The fledgling Bellwood-Antis football team scored single touchdowns in the first and third quarters and two in the second to wrap up their sixth straight win of the season on Oct. 22, 1938 defeating Hyndman 26-2, in the only game the two schools have ever played against each other. In the just the first season of the Bellwood borough-Antis township merger, the Blue Devils have yet to taste defeat under the leadership of first-year coach Harry “Sis” Dinges.
Dinges didn’t start his first string at the beginning of this game, because of many injuries received in the 13-0 victory over a big, tough Adams Township squad the week before. Bellwood-Antis was turned back four times in succession after placing the ball at Hyndman’s five- and 10-yard lines, in a contest played at the new football field in Bellwood.
The first-quarter score came when right halfback Bob Burns had his number called for two carries to cover the final 10 yards. Gingher and Neil Estep alternated carrying the ball down the field to set up the score. Ken Ehrisman kicked the extra point.
The Blue Devils drove to the Hyndman-10 early in the second quarter, but failed to capitalize. The B-A defense held the Hornets right there and forced a punt, which was returned to the H-15. Team captain Francis Davis lateraled to Burns for the TD on the first play from scrimmage. Ehrisman again added the PAT kick.
Later, a pass from Ehrisman to Davis was responsible for the second touchdown of the quarter and a 20-0 halftime lead.
Bellwood-Antis also drove to the Hyndman-15 in the second quarter, but stalled there.
In the third quarter, the Blue Devils marched to the Hornets’ five, but fumbled, then returned to the H-12, but again came away with no points, when a drop-kick attempt for a field goal was no good.
Ehrisman carried the ball to the opponents-5 in the fourth quarter, but fumbled and Hyndman recovered. Hyndman was forced to punt from their goal line and the kick went only to the H-20.
Ehrisman lateraled to Davis, who took the ball to the three-yard line. Estep went around end for the final score of the game.
Hyndman scored their safety in the third period.
Bellwood-Antis won for the sixth time in seven weeks on Oct. 22, 1949, for new head coach head coach Earl Strohm knocking off Curwensville 28-6. Strohm had been Duke Burkholder’s assistant for two years and took over when Duke went to Dubois for the 1949 season.
With big John Powell smashing through the line, and Len Hummel skirting the ends, Bellwood-Antis would finish the 1949 season 8-1-1, with a 7-7 tie later in the season at Hollidaysburg and their only loss to Burkholder and his Dubois squad 14-0.
Against the Golden Tide, junior Delbert “Mike” Hoffer returned a punt to the Curwensville 25 and Hummel tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior end Bill Reed. Ken DeRemer.
Then it was Hoffer again, this time intercepting a Tide pass and running the pick back to the Curw-13. Hummel passed to Otto Kneidinger, who lateraled to Reed, who fumbled the ball.
Later Len Hummel scooted 31 yards to the Curw-17, then added 15 more on the next play, Powell plunged for the two-yard TD on the following play and DeRemer booted the PAT.
Bellwood-Antis marched also to the Tide-two, before stalling.
Powell bulled 12 yards for the third score of the game and Bob Fowler, a right guard, who was a quarter-miler on the Bellwood-Antis track team returned an interception 80 yards for the final Blue Devils touchdown. DeRemer booted extra points after the last two scores to give him a perfect four-for-four in the game.
Curwensville scored their lone TD after Strohm put the B-A reserves in the game to cap the scoring.
The Bellwood-Antis football team added yet another victim to their list in downing Portage Joint High School 40-13 on Oct. 22, 1954. Portage did get the distinction of becoming the first and only Blue Devil opponent of 1954 to score two touchdowns. Six teams were shutout and three more could manage just one TD against a Bellwood-Antis powerhouse that would go 10-0, while outscoring 10 foes 355-34 for head coach Elwood Petchel.
Only in a 19-13 loss to Hollidaysburg late in the 1952 season, had Bellwood-Antis allowed more than two scores going back 61 games to the 1948 campaign. In that long stretch, six teams also scored two TDs.
In the Portage contest, Max Kneidinger opened the show by running the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown and Chub Dillen kicked the extra point for a fast 7-0 advantage.
Dillen, who would lead Blair County in scoring for the third straight year, tallied a six-pointer later in the opening quarter, when he burst in from five yards out and added the PAT kick.
Portage scored and added the PAT to cut the margin to 14-7 after a quarter of football, but the Blue Devils responded with 19 second-quarter points to put the game out of reach 33-7 at halftime.
Dillen went around right end for 51 yards and one score and then threw a 45-yard pass to Ray Rossi for another TD. Charlie McClellan scampered around end for an 18-yard TD and Dillen kicked one PAT to complete the second-quarter barrage.
In the second half, each club scored once as the Blue Devils posted their seventh straight win of 1954 and 18th overall.
Fred Maurer capped a long B-A march with a three-yard scamper for the score and Dillen added the extra point kick
