BELLEFONTE – The Bellefonte football team emphatically ensured on Oct. 28 that the Curtin Bowl would stay safely in its place in the Red Raiders’ trophy case.
Playing in their final regular-season game of the season against neighborhood rival Bald Eagle Area at Rogers Stadium, the Raiders overwhelmed BEA 35-0.
Bellefonte sprinted out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, extended that to 29-0 by halftime, and then rode out the second half for its fifth victory of the season.
Playoffs?
Senior quarterback Tyler Kreger and receiver Cade Fortney led the way for the Raiders.
Kreger completed eight of 13 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and he also ran for another 72 yards on 12 attempts and two more touchdowns. In all, he accounted for 269 yards of Bellefonte’s offense and had a hand in all five touchdowns.
Fortney had a career night out at receiver, mostly on short screen passes in which he used his running ability after the catch. He snared seven balls for 169 yards and a score, and he also set up the Raiders’ third touchdown with a 76-yard catch-and-run midway through the second quarter.
Bellefonte passed and ran for 16 first downs and 343 yards of offense in the game, all while its defense was shutting out BEA and holding it to fewer than 100 total yards. The Eagles managed just 20 yards rushing on 18 attempts.
“We did everything we could to win this football game,” Bellefonte coach Shannon Manning said. “It was important to us, and it was big, letting these kids finish with a non-losing season.
“We had every opportunity to win seven games this season, but we didn’t. But I can tell you it was not because these kids don’t work hard. That’s not the situation.”
Both teams began the game with three-and-outs, but Bellefonte began to get moving on its second possession. The Raiders started on their own 28 after an Eagle punt and drove 72 yards on six plays for the first touchdown of the night. Gaven Danneker broke wide open from 19-yards out, and Kreger led him perfectly for a 7-0 Raider lead.
Just three minutes later, after BEA quarterback Tanner Kresovich was intercepted by Dylan Deitrich, the Raiders covered the 28 yards remaining in six plays and took a 14-0 lead. Kreger took it in himself on a 13-yard option play over the right side of the BEA defense.
Down by 14 points now, the Eagles tried to get it together. They ran 12 plays in their next two possessions and controlled Bellefonte, but penalties and another interception scuttled both drives.
After that second interception — by defensive lineman Eli Lipscomb on his own 23-yard line — Fortney broke a second-down pass for a 76-yard gain all the way to the BEA five. On the next play, Kreger took it in, and Bellefonte was up 22-0 after a two-point conversion.
“I’m getting good blocks from my guys,” Fortney said, “coach is calling the right plays. I was just trying to run up field.”
Bellefonte’s first half was still not finished. After forcing another three-and-out and another punt, the Raiders scored their fourth touchdown after a 52-yard march in the final minutes of the second quarter. This time it was a 17-yard strike over the middle from Kreger to Tanner Helms, and Bellefonte took one of its few halftime leads of the season.
“I was actually a little nervous,” Fortney said about the lead, “because we were not usually in that position. So we definitely tried to keep our foot on the pedal.”
BEA received the second-half kickoff, and the Eagles knew they had to try to make things happen. They went for it on a fourth-and-6, but Gage McClenahan’s run fell short, and Bellefonte took over.
Six plays later — and aided by two big defensive penalties by BEA — Fortney took a Kreger pass 23 yards into the end zone for a 35-0 Raider lead. Fortney’s touchdown initiated the mercy rule, and neither team scored again under a running clock.
“We are extremely proud of how we ended the season,” Fortney said, “no matter what the outcome is of the playoffs.
“This game is always a big game, always one that you look forward to. It’s a great feeling, everything coming together.”
