People in the Tyrone/Bellwood area have been talking about the coming football season, practically since the final minute of the last game last year. Bragging and comparing and contrasting and talking about other times and other years, when they played high school football or the neighbor played. Of course the Tyrone/B-A contest to kickoff the season is always the biggest topic of interest. The two schools border each other in the northern most portion of Blair County. They have been friendly/unfriendly rivals since 1939 and there is no reason to believe that the current editions of the Golden Eagles and Blue Devils will treat their opening battle against each other any differently.
Today is the official opening of fall preseason practice. The Blue Devils under head coach John Hayes and Golden Eagles under head coach John Franco have their teams out in full pads and ready to begin the annual get-ready-to-play sessions. During the course of the next three weeks, the two squads will prepare for the regular season with the third week practices scaled down because the kids will be in school.
Tyrone coach John Franco expected 40-42 players in full pads this morning at eight a.m.
Tyrone will practice from 8-10:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. in full pads and go in just shoulder pads and helmets from 10:45 a.m. to 12:05, Monday through Friday this week. The morning practice will emphasize defense, the middle session will practice the kicking game and the evening practice will work basically offense.
Tyrone’s first scrimmage will be held on Saturday, August 17, at Tyrone, against Bishop Guilfoyle at 10 a.m.
For the second week, beginning August 19, practices will be the same times until Thursday, when the Eagles will hold just a light run-through from 7-8:30 p.m. with the second scrimmage against Central on Friday evening, August 22, at Roaring Spring at 7 p.m.
Bellwood-Antis coach John Hayes expects 40-42 players for the first day of practice at 8:45 a.m.
Coach Hayes and staff will put the current edition of Blue Devils through their paces from 8:45-11:15 a.m. and 4:45-7:15 p.m. in full pads and from 1:30-3:15 will go with light special teams workouts. The three-a-days will continue Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday this week. Thursday and Friday, the squad will practice mornings and afternoons, from 8:45-11:15 a.m. and from 1:45-3:15 p.m.
Bellwood-Antis will scrimmage Philipsburg-Osceola at Bellwood, on Saturday morning, August 17, at 10 a.m.
During the second week of practice, B-A will use the same schedule Monday through Thursday, with a light, walk-through practice to go over basic responsibilities on Friday morning and get ready for the Blue Devils second scrimmage at Clearfield Friday night, August 22 at 7 p.m.
