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A year ago, Cambria Heights was coming off a Heritage Conference title and was one of the favorites in District 6 Class 1A after dropping down from 2A.
Northern Cambria threw a wrench into those plans with a narrow regular season win and then blew the Highlanders out of the playoffs on its way to the District 6 title.
"Northern Cambria has been on a heck of a run," Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis said. "They lost their first game of the year in a close game and have really played very well since. They had a change at quarterback and didn't miss a beat. He's a really athletic quarterback, and they have a nice set of skill players that are very athletic, and their line is really tough and physical. We told the kids that it's going to be a tough game, and this is one of the better teams we'll face."
Ty Dumm is that quarterback for the Colts, and he's also been a threat to run alongside 1,000-yard rusher Jack Sheredy.
Northern Cambria is currently the No. 1 seed in the district at 8-1, and Cambria Heights is fourth at 7-2.
"It's a rivalry game. You have two schools that are close and want to beat each other," Lewis said. "I think there's a little bit of pride with this game. The kids want to make sure that we represent and there will be people at this game that may not have went to a game all year. The communities will come out for this, and we want to make sure that we are playing our best ball and execute our gameplan."
With the teams both highly seeded in the 1A rankings, there's a decent chance they could play again relatively soon in the postseason.
That doesn't mean either will be holding anything back.
"Both sides definitely want to win this game," Lewis said. "This will be the only thing our kids are thinking about, and I'm sure it will be the same with (Northern Cambria coach) Sam (Shutty's) kids. We're going to be focused on this game. We play for the coal bucket. Both sides want it. We want it back, and they want to hold on to it."
Back at it
Tyrone and Forest Hills dominated District 6 in Class 2A through most of the 90s and 2000s, and the old rivals will be back at it Friday at Gray Field thanks to a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference crossover game.
"They remind me a lot of some of the old Forest Hills teams we used to go against," Tyrone coach John Franco said. "That, to me, is one of the neatest things. We get to renew a rivalry with a team that was never in your league. It seemed like we were playing every year, and it was always for something big in District 6. It's kind of neat to get that back again."
Both teams are 6-3 and have gotten hot down the stretch.
Tyrone hasn't lost since a 34-0 win in the "Backyard Brawl" over Bellwood-Antis in Week 5.
Quarterback Ashton Walk is coming off a Tyrone-record 360 yards passing in a win over Penns Valley.
"We got people back from injuries and illness," Franco said. "In high school, that makes such a big difference. You don't have the depth that colleges or professional ranks have, and that really hurt us. In the meantime, we had kids step up and give us some depth we may not have had otherwise. You could see us getting better each week. The senior leadership has been outstanding, and I like where we're at right now."
The Golden Eagles will be in the District 6 3A semifinals next week, and the Rangers will likely be on the road for a 2A quarterfinal game.
"They have an outstanding offense," Franco said. "Their quarterback (Nate Cornell) does a great job, and their receiver (Chase Williamson) may be one of the best we have seen all year. They've got an all-around athlete (Xander Richardson) that is their running back and can also play some quarterback."