The Cambria Heights Highlanders will square off against the Portage Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cambria Heights will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Friday, Cambria Heights earned a 21-14 victory over Northern Cambria.
Cambria Heights' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaxxon Kline, who rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. That's the most rushing yards Kline has posted since back in November of 2023.
Meanwhile, Portage didn't have quite enough to beat Conemaugh Township on Friday and fell 16-14. Despite 139 more yards than the Indians, the Mustangs couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Loss or not, Portage got some senior leadership from Brendan Smithtro and Bode Layo. Smithtro gained 133 total yards, while Layo picked up 90 receiving yards and a touchdown. Smithtro didn't just play on offense: he also picked up 0.5 sacks and made eight total tackles (1.0 for loss). Issac Willinsky was in the mix as well, providing Portage with a touchdown.
Cambria Heights' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. As for Portage, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Cambria Heights has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 226.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Portage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150.6. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Cambria Heights' way against Portage in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, as Cambria Heights made off with a 24-0 win. Will Cambria Heights repeat their success, or does Portage have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
