It’s a week of championships, semifinals and a subregional for the remaining eight area football teams still alive in the playoffs.
Greater Johnstown (8-3) will play for its first District 6 Class AAA championship under second-year coach Kevin Marabito.
The Trojans take on top-seeded Hollidaysburg Friday at Mansion Park in Altoona. The Trojans and the Tigers met for the title in 2006 with Hollidaysburg holding on for a 13-12 win.
The other championship game, also on Friday, is the grudge match between WestPAC powers Conemaugh Township (8-3) and Windber (8-3), tentatively set for Berlin, with the District 5 Class A crown on the line.
The Indians and Ramblers clashed in Week 2 of the regular season, a 14-0 shutout for Conemaugh Township in Davidsville.
Semifinals will be played in District 6 in Class A and AA.
In District 6-A on Friday, defending Class A champion Bellwood-Antis (10-1) squares off against reigning Class AA champion Bishop McCort at Point Stadium.
On Saturday in the other District 6-A semifinal, it’s a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal, Purchase Line at Portage, won 6-0 by the Red Dragons. This year both squads enter the contest with identical 11-0 marks.
In District 6 Class AA action on Friday, upstart Central Cambria (8-3) will head to Tyrone to face the top-seeded Golden Eagles (10-1) while on Saturday, No. 3 Central (9-2) journeys to Sidman to face second-seeded Forest Hills (10-1).
A PIAA Class AA subregional is scheduled for Saturday, featuring District 5 champion North Star (9-1) hosting District 8 champ Langley (4-6).
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Top dogs: There were some impressive individual performances last week, including Forest Hills’ Scott Mehall’s 323 yards rushing, Richland’s Gino Ramires throwing for 212 yards and Penn Cambria’s Zak Newton rushing for 201 yards on 34 carries.
The Mustangs tandem of Mike Sinosky and Tommy Burgan combined for 400 yards while Conemaugh Township’s Seth Zaman had 196 yards on 24 carries and joined the elite 1,000-yard area rushing club.
Zaman had been out with mononucleosis.
“Seth got the OK to play on Tuesday,” Indians coach Sam Zambanini said. “He was chomping at the bit. He wanted to play last week, but was in a bad way. When your backup (Brett Byers) steps in and does a great job, that makes you even more anxious to get back.”
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Postseason picking: Mike Mastovich navigated a tough week of playoff picking to go a perfect 9-0.
Matt Jordan and guest pickers Tim Burns and Dave Lynch were all 8-1 with Shawn Curtis, Hugh Conrad, Steve Johncola and I all at 7-2. Sports editor Eric Knopsnyder went 6-3.
Overall, Mastovich gained two spots on me as I cling to a one-game lead, 131-31, with him at 130-32. Lynch is at 128-34 with Johncola, Conrad and Knopsnyder all at 127-35.
Curtis is at 122-40 with Jordan and Burns both 121-41.
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
High School Sports
CORY ISENBERG | A time for the strong
- High School Sports
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Richland's Lumley settles for pair of silver medals
Paige Lumley was on an emotional roller coaster and seeing silver on Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
The Richland senior had state record jumps twice during the triple jump competition, but ended up with a silver–medal leap of 40 feet,
1¾ inches.
Defending state champion, second-seeded junior Lanae Newsome of Brookville, won with a jump of 40-3½. -
Ridge’s Dull takes second with school-record time
Matt Dull finished his athletic career with his best on Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
The Chestnut Ridge senior ran a career-best time of 38.12 to finish second in the 300 hurdles final, also setting another school record. -
Young takes silver in state triple jump
Chestnut Ridge senior Michael Young capped six years of triple jumping with a silver medal Friday on the first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.
Young had a career-best leap of 45-9¼ just behind Jared Horne of Schuylkill Valley whose winning jump was 46-9. -
Forest Hills’ Smay places fifth in Class AA long jump
Brooke Smay is moving on up.
The Forest Hills junior earned a fifth-place position in the Class AA long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 3 ½ inches Friday on the first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
Bishop McCort wins District 6-A baseball crown
Bishop McCort truly won the District 6 Class A baseball championship as a team on Friday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
There were more than a few huge plays. Of course a number of individuals stepped up to secure a 3-1 victory over LHAC rival Bishop Guilfoyle. -
Somerset denied 6-AAA baseball title
Hollidaysburg pitcher Dom Viduya and his Golden Tigers teammates beat defending champion Somerset 3-1 in Thursday’s District 6 Class AAA championship game at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
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Pitcher's 'bad day' results in no-hitter
Bridgit Yothers struggled on the mound on Thursday.
But the Chestnut Ridge right-hander was able to persevere through her issues, throwing a no-hitter against Bedford in their District 5 Class AA semifinal and helping the Lions to a 5-0 victory. -
Local athletes look to shine at PIAA track and field meet
Each of the nearly 50 area athletes who will be competing at this weekend’s PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University, will be looking for his or her best performance of the season, but only the top eight finishers in each event for both boys and girls will stand on the podium in front of the crowd at Seth Grove Stadium.
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Westmont, Somerset represented at PIAA Class AA tennis tourney
The PIAA Class AA tennis tournament showcases the top players in the state, which includes three area athletes, when it begins today at the Hershey Racquet Club.
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Corridini’s hit propels Shade
Tasha Corridini had been having a tough time at the plate on Wednesday.
The Shade leftfielder had struck out twice in her prior two at-bats against Shanksville-Stonycreek pitcher Kayla Stockenus.
But in the bottom of the seventh of a scoreless game with Kaily Karl on first, Corridini clubbed a triple out to the fence, scoring Karl and giving the Panthers a walk-off 1-0 win over the Vikings in a District 5 Class A softball quarterfinal. - More High School Sports Headlines
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