By John Hartsock

jhartsock@altoonamirror.com

After reaching the District 6 Class 3A football championship game last season and losing there to Central, the Penn Cambria Panthers have been a team on a mission this fall.

Penn Cambria carries a 7-0 overall and Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference record into its conference game at Bellwood-Antis tonight. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on John Hayes Field at Bellwood’s Memorial Stadium.

“It’s definitely not a surprise,” Penn Cambria two-way senior standout Gavin Harrold said of his team’s performance so far this season. “We know that we have a good team this year, and we had to show it. At the start of this season, we were the hunter rather than being the hunted.

“We know that we’re going to get the best from every single team that we play this year, and I think that we’ve been doing well against every team that we’ve played,” Harrold added. “We know that we have to be prepared, and that we have to execute.”

Central has won four District 6 Class 3A titles in a row, but the Panthers are the favorites to take home the district championship trophy in 3A this season.

“We’re not done yet,” said Harrold, who lines up at a variety of skill positions, including quarterback on occasion, on offense, and also is a defensive starter in the secondary. “We still have a lot of goals that we want to accomplish this year. We definitely want to win a district championship this year — that’s one of our main goals.”

The Panthers have been particularly efficient over the last four weeks, racking up 157 total points and surrendering a total of just 27.

“We’re excited about how we’ve been playing the last few weeks,” Penn Cambria coach Nick Felus said. “We’re not satisfied — there are areas where we still need to get better, but our kids have been playing extremely hard, and they’ve been extremely physical on both sides of the ball.”

Harrold has rushed for 301 yards on 40 carries and nine touchdowns this season, while catching 35 passes for 483 yards and five scores. Senior running back Tommy Plunkett has rushed for 625 yards on 99 carries for four touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Brady Jones is a dual running and passing threat for the Panthers. Jones has completed 55 of 87 passes for 809 yards and seven touchdowns this season, while rushing for 438 yards and five touchdowns on five carries.

“We have some game breakers on offense with Gavin Harrold and Tommy Plunkett, and Brady Jones is a dual threat at quarterback who has a lot of decisions to make on the field, and is doing a great job and playing with a lot of poise,” Felus said.

Bellwood-Antis is 5-2 overall and in LHAC competition. The Blue Devils lost to unbeaten Bishop Guilfoyle Academy, 41-12, last Saturday at Mansion Park. Bellwood’s inability to finish offensive drives was a problem for the Blue Devils, who moved inside the BG 30-yard-line on three different occasions in the first half of the game, but came up scoreless as the Marauders built a 28-0 halftime lead.

“We have to make sure that we do the little things right this week and clean up some things from our game last week,” Bellwood coach Nick Lovrich said. “We have to try to be a little bit more successful moving the football and finishing plays.”

Lovrich is impressed with Penn Cambria.

“They’re a really good football team,” Lovrich said of the Panthers. “They’re tough up front, and they have some good skill kids. The Harrold kid is a very good athlete who makes a lot of plays for them, and their quarterback does a very good job of running the ball when he decides to run.

“They’re just a very good team all-around,” Lovrich added.

Bellwood senior quarterback Holden Schreier has completed 56 of his 100 passes for 894 yards and seven touchdowns this season, while rushing for another 126 yards and two scores.

The Bellwood rushing game is led by junior back Colin Gibbons, who has run for 502 yards on 74 carries and six touchdowns. He also has 15 receptions for 157 yards. Sophomore back Bradyn Partner has rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns on 71 carries, while senior back/wideout Cayden Pellegrine has rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries, and caught 16 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior wideout Griffin Kyle has 13 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore wideout Ethan Shawley has seven receptions, including three for touchdowns.

“They’re a very tough, hard-nosed team that is very disciplined and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Felus said of the Blue Devils. “Their quarterback plays very well, makes a lot of good decisions out on the field, and shows an ability to make plays with his legs as well as with his arm.

“Coach Lovrich has done a good job with their program and always has the players well-prepared,” Felus added. “We’re expecting them to be ready to play on Friday.”

Penn Cambria at Bellwood-Antis.

When: Tonight, 7 p.m. at Bellwood’s John Hayes Field at Memorial Stadium.

Records: Penn Cambria is 7-0 overall and in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference. Bellwood-Antis is 5-2 overall and in the conference.

Coaches/career records: Penn Cambria’s Nick Felus, 43-49. Bellwood’s Nick Lovrich, 51-21.

Last week: Penn Cambria defeated Chestnut Ridge on the road, 45-7. Bellwood-Antis lost, 41-12, to Bishop Guilfoyle Academy at Mansion Park.