbell and Aaron Henry are all tough playmakers and give Bedford plenty of dimensions. This game will be close. On top of all of my concerns with Johnstown playing on the road, this Bedford team is only a play or two away from being undefeated. The explosive play seems to bother Bedford, and Johnstown certainly possesses those capabilities. I still think Johnstown's offense will struggle at times, and Bedford will be pesky all night. Johnstown is the better team, but home field advantage will keep Bedford around.
Trojans 27 Bisons 16
Bishop Carroll (1-4) at Bishop Guilfoyle (0-5) Saturday 7:00 Mansion Park
Bishop Carroll finally ended the frustration with a ten point victory over Central Cambria. Josh Barzdo, the explosive player from a year ago, finally resembled the player he was last year. Coming into last Friday, he only came up with 102 yards in four games, and against Central Cambria he rolled out 230 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also added a 99 yard kick return. Not a bad game at all. The Huskies still have had a forgettable year, but with another winless team on the plate, they can gain come momentum, and maybe roll out to 4 wins. Bishop Guilfoyle has not had an ideal inaugural season for coach Justin Wheeler. Injuries, inconsistency, and youth have all played factors into why the team has not won a game yet. Pat Irwin has been the team's lone bright spot, as he leads them in passing and rushing. Basically as he goes, the Marauders go. I think Carroll had to figure some things out, and they really had no excuses as to why they were losing as bad as they did. They are a capable group, and Josh Barzdo is a capable player. I am taking the Huskies. The have the speed on the perimeter, and the big playmaker to carry them. Expect Barzdo to keep it rolling....Huskies 28 Marauders 12
Central Cambria (0-5) at Forest Hills (4-1) Friday 7:00 G.H. Miller Field
Well this one might get ugly. Central Cambria is really having a tough season, maybe one of their worst ever. They are being outscored 155-51 on the year. The offense is having trouble find any consistency. McBreen, Bellock, Papuga, O'Saben have rotated around to try and make plays, but the line is not getting the push the Red Devils usually get. I don't see them being able to move the ball well against Forest Hills, and I'm not sure how they are going to slow the Rangers down either. Justin Gdula is coming off a big 224 yard performance last week. He will be looking to keep the Rangers on the right path. Shawn Dell has also been a key part to the success of the Rangers so far, and he will continue to see the majority of the carries. The Ranger defense has only surrendered 30 points during their four game winning streak, and that is just not very good news for Central Cambria. Rangers, BIG. Rangers 49 Red Devils 7
GAME OF THE WEEK
Penn Cambria (4-1) at Cambria Heights (2-3) Friday 7:00
Cambria Heights in the game of the week? Sure, Why not? The Highlanders are playing well the past two years, and having two wins is a big deal. They have some pretty good offensive weapons that make them tough to defend. Tyler Crawford does not get the credit as a Rizzo or Burnheimer gets, but he is another physical runner that gets the tough yardage. The certainly miss the passing threat Vescovi brought, and Nate Bearer needs to do a better job of giving them some more passing looks. Brawley and Myers are two guys that will go and catch it, they just need a few chances. This offense can move the ball, as they have other ball carriers besides Crawford. They can control the clock and generate some scoring. Penn Cambria is a good team, and a better team than Penn Cambria. There is very little argument there, but an issue that always plagues this team is their inability to put teams they should beat away. The best Penn Cambria teams do not ever have the style points a Forest Hills or Johnstown, but they get results with ugly wins. They are quietly one of the better programs in the whole league. Jordan Fuller is a force at running back, he is coming off a 219 yard output last week and is another physical back this league has to offer. The Panthers have a rough passing game, but Andrew Buck still completes some passes to at least make you honor it. Fuller is their bread and butter, and the defense makes plays. For a team that has won many close games, the defense has to be involved, and they are. In their four wins, the defense has only given up 29 points. They start slow, they keep it close, and they win. That has been the method for the Panthers, and they will certainly stick to it. Both teams have good backs that will get plenty of touches. This is a big game for both teams. I'll take Penn Cambria.Panthers 22 Highlanders 16
No comments:
Post a Comment