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SPRING MILLS -- The Central Cambria power run game was just too much for Penns Valley on Friday evening.
The Red Devils ran for 294 yards on the ground, with Ryan Chappell churning out 177 of those yards along with four touchdowns to lead Central Cambria to a 37-20 victory on the road over the Rams for win No. 1 of the season.
"It's downhill running, tire you out," Chappell said. "We have the guys, and we know we have the heart to finish the play."
"Any win in the Laurel Highlands is awesome, especially going on the road," Central Cambria coach Wade Klezek said. "It's never easy. It's a tough opponent every single week."
It doesn't get a whole lot tougher in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference than opening the season with Richland. Central Cambria hung with Richland through the first half before falling behind in the second half in a 28-7 loss.
In Week 2 against Penns Valley, Central Cambria had a 24-6 lead at the half, which turned out to be a big down payment on a win.
"Richland is a tough team, and I thought we played really hard against them. We just needed to get a taste of victory. I'm really proud of our guys getting the job done tonight."
Play of the game: With Central Cambria up 7-0 early in the second quarter and just forcing the Rams into a turnover on downs, Chappell broke free for an 82-yard touchdown run to give the Red Devils a two-score lead.
Player of the game: Chappell needed just 15 carries for the night to get 177 yards on the ground. He scored on rushes of 82, 4, 1, and 2 yards.
Unsung heroes: While Chappell gets the touchdown, he wasn't able to do it without an offensive line that bulldozed the way for him. The Central Cambria passing game also had a good night with QB Mason Pittsinger only throwing the ball for five completions for 136 yards. Ridge Kutchman caught four of those passes for 124 yards with three receptions of over 30 yards.
Most vital statistic: Central Cambria's 294 rushing yards tells the story. After Chappell, Pittsinger ran for 59, while Jack Dawson was a bowling ball in an 8-yard touchdown run in the first half.
Hidden statistic: Both teams had the same amount of first downs with 19. Penns Valley moved the ball, but had two drives stall in Central Cambria territory.
Klezek: "He's an absolute beast. I love Ryan. He's so much fun to coach. He works so hard. He's such an unselfish kid. He'll do anything you ask. Any time he touches the ball, you feel something special is going to happen. I'm lucky to coach him."
Penns Valley coach Martin Tobias: "No question Central Cambria is a really good football team. We knew that coming in. They're big up front, physical and a powerful team. It's tough to defend when you have those kinds of weapons. I'm pleased with our progress, even from last week to this week. Our kids will continue to get better and we'll continue to scrap and fight for everything."
Chappell: "I definitely saw the field well, and the O line just made enormous gaps. It was so easy to run through. We're just going to keep rolling. It's not going to stop."
Notable: Penns Valley QB Cael Smith kept the Rams' offense in the game, throwing for 128 yards while also running for 89 yards on a dozen carries. He threw two touchdowns -- one to Spencer Althouse and the other to Christian Merrill. He also ran for a score. ... One play before his touchdown in the second quarter, Dawson, a 230-pound fullback, truck-sticked a Penns Valley defender and picked up 11 tough yards. ... There was only one turnover in the game with a Red Devil lost fumble.
Records: Central Cambria (1-1); Penns Valley (0-2)
Next week: Central Cambria visits Bedford, while Penns Valley travels to Bald Eagle Area.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Central Cambria 7 17 0 13 — 37
Penns Valley 0 6 6 8 — 20
First Quarter
CC--Chappell 4 run, (Conner kick), 4:21
Second Quarter
CC--Chappell 82 run, (Conner kick), 10:47
CC--Dawson 8 run, (Conner kick), 7:03
PV--Smith 12 run, (kick failed), 2:29
CC--Conner 25 field goal, :2.4
Third Quarter
PV--Althouse 31 pass from Smith, (run failed), 1:04
Fourth Quarter
CC--Chappell 1 run, (kick blocked), 10:37
CC--Chappell 2 run, (Conner kick), 4:58
PV--Merrill 5 pass from Smith, (Smith run), :30.9
TEAM STATISTICS CC PV
First downs 19 19
Total yards 430 307
Rushes-yards 31-294 32-179
Yards passing 136 128
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 5-6-0 12-21-0
Punts-avg. 0-0 2-27.5
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 5-54 4-26
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Central Cambria, Chappell 15-177, Pittsinger 9-59, Dill 3-36, Dawson 3-23, Team 1-(-1). Penns Valley, Smith 12-89, Watson 12-54, Harpster 2-17, Stover 5-14, Althouse 1-5.
PASSING--Central Cambria, Pittsinger 5-6-0-136. Penns Valley, Smith 12-21-0-128.
RECEIVING--Central Cambria, Kutchman 4-124, Ray 1-12. Penns Valley, Althouse 3-37, Harpster 3-28, Allegretto 1-27, Watson 1-14, Conrad 1-12, Merrill 3-10.