BY MIKE MASTOVICH
JOHNSTOWN — Richland will play Forest Hills for the fourth time in the Rams’ past 15 games dating to last season.
When the Rams and the top-seeded, undefeated Rangers clash at 7 tonight in Sidman, it will be the second meeting in the District 6 Class AA playoffs in as many seasons.
“We both kind of had an inkling in the playoffs there was a chance this matchup would happen again,” said Richland coach Brandon Bailey, whose 9-2 team lost a close 23-9 game at G.H. Miller Field a month ago. “This is the fourth time in our last 15 games we’ve played each other – Week 9 and Week 11 last season and twice this season. We’re pretty familiar with each other. Each of those three games, our performance we feel has gotten better and better. We have to come out and compete at a high level to have a chance to win.”
Of course, the 6-AA semifinal game also will feature a father-son coaching matchup, as Brandon Bailey, a former Rangers all-state quarterback, matches wits with dad, Don Bailey, a 300-game winner. The veteran Bailey downplayed the family ties.
“Forest Hills is playing Richland. It’s not a matter of who coaches the teams,” Don Bailey said. “He’s representing Richland and I’m representing Forest Hills. If it was one-on-one, him against me, he’d win. He’s a bit faster than I am.”
The 11-0 Rangers have plenty of speed too. Back Nick Dudukovich ranks ninth in the area with 1,240 rushing yards on 152 attempts. He’s scored
23 touchdowns. Anthony Unger gained 561 yards, and Jeff Meier, 472, as the Rangers amassed 2,453 rushing yards.
Quarterback Zack Glessner has thrown for 975 yards and
11 touchdowns. Chris Moss has 27 catches for 330 yards, and Dudukovich has 15 catches for 276 yards.
“We’d like to think we have a balanced offense,” Don Bailey said. “We have thrown more the past two weeks. But we have to be able to run the football and keep Richland off the field. If we don’t run the ball we’ll be in trouble. We don’t want to get into a shootout.”
Richland quarterback Gino Ramires leads the area with
1,955 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. The Rams have three receivers among the region’s leaders – Ryan Sylvia, second
(45 catches, 858 yards); Jordan Rozich, 12th (29-402) and Adam Ludwig, 15th (15-337). Running back John Rizzo has 624 yards on 116 carries.
“Richland is a very good football team,” Don Bailey said.
“They really dismantled Huntingdon (in the quarterfinals). They scored 52 points and played very good defense. They certainly are a formidable opponent.”
Forest Hills’ defense is one of the best in the district. The Rangers haven’t allowed an opponent to score in double digits as Forest Hills has posted a cumulative 334-62 scoring advantage.
“Defensively they’re as good as it gets in the area,” Brandon Bailey said. “They’ve yet to give up double digits against anybody, and that’s pretty impressive. All 11 guys get to the ball. Any play that you run they’re going to have people there.
“Their secondary really supports the run really well. Their front seven plays really well. If you run a sweep they’re going to have a bunch of guys there. That’s what makes them so good, all 11 guys playing defense.”
Richland entered the fourth quarter with the lead when the Rams and Rangers met on Oct. 23. But Dudukovich had two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Rangers pulled away. Forest Hills stopped the Rams twice on fourth-and-1 plays during the LHAC contest.
“It was a real hard-fought game,” Don Bailey said. “Richland led for three quarters. We were fortunate enough to score twice at the end to win the game. A lot of breaks went our way. It was a muddy field. They weren’t able to do some things they would have liked to have done. But we both played on the field.”
The younger Bailey felt the game revealed a lot about the Rams.
“I think what we gained was some confidence that we can play with them,” Brandon Bailey said. “There are a lot of schools that when they play Forest Hills, when they get off the bus they’re defeated. We’re past that.”
