LHAC Football Forecast Week 2.

[Crimson's Ghost]

http://www.d6sportsnetwork.com/2013/09/ ... -week-two/


Jim Hammett
D6SN Sports Editor
Follow me @JimHammett





Week one of the LHAC gave us a little bit of what we expected, and a little bit of what we did not as I predicted four of the six games correctly. Of course, the two front runners in Richland and Forest Hills handled their business. Somerset and Johnstown also opened up with sound victories, while Bishop Carroll and Bedford were able to spring some mild upsets. It may have been a little too early to call McCort and Guilfoyle favorites, sure they have talent, but they need to prove it on the field. This week will still feature games crossing sections, and there are some interesting matchups across the LHAC slate, time to take a look at how I think things will play out.





Westmont (0-1) at Cambria Heights (0-1) Friday 7:00

Westmont actually hung around with Forest Hills for a good bit last week. The Hilltoppers definitely are an improved team, and may be able to sneak up on one of the league’s elite if they are not watching. Westmont’s offense looked good against Forest Hills, and it was behind the three seniors you would expect to make plays. Liam Moran passed for over 100 yards, and had a rushing and passing touchdown. Sam Curry turned in a solid 20 carry, 129 yard, 1 touchdown performance, and Colin Barron hauled in five passes. The offense looks the part, but the defense has some catching up to do.

Cambria Heights ran into an absolute buzz saw on Friday against Richland. It was not the ideal team to start with for a squad looking to replace many starters. It still may be nice knowing that Heights has seen the toughest team on their schedule already, and can look to improve and grow on that. Richard Legros was able to complete 4-8 passing against Richland, and he will get better as the season progresses. Josh Fees is a tough runner, but an apparent injury puts his availability in question, allowing for the sophomore, Dennis Link to handle the running back duties. Obviously the defense struggled, but Richland will make the best teams struggle on defense.

I like Westmont in this one. The Hilltoppers have a sound offense with a line that can control the line of scrimmage. Heights will be more settled in this one, and should prove to be a tough opponent. It has the makings of a close game, but if Westmont can establish Curry on the ground and Moran can make some throws, Westmont should be able to pull away in this one.

Hilltoppers 28 Highlanders 14

Johnstown (1-0) at Central Cambria (0-1) Friday 7:00

Johnstown went back to their high power aerial attack in week one, and it has the makings of being something special. Jeremy Updyke is just a sophomore, but has made his presence felt already. The young quarterback tossed three touchdowns, and completed passes to five different receivers in week one, reminiscent of the 2010-2011 teams led by Gervon Simon. The Trojans also have another sophomore in Terrell Jones, who rushed for 51 yards in week one. Of course, Johnstown also has the defense led by Kareem Gibson, giving the Trojans a balanced attack all around.

Central Cambria went into last week and tried to spring an upset over Somerset, but it was not meant to be. The Red Devils posted a strong running attack with a Scott Baurer 94 yard output, and a Kerry Kirsch 81 yard performance. Will Seymour played an efficient game, but Somerset was able to hold him in check pretty well, and that is not an easy task. Seymour is going to be a breakout player in this 2013 season, and maybe this could be his breakout game.

Over the years, Central Cambria has played Johnstown well, even when it seems they may be outmatched. The Red Devils were able to post a memorable 7-6 upset over a 9 win Johnstown team in 2011 at Red Devil Stadium. It is not late in the year, so the mud won’t be slowing Johnstown much. Still, this one may be a little closer than you would think. I like Seymour, and I like the physical play of Central Cambria. I think Johnstown still has some questions with the line, and they are still a very young team overall. The big play threat will eventually be the deciding factor, and it will lead to a Johnstown win.

Trojans 22 Red Devils 12

Somerset (1-0) at Bishop Carroll (1-0) Friday 7:00 DeGol Field Saint Francis University

Somerset raced out to a solid 28-6 victory over Central Cambria. The Golden Eagles were paced by who else?….Tanner Stull. The senior quarterback accounted for all four touchdowns, two on the ground and two on the air,last Friday. He is the general on the field, and could be the guy to lead Somerset to a memorable season. He is not alone, because Somerset is loaded all over the field on offense. The defense needed improvement from last season, and it showed in week one as they only surrendered six points.

Bishop Carroll scored a solid week one win over rival, Bishop McCort. The game gave the Huskies a win, but it did not come with ease. Carroll struggled a good deal on offense, only netting 147 yards. The ground game of Janosik and Lesney proved to be effective, but not overpowering. Bishop Carroll only went 1-7 passing for negative yardage, so plenty to work out on that side of the ball. Carroll did hold a team to 3 points and under 100 yards of total offense on defense. So obviously, that is nothing to scoff at.

Somerset has a high powered offense, and what could be the makings of a strong defense. The passing game is loaded with targets, and the running game led by a host of ball carriers. Plus a tremendous quarterback is in the middle of everything. It is difficult to key in on just one guy. Carroll was able to do that last weekend against McCort, but I suspect playing a better offense might exploit the Huskies. Not to mention, Bishop Carroll is coming off a very lack luster offensive game. I just think the weapons on offense for Somerset will help them prevail.

Golden Eagles 30 Huskies 7

Bedford (1-0) at Penn Cambria (0-1) Friday 7:00

Bedford had a lot of questions heading into the season, and that led for some low expectations. The Bison did not let that get to them, and scored an upset win over Bishop Guilfoyle. Bedford is led by a sophomore quarterback ready that is capable of making plays with his feet. Austin Montgomery had a team high 108 rushing yards in week one. August Cook and Jermiah Bingham each netted 59 yards to compliment Montgomery. The defense was able to shut down a good Guilfoyle team, and forced four turnovers.

Penn Cambria is a team filled with turnover from last season, and it showed in week one. The coaching transition may take some time, and the offense did not have a hot start. The Panthers were able to throw the ball more than usual behind senior, Chad Tsikalas. The running game failed to muster 100 yards as team. Penn Cambria has plenty of work to do, but the defense was able to keep them around somewhat in week one against Johnstown.

Bedford has to be the talk of the league thus far. They turned in a solid team effort in a game they were not given much of a chance to win. They have a talented sophomore in Montgomery, and he could be a player they can grow their program with in the coming years. Penn Cambria had its struggles, and they were not unexpected. They are going through some coaching and personnel changes, and they will get better as the year goes on. I like Bedford in this one. I think they are a well coached team, and have some intriguing young talent.

Bison 23 Panthers 14

Richland (1-0) at Bishop Guilfoyle (0-1) Friday 7:00 Mansion Park

Richland came, saw, and conquered Cambria Heights in week one in a rather easy fashion. They looked every part of their number three ranking in the state of Pennsylvania. Matt Shaffer looked like a senior coming into his third season as a starter, and tossed four touchdowns. Richland used a team effort of 221 rushing yards as well. The Ram defense also should be praised, as they nearly pitched a shutout themselves. This team has it all, and they are tough to beat when they are clicking on all cylinders.

Bishop Guilfoyle came into the season with lots of hype, but it did not turn out so nicely in week one. The offense did not move as well as it was expected to. Quarterback Damon Rickens made the move from receiver, and struggled a bit in his first start. The running game also saw its struggles, and it could be attributed to the inexperience on the line. This Marauder team has big play potential, and it isn’t going away. I expect them to turn things around soon.

Richland is just a force right now, and they may be on a different level than the rest of the league. They truly lack many weaknesses, and I said it before, the only team that can beat them is themselves. If they are focused and geared up, not many teams can hang with them. With all that said, Guilfoyle may be able to turn things into a running match. Yes, the offense looked weak on Friday, but guys like Rickens, Chadbourn, and McCloskey can all make plays…BUT, I still like Richland by a number of scores.

Rams 45 Marauders 14



GAME OF THE WEEK

Bishop McCort (0-1) at Forest Hills (1-0) Friday 7:00 G.H. Miller Field

The Crimson Crushers opened the year with a rude awakening. The offense could only muster 78 yards of offense, and coughed the ball up four times. The offense will still try to figure out the quarterback situation with Nemo Trexler and Blake Wade. Trexler still has the threat of the big play, while Wade is the future. They still have experienced playmakers in Tyler Rugg and Luke DiFrancesco, and they both can make an impact. It was not all bad, as the Crushers had a great game defensively as they only gave up one score and created three turnovers.

Forest Hills had a bit of a slow start in week one against Westmont, but got it rolling. The magnificent junior quarterback, Joe Donoughe, had over 100 yards on the ground and in the air, and led the offense to a 40 point output. They saw contributions from Shareef Blough, Tyler Shima, and Ian Wieczorek. The Rangers have plenty of skilled guys across the board, and they are tough to defend. The defense gave up some yardage to Westmont, but as always, they held their ground when it mattered.

Now this is our D6SN Game of the Week for our broadcast, so this falls to the LHAC game of the week by default. I get why people out there would feel this potentially could get ugly, because I think it might as well, but let me tell you why it might not. Bishop McCort has a very good defense. They will make this a battle, and the special teams for McCort is always tough. I think the Crushers can keep Forest Hills in check for the most part, but the offense needs to improve. I see potential in it, but they have a lot of figuring out to do. Forest Hills does not have a lot of questions, and they should head into this game with a great mindset. I look for this game to be tough and physical, but in the end, the Rangers have the upper hand.

Rangers 21 Crimson Crushers 7

[Manfred]

GAME of the week....but didn't make it into the weekly "Fearless Forecast". Somebody's afraid of something. And BM lost one of their huge tackles last week. Or will he "miraculously" play?

[coachcarter]

Geez Manfred hating already and it is only the 2nd week of the season.

[Coach]

He didn't make up the Forecast.

[IntheValley]

McCort major problem last week against BC was the qb play of both Trexler and Wade, sure Wade throws a nice pass when nobody around him, but put a little pressure on him, he throw the ball just to get rid of it. I think Forest Hill will be in his face all game long, if that happens it will be long night for McCort. If McCort lose big to Forest Hill it will be a long season for McCort, maybe 2 or 3 wins.

[Manfred]

So call it what it is, but not GOTW.

[Richland_Fan]

Maybe "Game of the Week for everybody except Manfred"? GOTWFEEM?

[Crimson's Ghost]

GAME of the week....but didn't make it into the weekly "Fearless Forecast". Somebody's afraid of something. And BM lost one of their huge tackles last week. Or will he "miraculously" play?

It would appear you are insinuating something towards me.

So, these are my picks I have been making for years now. I called it my game of the week, because one I am broadcasting it, and two I think it is the actual best game on the six game slate. So another thing, I don't make the Fearless Forecast anymore, so if you are referring to me as the "somebody" afraid of "something" I'm not sure what that would be.


Christian Roman was carted off the field last week with an apparent neck injury. From the reports I heard, it was not as serious as it sounds, but he needed to be taken off in an ambulance. If he plays, he plays and was cleared by some pretty good doctors, but if those same doctors say no, he won't play. Again, not sure if you are insinuating these statements at me, or someone in particular. Just reporting what I know.

[Crimson's Ghost]

If I'm reading into wrong, I apologize.

[Crusher4Life]

Manfred- Roman WILL miraculously play. Prayers DO work. MRI is clear. I'm sure you'll be disappointed.