Trending
Bellwood-Antis hosts Bald Eagle Area in an intriguing District 6 Class 2A football quarterfinal Friday at John R. Hayes Stadium at Memorial Field.
Both teams began the season 3-0, but while Bellwood-Antis has sustained that success for most of the season and earned the No. 3 seed in the playoff field, the Eagles were stalled out by injuries and lost four games in a row in the middle of the year.
But Bald Eagle Area seemed to figure things out toward the end of the regular season when it won two out of three and scored 48 points in a lopsided win over Forest Hills last week.
"We have been so banged up throughout this year," BEA coach Jesse Nagle said. "It's probably been the worst year we have ever had with injuries. It was a struggle on which pieces to put where, because we always had kids out. We're on our fourth running back. Until the coaches figured out what the best positions were for the kids and what fit them the best, it was a struggle.
"We're still not completely there, but I think at this point we're doing the best we can with the players we have. Friday night was a good example of everyone believing what we're doing. They put a nice game together."
BEA scored at least 31 points in each of the first three weeks and beat Penn Cambria and Huntingdon -- the Class 3A finalists from a year ago.
That's when the injuries started to pile up.
"We lost our best lineman in Week 3 who was a three-year starter," Nagle said. "We lost our top two athletes by the third week. For us, that was the big thing -- to overcome that mentally. We just had to believe in one another. We know there are other kids on the team that can make plays offensively, even missing those key guys."
The Eagles lost the next four weeks to Tyrone, Philipsburg-Osceola, Bellefonte and Clearfield and never scored more than 14 points in any of the four losses.
"They have had injuries and had guys in different positions," Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich said. "You're not sure who is going to be there this week, but the concepts they do, we know they are historically a tough football team. We know they will make plays, because they always have playmakers. We know we have to play our best game, control the line of scrimmage and tackle. A lot of it depends on what we are and what we have to do instead of thinking about who is going to play for them."
Now it's the Blue Devils who are dealing with the injury bug.
B-A quarterback Brendan McNelis has been out since the third week of the season, and Ethan Shawley and Bryson Hescox went down during last week's loss to Central Cambria.
"We have some guys banged up," Lovrich said. "We're not sure what's going to happen yet. It's still early in the week. That's the course of the football season when you are a double-A school. Everyone has guys banged up. Pretty much every game I have watched over the last couple weeks, you have guys standing on the sideline that are injured. We have faith in our backups, if they do go in, that they are going to put forth their best effort and give us a good chance."
Even with some injuries, the Blue Devils have plenty of talent.
"They are outstanding offensively and have a great running back in (Alex) McCartney," Nagle said. "(Chase) Plummer is just as good. People overlook him. The quarterback (Bradyn Partner) is dynamic. You have a three-headed monster back there that can hurt you really quick. The offensive line does a nice job schematic wise and is in great position. On defense, they have been stingy and do a nice job getting into different zone and cover-one looks. They are also very physical up front. It will be a tall task, but hopefully our kids are up for it."
McCartney, Plummer and Partner are part of a very experienced senior class.
"I think it's really important," Lovrich said. "Our seniors have played a lot of games. They have probably played more football than anyone in Bellwood history when you start to combine the games they started as freshmen. A lot played as sophomores and have been in playoff positions before. I don't think it will be a moment too big for them. They will come out relaxed and just play their game."
Despite coming into the game just 5-5, Bald Eagle Area has lost only one game this season by double digits.
"I definitely think we can play with anybody," Nagle said. "We have proved that. Bellwood-Antis is an outstanding football team, but we played with teams that they played with and should have beaten teams that they lost to too. I think that's the message this week. They are a great football team, but we could be as well. We're close to doing that and just have to put it together like we did Friday."
The winner of Friday's game will play the Richland-Southern Huntingdon winner in next week's semifinals -- which will be played at second-seeded Richland if the Rams win.
"It's a new season," Lovrich said. "Whatever happened last week doesn't matter. Whatever happened in Week 1 doesn't matter. Anything we have done prior to right now earned us our seed in the playoffs but other than that it means nothing. As long as you get in, you are in the dance and you can do something. Our guys are focused on the playoffs right now and focused on the goal of winning a district championship."