LHAC Football Forecast Week Five.

I went 4-2 in week four to bring my season total to 19-5. Westmont was able to pull off the upset on their home field on a Saturday afternoon. Somerset had such an emotional win in week three that they may have had a hangover from such a big win. Bishop Guilfoyle was able to go into Sidman and come away with a victory.Week five should be another great week, plenty of big games.

Bishop Carroll (0-4) at Central Cambria (0-4) Friday 7:00 Red Devil Stadium

Something has got to give. Both teams are struggling mightily and neither team have won a game yet. Bishop Carroll will make the short trip down the street in hopes of getting that first victory. The Huskies are allowing a concerning 33 points a game. They must get better on defense for them to have a chance. The offense has been off and on throughout September. They have a nice passing threat with David Maruca. He had a rough go at it against Penn Cambria last week, but has done well in his first year of starting. Central Cambria has had the same defensive woes, but the main concern is offense. The Red Devils have exactly six points in 16 quarters of football in 2012. That is the easiest explanation as to why they are 0-4. Will Seymour has had mixed results at quarterback. He is just a sophomore and is going through some growing pains. The running game has not helped out much either. Both of these teams have more talent than they are showing. They have new coaches, and things will eventually work out for both schools. Right now things look rough. I'm taking Bishop Carroll because they have shown more ability on offense early on in the season.

Huskies 16 Red Devils 8

Westmont (1-3) at Bedford (0-4) Friday 7:00

Liam Moran

Westmont may have pulled off the upset of the year to date. They shocked a very good Somerset squad, and will take some momentum into week five. Westmont has increasingly looked better in each game, and they will only improve. The team is buying into Coach Barron. They have some offensive weapons that are finally showing some comfort in the offense. Sam Curry and Lukas Kleinmeyer have done a great job as carrying the offense. Liam Moran is handling things well at quarterback.  They played Heights and Johnstown well, and finally got it together against Somerset. They need to continue to get better defensively, but they are heading in the right direction. Bedford is not playing well on defense. The lowest output they have allowed was 32 points, and they have to get better if they want to turn things around. They received a nice boost by getting Luke Campbell back on the team. He was Bedford's leading receiver last year and did not play the first three weeks. He adds another element and helps Aaron Henry out tremendously. Bedford has been getting better on offense, and they have some play makers now. This game involves two struggling teams, but they are going in different directions. Westmont is showing some signs of life, and I think they could pull off a big win Friday. They can not look ahead to Bishop McCort next week though.
Hilltoppers 23 Bisons 12

Forest Hills (2-2) at Cambria Heights (2-2) Friday 7:00

Both teams had aspirations for better starts to the 2012 season. The disappointing 2-2 starts should make this week five game even more meaningful. Forest Hills could be in some trouble if Joe Donoughe is out for any expanded amount of time. The sophomore quarterback has instantly turned into a key factor in the Ranger offense. He makes the passing game a little more reliable. Tyler Shima will take over at QB, and Shope will likely see some packages as well. Shope playing QB hurts the receivers. Doltyn Snedden has played well for Forest Hills, and Shawn Dell has been a good threat running and receiving. The key for Forest Hills is turnovers. They play great defense, but both in both losses this year, they have not taken care of the ball. Cambria Heights was supposed to finally turn the corner this season, and they have somewhat. They can beat the teams they are supposed to, but have yet to secure a signature win. If the Highlanders can take down Don Bailey and the Rangers, that would be more than a signature win. Heights has the physical running game that can keep them in any game. Contorchick, Myers, and Crawford are all reliable ball carriers. Nathan Bearer has the talent to be a good quarterback, he needs to show it. Brawley can stretch the field at receiver. This game pits two evenly matched teams. Both teams play pretty good defense. They both are coming off close losses to BG, so there should be a good understanding of each other. Forest Hills has some issues at QB, and they are not as deep as usual. I am going to take Cambria Heights. I think they can pound the ball on the ground, and open things when needed to. This will be a close, hard fought game.

Highlanders 20 Rangers 14

Johnstown (2-2) at Somerset (3-1) Friday 7:00

Somerset was poised to continue their undefeated season. They had the ball inside the Westmont five yard line with time running out. One score would seal the deal, but a fumble at the one stopped that from happening. Somerset has to deal with a disappointing loss, and not let that loss turn into two losses. They have the pieces to put that game in the rear view mirror. Tanner Stull has been nothing short of outstanding this season. He is the guy that runs the Somerset offense. Stull has thrown for six scores and ran for another five on the ground. He will be asked to have another big performance. Blake Faulker has been a big help to the Somerset rushing game. The defense has been pretty formidable as well. Johnstown has had to deal with some troubles early on in the season. They lost some players who quit on them this past week. An incident like that can go two opposite ways, but I think it will bring the remaining team members closer. They have shown some signs that they will be a dangerous team in the future. Deion Moore has been seeing snaps at quarterback, and his athleticism needs to be on the field. I will assume Johnstown will let Wuanyai Mayo and Jeremy Updyke see some chances as well. Terrell Jones, Kareem Gibson, and Jayvon Braxton have all touched the ball throughout the season and have responded well. It is clear Johnstown has talent, but inexperience is the biggest problem. I think Johnstown is setting up nicely for a big run in future seasons. This season is not done by any stretch of the imagination, and they still have plenty to play for. I think Johnstown can keep this thing close, but I am taking Somerset. Somerset was set up for a trap in Westmont. They had a huge win, and the Saturday afternoon threw off the rhythm. It happens, they will get the ship righted this week. 

Golden Eagles 34 Trojans 20

Penn Cambria (4-0) at Bishop Guilfoyle (3-1) Saturday 7:00 Mansion Park

This is a nice Saturday night treat. Penn Cambria was picked to win the league, and they are dong everything they can to do just that. They are 4-0, but it is a quiet 4-0. They do not put up giant numbers on offense, or have that one player putting up the stats. They play team football, and they are so well coached. The name of the Panthers' game is defense, and they are just surrendering 5 pints per game. The offense has been good, and the wealth has been spread. It seems every game there is a different guy scoring or taking the bulk of the carries. Jordan Fuller has been pretty good, but just about everyone else has been, too. Eckenrode and Tsikalas are doing a good job splitting the snaps at quarterback, and both bring different elements. They pose a challenge for anyone in the district. Bishop Guilfoyle will have to take the Penn Cambria challenge this week, and they may be up to the task. The Marauders have been a surprise 3-1 squad, and they have been using an opportunistic defense and some big plays on offense. The offense is fronted by the sophomore quarterback, Brandon Chadbourn. He has been a threat in the passing game, but also the running game. He is an innovator and can keep plays alive.Rossman is a good running back and aids in the rushing game. The Marauders have been scoring points, but holding two good teams like Forest Hills and Cambria Heights to 0 points has surprised some people. This game could be a defensive showdown. I like both teams, and both are realistic district champion contenders in their respective classes. I am taking Penn Cambria. They are deeper and more experienced. I am not counting on a lot of points, because that is not the style of either team. Should be a good one at Mansion Park Saturday night.

Panthers 21 Marauders 14 

GAME OF THE WEEK

Bishop McCort (3-1) at Richland (4-0) 7:00 Friday Herlinger Field

The LHAC has many long standing rivalries, but few have taken on the competitiveness that Richland-McCort has in the past five years. 2007 marked the first season Richland beat the Crushers in decades. That game went 30-27. The Crushers marked revenge in 2008 with an equally as exciting win, 38-34. 2009 saw a lopsided win for McCort 69-35, and the Crushers narrowly escaped in 2010 with a 16-14 game. Richland stormed back from being down 14 at halftime last season and won 35-28. The series has seen some really outstanding games, and 2012 could add to this rivalry's lore. 

Matt Shaffer

             Richland has been clicking all season long, and they are looking like a force to be reckoned with. They have been averaging 44 points per game through four weeks. Matt Shaffer has been putting on an aerial assault through four weeks. He has 703 yards and ten touchdowns. He has also contributed 169 rushing yards and three scores. Nico Pecora is the other quarterback, and has been impressive in his own right. Tanner Solarczyk has done great filling in for John Rizzo at running back. Solarczyk has 514 yards. The offense's star is the junior wide receiver, Kyle Flick. He has eight receiving touchdowns and stretches the field for the Richland offense. He was hurt in week four, and his status is unknown. Obviously his presence makes Richland's offense nearly unstoppable. The defense was the main question mark entering the season, but they have done pretty well early on in the season. They will be looking to put pressure on a pretty good McCort passing game. Zaine Tomkowski has thrown for 699 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite targets are Jordan Spangler and Luke DiFrancesco. They form as good as a 1-2 punch as any in the league at receiver. The running game has been inconsistent, but Wyatt Jackson has been playing well. The Crushers need to play better defense. They are holding teams for the most part, but they are allowing plenty of yards. Richland is a team that is going to punch it in, and they will need to limit it as much as possible. I have picked Richland all season long, and I don't see how I could change that pick now. They are clicking on all cylinders on offense. McCort can take down the Rams, but they need to finish drives on offense, and force some turnovers.  I think it will be a close battle. These games have been fun to watch the past couple seasons, I don't see why this one won't be either.

Rams 38 Crimson Crushers 28