Back-to-back district finals for Bellefonte and big football playoff wins for PV and BEA

Bellefonte advanced to the district finals after a dominant victory over Bradford on Saturday. The Red Raiders took down the Owls, 58-18 and did so on the back of star running back, C.J. Funk.

Funk ran all over the Owls, tallying three rushing touchdowns. He was a threat on special teams as well, taking a punt back 81 yards to the house for the Red Raiders.

Bellefonte began the game in a 12-0 hole after allowing Jaron Ambrose to return the opening kick to the one and then muffing the kickoff after a Bradford touchdown. Both resulted in one-yard touchdown runs for Bradford running back Donny Pattison.

However, the Red Raiders’ offense took over from there, scoring 58 points to finish off the Owls. Bellefonte head coach Shanon Manning said that Funk’s punt return touchdown got momentum on the Red Raiders’ side.

“It allowed us to control the game,” Manning said. “After that, we thought about how we could get to a running clock and get off the field without injury to prepare for next week.”

Manning added the importance of Bellefonte making back-to-back district finals for the first time in program history. “It’s huge for our kids,” Manning said. “We have six sophomores who were brought up to the team last year as freshmen, and making two straight (district finals) is a great opportunity.”

The Red Raiders will take on Clearfield next week in the district finals in a rematch from the regular season when Clearfield defeated Bellefonte, 49-21.

Penns Valley moves on

Penns Valley made it four-for-four for Centre County playoff teams this weekend with its win. The Rams beat Southern Huntingdon County, 42-27.

Offensively, the Rams were led by RB Ryan Ripka and QB Aaron Tobias, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for one. Ripka added three TDs on the ground.

They trailed 21-20 with 3:51 left in the third quarter after they had an extra point blocked. The Rams then scored 22 straight points to take the lead for good and clinch the victory.

Penns Valley head coach Martin Tobias said that the idea of winning the Rams’ first home playoff game since 1999 helped them from there. “We just had the wind at our backs,” he said. “Once we got the momentum we just kept it going.”

Penns Valley will play Richland in the district finals next weekend.

‘A game of chess’ for BEA

Bald Eagle took care of business Friday night to advance to the district finals next week. The Eagles defeated Huntingdon, 47-27 and were led by junior quarterback Jaden Jones and senior running back Blake Roberts.

Jones completed nine of his 14 passes for 211 yards and three passing touchdowns, while Roberts toted the rock 15 times for 207 yards and a rushing touchdown. Roberts dealt with a stomach bug during the game that left him dehydrated and nauseous, according to head coach Jesse Nagle.

“Blake would go out, make a big play, and come right back (because of the illness),” Nagle said.

Roberts’ illness can be added to the list of the Eagles’ ailments, as they’ve lost star offensive weapon Gage McClenahan and Matthew Reese, their best blocking wide receiver and shutdown corner, for the season.

“It’s like a game of chess for us right now, trying to move pieces around to put us in the best position to succeed,” Nagle said.

The Eagles will play Forest Hills next weekend in the district finals.

This story was originally published November 3, 2018 at 10:40 PM.