Breaking the District 9 all-time rushing record and scoring all but two of his team\’s points in an important 18-3 win at Johnsonburg earned Nick Sipes of Curwensville recognition from D9Sports.com as District 9 football co-Player of the Week with Jerico Weitzel of Ridgway.
Sipes\’ number was called 27 times and he responded with 206 yards and two touchdowns, adding one PAT conversion and a 31-yard field goal. His career rushing total of 4,802 yards wiped out the previous standard of 4,694 set by Aaron Cantafio, a 2001 Brockway graduate.
In Week Three of 2004, Sipes shared the D9Sports.com honor with his brother, Nate, and Smethport\’s Mike Mitchell.
Weitzel starred in Ridgway\’s 13-12 victory over Kane with 27 rushes for 269 yards and two TDs and four pass receptions for 42 yards. His rushing total was the third highest reported to The Pennsylvania Football News last week.
Adam Jury of Clearfield was one of 16 players named to the Honor Roll. District 9\’s top pass receiver hauled in six aerials for 151 yards and completed his only pass for a 24-yard touchdown in the Bisons\’ 31-0 win at Lewistown. He was the Week Two Player of the Week.
Calvin Grumley of Johnsonburg also was cited for his play against Curwensville. The senior quarterback gained 99 yards on 17 carries, completed five of 17 passes for 76 yards, kicked a 31-yard field goal and made 10 tackles on defense.
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Anybody who saw or heard about Clearfield\’s thrilling come-from-behind victories over Indian Valley 38-35 and Bellefonte 21-17 might have guessed the Indians and Red Raiders would light up the scoreboard in their Mountain Athletic Conference Seven Mountains Division tussle last week, but nobody could have anticipated the fireworks that produced mind-boggling numbers.
Host Bellefonte escaped with a 55-54 win in spite of surrendering 40 points in the second half and 676 yards for the game.
Bellefonte junior quarterback Ryan Poorman turned in one of the most amazing aerial shows ever seen in the region, or the state for that matter, as he connected on 24 of 32 passes for 436 yards and five touchdowns. Oh, he ran for a pair of TDs, too. His passing yardage total, a record for a Centre County player, was the best by far reported to The Pennsylvania Football News for Week Five.
Also for the Red Raiders, Matt Fisher caught 10 passes for 198 yards, the second-best total reported to the PFN while Heath Sprout pulled in five for 145 yards and two TDs.
Indian Valley had three backs run for triple figures as it amassed 537 yards for 45 plays. Nam Schartzer starred with 21 carries for 378 yards, the top total reported to the PFN. Thad Rosenberry racked up 134 yards on just eight tries, while Randy Rauch had 101 on only six attempts.
Indiana Valley reached the Bellefonte 35 in the final minute before an interception by Fisher ended Indian Valley\’s bid for a miracle finish.
According to sports writer Guy Cipriano of the Centre Daily Times (State College), who credited statistics dug up by Centre County football historian Harry Breon, the two teams\’ combined 1,242 yards obliterated the total offense record for a game involving a county school. Bald Eagle Area and Lock Haven amassed 964 in 1993. The 676 yards allowed by Bellefonte was five more than Snow Shoe gave up against Morris Township in 1933. And Poorman\’s passing yardage surpassed the 350 by Chris Ganter of State College against Erie Prep in 2000.
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No District 9 teams are in the top 10 in the state rankings, but Curwensville (4-1), Coudersport (5-0), Johnsonburg (4-1) and Redbank Valley (4-1) rate honorable mention in Class A by The Patriot News in Harrisburg. Coudy was No. 10 last week.
Also on the HM lists are Bradford (5-0) in Class AAA and Karns City (5-0) and Moniteau (5-0) in Class AA.
Making the Pennsylvania Football News \”Others To Watch\” list are Bradford in AAA, Karns City in AA and Coudersport and Redbank Valley in A.
District 6 Class AA power Tyrone (5-0) has been elevated from sixth to fifth in both rankings, while Bellwood-Antis (4-1) breaks into the FN Class A ratings at No. 10 and District 5\’s Windber (5-0) cracks The Patriot News Class A rankings at No. 10. Windber is one of two teams in the state to have five shutouts. Easton (District 11) is the other.
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Undefeated Wilmington, a District 10 team coached by Curwensville Joint High School graduate Terry Verrelli, climbed one notch to the No. 6 spot in Class AA in both rankings after shutting out Reynolds 37-0 Friday for its fifth victory. The Greyhounds led 20-0 after one quarter en route to their third Region 3 Class AA win.
Meantime, Shaler fans celebrated one of their biggest victories in years, a 14-8 Homecoming upset of rival North Hills that gives the Titans, coached by Clearfield Area High School graduate Jacque DeMatteo their best start since their last winning season, 2000. North Hills was ranked No. 5 in WPIAL Class AAAA going into the Quad North Conference opener and had beaten Shaler in their last five meetings. The Titans, who have not finished in the top three of their conference since 2000, are 4-1.
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In case you missed it, The Associated Press reported that Paul McCoy of Matewan (W. Va.) High School set a state record with 10 touchdowns while rushing for 658 yards in a 64-0 rout of Burch Friday. The National Federation of State High School Associations Record Book shows Ken Pearson of Hugo, Colo., scoring 12 TDs in a 1930 game.
McCoy, who carried 28 times, scored on runs of 69, 52, 56, 52, 20, 31, 84, 87 and 25 yards, according to MaxPreps.com, which listed his rushing total at 661 yards. Either total would be enough to top the 619 posted by Ronney Jenkins of Oxnard, Calif., in 1995 and recognized as the national record by the NFSHSA.
There is some controversy about the national record, though. The AP reported that Doug Huff, a West Virginia sports writer who became a national high school records historian, claims that record-holder should be John Giannantonio of Netcong, N.J.. He ran for 739 yards in a 1950 game. Huff reasons the NFSHSA never received an official submission form from the now-defunct Netcong High School.
Huff also disputed the 537-yard total credited to McCoy for Matewan\’s opener. According to the AP, Huff said he reviewed media accounts and a videotape of the game and reduced McCoy\’s actual yardage to 440. MaxPreps lists the 537 total and shows the 5-9, 170-pounder with 133 carries for a whopping 1,820 yards and 26 touchdowns.
By the way, Matewan\’s population is 602.
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League standings:
District 9 League — Bradford 3-0, Brookville 2-1, Clearfield 1-1, Punxsutawney 1-2, DuBois 0-2, St. Marys 0-2.
Mountain Athletic Conference Seven Mountains Division — Clearfield 3-0, Huntingdon 3-0, Bellefonte 2-2, Indian Valley 1-2, Lewistown 0-1, Punxsutawney 0-3.
Allegheny Mountain League South Division — Curwensville 4-1, Johnsonburg 4-1, Elk County Catholic 3-2, Ridgway 3-2, Brockway 2-3, Kane 2-3.
Allegheny Mountain League North Division — Coudersport 5-0, Cameron County 3-2, Port Allegany 2-3, Otto-Eldred 1-4, Sheffield 1-4, Smethport 0-5.
