LHAC Football Forecast Week Eight

[Crimson's Ghost]

I was 4-2 last week, and moved to 38-10 on the year.   I was off on the Penn Cambria and Forest Hills game.  I thought it could go either way, but picked wrong with Penn Cambria.  Same thing happened in the Somerset/Bedford matchup, it was a close game but Somerset pulled it out and moved to 4-4 on the year.   We are getting towards the end of the schedule, and every game matters for the playoffs for just about every team. 


[center]Central Cambria (1-7) at Bishop McCort (6-2) Friday 7:30 Point Stadium[/center]

[left]Central Cambria had the tall task of playing Bishop Guilfoyle last week, and the Red Devils could not keep up with the Marauders. It's been like that throughout the season for Central Cambria, as the defense has had it's struggles keeping teams off the scoreboard. The offense has also been inconsistent as well, as they are posting less than 200 yards a game. Justin Bezek has been the bright spot of the offense at quarterback and Coach Corrente will look for him to have a strong game to keep pace with the Bishop McCort offense. [/left]

[left]Bishop McCort battled Johnstown last week, but ultimately came up short against the Trojans. Even with the loss, the Crushers have put together a very impressive season to date, and look like a top contender for the AA race.  They have one of the most balanced offenses in the league, and they just have so many weapons to beat you. The best weapon of the bunch all year has been Anthony Walters. He had a monster game against Johnstown last week, and expect to see more of the same this week. [/left]

[left]Prediction - I look for McCort to get back on track this week. I think their offense should be able to put up some points.[/left]

[left]Crimson Crushers 42 Red Devils 7
[/left]

[center]Bishop Carroll (0-8) at Westmont (4-4) Saturday 1:00 Trojan Stadium[/center]

[left]Bishop Carroll lost to Cambria Heights 34-0 last week. It was the second straight week the Huskies were held out of the end zone, and fourth time this year. It's been one of those kind of seasons for the Huskies, as they have managed just seven touchdowns this year.  They will have to be ready this week for the tough, grind-it-out offense from Westmont. [/left]

[left]The Hilltoppers earned a hard-fought victory over Richland last week by a score of 28-13. Westmont has now won three out of their last four, and look to be on a bit of a roll. The rushing tandem of Ian Valente and Camden Moors has been so effective all season long, and expect for that to happen again on Saturday. Valente is approaching the 1,000 yard mark for the season, and a big game could get him there.  Sitting on a 4-4 record, Westmont holds the six spot in the AA playoffs. They have a winnable game with Carroll obviously, and close with Central Cambria.  It should be a strong finish and second straight playoff appearance for this program. [/left]

[left]Prediction - Westmont has a lot to play for with playoff seeding hanging in the balance. I look for them to go into this game and do [/left]
[left]what they do best, and that's run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. [/left]

[left]Hilltoppers 34 Huskies 0[/left]

[center]Richland (2-6) at Forest Hills (4-4) Friday 7:00 GH Miller Field[/center]

[left]Another chapter of the Bailey Bowl is in store for Friday night. The younger Bailey's team has struggled this season, but with some young talent, the future could be bright. Still, they are in the midst of a five game losing streak, and will look to break out on Friday night. Freshman Caleb Burke has done some nice things at quarterback this season, and had his best game to date last week with 121 yards a touchdown and no interceptions against Westmont.  They will look for him to continue to grow and groom him for next season and beyond as the next star Richland QB. [/left]

[left]Forest Hills has won two straight and put themselves back in the playoff hunt. They are in the mess of teams right now with a 4-4 record in the AAA playoff race.  They will look to get over .500 this week and put themselves in position to grab one of the six playoff berths. We usually note Adam Cecere as a passer, but he rushed for 114 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Penn Cambria last week.  Actually as a whole, the rushing game has gotten better in recent weeks getting contributions from Jon Long and Adam Cecere to go along with the regular running back Eric Elgin.  It makes for a lethal combination to opposing defenses. [/left]

[left]Prediction - I look for the elder Bailey to win this chapter of the Bailey Bowl.  Richland has some promising talent, but they haven't put it together this season, and they have been fading for weeks now. On the other hand, Forest Hills is starting to get hot at the right time. [/left]

[left]Rangers 28 Rams 12[/left]



[center]Somerset (4-4) at Penn Cambria (4-4) Friday 7:00[/center]

[left]Following the 35-14 loss to Johnstown, Somerset looked down and out from postseason contention. They have since won two straight, and worked their way back into the conversation.  They really need a win on Friday with Bishop Guilfoyle looming next week. The Golden Eagles had a back and forth contest with Bedford last week, but they held on and secured the victory on the road.  They will need a similar effort this week.  Look for Somerset to turn to Austin Hemminger to carry the load offensively this week, as it has the makings of a physical running type of game. [/left]

[left]Penn Cambria was sitting with a 4-1 record, and many were thinking big things for this Panthers' football team. They have now lost three straight, and things don't look as bright anymore. The high scoring offense has gone quiet for the most part. Nick Hite was putting up great numbers early in the year, and actually he still is producing, but he's having to work much harder as the defense seems to know it's coming.  This Penn Cambria team is capable of beating Somerset, but things are trending against it. [/left]

[left]Prediction -  I like Somerset in this one. They are playing better football right now.  Sometimes, in the case of Penn Cambria, it's just hard to get back on track this late in the year. They need to find a way to stop the bleeding, I'm just not sure they will. [/left]

[left]Golden Eagles 28 Panthers 14[/left]



[center]Bedford (3-5) at Cambria Heights (4-4) Friday 7:00 [/center]

[left]Bedford is riding a four game losing streak. It's a bit shocking, as the Bisons had a promising start to the season. The playoffs hopes look bleak as it stands now, but they'll see if they can sneak in anyway. Davis Kline has had a nice year at quarterback, and had a career high 280 passing yards last week. I imagine Coach Steele will let his junior QB air it out again this week. Bedford was close to pulling out the win last week against Somerset, and have been in each of the past three games for the most part. Just need to change their fortunes somehow. [/left]

[left]Cambria Heights has won four in a row, and look to be in the field for the AA playoff race. The 0-4 start did not look promising, but this is a younger team with just five seniors. It took them a while, but they figured out how to win football games. The offense has been much better in recent weeks, as they are averaging 30 points a game in their four wins. Sophomore fullback Cody Stockley had a strong game last week with 139 yards and two touchdowns, and his role has certainly expanded when this team got it turned around. Could be a coincidence, or he could have been the spark plug. [/left]

[left]Prediction - I think this will be a hard fought game, but I'm going with the home team.  I like the way they are running the ball lately. Bedford will be a desperate team, and that's why I think it'll be a tight game.[/left]

[left]Highlanders 27 Bisons 20[/left]


[center]GAME OF THE WEEK [/center]

[center]Johnstown (8-0) at Bishop Guilfoyle (8-0) Friday 7:00 Mansion Park[/center]

[left]Johnstown had an emotional win over cross-town rival Bishop McCort last week to set up the game of the year. The Trojans have a perfect 8-0 record, and they are ranked 6th in the state in AAAA by Penn Live. Things are going about as perfect as they can be for this football team.  Tony Penna's squad has a balanced and dynamic offense that has plenty of players capable of making big plays. Junior quarterback Austin Barber eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark last week, and has throw 12 touchdowns to just 3 picks. He favors Exree Loe in the passing game, but Theo Tinsley can make big plays as well. Bryce Gibson has had a fantastic season running the ball, and he put together a solid performance with 111 yards and a score last week against McCort, and he too broke the 1,000 yard barrier. Perhaps another weapon is senior Tavis Price, who can contribute running and catching the football. Defensively, Johnstown is likely stronger against the pass with Loe anchoring the secondary and Shamar Jones rushing the QB.  Teams have found some success running the ball on Johnstown, and that could be a concern on Friday for the Trojans. [/left]

[left]Bishop Guilfoyle enters this game having won 40 in a row. They are the two-time defending conference, district, and state champions.  They have played in plenty of big games the past couple of seasons, and they will be ready for what Johnstown will throw at them on Friday. They beat the Trojans 34-0 last year, and 42-3 in 2014, so they have had Johnstown's number. The best asset this Guilfoyle team is that they can do everything well. Senior quarterback Josh Trybus isn't a big time passer, but he makes big throws and can use his feet to make plays. Tight End Luke Frederick and receivers Mark Conrad and Michael Berish are two very good pass catching threats.  The running game fronted by Andrew Irwin is certainly effective, and how couldn't it be with such a strong line paving the way? The defense has surrendered just ten points in the past five games, and they can be downright dominant.  Frederick and Irwin both have double digit sacks through eight games.  [/left]

[left]Prediction - Johnstown is better than the past two teams that were blown out by Guilfoyle, and for that I expect a better game.  Johnstown has weapons to make big plays, and I suspect they will.  I just think overall that Guilfoyle is a more complete team.  Their line should control the line of scrimmage on both sides.  While BG isn't going to be flashy on offense, they'll be effective.  I think they make it win #41 on Friday.  But if there is any team that can beat Guilfoyle before the state championship, it's Johnstown. [/left]

[left]Be sure to check it out on MeTV on Friday, as the WJAC secondary channel is broadcasting the game live. I think it's going to be a bit rainy on Friday, might be a good night to stay in and check this one out.[/left]

[left]Marauders 35 Trojans 21[/left]

[Manfred]

Another great preview, but watch out. Looks like you have a mimic. A wannabe. Lets just say 'Crimson Ghost LITE'.

[CoffinCorner]

As I posted , just trying to get discussion going about some interesting games.
I agree about the bleeding at Penn Cambria, they very well could end the season on a 5 game losing streak.  Hite is a beast but  very little else.  The passing game is abysmal.  If you take away the huge kick return last weak against FH, they really did very little offensively.  Somerset is really hitting stride and should come out of this with a victory.  
Aside from the BG Johnstown game, I think that Bedford vs Cambria Heights could be a very good game. A loss here should eliminate Bedford from playoff discussion.  
Mccort should win in a blowout.