Jason Grassi’s Penn Cambria Panthers enter D6-3A football playoffs as top seed
D6 3A football playoffs
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Penn Cambria enjoyed an historic football season under the direction of head coach Nick Felus in 2024.
The Panthers won a school-record 14 games, captured the school's first-ever District 6 Class 3A championship, and became the first team in school history to reach the semifinal round of the PIAA state tournament, where they suffered their only loss of the season to Avonworth of the WPIAL.
Felus left his alma mater Penn Cambria to take a head coaching job at District 11 Neshaminy High School last offseason, leaving big shoes to fill.
Jason Grassi began his second tenure as Penn Cambria's head coach this season, and despite the graduation of several key players from last year's trailblazing team, the Panthers haven't missed a beat this fall.
Penn Cambria (8-2) enters the postseason as the top-seeded team in the District 6 Class 3A playoff field, and will host fourth-seeded Forest Hills (6-4) in a semifinal-round matchup this Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Penn Cambria High School Athletic Field.
The winner of the game will play the winner of Friday night's other semifinal -- in which second-seeded Huntingdon hosts third-seeded Tyrone -- in the district championship game on Friday night, Nov. 7 at Altoona's Mansion Park.
Penn Cambria was only a few plays away from posting a perfect 10-0 regular season this year. The Panthers had leads in both of their regular-season losses, both on the road -- a 22-18 setback at Forest Hills on Sept. 5, and a 34-28 loss at Clearfield last Friday - but couldn't hold on.
"I think that overall in general, we had a good regular season,'' Grassi said. "We obviously felt that we left a couple plays out there that could have turned us in a bit more positive direction, but the kids are confident, they're playing very well, and they're ready for the new season.''
Like in recent seasons, Penn Cambria again boasts a number of talented skill position players.
Veteran senior quarterback Brady Jones, a three-year starter, has completed 89 of 149 passes for 1,351 yards and 15 touchdowns. When junior Evan Latterner is plugged in at quarterback, Jones shifts to the backfield, where he has rushed 90 times this season for 389 yards and six touchdowns.
Latterner has been steady at the quarterback spot for Penn Cambria, completing 14 of 21 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 259 yards on 23 carries and two scores.
"The nice thing about our team is that we have different guys who make contributions at different times,'' Grassi said. "We're doing some different things offensively that have been helping us out. We've been playing two different quarterbacks at times. Evan Latterner has stepped in and done a nice job at quarterback during the times he's been out there, and Brady is an excellent quarterback who also moves to running back when Evan is the quarterback. Brady runs the ball pretty well from the running back spot for us.''
Junior Corbin Vinglish has been one of Penn Cambria's most valuable players on both sides of the ball this season. Vinglish, who lines up at both running back and H-back on offense, has rushed for 990 yards and 16 touchdowns on 138 carries, while catching 10 passes for 182 yards and two scores. He also plays a vital role on defense at inside linebacker, where he has been part of a team-leading 99 tackles, including 52 solo stops.
"Corbin Vinglish is our hammer guy,'' Grassi said. "He's been all over the field for us, and he does an awesome job at everything that he does.''
Seniors Blake Lilly, Grant Gides and Blake Nadolsky are all key seasoned returnees from last year's great Penn Cambria team.
Lilly possesses speed and athleticism at flanker, and has caught a team-leading 52 passes for 809 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 270 yards and two TDs. As a cornerback on defense, Lilly has been in on 64 tackles, including 33 solo stops, and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (four) with strong safety Gides.
Gides has caught 18 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns at his wideout position, and Nadolsky, another wideout, has 16 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
Forest Hills (6-4) is led by senior Xander Richardson, who plays several offensive positions, including quarterback. Richardson has completed 75 of 130 passes for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 1,058 yards on 177 carries and 15 scores, and catching nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
"Obviously, the Richardson kid is a great football player - he's one of the best football players in the (Laurel Highlands Athletic) Conference,'' Grassi said. "They line him up at quarterback, running back and receiver. He does so much for them.
"He's a player who prominently impacts games, and we have to make sure that we contain him as much as possible, and try to make somebody else beat us,'' Grassi added.
Junior Josh Myers, who stepped into the starting quarterback spot earlier this season for Forest Hills when Richardson sustained an injury, has completed 50 of 91 passes for 518 yards and six touchdowns this season.
After surrendering 73 and 45 points in losses to Bishop McCort-Carroll and Bellwood-Antis, respectively, in its final two regular-season games, Forest Hills is looking for a better defensive effort this week.
Forest Hills coach Justin Myers knows that Penn Cambria will present a formidable challenge.
"They're so athletic,'' Forest Hills coach Justin Myers said of the Panthers. "The key for us will be to try to match their physicality.''
The rematch
The 2025 season has been one of renaissance for the Huntingdon football program, which posted a 7-3 regular-season record after suffering through several very lean years - including a winless 0-10 campaign in 2024.
Third-year Huntingdon coach Tim Lucko, whose team hosts Tyrone in a 7 p.m. District 6 Class 3A semifinal-round matchup Friday at War Vets Field, commended the fighting spirit of his players, even during last year's difficulties.
"I really think that this season is a tribute to my kids, to be honest,'' Lucko said of the Bearcats' dramatic turnaround this fall that has resulted in the program's first postseason berth since 2019. "They've worked hard, and even a year ago, when we didn't win a game, they still tried to do everything that the coaches asked them to do.
"Last year, we had to take our lumps, but this year, I think that the overall increased physical maturity among our players, and the overall effort of our kids, are factors that have sparked our run,'' Lucko added. "Going from not winning a game last year to winning seven games this year ... I think that's a pretty good thing.''
Lucko knows that Tyrone (6-4) will provide a big obstacle for his team. The Bearcats dropped a 41-21 decision to the Golden Eagles in a regular-season meeting Oct. 3 in Tyrone.
"We have to do a better job this time around,'' Lucko said. "They won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball during the regular-season game, and we know that if we want things to change for us (in Friday's playoff) game, we have to play better up front on both sides of the ball.''
Huntingdon's rushing attack is led by senior backs Landon Erdman (864 yards on 100 carries and ten touchdowns), and Evan Edmiston (604 yards on 117 carries and nine touchdowns). Senior Elliott Guisler is a weapon for Huntingdon throwing, running and catching the ball, giving the Bearcats a multi-dimensional look.
"They've got a very powerful inside running game, and it will be important for us to control their running game,'' Tyrone coach John Franco said of the Bearcats' offensive attack. "And offensively, you also have to be able to run the ball some against them, because they have a very strong run defense.''
Tyrone is coming into the playoffs strong, with home victories over Philipsburg-Osceola (28-7) two weeks ago and Chestnut Ridge (28-13) in the regular-season finale last week.
Senior quarterback Eli Woomer has completed 77 of 155 passes for 1,301 yards and nine touchdowns for Tyrone, while junior back Caleb Whitby leads the Eagles' rushing attack with 767 yards on 132 carries for nine touchdowns. Tyrone has five receivers with double-digit catches this year, led by junior wideout Mason Emigh's 22 receptions for 467 yards and four touchdowns.
"We finally have everybody healthy, and we're gelling at the right time,'' Franco said of the Golden Eagles, who have won three of their last four games. "I think that we're playing our best football of the year at this point, and that is what you have to do in the playoffs.
"We're hoping to continue to improve, and get better."