LHAC Football Forecast Week 7
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LHAC Football Forecast Week 7
http://www.d6sportsnetwork.com/2013/10/ ... k-seven-2/
Jim Hammett
D6SN Sports Editor
Follow me @JimHammett
Bishop McCort (1-5) at Johnstown (2-4) Friday 7:00 Trojan Stadium
The Crushers posted their first win last week over a struggling Westmont team. Even dating back to the Richland loss, the McCort offense has been able to move the ball much better recently. Levi Cook is only a freshman, but has shown a lot of promise at the quarterback spot. Cook went 5-8 passing for two touchdowns, and carried the ball 4 times for 45 yards and another score against Westmont. Luke DiFrancesco and Marc Smith have played better of late, and Nemo Trexler is quietly having a solid senior season at receiver. The offensive line still has questions, and the defense has been solid for the most part.
Johnstown has come in losers of three straight, and the defense is a big reason why. The Trojans are giving up too many points, and its putting too much pressure on their young offense. Johnstown has some speed and talent, but it may have been a little premature to think they would be back towards the top of the league just like that. They are experiencing some growing pains. Jeremy Updyke has been very impressive for a sophomore quarterback, and with 864 yards and 7 scores, and you would only imagine bright things are ahead for this kid. The Johnstown line has made some mistakes with penalties among other things this season and the running game has suffered, but Trojans possess two capable backs with Terrell Jones and Jayvon Braxton.
It is truly hard to imagine a Bishop McCort-Johnstown game with this little meaning. You have a game with two of the more proud programs from the area are struggling, but that is not to think this will not be a good game on Friday. Each team will treat this as the big game that it always is. This is a big game for the community, and I expect it to be very competitive. I think the way things are going, you are going to see big plays on both sides. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m taking the Crushers. I could be way off base on this one, but Johnstown’s recent scores are troubling me.
Crimson Crushers 31 Trojans 28
Forest Hills (3-3) at Penn Cambria (1-5) Friday 7:00
No team has been hit with the injury bug more than Forest Hills. The offense had a young line to begin with, but now a host of injuries has put tremendous amounts of pressure on quarterback, Joe Donoughe. Donoughe is up over the 1,000 yard passing mark and leads the team with 370 rushing yards as well. The problem is, Forest Hills typically is a balanced team on offense. The lack of a consistent running game forced them to attempt 37 passes last week. The Rangers can score points through the air, but as the weather gets worse, it would be ideal to establish a better ground game.
Penn Cambria was able to notch their first win of the season last week over Cambria Heights. It marked the first time all year they scored more than 13 points in a contest, and obviously with that kind of offensive output, there is no doubt what the problem is. In fact, Penn Cambria still has one of the better defense in the league, and it has kept them around in some games. Payton Behe is quietly one of the best defensive players in the league, but being on a one win team has kepy him hidden for the most part. The Panthers proved last week they can move the ball, and it was a big step in the right direction.
Forest Hills is in a playoff hunt with a number of teams, and they certainly need this one to keep pace. I like Forest Hills because of Donoughe and his play makers. Shima, Ohler, and Blough are all great players in space, and they should make enough big plays to win this one.
Rangers 27 Panthers 7
Richland (6-0) at Westmont (0-6) Saturday 1:00 Price Field
Every good team is going to face some adversity and some challenges throughout the course of the season, Richland saw that last week against Somerset. The Rams had to use a come from behind effort after a monsoon at Herlinger Field to move to 6-0. Richland relied on their senior quarterback Matt Shaffer to engineer a very important drive, and he connected with another senior in Kyle Flick for the game winner. This team’s best assets are skilled players and experience, and they put it on display to win an important game. The Rams defense played steady for the most part, and they came up with some big stops when they were asked to do so.
Westmont went into last week’s game with a great chance to pick up a win over rival, Bishop McCort. The Hilltoppers hung around, but a turnover before the half really swung the momentum and the game out of control. Westmont has proven that their offense is not bad at all, in fact it is pretty good. The defense just continually puts them in too big of holes to work out of. Westmont has a quarterback with 600 yards passing, a back with 600 yards rushing, and a near 400 yard receiver with Liam Moran, Sam Curry, and Colin Barron. Those three guys have been great, and their line has done a nice job, but again the defense has allowed at least 36 points in every game, including 50 plus in the past two weeks.
Westmont’s only hope relies on catching Richland sleeping on a Saturday afternoon game. Richland simply has too good of offense for the Hilltoppers to keep pace. I expect Richland to come out strong, and handle their business.
Rams 59 Hilltoppers 14
Cambria Heights (1-5) at Bishop Carroll (3-3) Saturday 7:00 DeGol Field Saint Francis University
Cambria Heights is another LHAC team that has struggled offensively, but has found themselves in some games with their defense. Although that has been the case, they did allow 32 points to a struggling Penn Cambria team last week. Offensively, the passing game has not been ideal with only 290 yards on the season. Josh Fees has been a good back, and has been the focal point of the offense to date. Heights has a better team than their 1-5 record would indicate, and certainly can go into Saturday’s game with some confidence.
Bishop Carroll raced out to a 3-1 start, but have come up short in the past two weeks. The Huskies hung around in both games against two very good teams, and are not all that far away from being 5-1. Tyler Janosik has been the go to guy on offense, and has put together a nice season with 513 yards and 6 touchdowns. The BC defense is the real strength of this team, though, The boast five players with at least 38 tackles, with Janosik leading the way with 54. As a unit they also have 12 takeaways, led by Brody Shuty’s 5 interceptions.
I think Carroll has the better team, and they have a lot on the line in this one. Carroll needs to keep pace in the class A playoff race, and a potential win over a AA opponent could be big for them.
Huskies 24 Highlanders 10
Bedford (5-1) at Somerset (5-1) Friday 7:00
Bedford is certainly one of the surprises of the LHAC this season. Bedford came into this year with a lot of younger guys, but they have grown up quickly. Since the blowout loss to Richland, Bedford has been putting their own hurting on teams by posting 49, 54, and 48 points in the past three weeks. We will get to see if Bedford is a team to be seriously reckoned with on Friday. The Bison do a lot of their damage on the ground with Jeremiah Bingham leading the way with 416 yards. Kody Blevins (367), August Cook (302), and Austin Montgomery (261) have all aided in that potent ground game. Montgomery can throw the ball as well, and teams cannot sleep on that. Bedford is a big team up front, and they can obviously impose their will at the point of attack.
Somerset went into last week looking to score a big upset, and the nearly did just that. I think we all learned that Somerset is for real last week. It is not easy to go on the road against the league favorite and nearly win with a backup quarterback. Dylan Barnes did not play like a sophomore at times, and he has done an admirable job of filling in for Tanner Stull. Somerset was impressive in all facets, as the defense really made some big plays, and they put pressure on Richland all night. Somerset just has so many weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Raven Beeman can fly, Doug Berkebile is a good receiver, Bryce Mostoller is a great asset as a tight end. Not to mention a good dup in the backfield with Matt Boyer and Blake Faulkner. By the looks of it all, Somerset is a complete team.
Bedford has made tremendous strides this season, but remember they took one on the chin by Richland. The get another elite team on the road, can they be up for that task? I think Bedford can keep things close, but at the end I think Somerset’s versatility and home field advantage should make them two touchdown winners.
Golden Eagles 34 Bison 21
GAME OF THE WEEK
Bishop Guilfoyle (4-2) at Central Cambria (5-1) Friday 7:00 Red Devil Stadium
Bishop Guilfoyle comes into Friday’s showdown winners of four straight games. In their four wins, the Marauder defense is holding opponents to just six points per contest. The offense has done just enough to be effective, and it is powered behind a good running game. Sam McCloskey leads the way with 407 yards, while Brandon Chadbourn has chipped in with 260 and DJ Kitt has supplied 192 yeards. Chadbourn has been the quarterback the past three weeks, and has been efficient by completing 70% of his passes. The force behind the tough defense of Guilfoyle is Nick Little. The senior leads the team in tackles, and has a whopping nine sacks on the year.
Central Cambria is also on a hot streak as they have won five straight. Central Cambria is another defensive minded team, with a reliable, yet not explosive offense. The red Devils mirror Guilfoyle pretty well, and the two teams have similar attacks. Will Syemour fronts the Central Cambria offense, and he has been nothing short of excellent this season. Seymour is coming off a 16-19, 151 yard, 1 touchdown performance against Forest Hills. Seymour is a deadly runner with 404 yards and 9 scores. The offense got a boost from Kerry Kirsch out of the backfield last week. Tanner Ambrisco has proven to be a very reliable set of hands as well. The Red Devils defense is very opportunistic with 19 takeaways, including 14 interceptions. So throw the ball at your own risk.
This is my game of the week, because it will determine the section I crown. Both teams are similar in what they like to do, and they are both hot right now. Will Seymour vs. Brandon Chadbourn is an excellent battle of junior quarterbacks in this league, and should be worth the price of admission. Red Devil Stadium always provides a good atmosphere, and it may feel like a playoff game. I am going with Central Cambria. I think they have a few more weapons on offense, and they seem to be battle tested in tight ball games.
Red Devils 20 Marauders 16
Jim Hammett
D6SN Sports Editor
Follow me @JimHammett
Bishop McCort (1-5) at Johnstown (2-4) Friday 7:00 Trojan Stadium
The Crushers posted their first win last week over a struggling Westmont team. Even dating back to the Richland loss, the McCort offense has been able to move the ball much better recently. Levi Cook is only a freshman, but has shown a lot of promise at the quarterback spot. Cook went 5-8 passing for two touchdowns, and carried the ball 4 times for 45 yards and another score against Westmont. Luke DiFrancesco and Marc Smith have played better of late, and Nemo Trexler is quietly having a solid senior season at receiver. The offensive line still has questions, and the defense has been solid for the most part.
Johnstown has come in losers of three straight, and the defense is a big reason why. The Trojans are giving up too many points, and its putting too much pressure on their young offense. Johnstown has some speed and talent, but it may have been a little premature to think they would be back towards the top of the league just like that. They are experiencing some growing pains. Jeremy Updyke has been very impressive for a sophomore quarterback, and with 864 yards and 7 scores, and you would only imagine bright things are ahead for this kid. The Johnstown line has made some mistakes with penalties among other things this season and the running game has suffered, but Trojans possess two capable backs with Terrell Jones and Jayvon Braxton.
It is truly hard to imagine a Bishop McCort-Johnstown game with this little meaning. You have a game with two of the more proud programs from the area are struggling, but that is not to think this will not be a good game on Friday. Each team will treat this as the big game that it always is. This is a big game for the community, and I expect it to be very competitive. I think the way things are going, you are going to see big plays on both sides. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m taking the Crushers. I could be way off base on this one, but Johnstown’s recent scores are troubling me.
Crimson Crushers 31 Trojans 28
Forest Hills (3-3) at Penn Cambria (1-5) Friday 7:00
No team has been hit with the injury bug more than Forest Hills. The offense had a young line to begin with, but now a host of injuries has put tremendous amounts of pressure on quarterback, Joe Donoughe. Donoughe is up over the 1,000 yard passing mark and leads the team with 370 rushing yards as well. The problem is, Forest Hills typically is a balanced team on offense. The lack of a consistent running game forced them to attempt 37 passes last week. The Rangers can score points through the air, but as the weather gets worse, it would be ideal to establish a better ground game.
Penn Cambria was able to notch their first win of the season last week over Cambria Heights. It marked the first time all year they scored more than 13 points in a contest, and obviously with that kind of offensive output, there is no doubt what the problem is. In fact, Penn Cambria still has one of the better defense in the league, and it has kept them around in some games. Payton Behe is quietly one of the best defensive players in the league, but being on a one win team has kepy him hidden for the most part. The Panthers proved last week they can move the ball, and it was a big step in the right direction.
Forest Hills is in a playoff hunt with a number of teams, and they certainly need this one to keep pace. I like Forest Hills because of Donoughe and his play makers. Shima, Ohler, and Blough are all great players in space, and they should make enough big plays to win this one.
Rangers 27 Panthers 7
Richland (6-0) at Westmont (0-6) Saturday 1:00 Price Field
Every good team is going to face some adversity and some challenges throughout the course of the season, Richland saw that last week against Somerset. The Rams had to use a come from behind effort after a monsoon at Herlinger Field to move to 6-0. Richland relied on their senior quarterback Matt Shaffer to engineer a very important drive, and he connected with another senior in Kyle Flick for the game winner. This team’s best assets are skilled players and experience, and they put it on display to win an important game. The Rams defense played steady for the most part, and they came up with some big stops when they were asked to do so.
Westmont went into last week’s game with a great chance to pick up a win over rival, Bishop McCort. The Hilltoppers hung around, but a turnover before the half really swung the momentum and the game out of control. Westmont has proven that their offense is not bad at all, in fact it is pretty good. The defense just continually puts them in too big of holes to work out of. Westmont has a quarterback with 600 yards passing, a back with 600 yards rushing, and a near 400 yard receiver with Liam Moran, Sam Curry, and Colin Barron. Those three guys have been great, and their line has done a nice job, but again the defense has allowed at least 36 points in every game, including 50 plus in the past two weeks.
Westmont’s only hope relies on catching Richland sleeping on a Saturday afternoon game. Richland simply has too good of offense for the Hilltoppers to keep pace. I expect Richland to come out strong, and handle their business.
Rams 59 Hilltoppers 14
Cambria Heights (1-5) at Bishop Carroll (3-3) Saturday 7:00 DeGol Field Saint Francis University
Cambria Heights is another LHAC team that has struggled offensively, but has found themselves in some games with their defense. Although that has been the case, they did allow 32 points to a struggling Penn Cambria team last week. Offensively, the passing game has not been ideal with only 290 yards on the season. Josh Fees has been a good back, and has been the focal point of the offense to date. Heights has a better team than their 1-5 record would indicate, and certainly can go into Saturday’s game with some confidence.
Bishop Carroll raced out to a 3-1 start, but have come up short in the past two weeks. The Huskies hung around in both games against two very good teams, and are not all that far away from being 5-1. Tyler Janosik has been the go to guy on offense, and has put together a nice season with 513 yards and 6 touchdowns. The BC defense is the real strength of this team, though, The boast five players with at least 38 tackles, with Janosik leading the way with 54. As a unit they also have 12 takeaways, led by Brody Shuty’s 5 interceptions.
I think Carroll has the better team, and they have a lot on the line in this one. Carroll needs to keep pace in the class A playoff race, and a potential win over a AA opponent could be big for them.
Huskies 24 Highlanders 10
Bedford (5-1) at Somerset (5-1) Friday 7:00
Bedford is certainly one of the surprises of the LHAC this season. Bedford came into this year with a lot of younger guys, but they have grown up quickly. Since the blowout loss to Richland, Bedford has been putting their own hurting on teams by posting 49, 54, and 48 points in the past three weeks. We will get to see if Bedford is a team to be seriously reckoned with on Friday. The Bison do a lot of their damage on the ground with Jeremiah Bingham leading the way with 416 yards. Kody Blevins (367), August Cook (302), and Austin Montgomery (261) have all aided in that potent ground game. Montgomery can throw the ball as well, and teams cannot sleep on that. Bedford is a big team up front, and they can obviously impose their will at the point of attack.
Somerset went into last week looking to score a big upset, and the nearly did just that. I think we all learned that Somerset is for real last week. It is not easy to go on the road against the league favorite and nearly win with a backup quarterback. Dylan Barnes did not play like a sophomore at times, and he has done an admirable job of filling in for Tanner Stull. Somerset was impressive in all facets, as the defense really made some big plays, and they put pressure on Richland all night. Somerset just has so many weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Raven Beeman can fly, Doug Berkebile is a good receiver, Bryce Mostoller is a great asset as a tight end. Not to mention a good dup in the backfield with Matt Boyer and Blake Faulkner. By the looks of it all, Somerset is a complete team.
Bedford has made tremendous strides this season, but remember they took one on the chin by Richland. The get another elite team on the road, can they be up for that task? I think Bedford can keep things close, but at the end I think Somerset’s versatility and home field advantage should make them two touchdown winners.
Golden Eagles 34 Bison 21
GAME OF THE WEEK
Bishop Guilfoyle (4-2) at Central Cambria (5-1) Friday 7:00 Red Devil Stadium
Bishop Guilfoyle comes into Friday’s showdown winners of four straight games. In their four wins, the Marauder defense is holding opponents to just six points per contest. The offense has done just enough to be effective, and it is powered behind a good running game. Sam McCloskey leads the way with 407 yards, while Brandon Chadbourn has chipped in with 260 and DJ Kitt has supplied 192 yeards. Chadbourn has been the quarterback the past three weeks, and has been efficient by completing 70% of his passes. The force behind the tough defense of Guilfoyle is Nick Little. The senior leads the team in tackles, and has a whopping nine sacks on the year.
Central Cambria is also on a hot streak as they have won five straight. Central Cambria is another defensive minded team, with a reliable, yet not explosive offense. The red Devils mirror Guilfoyle pretty well, and the two teams have similar attacks. Will Syemour fronts the Central Cambria offense, and he has been nothing short of excellent this season. Seymour is coming off a 16-19, 151 yard, 1 touchdown performance against Forest Hills. Seymour is a deadly runner with 404 yards and 9 scores. The offense got a boost from Kerry Kirsch out of the backfield last week. Tanner Ambrisco has proven to be a very reliable set of hands as well. The Red Devils defense is very opportunistic with 19 takeaways, including 14 interceptions. So throw the ball at your own risk.
This is my game of the week, because it will determine the section I crown. Both teams are similar in what they like to do, and they are both hot right now. Will Seymour vs. Brandon Chadbourn is an excellent battle of junior quarterbacks in this league, and should be worth the price of admission. Red Devil Stadium always provides a good atmosphere, and it may feel like a playoff game. I am going with Central Cambria. I think they have a few more weapons on offense, and they seem to be battle tested in tight ball games.
Red Devils 20 Marauders 16