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There will be a White Out crowd and 110,000 people in the seats at Penn State's Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, when the Nittany Lions host USC in a blockbuster Big Ten Conference game.
The crowd in the bleachers at Mansion Park won't be as prolific that night, but a premier high school matchup could be in store nonetheless when Bishop Guilfoyle Academy hosts Bellwood-Antis at Mansion Park.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday between the two long-time Blair County rivals, who will both bring identical 5-1 overall and Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference records into the showdown.
"I think it's going to be one of those games that has everything,'' veteran BG coach Justin Wheeler said. "It may not be Penn State-USC, but it's about as big as you can get for high school football in our area.''
Both teams are riding hot hands recently. Defending PIAA Class 1A state finalist Bishop Guilfoyle has rebounded from a tough road loss to powerful Richland in the second week of the season to reel off four straight victories, while Bellwood bounced back from its only loss of the season, a 28-26 setback at Central, to pummel Tyrone (37-14) and Philipsburg-Osceola (33-0) over the past two weeks.
"Over the last two weeks, we've played pretty well, and our kids are playing with confidence in themselves and they're playing as a team,'' Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich said. "It's a situation where nobody cares who gets the credit - it's a 'We' thing instead of a 'Me' thing.''
Standout Bellwood-Antis senior running back Chase Plummer is quick to agree with that assessment.
"It's just been a really strong team effort,'' said Plummer, who has rushed for 232 yards on 41 carries (a 5.7 yards per carry average) and five touchdowns this season. "It all starts in practice - it's all about the team. Nobody is thinking about themselves.''
With Plummer and fellow seniors Alex McCartney and Bradyn Partner, the Blue Devils feature a multiple-threat running attack.
McCartney, a star running back, has rushed for 710 yards on 107 carries (a 6.6 ypc average) and 12 touchdowns. Partner -- who has been playing quarterback the last few weeks but has also been utilized as a running back -- has rushed for 466 yards on 48 carries (a 9.7 ypc average), and three touchdowns.
Last week against Philipsburg-Osceola, McCartney rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries and two scores, and ran a fumble back 20 yards from his linebacker position on defense for another touchdown.
"Bellwood is an outstanding team with size and speed, and they've had a pretty good season so far,'' Wheeler said. "I think they have to be one of the favorites to win (the District 6 Class) 2A (championship) this year.
"All three of those kids -- the Partner kid at quarterback and their two running backs -- might be the best group of three best backs that we face all year. Their running game is pretty dynamic, and any of those kids would be the number one back if they were on many other teams.''
Bellwood has traditionally used a ground-oriented offensive attack, but the Blue Devils also possess the ability to throw the ball this year as well. Partner has completed 18 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, while senior tight end Ethan Shawley has a team-leading 10 receptions for 167 yards and a touchdown, and senior wideout Jeff Waite has nine catches for 101 yards and a TD.
Bishop Guilfoyle is also multi-dimensional offensively. Junior quarterback Jay Wheeler has completed 45 of 63 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns, while using his speed and dynamic open-field shiftiness to rush for 631 yards on 95 carries (a 6.6 ypc average) and 14 touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Landon Shellenberger possesses a rifle arm and provides a good complement to Jay Wheeler. Shellenberger has completed 14 of 21 throws for 660 yards and a score this year.
Senior flanker Evan Schimminger is a threat both catching and running the ball for BG, as he proved in last week's 44-14 Marauders' victory at Tyrone, when he rushed for 110 yards on 13 carries and caught five passes for 129 yards. Schimminger is BG's leading receiver this year, with 27 catches for 441 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore back Keegan Hewitt has rushed for 455 yards on 70 carries (a 6.5 ypc average) and nine touchdowns for the Marauders.
"We use a lot of different formations, and we really spread the ball around,'' Schimminger said. "(Opposing) teams don't really know what to (expect) against us.''
Lovrich expects a very good battle from the Marauders.
"BG is BG, they're a state powerhouse, they have some really good players on both sides of the ball, and they do a lot of really good things,'' Lovrich said. "(Jay Wheeler) is a really good playmaker with good speed, the Hewitt kid runs hard, and the Schimminger kid is their leading receiver, so they're also able to pass the ball.''
The crowd at Mansion Park Saturday should be a formidable one, and the people sitting in the bleachers are likely to see a very interesting game - even if doesn't carry all the glitter of the Penn State-USC matchup.
"With our game being one of the only high school games around on Saturday night, the atmosphere will be outstanding,'' Lovrich said. "It's going to be a great game.''
Bellwood-Antis at Bishop Guilfoyle
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Mansion Park.
Records: Both teams are 5-1 overall and in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.
Coaches: Nick Lovrich is 66-29 in nine seasons at Bellwood-Antis. Justin Wheeler is 166-43 in 16 seasons at Bishop Guilfoyle.
Last week: Bellwood-Antis defeated Philipsburg-Osceola, 33-0. Bishop Guilfoyle defeated Tyrone, 44-14.
Last season: Bishop Guilfoyle won, 21-14 at Bellwood-Antis.
Noteworthy: Bishop Guilfoyle has won six of the last seven meetings and three in a row, but in the 27 games played between the two schools since the 2000 season, Bellwood holds a 16-11 advantage. The teams also split two playoff games during that period.