Bald Eagle Area defeated Forest Hills, 21-16, and captured the Eagles’ first District 6 title in 30 years on Friday night at Mansion Park in Altoona.
Blake Roberts scored two touchdowns and had a game-sealing interception as BEA won the District 6 AAA championship and a spot in the PIAA first round next weekend.
The Eagles (10-2) took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jaden Jones to Kael Gardner. But the Rangers (9-3) went ahead before halftime on a five-play drive capped by quarterback Adam Cecere’s two-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion put Forest Hills up 8-6.
BEA went back in front in the third quarter as Jones led the Eagles downfield and Roberts punched it in from four yards out. A Jones pass to Nick Turner for a two-point conversion gave the Eagles a 14-8 lead.
Roberts’ two-yard touchdown run and Peter Van Cise’s extra point put BEA ahead 21-8 with under two minutes to go in the game.
Forest Hills quickly marched down field and scored on a five-yard pass from Cecere to Forrest Wolfhope followed by a two-point conversion to pull within 21-16. The Rangers then recovered an onside kick, but as time was running out Roberts picked off a Cecere pass to seal the championship win.
State College 55, McDowell 20
State College jumped out to an early three touchdown lead and beat Erie McDowell, 55-20, for a subregional win Friday night at St. Francis University.
The Little Lions (11-1) advance to the PIAA first round next weekend.
Dresyn Green’s five-yard touchdown run capped an 80-yard opening drive to put State College in front and after a defensive stop it was Green again, this time from four yards out, to give State College a 13-0 lead.
The Little Lions then recovered a surprise onside kick and set up in Trojans territory. A leaping 11-yard touchdown catch by Keaton Ellis on a Tommy Friberg pass put State College ahead 20-0 with 2:55 to go in the first quarter.
McDowell (7-5) rebounded by pounding the run game and got in the end zone on a 20-yard catch by Hunter Sorenson. Elijah Lopez then broke off a 22-yard touchdown run to pull within 20-13.
But State College started to pull away on the ensuing kickoff, which Isaiah Edwards returned 86 yards for a score and a 27-13 lead heading into halftime.
Edwards found the end zone again, taking a direct snap for a one-yard score with 4:55 to go in the third. Less than two minutes later, Cohen Russell took a reverse 50 yards for a 41-13 State College lead.
Brady Dorner ran 80 yards for a touchdown late in the third and Edwards tacked on a 27-yard score in the fourth.
Clearfield 49, Bellefonte 21
Clearfield took a 21-0 first quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 49-21 win over Bellefonte in the District 6-9 AAAA championship Friday night at E.J. Mansell Stadium in DuBois.
The Bison (12-0) got scoring runs of 19 and eight yards by Brett Zatoni and six yards by Caleb Freeland to take a three touchdown lead with 2:30 still left in the first.
Bellefonte (9-3) came back with an 85-yard drive keyed by quarterback Kyle Myers’ running and a 15-yard touchdown pass to Noah Badger with just under 10 minutes left in the half.
Clearfield struck back with touchdown runs by quarterback Isaac Rumery and Freeland to extend the lead to 35-7. Myers got one back on a one-yard touchdown run, but with 2:41 left in the half, the Bison recovered the onside kick attempt. Rumery’s 45-yard pass to Brock Lezzer got Clearfield inside the 5 and the quarterback ran it in from a yard out to make it 42-14 at the half.
A 20-yard touchdown run by Freeland late in the third quarter extended the Bison lead, and a 10-yard touchdown run by Bellefonte’s Mason Grey in the fourth quarter rounded out the scoring.
Clearfield advances to the PIAA playoff first round.
Richland 59, Penns Valley 7
Penns Valley saw its season come to an end Friday night, falling to host and top-seeded Richland, 59-7, in the District 6 AA semifinals.
Penns Valley (8-4) took its opening drive to the Richland (12-0) 2, but Richland recovered a fumble and went 98 yards for a score and an early 7-0 lead.
Richland recovered another fumble and scored on a pass from Joe Hauser to Griffin Larue, then added another on a catch-and-run by Trevor Tustin to extend the lead to 21-0.
Penns Valley got on the board when quarterback Aaron Tobias hit Ryan Ripka on third-and-long for a 97-yard touchdown pass to pull within 21-7.
But Richland pulled away with a pair of touchdowns sandwiched around a fumble recovery to take a 33-7 lead into the half.
It was all Richland in the second half, with Tustin scoring twice, kicker Tim Bodenschatz’s 27-yard field goal, and a long touchdown run late by backup quarterback Kellan Stahl.
