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Coal Bowl
Game: Cambria Heights at Northern Cambria.
Site, time: Friday, 7 p.m. at Northern Cambria's Duffy Daugherty Stadium.
Records: Both teams are 4-0 overall and in the Heritage Conference.
Coaches: Jarrod Lewis is in his 14th season at Cambria Heights and has a 78-69 career record. Sam Shutty is in his eighth season at Northern Cambria and has a career record of 50-32.
Last week: Both teams won big on their home fields, with Cambria Heights blanking Conemaugh Valley, 48-0, and Northern Cambria shutting out West Shamokin, 42-0.
Last season: Northern Cambria won the regular-season game between the two teams, 28-11 in Patton, but Cambria Heights avenged that loss in the District 6 Class 1A semifinals, winning at Northern Cambria, 21-12.
Noteworthy: Heights leads the all-time series in the Coal Bowl, 25-24, and there has been one tie. The series began in 1960 but has not run continually because the teams joined different conferences at one point, but they have both been members of the Heritage Conference since 2021.
By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
The Coal Bowl rivalry football game between Cambria Heights and Northern Cambria has featured plenty of exciting matchups over the years, including in the past two seasons -- when the teams took turns defeating each other in the semifinal round of the District 6 Class 1A playoffs.
Heights is competing at the District 6 Class 2A level this year, and although Northern Cambria has remained in Class 1A, the intensity of the Coal Bowl confrontations remains unaltered.
Both teams are 4-0 this year and tied for first place in the Heritage Conference, and plenty will again be on the line Friday night, when they meet before what should be a packed house at Northern Cambria's Duffy Daugherty Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
"It's a very, very anticipated game each year, especially now that both teams are playing in the same conference,'' Northern Cambria coach Sam Shutty said. "People in our community are talking about this game all year long. I can't go out in public without somebody asking me, 'Are you guys ready for Heights?'''
The excitement of the game goes both ways, according to Heights coach Jarrod Lewis.
"We've played some big games against one another the last couple of years, with a trip to the district championship game at stake between us in both of the past two years, and (Friday's) game will be a big game as well,'' Lewis said.
"It's a rivalry game, and I'm sure that the people from both communities are going to really show out in large numbers to see it, especially with both teams being 4-0 this season,'' Lewis added. "I think that it's a big game for both teams just to see exactly where they are.''
This year, the similarities between the two teams are striking. Both have shut out two of their first four opponents, with Northern Cambria outscoring their opposition, 150-14, and Cambria Heights outscoring their opponents, 148-19. Northern Cambria has scored an average of 37.5 points per game, while Heights has averaged 37 points per game. Northern Cambria's defense has allowed an average of only 3.5 points per game, while Cambria Heights has allowed an average of just 4.75.
"I think that we've been playing some sound football offensively, defensively, and on special teams,'' Lewis said. "We've had some good team leadership, and we've put in some good weeks of practice. But looking at Northern, I think that their stats may be even more impressive.''
The Colts are led by two-way senior standout Ty Dumm, a quarterback and safety who earned all-state selections last season on both sides of the ball.
"They have a really special player both offensively and defensively in their quarterback Ty Dumm,'' Lewis said. "He's such a fantastic athlete who does such a good job of making you defend the whole field. He has some good receivers on the outside to get the ball to, and they're a fast team that uses their speed to their advantage.''
Dumm has completed 17 of 24 passes for 394 yards and five touchdowns this season, while rushing for 270 yards on 26 carries (a 10.4 average) and four TDs. Top receivers for Northern Cambria have been junior slotback Malik Fox (six receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns), senior tight end Caleb Dolney (five catches for 131 yards and two TDs), and sophomore slotback Daniel Farrell (four catches for 48 yards). Junior back Reese Wagner (115 yards on 22 carries and two rushing TDs) leads the Colts' ground game.
Heights senior quarterback Isaac Weiland has completed 24 of 40 passes for 558 yards and seven touchdowns, with senior tight end Marshall Eckenrode grabbing a team-leading eight receptions for 168 yards and two scores. Senior wideout Trey Trybus had six catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and senior halfback Stephen Nelen - who has also rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns - has six receptions for 88 yards and two scores.
Eckenrode, senior Jaxxon Kline, and freshman Nolan Clawson have each rushed for two touchdowns this year for Heights, with Clawson's 201 yards on just nine carries for a 22.3-yard average leading the group.
Heights senior Garrett Jasper starts at tight end and defensive end, and was an all-state selection as a defensive lineman last season. Jasper has also averaged over 53 yards on three punts this season.
"Their punter Jasper can really punt a ball very far and bury an opposing offense,'' Shutty said. "They are a complete football team that has everything a team needs in order to be successful, and they are being successful.
"I think this is by far going to be the toughest test that we face as a team, and we're just going to have to focus on trying to control what we can control and play as mistake-free as possible.''
Both coaches agreed that the players maintaining an even keel in such an emotional rivalry game will be an essential factor Friday night.
"I'd encourage as many people as possible to come out and watch this game, because there are going to be two really good teams playing in it,'' Shutty said.