Bellefonte football captures first district championship since 1999
With his teammates surrounding him, gold medals draped around their necks getting ready to pose for pictures on the turf, Bellefonte senior Stephen Kutches offered another reminder of what the Red Raiders just accomplished.
“Hey guys, No. 1. No. 1,” he said shortly after Bellefonte beat Johnstown 34-12 in the District 6 Class 4A championship game Friday night at Hollidaysburg’s Tiger Stadium.
The Red Raiders held up their index fingers to signify their No. 1 finish in the district and smiled for photos. They playfully bit into their gold medals. They had achieved one of their preseason goals with the dominant win, capturing Bellefonte’s first district championship since 1999.
The Red Raiders earned the trophy with the same formula that led to decisive victories on their way to the Mountain League title and their trip to the district final. Bellefonte quarterback Dylan Deitrich led the team’s unstoppable rushing attack, finishing with 169 yards and four touchdowns. The Red Raiders maintained control after taking the lead in the first quarter and pulled away with two Deitrich touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for a Gatorade cooler bath for Red Raiders coach Shanon Manning moments after the final seconds ticked off the clock to start the celebration. The Red Raiders fired fist pumps and let out screams in excitement after making their way through the handshake line. They then lined up and received their gold medals from Manning before being presented with the team trophy. They hugged and posed for photos and enjoyed the cold night in Hollidaysburg.
“We knew how cold it was going to be,” Deitrich said. “We were like, ‘It may be miserable during the game, but you’re not going to feel anything when those last seconds tick off the clock and you’re up.’ Everything just goes away — all the pain and cold goes away and it just feels great.”
The Red Raiders didn’t have school Friday, so they ate breakfast together and reviewed some film before having a cornhole tournament. Bellefonte was ready to go when the team arrived in Hollidaysburg.
The Red Raiders talked about winning the district title since last season ended. They then proved to be one of the top teams in the district with win after win in the regular season.
“The kids were absolutely, positively locked in,” Manning said. “They were locked in.”
The Red Raiders took a 7-6 lead on an eight-yard run by C.J. Funk in the first quarter and pushed their advantage to 14-6 in the second quarter on Deitrich’s first touchdown run. Deitrich added three touchdown runs in the second half: He gave his team a 21-6 lead in the third quarter and put it out of reach with his final two scores in the fourth.
Johnstown couldn’t contain Deitrich and the Bellefonte rushing attack, and the Trojans couldn’t recover after their starting quarterback, Austin Barber, was sidelined with a wrist injury. Barber led Johnstown to a touchdown on the first drive of the game, but he went down on the team’s second drive and didn’t return.
While the Johnstown offense struggled without its leader, the Red Raiders seized control behind Deitrich, who enjoyed the postgame celebration.
“It was amazing,” Deitrich said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a feeling like it other than the (baseball) state championship game, but even then, it almost felt the same.”
The Red Raiders football team turned into a championship program after past years defined by losing. Manning endured a winless campaign, and these seniors were part of losing seasons early in their careers. But they were celebrating as the district champions Friday night.
“To go from four or five years ago 0-10 to a 10-win season and a district title,” Manning said with ice crystals on his damp, gray sweatshirt from the celebration, “it means so much to me to give back to the Bellefonte community and those kids. It’s unbelievable.”
Added Kutches: “It wasn’t expected three months ago. Even years ago, we never thought we’d come and do this. It’s amazing.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 11:53 PM with the headline "Bellefonte football captures first district championship since 1999."