Just a year ago, going into the ninth week of the season, Bellwood-Antis was reeling from a 13-7 loss to Moshannon Valley the previous week, badly needing a victory over Bishop Guilfoyle. If the Blue Devils, then 5-3, stood any chance of making the playoffs, a miracle was needed on Saturday night at Mansion Park. Events happening in other games on Saturday afternoon made it a moot point anyway, but Bellwood-Antis took a 6-2 Marauder team the limit before falling 25-22 that evening. The game came down to the final series of the game, as is befitting the manner in which these two Blair County schools have become heated rivals. a trick wingback pass was intercepted to stop the Blue Devils short.
The tables have been turned in 2004. Bellwood-Antis is 7-1, riding a seven-game win streak and looking to wrap up a second place seed in the District VI-A tournament beginning next weekend. Bishop Guilfoyle minus the heart and soul of the 8-3 team from 2003, is 4-4 and looking for an upset. Matt Georgiana and Josh DeStefano, rushed for over 2,100 yards and scored 20 touchdowns between them and perhaps more importantly anchored a tough BG defense from their linebacking positions.
The 2004 edition of the Marauders opened the season with a 28-10 loss to Chestnut Ridge, defeated Indian Valley 28-0, fell to Delone Catholic 21-14 and Philipsburg-Osceola 37-7. Since the fourth week, however, Bishop Guilfoyle has won three of four, outscoring off Bald Eagle Area 40-20 and Penns Valley 29-14, before falling to Tyrone 34-0. Last week, the Marauders shut out Mount Union 38-0.
“Bishop Guilfoyle is very multiple in their offensive looks,” reports Bellwood-Antis coach John Hayes in his weekly review. “They run a little I-formation, a little Wing-T. They even run a spread offense with a shot gun. Our defense is in for a treat.
“They throw a lot of play action passes and they get a lot of people involved. Although they kind of balance out over the season, from one game to another they might pass a lot like they did against Tyrone and then have a big running game, like they did last week against Mount Union. The past couple of games, they have split the quarterbacking duties. One seems to run the option a little better and one seems to be a better passer. Last week they alternated series and both had a pretty decent ballgame. They have good runners and receivers, and will move them around to try and get the matchups they think will work.”
Senior Mike Bender (5-11, 205) leads the Marauders with 554 yards and seven TDs on 63 carries. Classmate Mike Sprouse (5-7, 155) has carried 85 times for 460 yards and three TDs and junior scatback Sean McConnell (5-9, 155) has run 60 times for 225 yards and five TDs.
Senior quarterback Adam Trybus (5-11, 190) has completed 13 of 37 passes for 151 yards. Trybus has been intercepted five times and has no TD passes. Junior Tom Seasoltz (5-8, 145) has completed 17 of 37 for 199 yards with one interception and no TD passes. The top receivers are Bender with eight catches for 62 yards, Sprouse with six catches for 120 yards and senior Scott Zimmerman (6-0, 190) has five catches for 121 yards. Senior Andy Garofoli 5-6, 175), who lives in the Tyrone School District has four receptions for 75 yards.
The Bishop Guilfoyle offense has averaged 193 yards rushing per game and 62 passing for a total offense per game of 255 yards. The BG defense has given up an average of 163 yard rushing and 95 passing for a total offense yield of 258 yards per contest.
The Marauders first appeared on the Bellwood-Antis schedule in 1941 when Altoona Catholic as they were then called shut out the Blue Devils 13-0. B-A returned the favor by the same score a year later. Altoona Catholic led the series 4-31, with a scoreless tie in 1944. The series was discontinued from 1947-59 and from 1962-70. When the two schools hooked up again, the name had been changed to honor one of the area’s early religious leaders. BG took the series lead through the 1980s, but Bellwood-Antis has come back to take the overall lead 16-12-1. Bishop Guilfoyle has won the last two games, with a 21-0 win in 2002, stopping a Blue Devil 26-game regular season win streak.
“Primarily, BG lines up on defense in a 6-2 formation, although like they do on offense, they have used other looks as well,” said Hayes.” Against certain team’s looks, they have lined up with an odd front. They use two linebackers and a three-deep zone secondary. In some games they have stunted their backers a good bit and in others they have used a hit and read approach. W e are practicing working against the different looks and expect them to switch during the game to what they feel will work best. BG is difficult to prepare for, more so than many of our other opponents, because of their multiplicity.”
Bellwood-Antis has averaged 168 yards rushing and 71 passing for a total offense of 239 yards per game. The Blue Devil defense has given up 142 yards rushing and 68 passing.
Sophomore Josh Kleinfelter continues to rewrite the B-A record book for 10th graders with 813 yards and nine TDs on 129 carries. Senior fullback Travis Ehredt has rushed 83 times for 383 yards and seven TDs.
Zach Tomchick, who is done for the season, completed 36 of 73 passes for 504 as a senior. Tomchick threw four TD passes and was intercepted five times. Junior Kyle Drost has completed four of 10 passes for 33 yards in limited action.
Senior Derrick Hoffer has caught 14 passes for 195 yards. Kleinfelter has six catches for 93 yards and one TD, Ehredt has five receptions for 17 yards, Troy Brunner four for 55 and one TD and Dan Kovac three for 85 and one score.
“The rivalry between these two schools has warmed up because of the proximity of the two schools and the different contacts with them in other sports and summer leagues,” said Hayes. “We have been playing every year in the same leagues and the game this year has implications in both the Inter-Count Conference (ICC) and Mountain Athletic Conference (MAC). Trophies are on the line. If we win, a lot of good things on our season will happen. If we lose, we will have missed out on several of our goals.”
