Football Preview: Port Allegany Gators vs. Ridgway/Johnsonburg
The Port Allegany Gators will head out to take on Ridgway/Johnsonburg at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Port Allegany knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Ridgway/Johnsonburg likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Port Allegany at home against Union/Allegheny-Clarion Valley as the squad secured a 57-20 victory. Given the Gators' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 113th, while the are ranked 380th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Aiden Bliss continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 208 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 13.0 yards per carry, and also catching a touchdown. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 127 rushing yards dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Chase Boyd, who rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Port Allegany was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 357 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 179 rushing yards in 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Port Allegany's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged five passes before it was all said and done. Nick Wilfong led the group effort, picking up three of those interceptions all by himself.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ridgway/Johnsonburg, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past Coudersport, posting a 45-16 win at home. Ridgway/Johnsonburg's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Ridgway/Johnsonburg's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Rocco Delhunty, who rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries, and Michael Gerg, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. The dominant performance gave Delhunty a new career-high in rushing yards.
Port Allegany pushed their record up to 5-0 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Ridgway/Johnsonburg, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 2-3 record.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Port Allegany has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 396.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Ridgway/Johnsonburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 266.8. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Port Allegany against Ridgway/Johnsonburg in their previous meeting back in August of 2023, as the team secured a 40-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Port Allegany since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
