District Five Class A Semifinal Outlook: Meyersdale at Tussey Mountain

Meyersdale (9-2) at Tussey Mountain (9-2)

Saturday 7:00 Tussey Mountain High School

                                             

Meyersdale easily dispatched Everett last week by a score of 27-0. The Red Raiders look to continue their push to the district final on Saturday as they travel to take on the defending champion, Tussey Mountain. Meyersdale has seemingly recovered from their late season two game losing streak, and they now resemble the team that started out 6-0.

The Red Raiders survived last week without starting quarterback, Connor Christner. They received big plays from the running game, and the defense stiffened up in a big way.  The offense is paced by running back, Jason Ritchey. He is a tough runner that sets up the passing game. Riley Christner made some plays at quarterback filling in for his brother. Cole Clark is an electric player that is always in the middle of making big plays.  The story for Meyersdale is likely their defense, though. They have pitched five shutouts this year, and they have been clicking since the Portage loss. It all starts with their hard-nosed defensive line led by Tim Garlitz and Justin Dunmeyer. They will be tasked with slowing down a very tough Tussey Mountain offense. 

Tussey Mountain is coming off a thrashing of Windber in round one. The Titans hung 62 on the Ramblers, and it was another impressive performance for the defending champs. They will look to make it back to the district final again to defend their championship.

Tussey Mountain has a balanced offense with plenty of experience back from last year's run. Quinn Barnett does not have ridiculous stats, but he is a winner and he is a reliable QB. Barnett's record is 20-5 as the starting Tussey quarterback in two years and he is just a junior. Barnett has thrown a touchdown in each of the past 8 games with 15 total on the year.  Daniel Taylor, Chris Wentz, and Drew Sitch form a potent trio running the football that has combined for 37 rushing touchdowns this year. Overall, the running game averages 317 yards a contest and it is difficult to key on one player, and that's what makes it so effective. The Tussey Mountain defense has taken a step back this year, and it has forced the offense to win in some shootouts. The offense can make up for it, but it could cost them in a big game against a tough Meyersdale team. 

(Helmets courtesy of  PA Helmet Project)

District Five Class A Semifinal Outlook: Shade at Berlin

Shade (7-4) at Berlin (10-1)

Friday 7:00 Snyder's Athletic Complex 

Shade has now advanced to the second round of the district five playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Panthers are now looking to breakthrough to the championship in 2014, a far cry away from where the program was back in 2011 when they went 1-8. 

The Panthers lost to Berlin way back in week one, but since that game Shade has displayed plenty of improvement. Shade is a team that is very balanced, and one that wins without a true offensive star.  As evidence to that, Shade has four rushers with at least 500 yards on the year. It seems each week a new guy steps up, and it was Logan Glessner in week one of the playoffs against Northern Bedford by going for for 101 yards.   This week it could be Mitch Napora, Ted Dunagan, and Baily Blackburn carrying the load.  They even get solid production from Preston Broncoski, the senior quarterback. Shade is a hard-working team that absolutely works well together.  They hung around and narrowly lost to WestPac powers Portage and Meyersdale this season, and they are hoping they have closed the gap on Berlin by now as well. 

Berlin is sitting on ten wins right now, and that's the third consecutive year the Mountaineers have achieved double digit wins.  Doug Paul and his staff have this program as solid as it's ever been, and they are looking for their second championship in three years. 

The Berlin offense is explosive, and it has many weapons. Although, just one player stands out above the rest.  Braden Fochtman is sitting on 1,540 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, and the junior back already has surpassed the 4,000 yard total for his career. He is a big play waiting to happen on any given snap, and seemingly does the impossible sometimes, like last week by rushing for over 200 yards on just 7 carries. Shade also gets significant production from their junior quarterback, Brentson Harding. He has thrown for 16 touchdowns and rushed for 8 more, and has come up with some big plays for this team in his first year as the starter.The Berlin defense does not get the headlines, but they can really play. Dante Paul is a big player on that side of the ball, and really makes that unit work. 

District Six AA Semifinal Outlook: Huntingdon at Tyrone

Huntinngdon (6-5) at Tyrone (10-1)

Saturday 7:00 Grey-Vets Memorial Field 

                       

A long time rivalry gets renewed with a berth to the District Six championship on the line. Huntingdon is in the postseason for the first time since 2010, and they are looking for their championship since 2005. Tyrone is seeking for their first trip to Mansion Park since 2011, the same year they went the whole way to the state championship. 

Huntingdon had an up and down year, and it led them to a 5-5 regular season mark. In a bit of a surprise though, the Bearcats went to third-seeded Juniata last week and upset them in the first round. Huntingdon rode a big performance by their junior running back, Jake Wagner. He rushed for 239 yards on 24 carries for two touchdowns. The Bearcats will need more of the same from him this week against a stout Tyrone defense. He has rushed for 1,183 yards and 18 touchdowns this year, and he is the undoubted star of this offense. To draw pressure away from him, the Cats may need to see some more production from the passing game. Hudson Speck has 6 passing touchdowns his year, and he did miss the Tyrone game in the first meeting. Perhaps his presence can change things this time around. Logan Fisher and Matt Speck are his favorite targets, and they will have to make a few plays to spring the upset. 

The Bearcats' defense had it's moments this year, but they did surrender plenty of points in their five losses. The first meeting with Tyrone saw Huntingdon give up 52 points, and that is not something that can happen again if they wish to pull the upset. Huntingdon does not have the offense to play in that kind of shootout, but they are an improving team. I expect things to be a little closer in this meeting. 

Tyrone is coming off a sound 35-7 win over Forest Hills in round one. The Golden Eagles have combined a balanced offense and a stiffing defense be one of the top teams in the district. This is a program that is very familiar and comfortable playing in these type of games, and beating them at home is no easy task, and that may be one of the biggest advantages they have going into the rematch with Huntingdon. 

The offense for Tyrone starts with the quarterback, Garrett Hunter. He is a senior and a first year starter, but he plays like he has been doing this for years, as he is completing 56% of his passes for 1,518 yards 17 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. He was 12 of 16 in the first meeting with Huntingdon, and was 8 of 18 last week against Forest Hills. Hunter has already led them to some big wins this year, and will be ready to handle the big game moment this week.  Another Hunter is a big part of this offense, and that Aleic Hunter, the 5'7" 150 pound running back. Don't let the size fool you, he has rushed for 1,426 yards and 19 touchdowns this season including a 220 yard performance in round one. Tyrone has two pretty good receivers with Nicholas Getz and Silas Crawford, and a tight end that is reliable as well in Duane Boone.  Tyrone is equally comfortable running and throwing the ball, and that is what makes them so hard to defend. 

The Golden Eagles' defense has been on a roll lately. Since the loss to Clearfield, the Golden Eagles have only given up 29 points in their past four games. Tyrone's defense is led by one of the best defensive end duos around these parts. Duane Boone has had a beastly season with 7 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, while Richard Reader has posted 3.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. Elijah Sleeth holds it down as the team's top linebacker. Cameron Baksheshe, Nicholas Getz, and Cullen Raftery form an experienced and athletic secondary.  They will make life difficult on a Huntingdon team that does not pass a whole lot. 

Notes 

-- The winner of this game advances to the District Six AA Championship, which will be held next Saturday and they will play the winner of Central-Mt. Union.

-- Tyrone is looking for their for their 14th all-time championship appearance. 

-- Tyrone is tied all-time with 8 District Six AA Championships with Forest Hills.

-- Huntingdon is a six time AAA champion, but have not had much success since they have dropped to AA.The Bearcats last championship was in 2005. 

District Six AA Semifinal Outlook: Central at Mt. Union

Central (9-2) at Mt. Union (11-0)

Friday 7:00 Mt. Union High School

 

The defending district champions have a whole new look to them this year. After putting together one of the best seasons in school history in 2013, nobody really knew how Central would follow it up this year. The Dragons seemingly did not miss a beat. Central has two losses this year by ten points total, and they are very much a threat to repeat as champions. 

Central has an offense that is more dependent upon the passing game than they usually do, and it has been working. Noah Benton has thrown for over 1,200 yards this season with 16 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. He has been very good in his first year as a starter. Benton also has the mobility to keep defenses honest with his legs.  Mike Mock is not an every down quarterback, but when he steps in, the offense does not skip a beat. He has thrown 10 touchdowns to just three interceptions.  Mock is also the team's leading rusher with 771 yards and 9 touchdowns.  The Dragons do not have that powerful running game of year's past, but they do average 200 yards a game as a team and they get contributions from a number of different players.  The quarterbacks have made the passing game consistent, but the receivers make it explosive. Justin Helsel and Alex Hoenstine have been outstanding this year, and can make things happen when they have the ball in their hands after the catch. Mock has come down with some big catches himself, including a 31 yard touchdown pass against Penn Cambria last week. 

The Central defense has been on a roll in the second half of the season, but they did allow some  big plays last week. It was out of character because the strength of the Central defense has been in the secondary.  Hoenstine, Mock, and Helsel have combined for ten interceptions this year. Jordan Quarello and Kaleb Weyant anchor the linebackers, while Blaize Mock (6 sacks 13 hurries) and Brice Brumbaugh (11 TFL) provide the pass rush on the line. It is a well put together defense, but they will be put to the test this week against a dynamic offense from Mt. Union. 

Mount Union is in the midst of their best season, perhaps ever. The Trojans are 11-0, champions of the ICC, and they are hosting a second round playoff game. It has been a dream season, and they will look for it to continue this week, but dethroning the defending champions will not be an easy task. 

Mt. Union has a high-flying offense that has been putting up insane numbers all year long. It starts with their third year starting quarterback, Trevon Walker. The senior play-caller has thrown for 1,367 yards 18 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. He also has 579 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground, and that adds another element to this offense. While it is Walker drives the offense, it is BJ Loner that makes it fly. The senior do-it-all athlete has accounted for 30 offensive touchdowns this season (20 rushing - 10 receiving) and he is one of the most versatile threats in all of district six. Loner has over 1,000 rushing yards and nearly 600 in receiving. Robbie Steel and DJ Bookwalter aid in the running game as they each have 400+ yards and 5 touchdowns. Kole House and Keiton Pollock are two very good receivers, and they just add to arsenal of this offense.  Mt. Union is a tough team to account for on every play with all of the athletes they put out on the field.

The Trojans' defense does not get the headlines the offense receives, but they have been very good in their own right. Take away the Tussey Mountain game, and the Mt. Union defense has held in check every other team they have played thus far. They will be tested by Central's offense, but Mt. Union will not be lacking in confidence going into the game. The amount of turnovers Mt. Union has created jumps off the page, as they have 20 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries. Kole House has posted 8 interceptions himself, while Loner has 7. The two senior defensive backs are one of the best tandems in the state. The defensive line for Mt. Union also has some strong personnel with seniors Zack Snyder, Brody Suter, and juniors DJ Bookwalter and Adam Rigney providing sound run support. Austin Low leads the linebackers.  Overall,  it is an experienced group that thrives on taking the ball away from teams and making big plays. 

Notes

-- The winner of this game will play the winner of Tyrone/Huntingdon on Saturday November 22 at Mansion Park. 

-- Central is going for their fourth district title in school history. They are looking back to become the first school to win back to back titles since Forest Hills in 2009-2010.

-- Mt. Union is looking to punch their ticket to the district six final for the first time since 1993.  The Trojans finished second in back to back years in '92-'93.

(Helmets courtesy of PA Helmet Project)

District Six Class A Semifinal Outlook: Portage at Blairsville

Portage (10-1) at Blairsville (11-0)

Saturday 7:00 Blairsville High School

Portage last played for a district championship in 2008, since then the Mustangs have been bounced in the semifinal round three times in the past five years. Saturday night Portage will get a chance at redemption from those losses and an opportunity to break through to the district title. 

The Mustangs have the horses, so to speak, to get them there. Caleb Kephart has put up video game like numbers this season, with 2,088 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns. He also has two receiving touchdowns to his credit. The Mustangs ride Kephart to success, and he has responded each week with at least 100 yard performance every time. It certainly is not a one man show  as Luke Dividock would be the featured back for a lot of teams throughout the district. He has 1,035 yards and 11 touchdowns this season to form one of district six's most lethal combinations. Although Portage is not a big passing team, they do have the luxury of having a 6'5" strong-armed quarterback at their disposal. Michael Bryja is 19-3 in his career as the Portage starting quarterback and is more than capable of making big throws. 

Portage has a 'bend but don't break" type of defense. They were humbled to a degree in their week ten defeat to Berlin, and tightened things up last week against a solid Homer-Center offense by holding them to 7 points. The Mustangs have baited their opponents into 17 interceptions this season, as they are a very opportunistic defense. Seniors, Brandon Vocco, Caleb Kephart, and Kyle Davis lead the way along with junior Luke Dividock.  

Blairsville has never won a district six championship, in fact, they have never even made it to the final game. The Bobcats will look to make history on Saturday and punch their ticket to Mansion Park. The Bobcats are an experienced team, and one that has been building up to this season for a few years now.

The Blairsville offense is paced by senior running back, Deion Robinson. He is coming off a monster game in the first round against Moshannon Valley as he had four rushing touchdowns. In all, Robinson has totaled 1,522 yards and 27 touchdowns on the year. He is just one of the many weapons Blairsville can turn to for a big play. Scott Thompson is in his third year as a starting quarterback, and he can  throw and run. His experience may come up big in a game like this. Camerson Livingston is second on the team in all-purpose yardage, and has made some huge plays for this team this season. 

Blairsville won the Heritage outright this season, and they did it in dominating fashion throughout the year. The defense for the Bobcats is only allowing 8 points per game. Cameron Livingston is making a serious bid for an all-state nod as he leads the team in tackles and has six interceptions and three fumble recoveries this year. Jacob Smith leads the team in sacks with six, and he is team's top pass rusher. Scott Thompson, Jaylin Rydbom, and Tyler Lenhardt are fellow seniors that are also huge parts to this unit. In fact, the Bobcats' top seven leading tackles are seniors.

Notes

-- The District Six class A championship will be held on Friday night this year, the winner of this game will play Bishop Guilfoyle or Bellwood-Antis. 

-- Since district six's inception, neither program has won a district tile. Portage's 2008 final appearance is the only one between the two schools. 

-- The Heritage Conference has won two of the past three District Titles, and Blairsville will look to keep that momentum going this year.

-- The last time a WestPac team won the District Six title was Windber back in 2000, that was when Districts 5 and 6 were still combined.


(Helmets courtesy of Pa Helmet Project)

District Six Class A Semifinal Outlook: Bellwood-Antis at Bishop Guilfoyle

Bellwood-Antis (9-2) at Bishop Guilfoyle (11-0)

Friday 7:00 Mansion Park

Bellwood-Antis can change the names and faces, but at the end of the day they are still the same difficult team to play year after year. The Blue Devils are a well coached and disciplined team that will rarely make mistakes to hurt themselves. They have a running game that averages 237 yards per game, and a quarterback that is capable of making big throws.  Bellwood does not depend on quarterback Jake Burch, but they can certainly rely on him if they need to. He had a rough game last week, and will need to play better if they want to knock of Bishop Guilfoyle.  The running game is paced by senior Cameron Wood. He had a workmanlike performance last week against Penns Manor, as he went over 200 yards on 30 carries.  He will likely see a lot of touches this week with the Blue Devils trying to control the clock. Matt McMillan will have to chip in some big plays as well, as he had 490 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season.

The Bellwood defense always seems to be a strong point, and that is the case again this year. The Blue Devils only surrender 11 points per contest, and they have an experienced unit with seniors up and down the depth chart. Tyson Miller and Trenton Creppage provide a serious pass rush as they have 25 tackles for loss combined. As a unit, Bellwood has forced 30 turnovers and have combined for 31 sacks. They are a big play defense, and they have plenty of guys that have played in big games throughout their careers.  They will be ready for the challenge Friday night.

Bishop Guilfoyle is having a season for the ages, and they will look to punch their ticket to a second consecutive district championship appearance. The Marauders have a smothering defense that has allowed all of three touchdowns (26 points total) in 11 games and a high-flying offense that can score at will using multiple weapons.

The BG offense is led by the sensational Sam McCloskey. He has scored 34 touchdowns this season, and is currently sitting at 1,357 rushing yards. He is an elusive and speedy back, and has been the catalyst for this team all year long.  Equally as important to this offense is quarterback, Brandon Chadbourn. The Villanova-bound recruit has accounted for 1,148 passing yards (10 TD's-2 int's) and 692 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns. They also have a sure-handed tight end in Matt Gormley, and a pair of versatile weapons in Aaron Yasulitis and Evan Chadbourn. With all of these pieces, Bishop Guilfoyle boats one of the most explosive offenses in the area.

The Marauders' defense has been nothing short of dominant. Teams have mustered just three touchdowns on them all year long. Andrew Berger is a big 6'3" 250 pound defensive tackle that just absolutely wreaks havoc on offenses, and he has posted some mind-boggling stats this year.  Berger has 28 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 19 QB hurries, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles. He is a force, and anchors one of the best defenses in all of class A throughout Pennsylvania. Matt Gormley and Owen Wolf also have some ridiculous stats, and guys like Aaron Yaulitis, DJ Kitt, and Ian Luther may not have the crazy numbers of some, but are all very good linebackers. Evad Chadbourn leads a unit with 17 interceptions with six himself.

Notes

--The winner of this game will advance to the District Championship next week, which will also be played at Mansion Park. Neither team is a stranger to the facility, as BG uses it as a home field and Bellwood is a perennial power come playoff time.

--They will square off with the winner of Portage/Blairsville game. Portage is 10-1 seeded third, while Blairsville is undefeated at 11-0 seeded second.

--The D6A Championship will be held on Friday this year, a change from the usual Saturday night.

--Bellwood-Antis has played for a District Title 15 times in school history with 6 championships.

-- Bishop Guilfoyle has two District Titles in their history (1985/1987) and both were in AA.  Since moving to single A, the Marauders have made the final twice (1991/2013) but have yet to win a championship.

-- The last time Bishop Guilfoyle beat Bellwood-Antis was 2003. The seniors in this game were in first grade.

District 5/9 Sub-regional AAA Championship Preview.

Clearfield (9-2) at Somerset (10-1)

Friday 7:00 Herlinger Field (Richland)  Johnstown, PA

     

Somerset and Clearfield meet for the second straight year for the sub-regional championship. The Golden Eagles have been a force all year long, and many expected that.  Not many people were sure of what to expect of Clearfield though. The Bison lost some great players from a really good team in 2013, and had to bring some new players along in 2014.  Either way, the teams paths will cross again Friday night for the right to advance to the state tournament.

Somerset pummeled Punxsutawney in the first round 51-12, and that was reminiscent of the majority of the 2014 Somerset season. Somerset flew through the LHAC for nine weeks, and did it with a powerful defense and a quick-strike offense.  The Golden Eagles only had one blemish on the record, and judging by the Punxsutawney result, it is water under the bridge now.

The offense is anchored by junior quarterback, Dylan Barns.  The dual-threat QB has thrown for over 1,000 yards with 17 passing touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has also rushed for 8 scores.  He is joined by an electrifying runner, Jake Heiple. The junior running back is over the 1,000 mark with 18 touchdowns, and is coming off a three TD performance against the Chucks. The speedy and versatile Raven Beeman had three touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing) last week, and he is a threat to take it the distance any time.  Bryce Mostoller is one of the best tight end's in the state and he just adds to the long list of players to worry about if you are playing Somerset.

The Golden Eagles' defense is a big play unit in every sense of the term.  Somerset has two aggressive ends that live in opponents' backfields in Bryce Mostoller and Raven Beeman. They also boast an all-state middle linebacker, Logan Eller, and he flies sideline to sideline. They also have seven different players to record interceptions this season. They create havoc in the backfield and force turnovers, and that's the name of their game.

Clearfield is coming off a sound 42-27 victory over Johnstown in the first round. Clearfield gave up the game's first touchdown, but went on to score the games' next 42 points to essentially put it away. Clearfield is a strong defensive team with a tough running game.  After starting 1-2, The Bison have reeled off 8 straight victories.

Clearfield's offense revolves around the running of senior Erik Sellers. He has 22 rushing touchdowns on the year and has toppled the century mark with 1,071 yards on the season. Seth Caldwell is a good secondary runner, and he has 7 rushing touchdowns to go with 964 rushing yards. The 1-2 punch is difficult to deal with, and as a team they average 243 rushing yards a game.  Clearfield quarterback Cody Spaid only completed 1 pass against Johnstown, but has shown he is a capable passer with 838 yards and 9 touchdowns on the year. Ryan Lezzar is the team's big play threat and he averages 20 yards a reception, and has 9 touchdown catches this season. Clearfield is pretty straightforward with what they like to do, and that's running the football and they have had a lot of success doing so. They have the passing game with Lezzar if they need it, but ideally they are coming right at you with the running game.

The Clearfield defense has been very good this season, and they are a physical team that mirrors their offensive style. Clearfield really buckled down after their 1-2 start and have been playing suffocating defense since the Central loss. Johnstown was able to put up some points late in the game, but for the most part Clearfield threw the Trojans off their game.  The defense has a number of stars. Dustin Maines is their sack artist, and the undersized end really gets after it in the pass rush. Nick Kovalick is one of their leading tacklers and he is a hard-hitting linebacker that leads their run defense. Erik Sellers and Christian Rummery are two athletic outside linebackers that can be tough against the run and pass. Ryan Lezzar came up with a pick six last week, and he is one of the anchors in their secondary.

The winner of the District 5-9 showdown advances to the state's "Sweet 16" and they will be matched up with the District 4 champion, Jersey Shore or Selinsgrove. The winners will meet next week likely closer to a District 4 venue. Clearfield won last year's meeting and the game was played in Dubois.


(Helmet pictures courtesy of PA Helmet Project)

District Five Class AA Championship Preview

Chestnut Ridge (9-2) vs. Bedford (9-1)

Friday 7:00 Panther Community Stadium Loysburg,PA

Chestnut Ridge and Bedford renew their storied rivalry Friday night, and this time a championship is on the line. The Laurel Highlands Conference ended the idea of this being an annual regular season showdown, but the teams always will find themselves in the two team District 5 AA race.  Both schools have some really good teams, and it should make for a raucous atmosphere Friday night.

Bedford comes in as the top seed, and they finished an impressive 9-1 in the always tough LHAC.  The Bisons have a powerful offensive attack led by their junior quarterback, Austin Montgomery. The tough-nosed junior operates this offense at a high level and contributes in both the passing and running games.  Montgomery is completing 60% of his passes for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He has also rushed for 11 touchdowns on the ground. As a team, Bedford averages 212 yards a game on the ground and August Cook is the catalyst with 873 yards and 16 touchdowns.  Zach Shaffer is the team's top receiver, and with 33 catches and 8 receiving touchdowns, he is one of the best in the area. He has also scored 7 touchdowns on the ground, and he is a weapon coach Kevin Steele can use in a variety of ways.

Bedford only lost one game this year, but even in some of their victories the defense allowed some big plays. The defense has to be able to come up big in this game after Ridge hung 55 on them last year in this same district championship game. Bedford is primarily an underclassmen team with just two seniors starting. The young Bisons need to play sound football on defense, and limit the big plays. The strength in this Bedford defense is with their linebacker corps led by Tanner Coughenour in the middle, and flanked by Uruah Costal and August Cook. The Chestnut Ridge scheme is balanced, and Bedford needs to try to force more runs on Friday night.

Chestnut Ridge comes into this game with a solid 9-2 record, and they are coming off a 35-0 first round rout of Westinghouse from the Pittsburgh City League. The Lions are the defending champions, and they still have a good core in place from that team last season.  Tyler Wiley and Matt Wiley are the stars of the show, and they have been very good. Tyler has led the offense as a QB and has thrown for over 1,000 yards and rushed for over 700 yards. He has accounted for 15 touchdowns on the ground and 12 through the air.  If Ridge is going anywhere, it is behind his abilities. Matt Wiley has been steady as the team's fullback, and has 11 rushing touchdowns and leads the team in rushing yards. Bryan Feather, Noah Osman, and Trent Crouse have been the team's top receiving options, and all are capable play-makers.

Chestnut Ridge is still the lone local team without a conference, but it allows them to play a different kind of schedule. They have played some challenging opponents, and their two losses are to undefeated Fort Hill of Maryland, and perennial District Six power, Tyrone. The Lions have a win over a very good Central team as well. The defense has been very good this season, and they have pitched four shutouts overall. They are led by Matt Wiley at linebacker and Noah Osman at safety.

Chestnut Ridge and Bedford are long-time rivals, and this should be another classic bout as both teams are capable of beating one another.  The winner of this game will move on to the "Sweet 16" in the PIAA tournament.  They will take on the District 9 champion, either undefeated Karns City or Saint Mary's. The game will take place at a District 9 venue, as Chestnut Ridge fell to Karns City last year at Northern Bedford.

(Helmet pictures courtesy of Pa Helmet Project)

Saturday November 8 First Round Playoff Scores

District Six A

3. Portage 21    6. Homer Center  13

Portage will play Blairsville in the D6A Semifinals

4. Bellwood-Antis 14    5. Penns Manor  11

Bellwood-Antis will play Bishop Guilfoyle in the D6A Semifinals

District Six AA

6. Huntingdon   28    3. Juniata 21

Huntingdon will play Tyrone in the D6AA Semifinals 

4. Central 28      5. Penn Cambria   21 

Central will play Mt. Union in the D6AA Semifinals

District 5 A

2. Tussey Mountain 62       7. Windber  20

Tussey Mountain will play Meyersdale in the D5A Semifinals

4. Shade 15         5. Northern Bedford 0

Shade will play Berlin-Brothersvalley in the D5A Semifinals

Friday November 7 First Round Playoff Final Scores

District Six Class A

1. Bishop Guilfoyle  49        8. Williamsburg 0

Bishop Guilfoyle will play the winner of Bellwood-Antis/Penns Manor

2. Blairsville   35                  7. Moshannon Valley  14

Blairsville will play the winner of Portage/Homer-Center

District Six Class AA

1. Mt. Union 27            8. Southern Huntingdon 7

Mt. Untion will play the winner of Central/Penn Cambria

2. Tyrone 35           7. Forest Hills 7

Tyrone will play the winner of Juniata/Huntingdon

District 5-6-9 Class AAA

1. Somerset 50     4. Punxsutawney 12

Somerset will play Clearfield in the AAA Championship

2. Clearfield 42      3. Johnstown  27

Clearfield will play Somerset in the AAA Championship

District 5 Class A

1. Berlin-Brothersvalley 61   8. Conemaugh Township 0

Berlin will play the winner of Shade/Northern Bedford

2. Meyersdale 27     6. Everett 0

Meyersdale will play the winner of Tussey Mountain/Windber

District 5-8 AA

2. Chestnut Ridge 35    3. Westinghouse 0

Chestnut Ridge will play Bedford in the D5 AA Championship

WPIAL AAAA

1. Pine Richland 49    8. Altoona 7

Pine Richland will play McKeesport

The Coal Bowl

Cambria Heights  35    Northern Cambria 0