BY CORY ISENBERG
CRESSON — Penn Cambria’s Zak Newton attacked Bedford’s defense from multiple directions, racking up 216 yards on 23 carries as the Panthers held on for a 36-28 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference victory.
“We came together just like last week, I think we’re getting a lot better at that,” Newton said. “Coach (Ernie) Fetzer has me doing just about everything. I do whatever they ask of me. We didn’t come out as strong as we should have. Penalties killed us. I don’t think we played as well as we should have.”
In addition to Newton, Penn Cambria used eight other rushers to keep the Bisons on their toes, and quarterback Josh Gallagher threw for 143 yards, going 6 of 12.
The Panthers’ Matt Glenn had four catches for 99 yards.
“For the fans it was a great game,” Penn Cambria’s Fetzer said. “I’m having a heart attack out there. They don’t make anything easy. Bedford played well. We said coming in that there is a lot of parity in the league. We looked at Bedford as being a good football team.”
Bedford and Penn Cambria combined for more than 500 yards of offense as the momentum swung back and forth throughout the contest.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Bisons (0-4) got on the board as Mike Short scored on a 38-yard run for a 6-0 lead at the 7:34 mark of the second.
The Panthers (3-1) came right back, putting together a seven-play drive, capped by a George Schwaderer 4-yard run.
Newton’s two-point conversion put Penn Cambria ahead 8-6 with 4:51 left in the second.
After Bedford went three and out, the hosts scored again, this time on a 68-yard pass from Gallagher to Glenn to take a 14-6 lead at the 2:46 mark.
But the Bisons evened the game at 14 on a Cody Shippey 1-yard plunge and a Short conversion run with just 16 ticks left before the half.
It was Shippey’s first time at running back.
The Panthers went ahead again in the third quarter, scoring on their first two possessions.
The first Penn Cambria drive was five plays, capped by a Newton dash from the 1 and the second on a four-play drive that ended with Gallagher’s 33-yard scoring strike to Nate Eckenrode.
Bedford pulled to within six on a seven-play drive with Shippey scoring from the 1 and Short running in the conversion to narrow the gap to 28-22.
The Panthers extended their lead to 14 points on a five-play series which ended with Matt Teeter’s 3-yard run and Newton’s two-point conversion with 11:55 remaining.
The Bisons scored again with 4:35 left on a Short 20-yard pass to Kyle Deneen.
Penn Cambria recovered the ensuing onside kick, but two plays later fumbled the ball that was recovered by the Bisons’ Justin Clapper with 3:44 left.
Bedford was able to move the ball to the Penn Cambria 23, but could not push in the tying score.
“I thought we finally seized the momentum when the clock ended,” Fetzer said.
Short was 7 of 22 for 125 yards passing and rushed for 141 yards on 26 carries.
“We keep saying that we keep getting better every week,” Bedford coach Dan Smith said. “The kids didn’t quit.”
