Two MAC teams enter this weekend with the understanding that a victory ensures a championship.
Bellefonte, which plays in the big school Seven Mountains Division, has had a piece of its conference title clinched since defeating Indian Valley 41-12 in Week 5. Tonight – coming off a loss for the first time this season – the Red Raiders host divisional foe Lewistown at Rogers Stadium, with a win guaranteeing them their first outright conference championship since winning the defunct Big 8 in 1989.
Meanwhile unbeaten Tyrone – the lone school to have defeated Bellefonte – travels to Altoona tomorrow for a Nittany Division showdown against Bishop Guilfoyle, which is riding a four-game winning streak and is unbeaten in the division at 0-2. A Golden Eagle victory ensures them a share of their second straight Nittany title with only a divisional game against Penns Valley in Week 9 remaining.
A Tyrone loss would catapult the unlikely Marauders into first place in the conference and would likely set the stage for a logjam atop the division similar to the one that occurred last year between Tyrone, Philipsburg-Osceola and Bellwood-Antis. The Blue Devils have just one Nittany Division loss and play BG in two weeks.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Were the District 6 and 9 playoffs to begin today, both divisions of the Mountain Athletic Conference would be well represented.
Both Tyrone and Clearfield would be No. 1 seeds in the District 6-AA and District 9-AAA races, respectively, while Bellefonte would have the top nod in District 6-AAA. Three other schools would qualify.
In District 6-AAA, Huntingdon (4-2) would have a No. 2 seed and Lewistown (3-3) would be No. 3. Were the Panthers were to qualify, it would mark the first time in school history the football team qualified for the postseason.
Bellwood-Antis would make it in District 6-A as a No. 4 seed, tied with Southern Huntingdon, but only 60 points behind No. 3 Portage. Bishop Guilfoyle is currently 20 points behind Moshannon Valley for the final playoff spot in Class A.
LOSING GROUND
It wasn’t long ago that Bald Eagle Area quarterback Camdin Crouse was leading the Nittany Division in passing yardage, but now Crouse has sunk to third behind Tyrone’s Leonard Wilson and Bellwood-Antis’ Kyle Drost, and the three-year starter is fading fast.
Games like last week’s 21-7 loss against Moniteau don’t help. In that one – played in a steady downpour – Crouse attempted only four passes and completed none. A week earlier, he went 7-for-20 for 65 yards in a loss to BG.
Crouse has now completed 32 of 83 passes for 535 yards and two touchdowns. He’s 77 yards behind Drost and 35 ahead of Guilfoyle’s Tom Seasoltz.
Tyrone’s Leonard Wilson leads the division with 757 yards, completing 45 of 68 passes.
DIVISION LEADERS
Seasoltz led the division in passing in Week 6 with a breakout game against Penns Valley. The senior completed 11 of 14 passes for a career-high 228 yards and two touchdown passes.
Bellwood-Antis receiver Dan Kovac was the division’s top receiver with six catches for 167 yards in the Devils’ 29-0 win over P-O. Kovac with 15 catches for 349 yards, takes over the division lead from Golden Eagle wideout Trey Brockett who has 13 receptions for 318 yards.
Tyrone running back Brinton Mingle was the Nittany Division’s top runner, gaining 166 yards on 24 carries in the Eagles’ 41-6 win over Bellefonte. B-A’s Josh Kleinfelter leads the division with 975 yards on 135 carries.
