Abington Heights barely escapes Valley View in Pa.

For Abington Heights (Clarks Summit), state-ranked in Triple-A, it was a scare like none other this season. For Valley View (Archbald), call it a statement and a possible calling card for the playoffs.

After a scoreless first half, Abington's James Fruehan returned a punt nearly 70 years and Charlie Armetta booted a short field goal in a 10-7 victory over the Cougars in Peckville last Friday night.

For the high-scoring Comets' offense, it was a wake-up call against the mighty View. The Cougars held the Clarks Summit school to only 160 yards of total offense and 84 yards rushing.

"We knew it was going to be a physical game," AH head coach Joe Repshis told the Scranton Times-Tribune. "When you have big, strong athletic kids who are physical, you are going to have hard hitting. That was a very, very good Valley View team. I'm proud of my guys. They hung together: We got a spark and our defense did a great job, too."

The difference, like coaches say all the time, was special teams.

A punt return for six points.

A dependable kicker connecting with his leg.

"Coming out of halftime, you have to make a momentum change," Fruehan told the newspaper. "They were smacking us in the mouth and we were facing adversity. Somebody had to make a play. Dante Pasqualichio and Matt Badamo made key blocks."

Valley View, sitting fourth in the current District 2 Class AAA playoff standings, had nothing to hang its head about. A Liam Callejas 22-yard pass was hauled in by Brian Lalli to trim the deficit to 10-7, but it would get no closer.

"These kids never quit," VV head coach George Howanitz said. "I am proud of them. I actually feel bad. They played great at times, but we made a couple of mistakes."

2. Southern controls Bloom: Everyone thought it would be close. Instead, Southern Columbia (Catawissa) flexed its muscle once again. Tyrell Thomas broke a tied ballgame with a 70-yard run, and Southern rushed past Bloomsburg, 41-14, the Sunbury Daily-Item reported. The Tigers bounced back from a tough defeat to unblemished Lewisburg with a 588-yard total-offense day. Thomas had 145 yards and Jake Morton added three scores. "We knew they were going to get tired sooner or later, and we knew we had to keep running the ball to get them to that point," Thomas told the newspaper. "We did wear them down, and we took care of business from there."

3. Selinsgrove wins third straight: For Spencer Hotaling, it was sweet redemption. After missing an extra point earlier in the game, Hotaling was the saving grace in the fourth quarter, booting a short field goal with eight seconds left to lift Selinsgrove past Shikellamy, 24-21, according to the Sunbury Daily-Item. "My coaches and friends were telling me after I missed to just focus and think about what I have to do and they would give me some chances later on to make up for that. I felt a lot of pressure, but I just knew I had to do what I normally do and kick the ball straight through." Selinsgrove's offense had a strong day. Kyle Reinard had two scores and almost 180 yards on the ground, while Zach Rager had 157 yards on six catches.

4. State College breaks into win column: A year after reaching the state's Quad-A championship game, State College has finally broken into the win column. Josh Weakland threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns – two to Colton Myers – as State College ripped past Carlisle, 46-10. "We knew the level of competition we've played, but we felt that we were never really as bad as 0-5," State head coach Al Wolski told the Centre Daily Times. "We were a good 0-5 team, if there is such a thing. The first one is always a good one and a good one to build on. We are going to have a little motto, driving for five, and we have four of those left." The Little Lions rushed for 276 yards – 140 of those by tailback Luke Jones.

5. Portage handed first regular-season loss since 2006: Mistakes came back to cost Portage a shot at a perfect season. The Mustangs trailed 14-0 and couldn't complete the rally, as Conemaugh Township (Davidsville) won 21-14 last Friday. According to the Altoona Mirror, it was Portage's first regular-season loss since 2006. Two turnovers and eight penalties put the Mustangs in a tough position as Conemaugh ran 64 plays and held Portage to five first downs. "We were able to keep their offense off the field," CT head coach Sam Zambanini told the newspaper. "Our defense stepped up and put their hearts into it, and we were able to execute just enough on offense to win."

Top Games for Week 7
District 2
1. Lakeland (Jermyn) at Dunmore
2. GAR Memorial (Wilkes-Barre) at Lake-Lehman
District 4
1. Southern Columbia at Danville
2. Hughesville at Bloomsburg
District 6
1. Indian Valley (Lewistown) at Bellefonte
2. Penn Cambria (Cresson) at Forest Hills (Sidman)

Fox Top 10
(Rankings based on Central and Northeastern Pa. Last week’s ranking and result after school name)
1. Abington Heights, 1, beat Valley View, 10-7
2. North Schuylkill (Ashland), 2, beat Tamaqua, 49-0
3. Lewisburg, 3, beat Montoursville, 31-3
4. Southern Columbia, 5, beat Bloomsburg, 41-14
5. Tyrone, 4, beat Central Mountain, 28-0
6. Riverside (Taylor), 6, beat Western Wayne, 44-23
7. Forest Hills, 7, beat Central Cambria, 48-13
8. Danville, 8, beat Jersey Shore, 49-7
9. Dallas, 9, beat Wyoming Valley West, 21-17
10. West Scranton, 10, beat Scranton, 34-8

Honorable Mention: North Pocono (Moscow), Williamsport, Dunmore, Bellwood-Antis, Bloomsburg, GAR Memorial, Indian Valley, Greater Johnstown, Portage, Towanda, Bishop Carroll (Ebensburg), Mount Carmel, Lakeland, Valley View, Hughesville.

Tom Fox is sports editor at The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Northeastern Pa. for MaxPreps. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.