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The Pitt-West Virginia college football series known as "The Backyard Brawl" unveiled another exciting chapter this past Saturday, when the Mountaineers defeated the Panthers in an overtime thriller.
This Friday night, area high school football will unveil the latest version of its own "Backyard Brawl," when neighboring Blair County rivals Bellwood-Antis and Tyrone meet at Tyrone's Gray Memorial Field. Kickoff for the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference matchup is set for 7 p.m.
Tyrone coach John Franco, who has been directing area high school football teams for many decades, believes that the rivalry between the Golden Eagles and Blue Devils in unparalleled. The two schools have been meeting on the football field since 1934.
"It's maybe the area's best football rivalry,'' Franco said. "I know that some people may disagree, but I've been around longer than most, and I haven't seen a rivalry as good as this.
"And it's a good rivalry,'' Franco stressed. "Some rivalries are filled with hatred and bitterness, but I think this rivalry has always been filled with mutual respect, and a love of competitiveness. The kids on both sides just love to play the game, and the two communities are so positive in backing their respective teams. To me, that is what high school football should be all about.''
Tyrone senior quarterback Eli Woomer also appreciates the rivalry between the two schools.
"It's always been a big rivalry -- everybody gets hyped up,'' Woomer said. "We're cross-town rivals who are located quite literally within a 10-minute drive of each other, so I'd say that there is a little bit more hype for this game than there is for any other game on the schedule.''
Both teams are coming off victories last week. Bellwood (2-2 overall and in the conference) blanked Central, 20-0, while Tyrone (3-1, 3-1) topped Bald Eagle Area, 21-14.
The Blue Devils lost a one-point game at Huntingdon two weeks ago, but bounced back in a big way at home last week, shutting out Central.
"I thought that our kids played really well after our loss to Huntingdon,'' Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich said. "We kind of went back to the drawing board and worked on a lot of the small things that cause problems in a football game. We corrected some of those things, and the results kind of showed that the work paid off.
"I think it was pretty much an all-around good game for us last week,'' Lovrich said. "Our defense did a good job, we tackled pretty well, and we didn't give up any big plays to be able to preserve that shutout. On the offensive side, our offensive line is starting to gel - we were able to have two backs (Alex McCartney and Chase Plummer) rush for over 100 yards in last week's game.''
McCartney rushed for 126 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns against Central, while Plummer rushed for 109 yards on 11 carries and a score. Both players are juniors who have impressed Franco.
"McCartney may be the best running back anywhere around, and Plummer may be the second best running back in our conference,'' Franco said. "(Bellwood) probably runs the ball better than any team in the Laurel Highlands. They just do everything well, they're very fundamentally sound, and they've got a great system in place.''
McCartney has rushed for 484 yards on 92 carries and seven touchdowns this season, while Plummer has rushed for 248 yards on 39 carries and two TDS. Senior Colin Gibbons leads the team in receptions with 12 for 133 yards.
Bellwood played its second straight game without injured starting quarterback Bradyn Partner last week, but sophomore Brendan McNelis played a solid game for the second consecutive week.
"He completed a really big pass to start the second half, and he did a good job of managing the game,'' Lovrich said of McNelis. "That's one thing that we look for him to do because of the type of kid that he is -- he's smart, he possesses strong character, and he put us in a position to win the football game.''
Woomer, a three-year starter on both sides of the ball for Tyrone, is an excellent athlete who has completed 36 of 70 passes for 691 yards and six touchdowns this season. Speedy junior back Caleb Whitby is the Eagles' leading rusher with 315 yards on 53 carries and four touchdowns, and their leading receiver with 23 catches for 77 yards and a TD.
Other receiving targets for Tyrone are seniors Brayden Parsons (nine catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns) and Ashton Emigh (seven catches for 102 yards). Junior Mason Emigh has six catches for 206 yards and two TDS.
"They're definitely a very good football team,'' Lovrich said of the Golden Eagles. "They have a lot of linemen back from last year, and Eli Woomer is doing a very good job at quarterback for them, whether he is running or passing the ball.
"We're going to have to be able to shut down their offense, and that is going to be (a matter of) all 11 guys on our defense doing their jobs on every single play,'' Lovrich added.
Tyrone has won three straight games after a very tough season-opening loss at Bellefonte. The Eagles' defense has yielded a total of only 26 points in Tyrone's three victories.
"The best part of our team right now has been our defense,'' Franco said. "They have really done a heck of a job. Our turnover ratio is like a plus-5 right now, and it hasn't been that good in three years.
"Our defense has been very opportunistic,'' Franco added. "Those players are hustling to the ball and playing tough against the run and tough against the pass.''
The Tyrone-Bellwood game had always traditionally been the season opener for both schools until 2023, when both had become members of the Laurel Highlands Conference. Franco is one of many people involved with the game that would like to see it again played on the opening night of the season.
"I think that we would all prefer to open the season with this game, and I really feel that the league should allow us to do that because there was 75 years of tradition that should have been honored,'' Franco said. "Hopefully, in the future, we can get back to playing this game in the first week, but other than that, I'm really looking forward to this week's game.
"I think that everybody is,'' Franco added. "It should be a fun game.''
The Backyard Brawl
Teams: Bellwood-Antis vs. Tyrone.
When: Friday night, 7 p.m.
Where: Gray Memorial Field, Tyrone.
Records: Bellwood (2-2 overall and in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference); Tyrone (3-1, 3-1).
Coaches: Nick Lovrich is 56-25 in eight seasons at Bellwood-Antis. John Franco is in his 38th year as a head coach, serving at four different schools. His career record in 25 seasons at Tyrone is 227-67.
Last week: Bellwood shut out Central, 20-0. Tyrone defeated Bald Eagle Area, 21-14.
Noteworthy: Bellwood won last season's game, 28-21. Tyrone has a 54-31-1 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1934.