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H.S. football
Hollidaysburg at Altoona
When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Mansion Park
Last season: Hollidaysburg won, 21-13, at Tiger Stadium.
Coaches: Homer DeLattre is in his 12th season at Holllidaysburg and his 23rd season overall. He has a 59-58 career record at Hollidaysburg and a 111-122 career record, which includes a 52-64 mark in 11 seasons at Corry High School. Vince Nedimyer Jr. is in his sixth season at Altoona, and has a career record of 20-32.
By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
The first Friday night of the high school football season is a very special annual occasion.
Matchups like the one between Blair County archrivals Hollidaysburg and Altoona, which will unfold its next chapter this Friday night, make the opening night even more special. Kickoff between the two teams is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Mansion Park.
"It's definitely an exciting way to start the season,'' Altoona coach Vince Nedimyer Jr. said. "Our kids are excited about it, and I know that the Hollidaysburg kids will definitely be excited about it.
"Everybody enjoys this game,'' added Nedimyer, who enters his sixth season as the Mountain Lions' head coach. "We know that (Hollidaysburg) has a lot of kids coming back, and that they will be prepared. They always are. And we're going to do our best to do the same, to get ready to play them.''
Homer DeLattre, who is entering his 12th season as Hollidaysburg's head coach, said that opening the season against archrival Altoona does provide the Golden Tigers with some sky-high motivation.
"You want to start the season off strong, so the first game is a big game for all the teams,'' DeLattre said. "You want to start off on a solid note, and you want to start with a win. This game is very important for us because we're playing Altoona, and it's very important for them, too.''
Altoona breaks in a new quarterback this fall. Nedimyer's nephew, Mark Harrington, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior, will take the snaps this season after moving over from the tight end/wide receiver spot that he occupied a year ago. Harrington, who will be a three-year starter on defense, brings a decidedly physical element to the quarterback position.
"We like a big kid at that position, and whenever he's running the football, he gets downhill,'' Nedimyer said of Harrington, who led the Mountain Lions in pass receptions a year ago with 11 catches for 62 yards. "(His size) will definitely help him. He'll be able to see over the line and to throw the ball a little bit, too.''
Harrington won't be a novice at the quarterback spot. He played there at the junior varsity level a few years back in both his freshman and sophomore years.
"In the preseason, he's been doing exactly what we need him to do,'' Nedimyer said of Harrington. "He has played quarterback before, just a few years ago, so the position is not super brand new to him.
"He's a kid who learns well, and who picks up things quickly,'' Nedimyer added. "We feel comfortable with him at that position for sure.''
Harrington said that he has been enjoying his return to the quarterback spot, and that his offensive line has been a big help for him.
"In our scrimmage against DuBois (last Saturday), our offensive line did a really good job of getting off the ball, and that helps make the reads easier for me,'' Harrington said. "I'm having a great time with (playing the quarterback spot) right now.''
The Mountain Lions - who finished 5-7 a year ago and lost to State College in the District 6 Class 6A championship game — graduated a very productive fullback in leading rusher Bron Mosley, but they still have some experience at the skill positions, where incoming senior backs Amar Emeigh-Ballos and Zion Patterson, along with incoming junior Julian Hazelwood, are each returning.
Mosley handled the bulk of the rushing load for Altoona a year ago, but Hazelwood averaged 6.6 yards on 19 carries for 125 yards, and Emeigh-Ballos averaged 6.2 yards on 25 carries for 155 yards.
Hollidaysburg has a very experienced team on both sides of the ball coming back from last season, when the Golden Tigers finished 5-6 against a very difficult, independent schedule, and earned a berth in the PIAA Class 5A playoffs by defeating Central Mountain in the District 6 championship game.
Incoming senior quarterback Maddox Bainey completed 82 of 146 passes for 1,189 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago.
"I'm really looking forward to this season -- we have so many returning starters, and this offseason has gone very well,'' Bainey said. "Everybody has been practicing well, and everybody has been very focused.''
Bainey has several good passing targets to throw to in incoming seniors Gavin Bell (31 receptions, 324 yards and two touchdowns last year), Brady Steiner (21 catches for 235 yards and three TDs), and Jay Albarano (13 catches for 174 yards and five TDs). Incoming senior back Mitchell Baronner, who rushed for 248 yards and a 4.9 yards-per-carry average and four TDs last year, is the Golden Tigers' leading returning rusher.
"We have a lot of yards coming back on offense,'' DeLattre said. "It's definitely an experienced crew.''
Hollidaysburg also has a vastly experienced offensive line and defensive unit as well, with incoming seniors Aiden Bilek, Hunter Albright, Wyatt Maines, and Jefferson McCoy all returning up front on both sides of the ball.
Since this rivalry resumed in 2018, Hollidaysburg has won four of its six games against Altoona, including a 21-13 Tigers victory last year at Hollidaysburg.
"This has been a big rivalry for years now,'' Bainey said. "We've been playing these guys since junior high. This is our first game of the year, and it will be exciting to see how it goes.''