Bellefonte looking to capture share of Mountain League title with Curtin Bowl win
Bellefonte coach Shanon Manning knows what’s at stake this week — his Red Raiders can earn a share of the Mountain League title with a win — but he doesn’t want to spend too much time thinking or talking about the potential significance of that achievement.
Manning is more concerned with making sure his team’s prepared to take on Bald Eagle Area (4-5) in Wingate on Friday night.
“To be honest with you, I hate even thinking about uttering those words when there’s still an opponent between it,” Manning said. “Call me superstitious.”
The Red Raiders (7-2) responded to their loss to Huntingdon in their league opener with five decisive wins in conference play, putting them in position to finish in a three-way tie atop the standings with Huntingdon and Central. Bellefonte received some help last Friday when Central handed Huntingdon its first loss of the season.
The Red Raiders players realized they could finish in a three-way tie for the title by Saturday and talked about the possibility throughout the weekend. It was the first time the players discussed the Mountain League title all year — it wasn’t on their minds going into the season and didn’t come up during the first nine weeks.
“I knew we were going to be good with the kids we had,” Bellefonte defensive back Nick Paloskey said. “I wasn’t specifically thinking a Mountain League title. I didn’t know if we had that in us, but this season’s proved it.”
The potential to celebrate a Mountain League title has certainly generated some buzz for the Red Raiders this week. Bald Eagle Area will look to play spoiler in the final game of the regular season against its biggest rival. The Eagles have lost their past three matchups to Bellefonte, but they’ve made strides after earning a combined six wins from 2014-16.
BEA is currently in position to reach the postseason at No. 5 in the District Class 3A rankings — the district takes the top-6 teams — and the Eagles could solidify that spot with an upset win over the Red Raiders.
“We feel pretty good about our chances no matter what the outcome is on Friday, but we can take care of business and win Friday night and we don’t have to worry about it,” BEA coach Jesse Nagle said.
Nagle knows that will be a tall task against the Red Raiders, who are the No. 1 team in District 6 Class 4A. Bellefonte has averaged 46 points per game in its last five league games behind the arm and legs of quarterback Dylan Deitrich (1,101 yards rushing; 939 yards passing) and the county’s top receiver, Cade Fortney (554 yards receiving).
“We got to limit ’em,” Nagle said. “You’re not going to stop ’em. Any coach that says they’re going to stop ’em, they’re telling a lie. They’re going to get theirs.”
The Eagles will also be motivated by knowing the Curtin Bowl is one of the biggest games of the year.
“Losing this game would be a lot worse than losing some other game,” BEA linebacker Kael Gardner said. “Rivalry games always build more tension. There’s going to be bigger hits, more hits. There’s going to be smiling at each other, laughing — not in a good way.”
Even more is on the line this year for the Red Raiders, who can improve their record to 8-2 — good for their best mark since the 2005 team finished at 9-2. That 2005 team also won the Seven Mountains Division championship, which is the program’s most recent title.
Bellefonte will look to claim a share of the 2017 league championship Friday.
“It’s a really big thing for us,” Paloskey said. “We’re just going to think of that when we’re playing this Friday’s game.”
This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Bellefonte looking to capture share of Mountain League title with Curtin Bowl win."