Two dominant backs in Kaven Smith-kirk and Alex McCartney are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Bellefonte Raiders will head out to take on the Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Bellefonte is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took a 33-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of Richland on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 271st, while the Rams are ranked 104th).
Despite the loss, Bellefonte had strong showings from Quinn Park, who rushed for 75 yards and one score on only seven carries, and Ashten Howell, who picked up 67 receiving yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, Bellwood-Antis didn't have too much trouble with Chestnut Ridge on Friday as they won 46-28.
Bellwood-Antis' win came from a few key players Bellefonte will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ethan Shawley, who picked up 100 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 60 yards. Chase Plummer handled things on the ground, rushing for 85 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Bellwood-Antis proved: they limited Chestnut Ridge to a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. The team can thank Plummer for the heroic effort on defense: he. Bellwood-Antis' run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.9 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 4.43 on average over their last three games.
Bellwood-Antis didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Jackson Dorminy led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Christian Jennings also made four total tackles, which is notable because Bellwood-Antis is 2-1 when he posts at least three total tackles, but 2-3 otherwise. Dorminy got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Bellefonte's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Bellwood-Antis, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Bellefonte has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 149.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bellwood-Antis struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 181.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
