Heritage title belongs to Heights
H.S. football extra
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HOMER CITY -- The Cambria Heights Highlanders won the Heritage Conference by defeating the Homer Center Wildcats with a final score of 28-14 at Memorial Field Friday night.
The Highlanders rode a dominant second half performance past the Wildcats, shutting them out and scoring 21 points.
"We're a second-half team," Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis said. "I didn't like the way we performed in the first half. I thought they were a more physical team. They were more aggressive and credit to them. They played well and we knew it was going to be a test this week. That's what a championship game looks like."
The victory also secured Cambria Heights a home game in the first round of the District 6 Class 3A playoffs as it sits at 9-0. A win next week over West Shamokin may clinch them the one seed.
From the start, this was a thrilling game. The Highlanders wasted no time jumping in front as Nolan Clawson found Brayden DeArmitt for a 63-yard touchdown. Homer Center responded shortly after with a 51-yard score from Carson Arone to Brady Frazer to tie it.
Then in the second quarter, the defenses went back and forth with turnovers. Homer Center recovered a fumble and drove down the field to the Highlanders 5-yard line.
DeArmitt intercepted a pass into the endzone, but the Highlanders turned it over shortly after and a 67-yard interception return set the Wildcats up with strong field position. Gabe Cobaugh punched it in from 26 yards out to give Homer Center the lead.
After the half, Cambria Heights flipped a switch. Clawson tied the game with an 8-yard rushing touchdown. Then after a few back-and-forth punts and turnovers on downs, DeArmitt broke the tie with a 45-yard run. Clawson followed with a remarkable one-handed interception, and that set him up to extend the lead with a 15-yard score.
"I saw him looking that one way, so I just went that way and I got the ball," Clawson stated. "We didn't have the best first half and we knew we had to come out the second half and play Cambria Heights football."
Play of the game: Clawson's clutch interception prevented the Wildcats from tying the game, while also allowing the Highlanders to gain a two possession lead.
"We challenged him at halftime to make a big play and he did," coach Lewis said. "That's when you challenge your best players. At the end of the day, your best players have to make plays and we didn't do so much in the first half, but we did in the second half so I'll credit them for that."
Most vital statistic: Cambria Heights held the Wildcats to just 46 yards in the second half.
Homer Center coach Greg Page: "Our kids played their guts out. I mean, if that's the best team in the conference, and I think they are obviously, then I don't think we're very far behind."
Notable: Homer Center lost its starting running back in the second half due to an injury.
Records: Cambria Heights (9-0), Homer Center (7-2)
Next week: Cambria Heights hosts West Shamokin. Homer Center travels to Portage.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Cambria Heights 7 0 7 14 — 28
Homer Center 7 7 0 0 — 14
First Quarter
CH–B. DeArmitt 63 pass from N. Clawson (N. Kutruff kick), 9:08.
HC– B. Frazer 51 pass from C. Arone (Frazer kick) 1:20.
Second Quarter
HC– G. Cobaugh 26 run (Frazer kick) 1:27.
Third Quarter
CH– Clawson 8 run (Kutruff kick), 8:55.
Fourth Quarter
CH–DeArmitt 45 run (Kutruff kick), 10:03.
CH–Clawson 15 run (Kutruff kick), 8:38.
TEAM STATISTICS CH HC
First downs 10 7
Total Net Yards 332 228
Rushes-yards 39-223 29-142
Passing 109 86
Comp-Att-Int 4-10-1 7-15-2
Punts 4-52 6-38.6
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 8-60 5-55
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Cambria Heights, Clawson 24-132, Strong 9-38, DeArmitt 5-50, Lewis 1-3. Homer Center, Arone 19-106 Cobaugh 7-34, Fisher 2-0, Shimko 1-2.
PASSING–Cambria Heights, Clawson 4-10-1-109. Homer Center, Arone 7-15-1-86.
RECEIVING–Cambria Heights, DeArmitt 2-69, Gray 1-25, Lewis 1-15. Homer Center, Frazer 1-51, McAnulty 3-14, Shimko 1-4, Fedoruk 1-9, Griffith 1-8.