Penn Cambria Panthers’ football playoffs begin now
PC needs victory against 8-1 Central
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Penn Cambria holds its District 6 Class 3A playoff destiny entirely in its own hands when the Panthers host Central Friday night in a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference crossover matchup.
The Panthers carry a 6-3 record into Friday's all-important matchup with Central, which brings an 8-1 record into the game.
A Penn Cambria victory guarantees the Panthers a berth in the upcoming District 6 Class 3A playoff tournament as the fourth seed in a four-team field.
Penn Cambria can still afford to lose Friday's game, provided that its nearest pursuer for the fourth and final District 6 Class 3A playoff berth, Philipsburg-Osceola, also loses to Bedford.
But if Penn Cambria loses to Central and P-O defeats Bedford, P-O earns the final playoff spot, and Penn Cambria is out.
So while Penn Cambria coach Jason Grassi knows that Friday sees a little margin of error for his team, he also believes that it's imperative that the Panthers take care of business on their own field against an excellent Central team, and not chance fate.
"This is a playoff game for us,'' Grassi said. "If we win, we're in (the postseason), no matter what. But if we would lose and Philipsburg would win, Philipsburg would get the fourth seed.
"It's going to be a packed house Friday because Central (fans) travel well. We've had a good history with Central over the years, and we're looking for a big playoff atmosphere here.''
Penn Cambria has won three of its last four games, including a 36-6 victory over Johnstown last Friday.
Punishing senior veteran back Corbin Vinglish has been a dominant offensive force again this season for the Panthers, as he has rushed for 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns. Vinglish has also caught three touchdown passes among his 10 season receptions for Penn Cambria.
Senior quarterback Evan Latterner is a dual threat for Penn Cambria, completing 69 of 107 passes for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for 611 yards on 93 carries and four TDs.
Central coach Jerry Albright, whose Scarlet Dragons can become the top seed in the District 6 Class 3A playoff bracket by beating Penn Cambria on Friday, said that Latterner and Vinglish are big weapons for the Panthers.
"He scares me the most,'' Albright said of Latterner. "He can really throw the ball, but when he wants to scramble and run, I think that's when he's the most dangerous.
"Their running back (Vinglish) has been doing this for three years,'' Albright said. "He's a powerful, hard-nosed football player who is very physical and plays with a lot of intensity.''
Senior wideout Cameron Coudriet has a team-leading 26 receptions for 339 yards and two touchdowns this season for Penn Cambria, while junior wide receiver Nate Mack has 22 catches for 267 yards and two TDS.
Central gave up a 14-0 lead and found itself tied with Bald Eagle Area, 14-14 in the fourth quarter last week, but the Scarlet Dragons put together a masterful 70-yard, 13-play offensive drive to score the winning touchdown on a run by senior Carter Schenk with 3:06 remaining to pull out a hard-fought 21-14 win.
Like Penn Cambria, Central possesses the ability to both run and throw the ball well. Junior quarterback Jesse Muthler, who has a powerful arm and possesses elusiveness afoot, has completed 83 of 132 passes for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns this season, while rushing for 267 yards and two TDs.
Fleet senior running back Semaj Musei has rushed for a team-leading 783 yards on 137 carries and six touchdowns this season, while Schenk -- who moves to quarterback from tight end in short-yardage situations in the red zone -- has rushed for 236 yards and seven touchdowns, while also catching four TD passes.
Junior wideout Bentley Dickson has a team-leading 31 receptions for 499 yards and four touchdowns this season for the Scarlet Dragons, while sophomore wideout Brooks Decker has 25 catches for 300 yards and two scores.
"They're a good football team -- that's why they're 8-1,'' Grassi said of the Scarlet Dragons. "(Muthler) does a great job back there at quarterback extending plays. He's tough to get down and sack because he moves around a lot. It's definitely going to be a challenge for us to keep him contained.''
Bellwood visits Central Cambria
Bellwood-Antis and Central Cambria, which are the third-seeded teams in District 6 Class 2A and Class 3A respectively, will carry identical 7-2 season records into what shapes up as a very interesting LHAC cross-over matchup between the two teams on Friday night at Central Cambria.
Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich expects a tough challenge from the Red Devils on the road Friday.
"They're a very tough team,'' Lovrich said. "They're ranked up there pretty high in the 3A rankings. They have a lot of seniors on their team, and they're all pretty good players.''
Central Cambria's top senior playmaker is powerful running back Ryan Chappell, who has rushed for 1,379 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.
"Their running back Ryan Chappell is a tough kid, he carries the ball a lot, and he's scored a lot of touchdowns,'' Lovrich said. "He's definitely somebody who we have to make sure that we're ready to stop.''
Bellwood, which defeated defending District 6 Class 4A champion Bellefonte on the road last week, has an outstanding senior back of its own in Alex McCartney, who has rushed for 1,012 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
"I'm just happy to see how all the kids are playing and how we keep improving as a team,'' Lovrich said.