The Tyrone Area junior high school football team has been brilliant on defense, tossing two shutouts in as many ballgames. Both were over teams that recently, at least, until this season owned the little Eagles.
First the Tyrone junior high erased a long-standing debt owed to Roosevelt, or this year Altoona Maroon, with the joining of Roosevelt and Keith into a single junior high school for Altoona, with a 6-0 victory. The win was the first in some time for Tyrone’s Little Eagles over an Altoona junior high.
Then, on Thursday evening, the pieces continue to fall into place-this time against Bellwood-Antis, another squad that had handed out lumps of coal in recent years. This time, however, the ending was a lot sweeter- a 20-0 triumph over Bellwood-Antis at the losers’ home field!
Bellwood-Antis was never able to get much going, finally settling for 27 yards rushing and only three pass completions for another 19 yards, plus a long interception return for the Eagles’ Charles Wilson Adams who returned his pick in the third quarter 23 yards, for more yardage than Bellwood-Antis actually passed for. The Eagle defense also had five tackles for losses, behind the line of scrimmage
When all was said and done, perhaps even though the Tyrone defense did an excellent job, you could make a case that the best Eagle defense was the Eagle offense. The Tyrone offense marched 61 yards in 17 plays to put their first touchdown on the scoreboard throughout most of the first and second quarters. Over the first half, Bellwood-Antis had the football, not counting punts for a mere 12 plays.
“I must hand it to our offensive line. They did a great job,” said Tyrone junior high coach Dan Plummer. “We talked to them for the whole week and said that we have to focus, be tough and execute the plays. And that offensive line did a great job for us, an excellent job.”
Tyrone received the opening kick and with the help of a 13-yard pass play from quarterback Kaleb Chronister to Christian Getz marched to the BA-47. A quarterback sack by the Blue Devils Tyler Campbell, and fumble that lost 16 yards, but was recovered by the Eagles stopped that drive, but it set the tone for later.
The Tyrone “D” forced a three downs and punt and then spent all but 2:14 of the remaining time in the first half to go on a monster drive that ended in a touchdown. Caleb Snyder carried 12 times for 45 yards, including gains of nine, eight, nine and seven, and Chronister completed two huge passes to move the ball in for the score. The first completion came on a third-and-18, for 19 yards to Marcus Wagner. The second, on a fourth-and goal after Tyrone had been pushed back to their own-11, was an 11-yard TD toss to Wagner.
“The defense after the first two games of the season has snuffed everybody out,” said Plummer. “They are looking good, playing tough. The line is looking great and the linebackers are stepping up and making big plays.
“My hat is off to Coach Burch and his Bellwood team. This is a big rivalry and even at the junior high level. This definitely breaks the streak. I know Charlie had one going there, they had taken it to us the past few years. They were tough and it is a good game every year.”
Bellwood-Antis was able to move the ball 20 yards following the Eagles’ TD, but the Tyrone only left the Blue Devils 2:14 and B-A ran out of time. Ryan Stuby connected with Tyler Campbell twice for 11 yards and a first down and Campbell scooted seven yards for another first down during the drive.
Tyrone was able to put the game on ice with touchdowns on two consecutive series, one in the third quarter and one more in the fourth.
Near the end of third quarter, Tyrone took over on the BA-46. Snyder ran for nine, 16 and 19 on three straight calls, and then slanted over the right side for the final two yards for the score and then ran the exact same play for the two-point conversion. Snyder rushed 18 times for 91 yards in the game.
Bellwood-Antis managed a 13-yard run by Andrew DeGol, and a seven-yard pickup by Sean Worthing, but couldn’t keep the momentum. The Eagles set up on the T-38 and with Christian Getz getting the ball on nine straight carries marched for the final TD of the contest. Getz, who finished with a dozen carries for 48 yards, had a pair of nine-yard gains and finished off the series by going 12 yards, 12 yards and then 10 for the TD.
“They controlled possession of the clock, and we couldn’t get anything going,” said Bellwood-Antis coach Charlie Burch. “We had a shot the first half, 6-0, we made some huge breakdowns to give them that score. But they came out the second half and manhandled us on both sides of the ball. They frustrated us. Hats off to them, we are banged up pretty bad now. I knew they were a good team, I wish them luck. I think they are going to have a great season.
“We have to regroup and get ready for Everett. Our goal of winning the ICC is still there. We need to refocus, regroup, get in better shape, maybe even re-evaluate some of our personnel and go get Everett next week.”
