The senior completed 6 of 13 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown as the Highlanders breezed past Portage, 52-6, in a Heritage Conference game on Friday night at AmeriServ Field at Cambria Heights Stadium.

“I’ve become a lot more comfortable throughout these last couple of games. I trust my line, and they’ve been blocking great. And I know my receivers better. And they’ve been playing great, too,” he said.

Plays of the game: Brayden DeArmitt snagged a pass from Ivory and sliced through the Portage defense for a 42-yard touchdown reception that put the Highlanders in front, 28-6. Nolan Clawson, in his first game since he missed the second half of the Highlanders’ Coal Bowl victory against Northern Cambria, hooked up with Carson Lobick for a 63-yard touchdown pass.

“It gives us another weapon. I thought we had a lot of guys touching the ball and making some plays. That’s huge; that’s what you want,” Highlanders coach Jarrod Lewis said of Clawson’s return to the lineup.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Portage’s Easton Slanoc is stopped by Cambria Heights’ Colton Strong on Friday in Patton.

Player of the game: DeArmitt scored two touchdowns, including a 64-yard TD romp. He 127 all-purpose yards.

Most vital statistics: Cambria Heights attained a 300-yards edge in total offense, 478-178. Portage committed five turnovers, including three lost fumbles.

Unsung heroes: The Highlanders forced three turnovers in the first half as they overcame an early 6-0 deficit. Hayden Leamer’s first-quarter fumble recovery set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Dawson Warner. Clawson recovered a fumble that preceded a 3-yard touchdown run of his own. And Camden Gray’s pass interception set up Clawson’s scoring toss to Lobick.

Coach Lewis: “Defensively, we clamped down when we needed to. And offensively, we made some plays when we had to.”

Ivory: We recovered a couple of fumbles and had a couple of interceptions. And they set us up with great field position. Our line blocked great and guys were getting open, running hard.”

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Cambria Heights' Brayden DeArmitt gets by Portage's Gavin Bobolsky.

Gray on the team’s prospects moving forward: “I think we’re going to do well. If we keep playing the way we’re playing, I think we’re going to go far.”

Portage coach Marty Slanoc: “What you can’t do is turn the ball over. We get it inside the 5-yard line, we get a first down … and then we put it on the ground, and they get a score. Next thing you know it’s starting to snowball; and then we’re starting to press things. And it’s tough to just roll out, sit back and throw the ball when you’re down scores in high school football. They’re going to bring it; they’re going to have a kid make a bad read, run a bad route, miss a blocking assignment, and then it gets tough.”

Slanoc: “Listen, if we can win two of our last three ballgames, we can get in the playoffs. We’re firmly stuck on that. I see things on this team that, maybe sometimes, they need to start seeing themselves more. Because we’ve proven sometimes that we can play with these teams.”

Notable: Cambria Heights donned for the first time all-black uniforms, a departure from the school’s customary powder blue and red. The new uniforms arrived on Monday. Coach Lewis said the team would likely wear those once a season. … Slanoc opened the scoring on the game’s first possession when he connected with Llheson Walker for an 18-yard pass. Slanoc completed 9 out of 21 passes for 109 yards. He threw two interceptions. … Cambria Heights took a 38-6 lead after Nito Kutruff kicked a 30-yard field goal as the first half expired. Gray and Harrison Snyder added touchdown runs during the second half, most of which was played on a running clock. … Members of the Little Highlanders football, flag football and cheerleading squads were recognized before the start of the game.

Records: Portage (2-5), Cambria Heights (6-1).

Next week: Portage plays host to United Valley, and Cambria Heights visits Conemaugh Township on Friday.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Portage 6 0 0 0 – 6

Cambria Heights 15 23 7 7 – 52

First Quarter

P–Walker 18 pass from Slanoc (kick failed), 8:19.

CH–Warner 3 run (Lobick pass from Clawson).

CH–Clawson 3 run (Kutruff kick), 1:40.

Second Quarter

CH–DeArmitt 64 run (Kutruff kick), 11:36.

CH–DeArmitt 42 pass from Ivory (run failed), 7:27.

CH–Lobick 63 pass from Clawson (Kutruff kick), 4:46.

CH–Kutruff 30 field goal, :00.

Third Quarter

CH–Gray 3 run (Kutruff kick), 10:46.

Fourth Quarter

CH–Snyder 2 run (Kutruff kick), 7:07.

TEAM STATISTICS P CH

First downs 9 15

Total yards 178 478

Rushes-yards 27-69 36-290

Yards passing 109 188

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 9-21-2 7-14-0

Punts-avg. 4-34.0 1-42.0

Fumbles-lost 3-3 2-1

Penalties-yards 4-17 5-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Portage, Slanoc 8-36, Gathers 4-9, Berardinelli 2-9, Munyon 4-8, Ferrerro 1-4, Sciko 1-2, Walker 2-1, Shaffer 2-0, TEAM 3-0. Cambria Heights, DeArmitt 2-85, Clawson 6-62, Gray 3-47, Strong 3-44, Snyder 5-18, Ivory 2-16, Lewis 3-13, Warner 5-12, Wilkie 1-3, Orosz 1-(-4), Team 5-(-6).

PASSING–Portage, Slanoc 9-21-2-109. Cambria Heights, Ivory 6-13-0-125, Clawson 1-1-0-63.

RECEIVING–Portage, Bobolsky 4-33, Walker 2-49, Gathers 1-23, Munyon 1-6, Sciko 1-(-1). Cambria Heights, Lobick 3-113, Clawson 2-16, DeArmitt 1-42, Lewis 1-17.