LHAC Week 9 Preview
Posted: October 25th, 2006, 5:26 pm
Week 9 Preview
The LHAC regular season schedule wraps up this week. Only one Major game is on tap, but points scored is also of interest this week as the conference title is still up for grabs.
Somerset at Cambria/Harmony Heights
It’s been a long year for both of these squads, and I’m sure they are both looking forward to a game where the contest might not be decided until the fourth quarter.
The Highlanders haven’t been in a game since week 1 against Richland. The lone bright spot for da Heights this year has been Jake Shaffer as he is averaging over 100 yards per game on the season. Expect the Highlanders to try and ride Jake this week and next week in the “Coal Bowl”.
Somerset is coming off a game where they looked…dare I say decent for 3 quarters against Forest Hills, and they did it without Jordan Kaufman. Kaufman’s return for this week is unknown to the OG, but I’m sure Coach Costea will come with the same offensive game plan…run the ball!
Expect to see a lot of ground action in this one…I would expect less than 10 passes thrown all night!
Somerset out beefs the Highlanders 36 –13
Bishop Carroll @ Bedford
Nuts and bolts…nuts and bolts…we got screwed! This has been the talk in Bedford after last week’s debacle against Johnstown…at least by the fans anyways. I’m sure Coach Swaim has had his attention elsewhere however….like telling his players to hold onto the football!
At the beginning of the season I’m sure both teams has this one circled as a huge game with major implications. However, both teams have taken different paths after graduation hit both of these schools hard last year. I honestly thought the roles would be reversed this year for each team…but the OG was wrong in that assumption! Coach Swaim has done a good job this year with the talent that he has…and even beat the best team in the LHAC.
Back to the game…BC morale is shot…the word on the street is that the Huskies domination of D6A is over. I’m not sure about that, but this year’s team hasn’t been able to develop the way a lot of people thought they would.
Conversely, Pete Westwood has done a nice job at QB for Bedford, and he and his boi Feaster are gearing up for this final run in the blue and white. These two along with Clapper and Jaber will be too much for the Huskies…
Bedford 29 – Bishop Carroll 14
Thee Bishop McCort Crimson Crushers at Central
If your looking for a free gift…head down to Central this Friday as the first 500 Crusher fans get a free monkey to throw onto the field after the game. Why? Because after this one…McCort should finally have their first LHAC title and get that monkey off their back.
Will Chris Kurtz return for Central after being knocked out last week against Westmont? If he doesn’t I’d expect another goose egg to be pitched by the McCort Defense.
Offensively, the Crushers will have no problem putting up points on the Dragons via air or ground. Expect the whole quarry of the Crusher offensive weapons to find the endzone in McCort’s regular season finale.
Osborne Street rejoices as the 2001 D6 Title Banner hanging the Crusher Gym will finally have a buddy beside him (LHAC Champs 2006).
The OG also has a feeling this won’t be only title the Crushers win this year…
Bishop McCort 38 – Central 6
The Rams of Richland at the Devils of Central Cambria
Here is something the OG has learned during his lifetime of watching football in our area: You have to be able to run the ball…at least a little bit if you are going to have a successful season.
The Rams lost their only running threat early in the year in Andy Rubal…and haven’t been the same since. Dan Fenton has filled in at receiver…and has done an excellent job, but the running game has been non existent.
Central Cambria is coming off their crowning as “King of Ebensburg” after their win over Bishop Carroll last week.
Here is another thing the OG has learned about LHAC football…if you want to be decent, run the football well and have a good defense. If you want to be above average, need to be able to throw the football! Enter…Central Cambria over the course of the past 2 years. 2006: Faish can run it (96 ypg), McGregor isn’t throwing it much (65 ypg).
But of course…of the two…the OG would rather be able to run and put the defense on the field. Which is the reason CC wins this one. Holsberger battered the Rams last week, and Faish is going to baste them this week as he goes for 170 yards and 3 scores!
Central Cambria finally “protects their house” and secures their first home win on the year!
CC 32 – Richland 20
Westmont at “Thee” Matt Holsberger
To steal a line from Steve Smith “The Penn Cambria Panthers have Matt Holsberger, and QUITE FRANKLY that all you need”.
Well, I hate Mr. Smith, but apparently he is right…or at least Coach Fetzer would agree. If Holsberger could throw the ball, he would lead Penn Cambria in EVERY SINGLE MAJOR STAT CATEGORY! Serioiusly. If one thing has been true about Coach Fetzer in his coaching tenure it is this: The man gets the most out of the talent he is given. This is true again this year in 06.
Westmont needs this game more as they are fighting for their playoff lives. PC however still has a shot at the LHAC title…added to that the game is in Cresson and the Panthers haven’t lost their all season.
Oh yea…and did I mention Penn Cambria has Matt Holsberger?
Holsberger 34 – Westmont 14
****GOTW****
Greater Johnstown at Forest Hills
If their one thing this stretch run for the Trojans is going to do for their team it is build character. Here’s a fun fact for you…3 (McCort, Forest Hills, and Tyrone) out of the last 4 opponents Johnstown has on their schedule have accounted for 14 out of the last 15 District 6 AA titles. The other opponent…Bedford (hardly a slouch there either).
Ok…now that I just threw up because the thought of playing those games IN A ROW made me sick…lets talk about the game.
Johnstown knocked off another quality opponent last week in Bedford, but Johnstown is still singing the respect tune. Johnstown’s strength is their speed and ability to break the big play. Coach Arcurio will surely attack the Rangers the same way everyone has tried this year...on the parameter and over the top.
Forest Hills is running out time to put all the pieces in the right place. However, I think FH fell into the trap of relying of T. Rearick too much over the course of the past several games. The strength of this team is behind the Big Ole boys up front…Hoss, Mehall, Theys, Costlow, McCarty, and Shope. From Sidman to New Germany…say it with me now “Give the ball to Mehall”. This kid can flat out run the football. Forest Hills needs to get out of pass protect mode, bring those safeties back up toward the line of scrimmage and respect the run…then hit #21 over the top.
Hey Ranger fans…I feel ya. The OG has been shaking his head at this team since week 5. The Rangers can still play, but they need to come together as a team and stop fighting among themselves. No FH squad has ever won as a bunch of individuals…and this team is no different.
The keys to this game:
1.Will the FH secondary figure out a coverage/personal that works
2.Can FH contain Reed from getting outside
3.Can FH be more physical than Johnstown
The OG believes.
Forest Hills 27 – Johnstown 19
Good luck to all teams!
The LHAC regular season schedule wraps up this week. Only one Major game is on tap, but points scored is also of interest this week as the conference title is still up for grabs.
Somerset at Cambria/Harmony Heights
It’s been a long year for both of these squads, and I’m sure they are both looking forward to a game where the contest might not be decided until the fourth quarter.
The Highlanders haven’t been in a game since week 1 against Richland. The lone bright spot for da Heights this year has been Jake Shaffer as he is averaging over 100 yards per game on the season. Expect the Highlanders to try and ride Jake this week and next week in the “Coal Bowl”.
Somerset is coming off a game where they looked…dare I say decent for 3 quarters against Forest Hills, and they did it without Jordan Kaufman. Kaufman’s return for this week is unknown to the OG, but I’m sure Coach Costea will come with the same offensive game plan…run the ball!
Expect to see a lot of ground action in this one…I would expect less than 10 passes thrown all night!
Somerset out beefs the Highlanders 36 –13
Bishop Carroll @ Bedford
Nuts and bolts…nuts and bolts…we got screwed! This has been the talk in Bedford after last week’s debacle against Johnstown…at least by the fans anyways. I’m sure Coach Swaim has had his attention elsewhere however….like telling his players to hold onto the football!
At the beginning of the season I’m sure both teams has this one circled as a huge game with major implications. However, both teams have taken different paths after graduation hit both of these schools hard last year. I honestly thought the roles would be reversed this year for each team…but the OG was wrong in that assumption! Coach Swaim has done a good job this year with the talent that he has…and even beat the best team in the LHAC.
Back to the game…BC morale is shot…the word on the street is that the Huskies domination of D6A is over. I’m not sure about that, but this year’s team hasn’t been able to develop the way a lot of people thought they would.
Conversely, Pete Westwood has done a nice job at QB for Bedford, and he and his boi Feaster are gearing up for this final run in the blue and white. These two along with Clapper and Jaber will be too much for the Huskies…
Bedford 29 – Bishop Carroll 14
Thee Bishop McCort Crimson Crushers at Central
If your looking for a free gift…head down to Central this Friday as the first 500 Crusher fans get a free monkey to throw onto the field after the game. Why? Because after this one…McCort should finally have their first LHAC title and get that monkey off their back.
Will Chris Kurtz return for Central after being knocked out last week against Westmont? If he doesn’t I’d expect another goose egg to be pitched by the McCort Defense.
Offensively, the Crushers will have no problem putting up points on the Dragons via air or ground. Expect the whole quarry of the Crusher offensive weapons to find the endzone in McCort’s regular season finale.
Osborne Street rejoices as the 2001 D6 Title Banner hanging the Crusher Gym will finally have a buddy beside him (LHAC Champs 2006).
The OG also has a feeling this won’t be only title the Crushers win this year…
Bishop McCort 38 – Central 6
The Rams of Richland at the Devils of Central Cambria
Here is something the OG has learned during his lifetime of watching football in our area: You have to be able to run the ball…at least a little bit if you are going to have a successful season.
The Rams lost their only running threat early in the year in Andy Rubal…and haven’t been the same since. Dan Fenton has filled in at receiver…and has done an excellent job, but the running game has been non existent.
Central Cambria is coming off their crowning as “King of Ebensburg” after their win over Bishop Carroll last week.
Here is another thing the OG has learned about LHAC football…if you want to be decent, run the football well and have a good defense. If you want to be above average, need to be able to throw the football! Enter…Central Cambria over the course of the past 2 years. 2006: Faish can run it (96 ypg), McGregor isn’t throwing it much (65 ypg).
But of course…of the two…the OG would rather be able to run and put the defense on the field. Which is the reason CC wins this one. Holsberger battered the Rams last week, and Faish is going to baste them this week as he goes for 170 yards and 3 scores!
Central Cambria finally “protects their house” and secures their first home win on the year!
CC 32 – Richland 20
Westmont at “Thee” Matt Holsberger
To steal a line from Steve Smith “The Penn Cambria Panthers have Matt Holsberger, and QUITE FRANKLY that all you need”.
Well, I hate Mr. Smith, but apparently he is right…or at least Coach Fetzer would agree. If Holsberger could throw the ball, he would lead Penn Cambria in EVERY SINGLE MAJOR STAT CATEGORY! Serioiusly. If one thing has been true about Coach Fetzer in his coaching tenure it is this: The man gets the most out of the talent he is given. This is true again this year in 06.
Westmont needs this game more as they are fighting for their playoff lives. PC however still has a shot at the LHAC title…added to that the game is in Cresson and the Panthers haven’t lost their all season.
Oh yea…and did I mention Penn Cambria has Matt Holsberger?
Holsberger 34 – Westmont 14
****GOTW****
Greater Johnstown at Forest Hills
If their one thing this stretch run for the Trojans is going to do for their team it is build character. Here’s a fun fact for you…3 (McCort, Forest Hills, and Tyrone) out of the last 4 opponents Johnstown has on their schedule have accounted for 14 out of the last 15 District 6 AA titles. The other opponent…Bedford (hardly a slouch there either).
Ok…now that I just threw up because the thought of playing those games IN A ROW made me sick…lets talk about the game.
Johnstown knocked off another quality opponent last week in Bedford, but Johnstown is still singing the respect tune. Johnstown’s strength is their speed and ability to break the big play. Coach Arcurio will surely attack the Rangers the same way everyone has tried this year...on the parameter and over the top.
Forest Hills is running out time to put all the pieces in the right place. However, I think FH fell into the trap of relying of T. Rearick too much over the course of the past several games. The strength of this team is behind the Big Ole boys up front…Hoss, Mehall, Theys, Costlow, McCarty, and Shope. From Sidman to New Germany…say it with me now “Give the ball to Mehall”. This kid can flat out run the football. Forest Hills needs to get out of pass protect mode, bring those safeties back up toward the line of scrimmage and respect the run…then hit #21 over the top.
Hey Ranger fans…I feel ya. The OG has been shaking his head at this team since week 5. The Rangers can still play, but they need to come together as a team and stop fighting among themselves. No FH squad has ever won as a bunch of individuals…and this team is no different.
The keys to this game:
1.Will the FH secondary figure out a coverage/personal that works
2.Can FH contain Reed from getting outside
3.Can FH be more physical than Johnstown
The OG believes.
Forest Hills 27 – Johnstown 19
Good luck to all teams!