BEDFORD —
Neither Penn Cambria coach Ernie Fetzer or Bedford coach Kevin Steele had experienced a weather event like the thunderstorm that stole the show before Friday night’s game could begin.
After a lengthy delay and harsh rain that fell on Bison Stadium, Penn Cambria overcame an early deficit on its way to a 32-7 win over the Bisons.
The game was delayed 85 minutes because of a thunderstorm that hovered over the campus for the better part of two-and-a-half hours. Fans were evacuated from the bleachers and into the school’s gymnasium during the storm’s heaviest blows.
Through it all, the game did go on as the Panthers improved to 2-0.
“I thought Bedford had a good game plan. I thought they played very hard,” Fetzer said. “Lot of credit to those guys. I thought in the second half, our coaches made some great adjustments at halftime in terms of seeing some things.”
Once the game started, an inspired Bisons squad dictated the early pace when Isaac Kline picked off Brendan Eckenrode on the game’s second play.
Bedford (0-2) delivered the game’s first score with a seven-play march capped by Jacob Wirick’s 9-yard run. Austin Montgomery tacked on the point-after kick, making it 7-0.
“I don’t think we had any magic potion during the delay,” Steele said. “What do you do for a two-hour delay for a high school football game? I think our kids had a decent week of practice and they came out ready to play. I’ll give our kids credit for that. In the end, Penn Cambria executed a little better that we did in all three phases.”
Penn Cambria’s attempt to answer was halted at the Bedford 28 as Chad Tsikalas’ fourth-and-12 pass to Nathan Keagy fell onto the grass.
The Bisons and Panthers sloshed through the remainder of the first with a Bedford drive losing steam at the Panthers’ 41.
Early in the second with the Bisons attempting a punt from the Penn Cambria 36, a bad snap was recovered by Devin Lawhead, placing the guests at their own 39. A six-play march gashed through the Bedford defense with Tyler Janosik’s 14-yard run paying off the possession. James Mardula added the conversion run to push the Panthers ahead 8-7.
Dante Delerme’s interception of a Kline pass late in the second set the table for Penn Cambria’s next scoring drive, which concluded as Mardula dashed in from the Bisons’ 36. Mack Behe added the conversion run to increase the Panthers’ lead to 16-7.
“We had some big plays and we made some adjustments to what we did, which resulted in some other things,” Fetzer said.
After trading punts in the third quarter, Penn Cambria added to its lead late in the frame as Justin Fuller scampered in from 18 yards away. Lawhead affixed the two-point run to the Panthers’ advantage.
Following a Bisons’ lost fumble at the Bedford 21, Lawhead punched in the game’s final tally - a 21-yard burst through the Bedford defense. Behe’s conversion run set the final.
Penn Cambria, which held Greater Johnstown scoreless last week, kept up its solid defensive play against the Bisons, forcing six turnovers and registering four sacks.
“Our kids did a nice job and they really rose to the occasion, “ Fetzer said.
Mardula led the Panthers’ multi-faceted rushing attack with 65 yards, Fuller followed with 60 while Lawhead supplied 46.
Koontz rushed for a game-high 74 yards in defeat while Kline passed for 116 yards for the Bisons, who were blanked last week at Bishop Guilfoyle.
“I thought our kids played physical,” Steele said. “I thought defensively, we played a little better than we did last week. We did a better job tackling. That being said, we still have to do a whole lot of things better to be successful in this conference.”
Bedford remains at home to host Richland next week while Penn Cambria travels to Central Cambria.
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