Trending
PATTON -- They say that death and taxes are the only real certainties in life, but after watching Cambria Heights junior running back Ryan Haluska Saturday night in a 28-14 win over Bishop McCort, you can add his performance to that age-old saying.
Haluska rushed for 202 yards on 34 carries, plus three touchdown runs, and he did not lose yardage on any of his carries as the Highlanders qualified for the postseason on the back of a punishing ground game.
"He's like a bulldozer with speed,'' Bishop McCort coach Tom Smith said. ''He does a nice job for them. They ran the ball right at us, and we were unable to stop them.''
What made Heights' ground attack even more impressive was they lost starting tackle Braden Miller to an injury in the first quarter and still amassed 349 yards on the ground.
"We put (sophomore) Gavin McConnell in for Braden and Gavin did a great job -- a great job," Heights coach Jarrod Lewis said. "We felt the team that could control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball would win. Our kids wanted it."
Play of the game: Up 12-7 to start the second half, Heights sophomore Tanner Trybus had a 38-yard kickoff return. His team followed with an eight-play, 47-yard TD drive that ended in a 1-yard Haluska scoring run for a 20-7 lead.
"He does a great job for us, and he's only a sophomore. He's going to be special for us," Lewis said. "We tell our kids all the time the most important drive of the game is always your first one of the second half."
Player of the game: Haluska. The Highlanders totaled 18 first downs, and Haluska got 13 of them on runs on second or third down. Right behind him was senior Jared Fox, who rushed for 113 yards on 11 carries, including a 79-yard score that gave Heights a 12-0 lead in the second quarter.
Unsung heroes: The offensive line of Miller, McConnell, Zach Weakland, Hayden Malloy, Bailey Horvath and Zane Miller. Of the team's 54 run attempts, only twice did McCort drop them for a loss.
Most vital statistic: Heights did not attempt its first punt until the fourth quarter.
Most telling statistic: Of McCort's 22 rush attempts, eight of them went for a loss. "We are a very motivated football team," Lewis said. "We were coming off two very tough games (Losses to Bedford and Richland). I am really proud of how our 11 seniors have led us."
The finishing touch: Up 21-14, Heights' final drive of the game went 60 yards in 13 plays, ending in a Haluska 1-yard score. "Our running backs are very complementary of each other," Lewis said. "All our backs played well. It's what makes us tough to defend."
Hope for the future: McCort sophomore QB Trystan Fornari tossed two TD passes covering 18 and 20 yards, but he was on the run for a good part of the night because of the Heights defense.
Notable: Heights tight end Ian Eckenrode had the team's only reception but caught it by tipping it to himself, while falling to the ground with a defender on him. It was good for 11 yards. … Haluska had 115 yards at halftime. … McCort punter Will Haslett, who is getting looks from some Division I schools, averaged 49.6 yards per punt on three kicks.
Records: Cambria Heights (3-3); Bishop McCort (1-5)
Next week: Heights will play at Southern Huntingdon in the first round of the District 6 2A playoffs on Friday. McCort will play Bishop Guilfoyle in the 1A playoffs on Saturday.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bishop McCort 0 7 0 7 -- 14
Cambria Heights 6 6 8 8 -- 28
First quarter
CH--Haluska 1 run (kick failed) :50
Second quarter
CH--Fox 79 run (run failed) 1:58
BM--Goins 20 pass from Fornari (Hackett kick) 1:01
Third quarter
CH--Haluska 1 run (Bearer run) 7:36
Fourth quarter
BM--Andrews 18 pass from Fornari (Hackett kick) 10:06
CH--Haluska 1 run (Stockley run) 2:16
TEAM STATISTICS BM CH
First downs 8 18
Rushes-yards 22-42 54-349
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 8-13-0 1-3-0
Yards passing 152 11
Total yards 194 363
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2
Penalties-yards 7-55 4-30
Punts-avg. 3-49.6 1-14.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bishop McCort, Andrews 1-(-4), Bair 7-26, Fornari 9-15 , Marcozzi 4-8, Gress 1-(-3). Cambria Heights, Fox 11-113, Bearer 4-22, Haluska 34-202, Hite 3-13, Stockley 1-2, TEAM 1-(-2).
PASSING--Bishop McCort, Fornari 7-12-0-126, Andrews 1-1-0-26. Cambria Heights, Bearer 1-3-0-11.
RECEIVING--Bishop McCort, Page 3-56, Goins 3-51, Andrews 2-45. Cambria Heights, Eckenrode 1-11.