Cambria Heights second-year coach Justin Myers finally knows what it feels like to get a victory shower.
The Highlanders earned an emotional 26-20 double overtime victory over Somerset on Friday, snapping a 35-game Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference drought and gave Myers the customary dunking from the cooler for his first win as a head coach.
Senior back Jeremy Priester was the epitome of a workhorse for the Highlanders, rushing 40 times for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the victory over the Golden Eagles.
Cambria Heights’ last win, 31-18, came in 2006 in a Week 10 matchup against Moshannon Valley, but the Highlanders last LHAC win came in 2004 in the third game of the season, a 44-36 victory over then-LHAC member Central of Martinsburg. Later that season, the Highlanders, picked up a forfeit win over Penn Cambria and defeated Northern Cambria 36-30 in the Coal Bowl to end the season 3-7.
n The penalty phase: Laurel Valley (2-0) had no penalties in its 29-22 victory over Penns Manor (0-2). On the other side, Johnstown (1-1) had seven penalties, including three holding infractions, for 65 yards in the first half of its 27-21 overtime loss to Forest Hills (2-0).
In a narrow 39-35 victory over Bishop Guilfoyle (1-1), Bishop McCort (2-0) had 14 penalties for 129 yards.
n Top individual performances: In addition to Priester’s prowess, Penn Cambria’s Zak Newton rushed for 255 yards on 30 carries in the Panthers 36-28 win over Westmont. Newton scored three touchdowns and added three conversion runs.
Conemaugh Valley’s Steve Ling added to his Week 1 numbers with 163 yards on 22 carries in the Blue Jays 48-7 blowout against Meyersdale while Bishop Carroll’s Brendan Julock had 141 yards on 17 carries with three touchdowns in the Huskies 39-16 victory over Bedford.
n Upset specials?: In addition to the Highlanders double overtime win over the Golden Eagles and the Blue Jays victory over the Red Raiders, the other surprises (for most of us), were Conemaugh Township’s 14-0 shutout over Windber, Central Cambria’s 21-14 overtime win against Richland and Penn Cambria’s 36-28 victory over Westmont Hilltop.
n Still unbeaten: After two weeks of the season, Bishop Carroll, Bishop McCort and Forest Hills are unbeaten in the LHAC. Conemaugh Township, Conemaugh Valley, North Star and Portage are 2-0 in the WestPAC while Homer-Center, Purchase Line and Laurel Valley remain undefeated in the Heritage.
n Pickers parity: Matt Jordan, the only picker to correctly choose the Indians, topped the group of nine with an 11-4 showing. Sports editor Eric Knopsnyder, Tim Burns, Steve Johncola and I were all 10-5 with Shawn Curtis, Mike Mastovich and Hugh Conrad at 9-6. Last week’s leader, Dave Lynch, was 8-7.
Overall, Lynch, Jordan and Knopsnyder are 21-9, Mastovich and I are 20-10, Curtis and Burns are 19-11 while Conrad and Johncola are 17-13.
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
High School Sports
Cory Isenberg | Highlanders coach gets first win
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