Central Cambria (2-7) at Bishop McCort (6-3) Friday 7:00 Point Stadium
Bishop McCort scored a huge win last week in defeating Bishop Guilfoyle 37-0. The Crimson Crushers secured a playoff berth, and it appears they will be locked in as the sixth seed in the District Six "A" standings. The Crushers have been up and down on the consistency scale this season, but when they are clicking, they can be very dangerous. Zaine Tomkowski is one of the leading passers in the area with 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns. His favorite targets are Jordan Spangler and Luke DiFrancesco. Spangler is a dangerous weapon in special teams as well. The Crushers have had to rely plenty on their defense this season, and the anchor of that unit is the defensive line. Gap Barbin, Lake Dorn, and Christian Roman have made it nearly impossible for teams to run it up the middle. Central Cambria will have a whale of a time trying to penetrate that defense. The Red Devils have not had much offensive success this season. The passing game of sophomore quarterback, Will Seymour has had some bright spots. The Red Devils are a traditional power in the region, but they are undergoing some rough seasons. I do not expect this to last very long, but the 2012 season will be coming to a close Friday night, and the team has nothing to lose. They will play with heart, but the Crimson Crushers just have a few too many play makers for the Devils to stop.
Crimson Crushers 34 Red Devils 8
Bishop Carroll (1-8) at Westmont Hilltop (1-8) Saturday 1:00 Price Field
One team will be walking away with a two win season after Saturday's game. Both teams in this game feature first year head coaches with very young teams. Bishop Carroll only features two seniors on the roster, and this could be considered a bit of a rebuilding season for Coach Greg Snyder. David Maruca as a first year starting quarterback has played well at times, and keeps the threat of a pass for the Huskies. Marty Lessard and Dan Lesney teamed up to form a good 1-2 punch in the running game. The defense has been suspect though, and they need to turn in a good effort on Saturday. Wesmont brought in alumnus, Pat Barron to coach the squad. Barron is an upbeat coach that will find success at his Alma Mater down the line. The Hilltopers offense is led by two juniors, in Liam Moran and Sam Curry. Moran is a dual threat quarterback, while Curry is a good running back. The Hilltoppers have had trouble finishing drives this season, as they only average 13 points per game. Westmont has been competitive in a number of games, but just can not seem to finish games. I think Saturday the Hilltoppers will finish a game.
Hilltoppers 26 Huskies 14
Somerset (5-4) at Penn Cambria (5-4) Friday 7:00
This game features two teams that had such promising starts to the season, but since the calender turned to October, neither team has found much success. Still this could be a season defining win for both teams. Penn Cambria needs a win to secure a playoff spot. After a 4-0 start, and a four game losing streak, the Panthers took care of business against Westmont last week. The week was an eventful one with abrupt resignation of Head Coach, Ernie Fetzer. The Panthers must press on, and with a strong group of seniors leading the way, the Panthers should be fine. Penn Cambria has a running back by committee operation,and they have combined for over 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. The strength of this team was to be the defense, led by Mack Behe and Devin Lawhead. For the most part they have played well, and they will need to play especially well facing off one of the league's premier offensive players. Somerset also had an up and down type season. Tanner Stull in only a junior, but has been one of the most effective quarterbacks in the league for two seasons. Stull has tossed 11 touchdowns, while running for another six. He has battled some injuries, but remains one of the league's elite players. The Golden Eagles will be looking to end a two game losing streak, and make the Districts 5,6,8,9 sub regional playoffs. This game is truly a toss up, but with the pending weather ahead, the field conditions will suit Penn Cambria more. The Panthers' rushing attack should thrive, and the Somerset spread may struggle in the tough conditions.
Panthers 22 Golden Eagles 14
Tyrone (6-3) at Johnstown (3-6) Friday 7:00 Trojan Stadium
These two teams were two of the premier teams in the area the past few seasons, but have taken a step back here in 2012. The Tyrone Golden Eagles are coming off a 14-2 State Runner up season. They lost longtime coach, John Franco to Altoona High School. His son Steve was the star quarterback and moved on to division one Akron. The Golden Eagles looked like they may be in trouble this season starting out with two losses to rivals Bellwood-Antis and Central, but have won six of seven. Tyrone rides the shoulders of its junior superstar running back, James Oliver. Oliver is in the top ten of the state in rushing and scoring with 1,575 yards and 25 touchdowns. Tyrone has a strong defense, and that could be trouble for the young and injury ridden Trojans. This will mark only the second time Johnstown will have a losing season since joining the Laurel Highlands. They have had to use a number of quarterbacks and linemen, and the injury bug has not been kind to the Trojans. Johnstown has found some budding young stars that should fuel some runs in the future. Kareem Gibson, Terrell Jones, Jayvon Braxton,and the injured Deion Moore all appear to be ready to take Johnstown to the next level next season, but the injuries are holding them back this season. Tyrone is a good experience team, and I'll be going with them.
Golden Eagles 31 Trojans 18
Bedford (2-7) at Chestnut Ridge (4-5) Friday 7:00
This is one of the best rivalries in the Districts Five and Six region. Both teams compete in the three team District Five AA field. The one game playoff already is set with Chestnut Ridge and Everett, but Bedford would love nothing more than to get a win over their arch rival to end the 2012 campaign. Bedford has had a very stagnant offense this season, only mustering 13 offensive touchdowns. Bedford found some success last week by inserting freshmen Austin Montgomery into the lineup. That move allowed Aaron Henry to go back to a more comfortable role as a running back. The move paid off as Bedford was able to take down Bishop Carroll. The Bedford defense has had its troubles this season, but have been able to keep things close in recent weeks. Chestnut Ridge plays an independent schedule, and it has taken them all over the place. The Lions have fared well, all things considered. They are led by a pretty good quarterback in Beau Bosch. Ridge's season will be extended, and they could take it light this week. I just do not see that happening, because of the rivalry factor. This is a game you do not want to lose because of bragging rights. I am taking Ridge to get them back to .500 before the playoffs begin.
Lions 27 Bisons 20
Cambria Heights (7-2) at Northern Cambria (6-3) Friday 7:00
This is a big time local rivalry. This will be the first time in a long time, both teams enter with a winning record. Northern Cambria needs a win to secure a playoff berth. The Colts have engineered some impressive wins this season, and will need to pull off a big upset Friday. The Colts have a nice balanced offense featuring Jeff Hogan at quarterback, Nate Zacheskey and Dartagnan Suchar at Running Back, and Adam Polites and Derek Bearer at Wide Receiver. The Colts have 30 offensive touchdowns this season, being equally as effective with the pass and the run. The defense is coming off giving up 36 points to a strong Ligonier Valley running game, and the Heights will look to have a similar gameplan. The Highlanders are led by senior workhorse, Tyler Crawford. Crawford has 15 rushing touchdowns this season, fronting a rushing attack that is approaching 2,000 yards as a team. Nathan Bearer has made improvements to make the passing attack solid as well. The Highlanders are going through their best season since the late 90's, and they have a legitimate chance to make it to the District Finals. A win could land them the two seed, and I do not see Cambria Heights squandering that opportunity.
Highlanders 34 Colts 20
Philipsburg-Osceola (0-9) at Forest Hills (6-3) Friday 7:00 G.H. Miller Field
Not a whole lot you can say about this game. Philipsburg-Osceola is tied for lats in the AA standings, as they have failed to win a game this season. Every team they have played this season has scored at least 27 points, and the most the Mounties have posted is 20 points, and that came in a 74-20 loss to Central Martinsburg. The Forest Hills Rangers have really stepped it up after some tough losses, and they find themselves in the playoffs again. The Rangers are riding a four game winning streak,and a lot can be attributed to the return of sophomore quarterback, Joe Donoughe. He is so important to this team, and allows a guy like Jared Shope to line up elsewhere. Don Bailey has his team playing very well, and that is just what you would want heading into the playoffs.
Rangers 35 Mounties 0
GAME OF THE WEEK
Richland (9-0) at Bellwood-Antis (9-0) Friday 7:00
The week ten match up between the Rams and Blue Devils may not just be game of the week, but perhaps the game of the year. Both teams enter with a spotless record, and the champions of their respective conferences. Bellwood-Antis has answered every challenge they have seen this year, but this will be their biggest yet. Bellwood brings a formidable offensive attack led by junior Casey Gray. Gray has rushed for 1,194 and 19 touchdowns this season. Haden Degennaro and Tyler Camobell have had success as secondary backs, and quarterback Seth Worthing is a dangerous runner himself. Worthing is not a great passing threat, but you have to respect his abilities. He rarely makes mistakes, much like the whole Blue Devil squad. Bellwood-Antis Head Coach, John Hayes is one of legendary coaches this area has to offer. His teams are always well coached, and well prepared. Brandon Bailey is turning out to be a pretty good coach himself, and this is the best team he has ever had. The Rams seem to be the complete package. Tanner Solarczyk leads a strong running game with 1,382 yards and 21 touchdowns. The passing game has been good also, with Matt Shaffer and Nico Pecora making plenty of big throws. Kyle Flick is one of the more dynamic receivers in the area, and Luke Shertzer is a good secondary options. The Richland defense has been the unsung hero. This will be a fantastic game pitting two well coached and talented teams. I believe Richland has more size and speed, and they are the better teams, but Bellwood-Antis will be playing at home, and they are a proud small town. The Bellwood players will be fired up, and they will make this thing close, but Richland should prevail.
Rams 28 Blue Devils 23
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