Line, Tyrone dominate rival

TYRONE - You have to feel for Larry Glace.

This season, Glace moved from the anonymity of the Tyrone Area's offensive line to running back. All he did in the Golden Eagles' football season opener Friday night was run for 58 yards on 10 carries, block for a 100-yard rusher and make a great play on a screen pass to turn it into a 57-yard touchdown that put an exclamation point on a huge first quarter.

After the game, though, all anyone wanted to talk about was ... you guessed it ... the offensive line.

Glace didn't mind. He was basking in the glory of the Eagles' resounding 27-6 win over archrival Bellwood-Antis in the "Backyard Brawl'' at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field.

"I just do what helps the team. It doesn't matter to me who gets the credit,'' Glace said. "It's the line today, and everybody knows it.''

There were a lot of heroes from which to choose for the Eagles. Junior quarterback Levi Reihart looked like a mature veteran signal-caller, throwing for 141 yards in the first half and scrambling for a 10-yard touchdown. Mark Mingle rushed for 160 yards, scoring on runs of 6 and 1 yards. Only a TD pass with 30.1 seconds left against the junior varsity defense denied Tyrone its third straight shutout of the Blue Devils.

At the foundation of all of it was the performance of the Eagles' front line of Jerrod Good, Matt Murray, Jordan Berry, Jarred Templeton, John Shaffer and Justin Weaver.

"It was pretty obvious. That was the key to the game,'' Tyrone coach John Franco said.

With four starters back on its offensive line, it looked like Bellwood would match up fairly evenly in the trenches. But that's not how it played out, the Golden Eagles outgaining the Blue Devils, 379-123.

"They pretty much made it all happen. It wasn't a bad fumble, that type of thing. They just physically manhandled us in the beginning, and it pretty much continued through the game,'' B-A coach John Hayes said.

Tyrone took any steam out of the Blue Devils' sails with three touchdowns in the first quarter.

"In past years, whenever we play Bellwood, and we can come out and get on top big, we always win. We couldn't let them get out in front of us,'' said Murray, who's started now on three Eagle teams to beat the Devils. ''We knew the line was the key, and, ever since the start of the season, we've been pushing the line, trying to find the people to fill in for Larry. I think it really showed out on the field tonight.''

Although just a junior, Reihart was also taking part in his third win over Bellwood. He played a key role, too, in the Eagles getting ahead, completing five out of six passes and scoring Tyrone's second TD.

"I had great leaders last year. This year, as a junior, I need to step up,'' Reihart said. "We just wanted to get out there and play hard, keep up the Tyrone tradition.''

Glace gave Reihart a hand, going up to snare a screen pass in good coverage, taking it to the end zone to make it 20-0. The tackle he broke at midfield on the play effectively broke Bellwood's back.

"That was the best play I saw in my life. He dragged the guy 10 yards and still ran for 60,'' Mingle said.

Glace, though, shunned the moment of individual glory.

"I take none of the credit,'' Glace said. "It was all the line.''

Game notes: Tyrone has now won six straight meetings to take a 49-25-1 lead in the series. ... Tyrone travels to Huntingdon next Friday. Bellwood hosts Everett.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bellwood-Antis0 0 0 6 - 6

Tyrone20 0 7 0 - 27

First quarter

T-Mingle 6 run (Shaffer kick), 8:15.

T-Reihart 10 run (Shaffer kick), 6:57.

T-Glace 57 pass from Reihart (kick failed), 0:38.8.

Third quarter

T-Mingle 1 run (Shaffer kick), 6:26.

Fourth quarter

BA-Shaw 2 pass from Plummer (kick failed), 0:30.1.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Bellwood-Antis-Z. McCaulley 4-32, Collier 2-29, Taylor 4-26, Miller 3-15, Watters 2-10, DeGol 2-8, Gray 3-(-1), Pfahler 4-(-2), Plummer 2-(-8). Tyrone-Mingle 24-160, Glace 10-58, Reihart 4-10, Gault 6-13, Patton 1-3, Barlett 1-(-1), Franco 1-(-1), Walker, 1-(-8), TEAM 1-(-2).

PASSING: Bellwood-Antis-Gray 3-13-2-12, Plummer 1-3-0-2. Tyrone-Reihart 5-6-0-141, Walker 1-5-0-6.

RECEIVING: Bellwood-Antis-Miller 3-12, Shaw 1-2. Tyrone-Glace 2-75, Desch 2-56, Graham 1-10, Shaffer 1-6.

INTERCEPTIONS: Bellwood-Antis-none. Tyrone-Desch, Murray.

TEAM STATISTICSBAT

First downs818

Yards rushing26-10949-232

Passing (comp.-att.-int.)4-16-26-11-0

Yards passing14147

Total yards123379

Fumbles lost0-02-2

Penalties-yards5-5510-102

Punts-avg.5-38.22-49.0