Bishop Guilfoyle, Bellwood-Antis a matchup of run vs. defense
H.S. football
McCartney
Cxacciotti
McCartney
Cxacciotti
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An intriguing game within a game will take place on Friday night when Bishop Guilfoyle Academy visits Bellwood-Antis.
Kickoff for the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference matchup at Bellwood is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will pit the Blue Devils very strong running attack against a BG defense that has been nearly perfect during the Marauders' winning streak, which has now reached four straight games.
The Marauders (5-1 overall and in the conference) have surrendered a total of only seven points over the past three games, and that total has mostly been achieved against BG's defensive reserves. BG has shut out two of its last four opponents, including a 26-0 victory over Tyrone last week.
"Our first group on defense hasn't given up many scores in the last three weeks or so,'' BG coach Justin Wheeler said. "I think that, as a unit, we knew that our strength coming into this season was going to be our front seven on both sides of the ball.
"Early on, our defensive backs just needed to get some more experience - they just needed some time,'' Wheeler said. "So now that the DBs are playing well, I think that we have a pretty balanced defense. It's hard to throw against us, and we're extremely strong against the run.''
That will be important against Bellwood-Antis (3-3, 3-3), which features one of the best running duos in the area in the junior tandem of Alex McCartney and Chase Plummer.
McCartney has rushed for 736 yards on 135 carries and 12 touchdowns, while Plummer has rushed for 372 yards on 51 tries and two scores.
Bellwood's talented pair of backs runs behind a big offensive line that creates space for them.
"Their linemen are definitely big, and the two backs that they have are really good,'' Wheeler said. "Their running game is definitely their strength. As a duo, their two backs are very good, so anybody who watches them knows that they're getting the ball 95 percent of the time, and they're both tough to stop.''
Injuries to key players have forced BG to improvise on defense, but the Marauders have done so successfully.
Senior linebacker Taurean Consiglio sustained a season-ending triceps injury, and senior defensive end Hayden Hosgood has been sidelined recently with an arm injury. But BG has used the next-man-up philosophy to remain unphased.
"Rocco Cacciotti had been a defensive tackle, but he has been playing defensive end now for Hayden,'' Wheeler said. "Rocco has just been getting so much better. He and Declan Peterson have really played well for us at the two defensive end positions.
"And Connor Okonak, who has stepped in for Taurean at the middle linebacker position, has been filling well and also just getting better and better for us,'' Wheeler added.
Wheeler also praised the play of junior Jack Gioiosa at strong safety.
"Jack has had a couple interceptions for us over the last couple of weeks,'' Wheeler said. "I think that's really helping our defense at the strong safety position.''
Bellwood enjoyed a 26-7 victory over archrival Tyrone two weeks ago, but last Friday night, the Blue Devils suffered a 31-28 loss at Philipsburg-Osceola.
"We got behind by 17 points with six minutes left to go,'' Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich said of the Philipsburg outing. "Then we scored two touchdowns and we were able to get the ball back at our own 40 (yard line) with about 50 seconds to go, but we couldn't convert.
"We had some turnovers that hurt us,'' Lovrich added. "Those turnovers turned into points for them.''
Junior quarterback Bradyn Partner, who was injured early in the season, has now returned and played two straight games for Bellwood.
"He's healthy, so he is able to pass the ball well, and he is also able to make some plays with his legs - which is something that we envisioned him being able to do,'' Lovrich said of Partner. "It was good to see him step up and start taking that role that we thought he'd have, and we just think that he's going to keep developing as the season progresses.''
BG is led offensively and defensively by senior Jake Kissell, who can play a variety of positions on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Kissell has rushed for 684 yards on 91 carries and 13 touchdowns this season, and in last week's game, he got some reps at quarterback, completing five passes - including one for a touchdown.
Wheeler's son, sophomore quarterback Justin Wheeler, suffered an arm injury during last week's game, but did not leave the field. The sophomore played all four quarters in the secondary, and rotated in at quarterback with Kissell in the second half.
Young Wheeler, who has rushed for 648 yards and three touchdowns this season, while rushing for 449 yards and two scores, gives BG a two-dimensional threat at quarterback. He's expected to be good to go for Friday's game.
"His arm was a little sore - he played quarterback in the third and fourth quarters last week, just not full time,'' Coach Wheeler said of his son. "He never came out of the game. We'll get him some therapy this week, and I think he'll be OK.''
Lovrich knows that BG will present a formidable obstacle Friday.
"They have a very good football program,'' Lovrich said of the Marauders. "They've been turning out some really good players, and even though they lost the Consiglio kid, they still have guys stepping up. Jake Kissell is kind of like a do-it-all guy for them. He runs the ball very well, and he's a threat at tight end catching the ball.
"We have to make sure that we take care of the football this week, and try to make sure that we execute on offense,'' Lovrich said. "And defensively, we need to contain some of the things that they can do, and make sure that we are tackling well.''
BG at B-A
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Bellwood-Antis High School's John R. Hayes Field at Memorial Stadium.
Records: Bishop Guilfoyle is 5-1 overall and in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference; Bellwood-Antis is 3-3, 3-3.
Coaches: Justin Wheeler is 153-40 in his 15th season at Bishop Guilfoyle; Nick Lovrich is 57-26 in his eighth season at Bellwood-Antis.
Last week: Bellwood-Antis lost at Philipsburg-Osceola, 31-28; Bishop Guilfoyle beat Tyrone, 26-0.
Last season: Bishop Guilfoyle won, 41-12 at Mansion Park.