Penn Cambria overcomes sluggish start, steams past Westmont Hilltop

Sep. 25—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Penn Cambria's high-powered offense allowed the Panthers to storm back from an early 14-point deficit Saturday afternoon and remain unbeaten with a 48-23 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference victory at Westmont Hilltop.

The normally run-first Hilltoppers (1-4) came out firing, as a pair of Eli Thomas-to-Gavin Hockenberry touchdown passes sandwiched around a Penn Cambria fumble to produce a 14-0 first-quarter advantage.

However, the up-tempo attack orchestrated by Panther quarterback Garrett Harrold was more than equal to that challenge. Harrold completed 18 of 22 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for a game-high 133 yards and two more scores on four carries.

"The thing about this group is, we never hit the panic button," said Panther coach Nick Felus, whose 5-0 team kept pace with fellow undefeated squads Richland and Bedford atop the LHAC standings.

"We've been down before, it's a four-quarter game and we know what we have on offense. Defensively, we had to settle down and make a few adjustments. Today our goal was to play at an even faster tempo than normal, and we executed very well."

The Panthers took the lead for good in the second quarter and went on to shut out Westmont Hilltop in the second half while engineering three touchdown drives to blow open a five-point margin at the break.

"It was a dogfight in the first half, then we ran out of gas," Westmont Hilltop coach Pat Barron said. "We have to correct our mistakes and move forward."

The Hilltoppers were in command early, as Thomas threw deep to Hockenberry for a 59-yard touchdown on the game's initial possession.

David Ray then recovered a fumble at the Penn Cambria 40 on the Panthers' first play from scrimmage, and after the Hilltoppers picked up a first down on the ground, Thomas again connected with Hockenberry on a 24-yard scoring toss. Landon Glover's extra point made it 14-0 at the 3:39 mark.

It didn't take long for Harrold to answer, as he only needed 54 seconds to complete four straight passes on a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a 22-yard touchdown toss to Zach Grove.

Consecutive runs of 36 yards by Ray and 26 yards by Brayden Dean set up Ray's 1-yard touchdown dive that gave the Hilltoppers a 20-7 lead early in the second quarter before a pair of Harrold completions covering 21 yards and a 47-yard quarterback keeper led to Grove's 5-yard touchdown run to pull the Panthers within six.

After a Hilltoppers three-and-out, Harrold completed three straight passes on a drive that was aided by a Westmont Hilltop personal foul penalty and finished by Harrold's 9-yard touchdown run. Andrew Dillon's extra point put the Panthers ahead for the first time at 21-20.

Harrold picked off a Thomas pass on the ensuing series and returned it to midfield, and three plays later he found Luke Shuagis for a 22-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers an eight-point advantage with 3:39 left in the half.

Westmont Hilltop was in a position to get a potential tying score before the break, as a 13-yard reception by Dean followed by a pass interference penalty and an 11-yard Hockenberry run produced a first-and-goal in the final seconds. However, Thomas was sacked for a 10-yard loss on third down by Jarett Holmes and Derek Hite and the Hilltoppers had to settle for a field goal attempt. Glover split the uprights from 32 yards out as time expired, making it 28-23.

Penn Cambria faced a fourth-and-4 at the Hilltoppers' 47 on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Felus' decision to go for it rather than pin Westmont Hilltop deep with a punt paid off.

Garrett Harrold fired a 19-yard completion to Gavin Harrold to move the chains, and the series was eventually capped off by Harrold's 5-yard touchdown pass to Vinny Chirdon.

The second pick of Thomas by Harrold on the ensuing possession was followed three plays later by Harrold's 62-yard touchdown run, and the Panthers subsequently completed the scoring in the fourth quarter on Harrold's 24-yard scoring pass to Shuagis.

Penn Cambria will host Bedford in a battle of unbeaten squads on Friday, while Westmont Hilltop will travel to Chestnut Ridge.