JOHNSTOWN — A record-setting standout performance by senior running back Josh Seidel propelled Bishop McCort to a berth in next week’s District 6-A championship game as the unbeaten Crimson Crushers defeated visiting Penns Manor 45-21 Friday night at Point Stadium.

Seidel, who sat out last week due to an injury, returned to the lineup with a vengeance by rushing for 177 yards and four touchdowns on just

10 carries. The four scores gave Seidel 27 on the season and surpassed the McCort single-season touchdown record previously shared by Pete Duranko, Artrell Hawkins and Eric Lowry.

“It was great to be back at full strength with both Josh Seidel and (quarterback) John Pinkerton back in the backfield,” said McCort coach Ken Salem. “The offensive line did a great job opening holes and creating lanes, and Josh looked rested, quick, and ran hard.”

Bishop McCort (11-0) will face the winner of tonight’s Portage-Bellwood contest in the title game at Altoona. The Crushers are no strangers to Mansion Park in November, as this will be McCort’s seventh consecutive appearance in the championship. Salem’s squad will also be attempting to win a fourth straight district crown.

“We have high expectations and goals in our program, and making it to the district championship is one of them,” Salem said.

The Comets (10-2) ended one of the best seasons in school history.

“We came out confident, and we thought we could battle with them, but we just couldn’t stop them,” said Penns Manor coach Bill Packer.

“Their offense is something else. I’m proud of our guys, we didn’t quit and played hard until the end.”

Penns Manor’s freshman quarterback Danny Ferens rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one more, completing 4 of 7 passes for 48 yards while rushing for 38 yards.

Bishop McCort scored on five of its first six possessions in the first half, and Seidel opened the scoring with a 44-yard touchdown run. Dane Domonkos added the first of his six extra points for a 7-0 lead.

A short 16-yard punt by the Comets on the ensuing series set the Crushers at the Penns Manor 38-yard line, and seven plays later Seidel found paydirt from 7 yards out.

The Comets answered with their best drive of the night, moving 80 yards in nine plays. Ben Miller ran for 19 yards to complete a 24-yard hook-and-ladder play, and Travis Trimble followed with a 26-yard bolt to set up a 5-yard scoring dash by Ferens. Mark Conway’s extra point pulled Penns Manor within 14-7 with 11:27 left in the first half.

Any momentum for the Comets was short-lived, as Seidel broke into the clear for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing possession.

Seidel then came up big on defense as he picked off a pass by Garrett Dabella and returned it

49 yards to the Comet 10, and Luke James followed with a 5-yard touchdown that made it 28-7.

One more huge play by Seidel in the first half allowed him to break the record, as his 41-yard score with 1:10 remaining proved to be his last carry of the night and stretched his team’s lead to 28 at the break.

Domonkos nailed a 32-yard field goal for the Crushers with just over four minutes left in the third quarter, and after McCort recovered a fumble at the Comet 20 less than two minutes later, Domonkos ran in from 4 yards out for the Crushers’ last touchdown.

Ferens keyed two fourth-quarter scoring drives for the Comets.

Rushes of 10 and 19 yards by Ferens set up a

28-yard touchdown pass to Trimble, and after the Comets recovered the subsequent onside kick, Ferens scampered in from 21 yards out six plays later to set the eventual final.