LHAC Football Forecast Week 4.

[Crimson's Ghost]

http://www.d6sportsnetwork.com/2013/09/ ... st-week-4/

Jim Hammett
D6SN Sports Editor
Follow me @JimHammett



I posted a 4-2 record in week four. We saw a few upsets in theory, but it is still too early to call some things in this league. These next 2-3 weeks will tell a lot about who the true contenders are. Bishop Carroll’s win in Sidman has to be the biggest one of the week. Also, Johnstown took care of business in what I thought might be a close game against Westmont, and you have to give props to Central Cambria for beating their rival, Penn Cambria. There are plenty of big matchups in the week four slate, time to get to it.



Bishop McCort (0-3) at Bedford (2-1) Friday 7:00

Bishop McCort starts 0-3 for the first time I can ever remember, and they certainly have a lot of things to figure out. The Crushers are struggling with offense big time. They have seen two 100 yard performances by Marc Smith in recent weeks, and Nemo Trexler has made some big catches on offense. Still, they are having trouble sustaining drives and being consistent on that side of the ball, and it certainly shows. The defense is not giving up much, and their efforts need to be commended.

Bedford started out hot with a 2-0 record, but that all came down after being humbled by Richland in week three. Bedford should not be discouraged by the loss too much. The Bison have a young group of players that will certainly continue to grow and develop as their careers progress. Austin Montgomery is one of many young sophomore quarterbacks already making an impact for his team. Bedford can still win a lot of football games this season, and they have already proved to be better than many people’s expectations.

This one is hard to call. I would not say it if I did not believe it, but this McCort team has the talent to close out the year with 6 wins, or they could come away with less than 2. It all starts on Friday night with a big road test, if they can come together and find some stability on offense, they still have an outside shot at the playoffs. Bedford just needs to play their game, and put pressure on McCort’s offense. I think the Crusher defense can hold Bedford to a lower amount of points, but can Blake Wade and the McCort offense make enough plays to win it? I say they can. McCort in a real close one, but it could certainly go either way.

Crimson Crushers 13 Bison 10

Westmont (0-3) at Somerset (3-0) Friday 7:00

Westmont is still looking for that first win. The Hilltoppers are a better team from last season, but have still come up empty in the win department. The offense has some weapons. Liam Moran has taken some big strides from last season and it has given Westy a passing attack. Colin Barron has emerged as one of the top pass catchers in the area as well. We all knew Sam Curry would make plays, and he has been, as he leads Westmont with 447 all purpose yards. The problem is certainly the defense. They have given up no less than 36 points in each of their first three games.

Somerset is 3-0 heading into the week four Westmont game, just as they were last year. The Golden Eagles are a better team, and I think they will go into this one with complete focus. Tanner Stull has been one of the best around this season, and he leads the team in rushing yardage and touchdowns from his quarterback spot. Matt Boyer has been productive running the ball, and a host of receivers have been getting involved. Somerset has three guys (Mostellor, Berkebile, Beeman) with at least six catches on the year. The defense has been much improved, and the Golden Eagles look to be a championship caliber team thus far.

Last year, Westmont was able to use the home field advantage for a victory. Somerset had an emotional win the week prior, and they may have come in with the wrong attitude, and Westmont made them pay. I do not see that happening this time around, the Golden Eagles are better this year, and they will prove it Friday.

Golden Eagles 35 Hilltoppers 12

Penn Cambria (0-3) at Bishop Carroll (2-1) Saturday DeGol Field 7:00

Penn Cambria is off to a poor start, but it appeared they started to show signs of life in week three. The Panthers had plenty of turnover heading into this season, so it is not surprising that it may take them a few weeks to find their grove. The offense has not been getting the production necessary from both the run and the pass. Chad Tsikalas was not able to get much going through the air last week, as he managed just 6 passing yards. Still, he has shown that he can be more effective than past Panther quarterbacks at throwing the ball. The run game has received some solid contributions from Tyler Strasser and Jake Hurley, both juniors. PC gave Central Cambria everything they wanted last week, and I expect some momentum to carry over into this week.

Bishop Carroll is proving a lot of people wrong with their preseason expectations. The Huskies have played three tough games, and have come out victorious in two of them. Their most recent conquest was most impressive, as they shut out a very good Forest Hills offense. In fact, the Huskies have only surrendered 16 points through three games to this point. The defense has been exceptional with great performances from Tyler Janosik, Alex Keim, and Marty Lessard. Quarterback David Maruca has been putting up some numbers in the passing game of late, including 100 yards against Forest Hills. Janosik has been the best offensive weapon, with 3 of the team’s 5 offensive touchdowns.

The outlook of this game is very simple, defense will be the name of the game. Neither offense is very explosive, but both defense can be down right stingy. I personally think Carroll does pack enough offensive punch to overcome things, though.

Huskies 14 Panthers 0



Cambria Heights (1-2) at Central Cambria (2-1) Friday 7:00

Cambria Heights took a step back last week falling to Guilfoyle 17-3. Still, the Highlanders remain a competitive team capable of stealing some games, and this could be one of those types. The Highlanders do not have a great passing game, but have a couple of different threats on the ground. John Fees has battled some early season injuries and looks to be one of the better backs in the league. Obviously Cambria Heights stuck around with a good Guilfoyle team, but lacked enough offensive punch as they only scored 3 points. Eddie Link is just a sophomore, but is coming along as a quarterback. He does not need to have a huge game Friday, but making a few big throws can go a long way in trying to pull off the upset.

Central Cambria clinched their first win over Penn Cambria in five years last week, and the Red Devils are off to a nice 2-1 start. The offense was the weak point in recent years, but it has not been a problem in 2013. Will Seymour has played outstanding football, and is coming off a career game last week. He passed for 144 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 104 and another score. The Red Devils look to have one of the better wide outs in the league in Tanner Ambrisco. This Central Cambria team is well put together on offense, and they have the potential to really make some noise in section I.

I really like this Central Cambria team. They have a good quarterback, but multiple weapons on offense that teams must respect. They are physical and they can hit on defense. I think Heights has a respectable team as well. This should be a solid, physical game with two good ground attacks going at it. I just think Central Cambria has a better team overall, and it should lead them to victory.

Red Devils 24 Highlanders 10



Forest Hills (2-1) at Bishop Guilfoyle (1-2) Saturday 7:00 Mansion Park

Forest Hills fell last week to an underrated Bishop Carroll team, and it certainly raises some questions. Are the Rangers not as good as we all once thought, or do they have some growing to do? I think they still have some things to work out as a team. The have a really good piece in Joe Donoughe. He is really a solid all around player, but he cannot do it alone. The running game has had its moments, but certainly it needs more production. The line is young, so clearly they have room to improve. Again the passing game is fine with three different receivers (Blough, Ohler,Shima) all hauling in at least 8 catches. The defensive side of things seem fine, and that should be a strong asset in close games.

Bishop Guilfoyle was picked to win section I, but a quick 0-2 start had some people doubting. They were able to go into Patton, and secure their first win of the year. Saturday will be a real telling sign for this team, though. They have an opportunity to beat a good Forest Hills team at home, and move back into the class A playoff picture. The passing game needs to improve. Damon Rickens is a first year starting quarterback, and it is showing. He is a talented player, but needs to limit his mistakes. The running game is in the hands of many different players. 5 different players have at least double digit carries, with Sam McCloskey proving to be the most effective so far. Remember this team was built on a strong senior line last season, so maybe their losses were overlooked a bit heading into the season.

Honestly, this is game of the week worthy. I would label this as a “gut check game.” Both teams have a lot to prove, and the stage will be set for a good one Saturday night at Mansion Park. This one is certainly worth getting to if you are looking for a double dose of football this weekend. I think I put the edge in the Rangers’ hands, and that is because of Joe Donoughe. He is a master out of the pocket, and will be able to come up with enough plays to make it work.

Rangers 27 Maruaders 21



GAME OF THE WEEK

Richland (3-0) at Johnstown (2-1) Friday 7:00 Trojan Stadium

LIVE Broadcast on the D6 Sports Network

Johnstown got back on the winning track Saturday by beating rival, Westmont. The Trojans were led by a 164 yard two touchdown performance by their sophomore running back, Terrell Jones. Johnstown was lacking a strong running game in week two, and added that as a point of emphasis in week three. Jones and Jayvon Braxton gives Johnstown a very dynamic 1-2 punch out of the backfield. Of course Johnstown can still sling it, and the passing game is looking very good for being directed by a sophomore quarterback. Jeremy Udyke has spread the ball around, and has found seven different Trojans in the passing game. Kareem Gibson was back in action Saturday, and he should help lead a very quick Johnstown defense.

Richland rolled over Bedford last week with a 53-3 romp. The Rams have scored no less than 43 points in their three contests so far. The offense has been paced by their senior quarterback, Matt Shaffer. Shaffer already has thrown for 602 yards and 8 touchdowns, while running for 260 more and 3 scores. Tanner Solarczyk has been a beast in the running game, while Dom Farina adds in a lighting to Solarczyk’s thunder. The receivers are deep and talented with Kyle Flick and Nico Pecora leading the charge of 14 Rams catching a pass so far this season. The defense is only giving up an average of 8 points per contest.

Johnstown and Richland on the field will be exciting for many reason, most notably the caliber of athletes. Both schools possess so many offensive weapons and great athletes, that it is sure to be filled with plenty of big plays. I think the thing that separates the two programs at this very point is age. Richlad is a very senior dominated team, whereas Johnstown is getting big contributions from juniors and sophomores. It may just be a year or two, but to have a roster full of kids that have won a lot of games already in their career versus a few sophomores making their fourth career start makes a difference. Richland is a fantastic team, and their number 3 ranking in the state is warranted. I can see Johnstown keeping it close for a half, but eventually Richland will pull away.

Rams 45 Trojans 26

[youngbuck]

Crimson Crushers 13 Bison 10

Seriously?

[konjo78]

I think its time to put the nail in the mccort coffin sadly. With 5 wins as max its hard to even think that will happen. Next year crusher fans, or as I like to call d6sportsnetwork

[Athens/Cat]

or as I like to call d6sportsnetwork

[Crimson's Ghost]

Hey, I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong.


Look, McCort had 6 starters back on defense and 7 on offense off a 9 win team last year. Was it that crazy to think they would be good this year?


Clearly something is seriously wrong within that locker room, because on talent alone there is no way they should be losing to Bedford by 50. I'm sorry, call me a homer, but I'm not. I looked at what they had coming into the season, and the personnel coming back suggested to me they would be better than a 2 win team.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I think its time to put the nail in the mccort coffin sadly. With 5 wins as max its hard to even think that will happen. Next year crusher fans, or as I like to call d6sportsnetwork

I'm a Crusher alum, wouldn't say so much a fan. Bishop McCort isn't really the same place from when I went to school. Lot of good people still involved down there, but things are certainly different. I always wish them well, but I do with pretty much all local teams. I don't really play favorites.

[IntheValley]

So Crimson's Ghost what is the major problems down at McCort, the offensive that only scored 1 tounchdown in 4 games???? I watch McCort since I move back into town, but this year is worst coached team I seem. McCort needs qb, if they are rebuilding, McCort needs a qb, this starts your offensive. There nobody else down at McCort that can qb? They look like a lost team, no leadership from the older players or no heart.

[Crimson's Ghost]

The best quarterback in the school doesn't play football.

[IntheValley]

Why doesn't he play football?

[costanza]

I think he is referring to the other Neiderhiser kid, who is a pitcher in baseball....not sure why he doesn't play anymore....