Two dominant backs in Alex McCartney and Brody Hutter are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils will challenge the River Valley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
River Valley will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Bellwood-Antis extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Blue Devils strolled past Forest Hills with points to spare, taking the game 45-27.
Chase Plummer went supernova, rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also forced one fumble and made nine total tackles.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bellwood-Antis was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 375 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in August of 2024.
Meanwhile, River Valley's contest on Friday was close up to the half, but then they kicked things up a notch. They blew past Northern Cambria 38-14. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 52nd, while the Colts are ranked 228th).
Bellwood-Antis better keep an eye on Max Persichetti. He was instrumental in River Valley's win, throwing for 170 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 52 yards and one score. Those 170 passing yards gave Persichetti a new career-high.
Bellwood-Antis' record now sits at 6-4. As for River Valley, their record is now 9-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Bellwood-Antis has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 196 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like River Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 237 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Bellwood-Antis against River Valley in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 43-14 win. In that contest, the Blue Devils amassed a halftime lead of 22-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
