(helmets courtesy of the PA High School Helmet Project)

 

Week 11 - Central Cambria (District 6 Quarterfinal)

                       

    The Bearcats finished as the #4 seed in District 6 AA and will host #5 seed Central Cambria on Saturday, November 8th.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm. 

    Both squads enter the playoffs with 7-3 records.  Both squads have lost a few games that they shouldn't have and both started 2-2.  Huntingdon is riding a five game winning streak while Central Cambria's only blemish after the slow start was a 14-13 loss to undefeated Bishop McCort (A) in week 9.

   The Red Devils are no stranger to Huntingdon although they have not visited War Vets Field in some time.  They have seen the Bearcats at Mansion Park during the AAA playoffs in 1997, 1998.  They were crowned AAA District champs in 2000 and lost in the AA District Final last year, upsetting Tyrone in the semi-final.  Central Cambria is not exceptionally big but very athletic.  The ground game is led by RB Andrew O'Saben, who listed at 5' 11" 170, is not big but is quick and uses his quality line to find the open seams and likes to get outside.  They have other weapons, as well.

    On defense they run a 4-3 and depending on the coverage scheme may walk the safety up to have more of a 4-4 look.  They prefer to get eight men in the box and have you earn every yard you get.  They like to blitz two linebackers consistently.  Their secondary is very athletic and comes up with interceptions at key times.  

    Huntingdon survived a thriller with Philipsburg last week.  The offense continued to move the ball and put points on the board but the defense must return to its mid-season form to stop the vaunted Red Devil attack.  Junior RB Scott Minor will again be a big part of the Huntingdon attack but the Cats must show some balance during the playoffs to be successful.

    This team needs to see and hear your support.  IT IS PLAYOFF TIME and we need YOU to come out and root on these Bearcats ! ! !  BE THERE

    Other AA playoff action includes Bald Eagle at Tyrone, Richland at Forest Hills on Friday and Penn Cambria at Central on Saturday.

 

Week 10 - Philipsburg-Osceola

     Homecoming proved to be an exciting night as the Bearcats defeated the heavily favored Clearfield Bisons last Friday 33-7.  Let's keep this win in perspective in preparation for this week.  We still need to work on several areas of our game plan and it must be business as usual.  Clearfield came in to Huntingdon after a big win against Central and possibly let down.  Once we got ahead by 21 points they had to play catch up which is not their strength.  A great win that has vaulted us into fourth place in the district but let's move on and build more excitement and memories.  A win against Philipsburg will lock up the fourth spot and give us a first round home playoff game.

     We now need to avoid a let down as the Mounties visit War Vets Field for a scheduled 7:00 pm kickoff on Friday night.  The team will work hard on that this week, guaranteed.  Philipsburg will arrive for our Senior Night crowd with a record of 2-7 and mathematically out of the AA playoffs but still have weapons that can cause a concern for the up and coming Bearcats.  The Mounties have wins against Lewistown and Penns Valley to their credit.  They are led by Junior RB/S Zach Czap who is their go-to guy on offense, lines up in several spots on defense and handles most of the return duties.  He will line up as a wing on offense, go in motion and somehow be involved in the play.  Philipsburg is smaller than other Bearcat opponents this year but they are athletic and play with pride.  A win against Huntingdon would make their year.

     The Bearcats will ride the legs of Junior RB Scott Minor, who has gained over 100 yards four weeks in a row.  Look for the Cats to also look to other dimensions of the game including using other running backs and improving the passing attack.  The defense held Clearfield to just 7 points when they average over 40.  The bend but don't break strategy worked last week but the unit must continue to get better each and every week.

    How important is special teams?  It is the one factor that gave the Cats great field position last week and allowed them to score early on and later in the game.  The punting and kicking of Junior Andrew Cerett and Junior Andrew Hallahan has and should continue to be an advantage for Huntingdon.

    Come out for the regular-season finale to honor the Seniors and as always enjoy great friends, great food and great Bearcat Football.

    This week begins the playoffs in the 15-team Class A bracket.  Mount Union is currently ranked 10th but have lost very close decisions to Huntingdon, Northern Bedford and Bellwood-Antis.  Look for them to make some noise in this bracket.  Bishop McCort will be the first seed and earn the first-round bye.  Check out all the District 6 rankings by going to the link on our home page.  Hollidaysburg is the first seed in AAA and State College is undefeated after a big win over Bishop McDevitt and is the number one AAAA seed.

     The AA playoff race includes Tyrone first followed by Central, Forest Hills and Huntingdon.  Central Cambria, Penn Cambria, Richland and Westmont-Hilltop round out the current top eight teams.  A Bald Eagle win over rival Bellefonte and a Westmont loss to favored Forest Hills would vault Bald Eagle into the eighth spot.  Central plays at Tyrone in a battle of the top two seeds.  Central Cambria plays at Somerset but would not pick up enough points to overcome Huntingdon, if both teams win. 

 

Week 9 - Clearfield               

The Clearfield Bisons make their trek to War Vets Field on Friday for a scheduled 7:00 pm kickoff for Homecoming.

Class AAA Clearfield is bringing with them a high powered offense led by Senior QB Jarrin Campman.  He has passed for nearly 1,000 yards but also averages over 6 yards per carry on the ground.  When you couple that with Senior RB Isiah Morgan gaining almost 1,000 yards on the ground (8.8 avg), Clearfield can jump out on you early and often.  The Bisons lost their opener to DuBois 35-28 but have been on fire since, including a win over Tyrone 35-34 in week 4.

This will be another test for the Bearcats as they continue to get better and build momentum for the playoffs.  Clearfield will give up points and Huntingdon must take advantage of opportunities to win this game.  The offense will also need to sustain drives to keep the ball in their hands and not Clearfield's.  The running of Scott Minor and an improving passing attack will hopefully give the Cats the balance they need to be successful.

It is important to keep in mind that this is one game and win or lose, the Bearcats must stay focused on their plans for 2008.  They have a solid lock on the AA playoffs and a chance at securing a first round home game.  Next week, the Bearcats will host Philipsburg-Osceola for Senior Night and Clearfield will host St Marys.

Come out and see what promises to be a very exciting game and homecoming evening.  Stop by the food booth for excellent food and cheer on your Bearcats.

 

Week 8 - Bald Eagle Area     

   After seven weeks, the Bearcats have begun to find their identity and find themselves tied for fifth place with Penn Cambria in the eight team playoff race.  The top four teams get a first round home game.  Central Cambria is in fourth place with a one game lead.  For a complete look at the District 6 standings click on the link located on the homepage.

   The Bearcat slow start to the season may end up being a very good building block as the season progresses.  Their losses are to teams that are a combined 19-2 for the season.  Only AAA St Marys is a team that they may not see again in the playoffs.  A tough win over Mount Union in the first game is the Trojans only blemish on their very successful start as they prove to be a very good team.

   Bald Eagle comes into the game with a 2-5 record.  They had beaten Philipsburg-Osceola (22-6) and Penns Valley (14-11) to begin the season but have had a tough road since, losing to Saint Marys, Central Mountain, Tyrone, Clearfield and Central.  Bald Eagle will be looking to dampen the Huntingdon playoff hopes with a big win on their home turf and a repeat of last year's result.  They are big and strong and if they can score points could be successful in this mission.  They will use a combination of spread and other formations to keep the defense on their toes but rely primarily on the run.  They always seem to have at least one big running back and this year is no different.

   The Bearcats must keep focus on taking the season one week at a time and seek redemption of last year's showing on the field grass turf.  Junior Scott Minor has led the resurgence of the Bearcat running game and a cast of characters is contributing through the air led by Junior QB Nathan Betts.  Special teams is always important to Huntingdon and could be the difference in a tight game.  The line, both offense and defense, has been a big reason for the success.

   Game time is set for Friday at 7:00 pm at Alumni Field in Wingate.  Directions can be found on this website.  Please get on board and support these Bearcats as they make the drive for the playoffs.  We need more fans than what we have had for the last two away games at Lewistown. 

   Next week Bald Eagle travels to Lewistown while Huntingdon will entertain Clearfield.

 

Week 7 - Lewistown            

With a victory over rival Indian Valley last Friday, the Bearcats find themselves in the middle of the District 6 AA playoff race.  Friday's victory was impressive for several reasons including the fact that we got down early and battled back, took the lead and played a full game of football.  A slow start did not hamper the Cats. 

Another reason was the emergence of Scott Minor as a gritty, grind it out and get extra yards tailback.  His legs kept pumping as he had several Warrior tacklers on him almost every play.  The improving line play and debut of freshman Nick Smith on the line contributed to this success.  This was a team victory.  Scott had 166 yards but did not score.  Touchdowns by relative unknowns Sean Houck, Jake Reid and Nathan Mykut will allow the more familiar names to get less attention and be more productive.  A sad note is that Senior Flanker and Defensive Back, Derek Heath, was lost for the season due to a knee injury during the IV game.  Several players that have been nursing less serious injuries should return to the lineup this week.

The Cats travel to Mitchell Field in Lewistown for the second consecutive week for a 7:00 pm showdown with the winless Lewistown Panthers.  Last week the Panthers traveled to Central and lost a homecoming verdict 48-15 to the Scarlet Dragons.

Lewistown primarily uses the spread offense and has good athletes in several positions.  They are not afraid to throw the ball and should be a good test for the young Bearcat squad.  Defensively, the Panthers operate out of a 4-4 scheme and again have good athletes in certain spots. 

The Cats will need to have success early to put points on the board and get ahead of this dangerous Lewistown team.  Do not be fooled by the record, they can hang around and be in the game.  The weather promises to be great for the 40 minute drive to support your Bearcats.  As we make a push for post-season play, please make an effort to come out and root on your team.  Enjoy the autumn leaves and the cool, crisp air.

Next week the Bearcats travel to Wingate to play Bald Eagle Area on the field turf while Lewistown will travel to the friendly confines of Gray Memorial Field in Tyrone.

 

 

 

Week 6 - Indian Valley           

 

Where is the time going?  Here we are in week six already and October is just beginning.  This week's match up pairs two teams struggling to find themselves and both are at 2-3 on the season.  Both teams have had good wins and had losses where they could not score points.

 

Indian Valley continues to offer a mis-direction offense that has been effective in the past while Huntingdon is struggling to be consistent in their offense and failing to maintain long drives.  Both defenses are effective at times but also show inconsistencies.

 

This seems to be a week of two evenly matched teams with the deciding edge being who wants it more.  Take the drive to Lewistown's Mitchell Field to see just who wants this win and support your Bearcats.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

 

Week 5 - Central Dragons       

This year's squad is displaying a Jekyll & Hyde personality that has led to a 2-2 record in this young season.  At times, the club has played well enough to be 4-0 and at other times they have played bad enough to be 1-3.  The win against Penns Valley (24-2) was the lone complete game against an opponent but still left room for improvement.  The four levels of Bearcat football outscored Penns Valley 95-2 last week.

If the team is to make any appearance in the post-season it seems that this week would be a good time to begin putting it together on every play of every drive of every quarter of every game.  That won't be an easy task as the somewhat surprisingly undefeated Central Dragons visit War Vets Field on Friday for an expected 7:00 pm kickoff.  The Dragons (4-0) have wins against Penns Valley (13-12), Indian Valley (40-25), Bellefonte (19-0) and Philipsburg-Osceola (48-28).  It is true that the Dragons have not seen the level of competition that the Bearcats have but they are putting points on the board and play four quarters of football every game.  They were behind at Philipsburg before taking control of the game in the second half, scoring just before the half to set the tone.

Come out to cheer on your BEARCATS ! ! !  This team needs you to get them pumped up and ready to go.

Next week Central will host Lewistown in an oddly-scheduled Saturday at 4:00 pm contest while Huntingdon will travel to Indian Valley (Mitchell Field in Lewistown) Friday evening.

 

Week 4- St. Marys            

The Bearcats travel to Dutch Country Stadium in St. Marys this Friday evening in a match up of one loss teams.  Please check this website for directions to the field and the Fan Forum for bus information.

The Flying Dutchmen play their first home game this season after opening with a 24-20 loss to Bellefonte and bouncing back to beat Lewistown (36-0) and Bald Eagle (21-0) all on the road.  St. Marys employs a Wing-T offense and rely primarily on the run.  They have athletes that get the job done and are quite happy grinding the ball down the field.

On defense, the Dutchmen use a 3-5-3 defense using the blitz and other schemes to fill the gaps on the line.  Junior LB Sean Sadosky seems to be the most active defensive player and is built solid at 6-0, 210.

The Bearcats rebounded after their loss last week to Tyrone by beating Penns Valley 24-2.  The young Huntingdon squad continues to progress each week and showed that on Friday night by controlling both lines of scrimmage.  The defense continues to be more polished than the offense but a simplified attack has helped the Bearcats.

Keep an eye of the special teams as they could be a deciding factor in this game.

 

 

Week 3 - Penns Valley       

Last week showed that the Bearcat defense, although good, can not be on the field too long. The offense must find some consistency to be effective in scoring and keeping the other team off the field.

Penns Valley will enter foreign soil on Friday as they have not been to War Vets Field for the first time in the Zauzig era. The Rams have a history of tough, grind it out offense and tough defense. They come into the contest with an 0-2 record having lost two tough contests to Central and Bald Eagle.

This Penns Valley team is not huge but very athletic. They spread the ball around and try to keep you off balance.

The Bearcats know what they need to do so come out for a scheduled 7:00 kickoff and enjoy a great evening of football.

 

 

 

Week 2 - Tyrone               

Last week's 7-6 win over Mount Union showed a few things to the Bearcat Nation. First, the Trojans should prove to be a pretty good team this year. Second, the Bearcats will need to improve if they have high aspirations this year and third, if the Bearcats can show the intensity for 48 minutes that they showed for the final 4 minutes against the Trojans they will be a pretty good team.

The Cats better be ready this week when Tyrone visits War Vets Field for a 7:00 kickoff on Friday night. The Golden Eagles are fresh off a 27-6 victory over rival Bellwood-Antis in which they dominated both sides of the ball. Tyrone will once again employ a ball control running game and use the pass to keep teams honest. Senior RB Mark Mingle is the go-to guy and he is a force at 6-2, 210.

The Bearcats had success last week in holding a similar style offense to 6 points but this is Tyrone and the intensity on offense must improve for the Cats to win this one. Special teams always seem to play a role in key games. Come out to visit an always improving War Vets Field and enjoy the good food, good friends and good football that promises to be part of the evening and root on our Bearcats ! ! !
 

 

 

Week 1 - Mount Union       

Week one is always interesting around the district with its share of rivalry games and the Huntingdon at Mount Union is a great example of this. Both teams are coming off mediocre seasons but show a lot of promise for 2008.

The Bearcats have enjoyed the victory in this match up in recent years but do not consider this one a walk in the park. Mount Union returns very good athletes in key positions and have a gritty ball control offense and talented defense that will be a great test for the still-young Bearcats.

Huntingdon will try to take advantage of its own athletic talents and may rely a bit more on the "spread offense" but will still employ the usual multi-formation strategies that they have in the past. Junior Nathan Betts will lead the offense after taking over the starting QB duties at mid-season last year.

Game time in Mount Union is scheduled for 7:00 pm. Come out and cheer on your Bearcats as they start the new season. Bees have been a problem in the past in the visiting bleachers so be careful.

Mount Union will entertain West Branch in week two while Huntingdon will host Tyrone.

 

Preseason Game - Hollidaysburg

 

Hollidaysburg visits War Vets Field on Friday, August 22nd for a scheduled 6:00 pm start.

 

Hollidaysburg scrimmaged Altoona last week while the Bearcats traveled to Shippensburg on Saturday.  Shippensburg is a team that has improved every year and they are coming off a successful 7-4 and district playoff qualifier and are returning many starters for the 2008 campaign.  Both teams moved the ball in the 10 play scrimmage system used for the game with few scoring plays.  This is normal for the first scrimmage as defense usually comes together quicker than the offense.  The coaches walked away from this one seeing some very positive things but knowing they will really need improvement in the next two weeks.

 

The scrimmage with Hollidaysburg will be a very good test for the Bearcats as Hollidaysburg is geared up for another successful season.  The Golden Tigers return many senior starters from a 9-3 team who lost to Indian Valley in the District 6 AAA Final.  Hollidaysburg attended passing league in Huntingdon this summer and was, by far, the most polished team at that early time of the pre-season.  The Bearcats gave them a good battle every week so it will make for a good scrimmage Friday night.

 

The format of the scrimmage will be extra points for each team, getting the ball from the 10 or 20 yard line and then two quarters of game situation football.  Punts will be live to the catch.  Blitzing will be allowed.  The non-starters will see action via a 10 play alternating format.

 

Come out and bring your friends and family to catch this preseason action.