Heights, Central football used to spotlight
District 6 Class 3A Championship
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It's no secret that Central has dominated the District 6 Class 3A classification for most of this decade.
The Scarlet Dragons won four straight district titles from 2020-2023 and are back in the championship game this season after two down seasons by the program's recent standards.
But their opponent Friday night at Mansion Park is no stranger to the same spotlight.
Cambria Heights is playing in its fourth District 6 title game since 2020, though the Highlanders will be in the 3A title game for the first time.
"It means a lot," Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis said. "Everytime you get there, you wonder if you will ever get back, at least I do. We made it there in 2020 and it was rather unexpected. I think we were the seventh seed that year. We made it back in 2023, and that was a special feeling being able to win it that year. In 2024, we made it back against a very difficult Richland team and were able to win it that year. You just wonder if you will make it back.
"It's an honor to be there. We're going against a team that is no stranger to being there in triple-A. We know we are in for a battle. Outside of playing at home, it's my favorite place to play just because of what it represents. We're honored to represent Cambria Heights, the (Heritage) conference and the community that has gotten behind us so much."
The Highlanders lost in the 2020 2A final, won the 2023 1A championship and claimed the 2A title over Richland in 2024.
This offseason, Cambria Heights voluntarily moved up from 2A to 3A in classification and could be the second District 6 team to win district titles at three different classes in football.
Hollidaysburg has won a District 6 Class 3A, 4A and 5A championship.
"They are very good," Central coach Jerry Albright said. "They tackle well. They block well. Their line is a lot bigger than I thought they would be. They are 11-0 for a reason. They run the ball so well. They do some misdirection, and Nolan (Clawson) runs really hard. He reminds me of (Bellwood's Alex) McCartney and (Huntingdon's Cole) Lane, players we already faced this year. It won't be anything new for us, but it's going to take a huge effort. We have to be precise in our tackling and excellent in our blocking schemes if we want a chance to win this game."
Despite being 11-0, Cambria Heights comes into the championship game as the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded and 10-1 Central, which earned that position by playing larger schools throughout the season in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.
Cambria Heights plays only 1A and 2A schools in the Heritage Conference but dispatched 3A Central Cambria, a member of the LHAC, in last week's semifinal round.
Two years ago when Heights, a former member of the LHAC, won the District 6 2A championship, it defeated LHAC teams Bishop McCort, Bellwood-Antis and Richland on its way to the title.
"I was really happy with how our line played," Lewis said. "Our offensive and defensive line really had a tremendous complete game. I thought Central Cambria was as good as advertised, and I thought our line was pretty special. Offensively, I thought we did a good job of opening up holes, gave Nolan time with good protection and defensively, I thought our guys really got off blocks well, got some solid penetration and made some big impact. We hit their backs a lot in the backfield. Credit their backs, they got through a lot of that first contact, but getting that first contact in the backfield is what we're looking to do."
While Central Cambria rode star running back Ryan Chappell for most of its season, Central is a much more balanced squad.
"We don't have that star athlete. We don't have that one person dominating every single game," Albright said. "We have 11 guys working together as a unit. We have different people stepping up each week depending on what the team wants to do against us. If they want to take away our running game, (quarterback Jesse) Muthler steps up and our receivers catch balls. If they take away our passing game, our running game steps up whether it's Semaj (Musei), (Cole) Marks or (Carter) Schenk. We have a whole slew of people, and they have worked so hard since last December."
Lewis said that makes the Scarlet Dragons harder to defend.
"I'm very impressed with them," Lewis said. "They are a well-coached football team. Offensively, their quarterback is pretty special. He does a great job of mixing in the run and the pass. He has a number of athletes he throws the ball to (Bentley Dickson), (Brooks Decker), (Carter Schenk), (Adam Loucks) and then you go into the backfield with (Semaj Musei), who is a nice player for them as well. There's a lot of athletes, and they do a great job at getting them the ball in space."
The teams have both won a lot of games this season, but for the most part, Cambria Heights has won a lot of lopsided games while Central has played in several games that came down to the final minute or even overtime.
"Since the second week, we haven't won a game by more than nine points," Albright said. "I don't care if we win by one or win by 20 as long as we come up on top, that's all that matters. But it does make us a little tougher mentally. No matter what the score is, whether we're up or down, they know they have to play hard the whole 48 minutes."
The determination to win those games was born during the stretch run of last year's regular season in which Central got hot in the final part of the year to finish 4-6.
"They wanted to continue the tradition," Albright said. "It started last year with our seniors who wanted to finish a season that wasn't going that well strong. They could have just packed it in, but we won three out of our last four games. That really carried over into the offseason and into this season where the guys saw the work ethic that was required for success and followed through."
Both teams have a tremendous following that has grown during the extended success over the past decade.
"Our community supports us so much," Albright said. "They fill bleachers wherever we go to the max, and I expect them to do the same this week. They support all sports. It's not just a football thing. They support basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball -- they really go out and do a fantastic job."
Lewis is excited to see the stands at his second-favorite-place to play a football game.
"I expect it to be a great crowd, I really do," Lewis said. "With both teams, what more could you ask for? Both teams leave it out on the field. Both teams have found a way to win this year. Watching them on film, they play the game the right way. They play hard. I hope people see that with our team as well. Their fan base is excited. I know our fan base is really excited, and I think it's a great opportunity for both teams."
Though Cambria Heights, Lewis and Central's program have a lot of experience in the District 6 playoffs, the magnitude of Friday's game was made clear when Albright paused to think about how he'll feel standing on the sideline as the head coach of a team in the championship game for the first time.
"This is new for me," Albright said. "I have been an assistant coach in a district championship. I have been a player in a district championship. This is a new spot for me, and I am anxious more than anything else. I haven't been nervous in the first 11 weeks, but I have to admit I am a little bit nervous this week."