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By Rick Weaver
For the Mirror
CLYMER -- Cambria Heights completed a perfect regular season in its 38-6 victory against Penns Manor in the final game of the Heritage Conference football season for both schools on Friday night at Pat Corrigan Field.
The Highlanders breezed to a 35-0 lead at the intermission. Cambria Heights, the No. 1 Class AA team in District 6, attained a 372-39 advantage in total yards in the first half.
"We took care of business," Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis said. "I was pleased with the way we took care of business."
The Highlanders earned the top seed in the District 6 Class 2A playoffs, which begin Nov. 1-2. They will host McCort-Carroll.
Play of the game: Cambria Heights, already ahead by one touchdown, found its way out of a hole when Isaac Weiland fired a 95-yard pass to Trey Trybus for the Highlanders' second score of the night. It was Trybus' only reception for the game.
Player of the game: Stephen Nelen scored three touchdowns, on runs of 46 and 1 yards, and a 71-yard touchdown reception of a pass from Garrett Jasper. Nelen rushed for 73 yards, caught two passes for 85 yards and even completed a pass for 23.
Unsung hero: Marshall Eckenrode ran down Penns Manor senior Dylan Kuzemchak at the 5-yard line to postpone, albeit for two plays, the Comets' first score since Sept. 27. Kuzemchak picked up 57 yards on the play.
Most vital statistics: The Highlanders piled up 429 total yards, including 263 through the air. Penns Manor managed but 127 total yards.
Lewis: "You want to play well, play clean and that's what we were able to do tonight."
Penns Manor coach Bill Packer: "We haven't been getting any offense going, and that's been killing us."
Notable: Four players completed passes for Cambria Heights. Weiland completed 5 of 7 passes for 150 yards before he gave way to Kaiden Ivory in the second half. Jasper completed a 71-yard scoring pass to Nelen, Nelen found Luke Mulraney for a 23-yard completion and Ivory completed 2 of 3 passes for 18 yards but threw one interception. ... The Highlanders finished the regular season having shut out their opponents in 19 of the last 21 quarters. .... Cambria Heights committed only one turnover and punted only once. ... Penns Manor had not scored a point since the fourth period of its 22-16 victory against Conemaugh Township on Sept. 27. The streak, which covered 14 quarters, concluded when Dylan Kuzemchak scored from 1 yard in the third period. ... Kuzemchak (30 yards) and Mulraney (17 yards) recorded pass interceptions. ... Penns Manor finished the regular season with four consecutive setbacks.
Team records: Cambria Heights 10-0, Penns Manor 5-5.
Next game: Penns Manor (No. 6) will play at Moshannon Valley (No. 3 seed) in the first round.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Cambria Heights 7 28 3 0 -- 38
Penns Manor 0 0 6 0 -- 6
First quarter
CH--Nelen, 46 run (Abrams kick), 3:16.
Second quarter
CH--Trybus, 95 pass from Weiland (Abrams kick), 10:50.
CH--Weiland, 1 run (Abrams kick), 6:41.
CH--Nelen, 72 pass from Jasper (Abrams kick), 3:35.
CH--Nelen, 1 run (Abrams kick), :32.
Third quarter
CH--FG Abrams 25, 7:55.
PM--Williams, 1 run (kick failed), 4:39.
TEAM STATISTICS CH PM
First downs 12 8
Total yards 429 127
Rushes-yards 61-166 28-58
Yards passing 263 69
Passes-comp.-int. 9-12-1 9-14-1
Punts-avg. 1-44.0 6-38.8
Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 2-10 1-15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Cambria Heights, Nelen 9-73, Trybus 2-28, Gray 1-12, Kutruff 1-11, Weiland 1-11, Jasper 3-11, Davin Warner 3-11, Kline 2-6, Clawson 3-4, Snyder 1-2, Dawson Warner 2-2, Mulraney 1-1, DeArmitt 1-(-2), Team 4-(-4), Penns Manor, Williams 8-48, Lewis 3-7, Vojtek 5-7, Cooper 1-2, Kuzemchak 2-(-2), Lieb 9-(-4).
Passing: Cambria Heights, Weiland 5-7-0-150, Jasper 1-1-0-72, Nelen 1-1-0-23, Ivory 2-3-1-18 . Penns Manor, Lieb 7-12-1-57, Jarvie 2-2-0-12
Receiving: Cambria Heights, Nelen 2-85, Clawson 2-31, Jasper 2-27, Trybus 1-95, Eckenrode 1-15, Clawson 1-8. Penns Manor, Kuzemchak 4-37, Lewis 2-22, Williams 2-9, Hardesty 1-2.