Week 3 preview Defensive-minded Windber set to face Conemaugh Valley's ground game (with picks)

Sep. 9—Through two weeks of the scholastic football season, Windber has produced 121 points.

As impressive as that number is, perhaps just as important are the eight points allowed by the 2-0 Ramblers in the same stretch.

"We thought coming into this year we would be pretty good defensively," said Ramblers coach Matt Grohal, whose team will face Conemaugh Valley (0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Windber Stadium.

"Our front seven was back pretty much intact," Grohal said. "To be as good as we have been through two weeks is a little bit of a surprise. It will get tougher. We've got to continue to play great defense to accomplish what we want to get done this season."

In 2021, Windber went 10-1 with a WestPAC title and Appalachian Bowl victory. The Ramblers lost by one point in the District 5-8 Class 2A championship game against Westinghouse.

"You plug in these new guys, we knew they could get the job done," Grohal said. "(Colin) Marx is a very upcoming kid, only going to be a junior. We moved (Blake) Klosky to tailback in that set. We moved Johnny (Shuster) to the wing.

"Johnny's carries still are down this year. We try to be balanced so teams can't key on him. Throw Luke Hostetler into that mix and we've got three or four guys who can run the ball, and a good line in front of them."

A senior, Shuster has 302 rushing yards, 10.4 a carry. Marx, a junior, has 162 rushing yards at 14.7 yards a run.

Klosky, a senior, has 149 and an average of 9.9 yards a carry.

"You have to try to slow down their running backs," Conemaugh Valley coach Matt Kent said. "They have two good running backs, Shuster and No. 23 (Marx). You thought you had to worry about Shuster, but now you have to worry about Marx. You have to worry about their fullback too. He's really good."

Conemaugh Valley continues a stretch of games against WestPAC frontrunners.

"To put it all in a nutshell, Berlin is a tough opponent, then we got a little out of our game plan, kids missed some assignments, alignments, typical stuff you expect in the first game," Kent said. "Against a good team like Berlin you can't make those type of mistakes.

"Against (Conemaugh) Township, we were in a good position to win that game and we had a couple defensive breakdowns."

In Week 1, the Blue Jays fell 42-0 to Berlin Brothersvalley, the coaches' preseason pick to win the conference, and lost 28-12 to Conemaugh Township on Saturday.

"They've got a couple very good running backs and their line is almost entirely back from last year," Grohal said.

"We know we have a challenge ahead of us."

The Blue Jays' Eli Darr is among the area leaders with 212 rushing yards on 39 carries for a 5.4 yard average and two touchdowns.

Windber beat Conemaugh Valley 44-0 last season and the Ramblers are 25-5 in the series against the Blue Jays since 1983.

Windber has won five straight against Conemaugh Valley and 23 of the past 24 meetings.

"From Week 1 to Week 2, they really improved," Grohal said.

"They opened up with two of the top teams in the conference, but I saw a lot of growth in a young team. They present a challenge to us because it's an offense we don't see and it's hard to emulate in practice."

The remainder of Friday's games, with 7 p.m. kickoffs, include:

WestPAC

Berlin Brothersvalley (2-0) at Meyersdale (0-1)

Last week: Berlin Brothersvalley 42, Moshannon Valley 0; Meyersdale did not play.

Last meeting: Berlin Brothersvalley 27-0 in 2021.

About the Mountaineers: Berlin Brothersvalley has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 84-0. The Mountaineeers are 16-2 against Meyersdale since 2008, including four playoff victories in that span.

About the Red Raiders: Since 1960, Meyersdale is 35-33 against Berlin Brothersvalley, including eight wins in the 1990s, with one playoff victory in that decade. The Red Raiders are coming off a bye week after falling 34-18 at Curwensville in Week 1.

Heritage Conference

Marion Center (0-2) at Portage (1-1)

Last week: Northern Cambria 30, Marion Center 0; Cambria Heights 13, Portage 6.

Last meeting: Portage 54-6 in 2009 District 6 Class 1A playoffs.

About the Stingers: Opponents have outscored Marion Center 70-14. The Stingers have allowed 30 or more points in each of their first two games.

About the Mustangs: Portage quarterback Andrew Miko has completed 10 of 24 passes for 218 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Mason Kargo has five receptions for 110 yards, and Bode Layo has 89 receiving yards on two catches.

Northern Cambria (2-0) at Purchase Line (1-1)

Last week: Northern Cambria 30, Marion Center 0; Purchase Line 28, West Shamokin 7.

Last meeting: Purchase Line 20-14 in 2021.

About the Colts: Northern Cambria had no letdown after a season-opening victory over rival Cambria Heights in the Coal Bowl. Colton Paronish has 161 rushing yards and Jack Sheredy has 145 yards. Quarterback Owen Bougher has 232 passing yards, completing 19 of 29 attempts.

About the Red Dragons: Purchase Line bounced back from a shutout loss to Penns Manor (32-0) in Week 1 to beat West Shamokin by 21 points. Quarterback John Elick has completed 13 of 30 passes for 248 yards, a touchdown and one pick.

Cambria Heights (1-1) at River Valley (0-2)

Last week: Cambria Heights 13, Portage 6; Homer-Center 34, River Valley 20.

Last meeting: Cambria Heights 20-7 in 2021.

About the Highlanders: Tanner Trybus ran for 115 yards and touchdowns of 5 and 35 yards, and Ty Stockley gained 109 rushing yards as Cambria Heights defeated Portage. The Highlanders shut out the Mustangs in the second half of a defensive battle.

About the Panthers: Luke Woodring completed 6 of 14 passes for 143 yards and two TDs against Homer-Center.

Sam Yantis returned a kickoff nearly 80 yards to set up Ethan Kishlock's 2-yard TD run against the Wildcats.

United Valley (0-2) at West Shamokin (1-1)

Last week: Penns Manor 34, United Valley 0; Purchase Line 28, West Shamokin 7.

Last meeting: The teams have not played.

About the Lions: United Valley looks to improve on a defensive effort that allowed Penns Manor to rush for 416 yards, including three touchdowns of 60 or more yards last week. The Lions rushed for 114 yards, with Alex Reba gaining 60 yards.

About the Wolves: West Shamokin produced two opposite result through two weeks. The Wolves opened with a convincing 40-7 victory against Marion Center but only scored once while allowing four TDs in a loss at Purchase Line.

Laurel Highlands

Bedford (2-0) at Westmont Hilltop (1-1)

Last week: Bedford 18, Forest Hills 7; Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic 35, Westmont Hilltop 21.

Last meeting: Bedford 70-20 in 2021.

About the Bisons: Bedford has posted a 62-7 scoring advantage through two weeks. Ethan Weber caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Ressler to put the Bisons on track last week. Weber has 301 rushing yards on 13 carries through two weeks.

About the Hilltoppers: Westmont Hilltop produced points against defending Class 1A state champion Bishop Guilfoyle but fell short at Mansion Park. Gavin Hockenberry leads area rushers with 380 yards on 41 carries. He has five touchdowns and 30 points.

Richland (2-0) at McCort-Carroll Catholic (1-1)

Last week: Richland 35, Central 28; McCort-Carroll 50, Somerset 7.

Last meeting: Richland 58-8 in 2021.

About the Rams: Richland shut out the potent Central offense in the second half while using Evan McCracken's 62-yard Pick-6 and Sam Penna's 53-yard TD pass to Austin Yarnick to produce a huge road win against the defending conference champs.

About the Crushers: McCort-Carroll rebounded from a Week 1 setback in a big way, scoring 50 points against Somerset at St. Francis University. The Crushers collected 337 total yards with senior Johnny Golden rushing for 113 yards and three TDs while also throwing for 160 yards and two scores.

Greater Johnstown (0-2) at Central Cambria (0-2)

Last week: Chestnut Ridge 48, Greater Johnstown 0; Penn Cambria 42, Central Cambria 21.

Last meeting: Central Cambria 44-8 in 2021.

About the Trojans: Greater Johnstown put together a couple solid drives on the road last week but couldn't reach the end zone. The Trojans moved 55 yards in 11 plays on their first possession at Chestnut Ridge but the Lions defense stepped up.

About the Red Devils: Central Cambria has won the past three meetings and four of the past six games. But Greater Johnstown holds an 8-6 advantage in the series dating to 2001.

Chestnut Ridge (2-0) at Forest Hills (0-2)

Last week: Chestnut Ridge 48, Greater Johnstown 0; Bedford 18, Forest Hills 7.

Last meeting: Forest Hills 42-35 in 2021.

About the Lions: Chestnut Ridge has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 78-7 count. Nate Whysong has completed 19 of 26 passes for 398 yards. JaRod Wolfhope has four receptions for 134 yards.

About the Rangers: Forest Hills is winless despite playing a pair of undefeated teams (Richland and Bedford) tough in losses by three and 11 points, respectively. Colten Danel has 259 rushing yards on 50 carries. Last week, Jake Poldiak passed for 167 yards and a touchdown.

Central (1-1) at Penn Cambria (2-0)

Last week: Richland 35, Central 28; Penn Cambria 42, Central Cambria 21.

Last meeting: Central 46-6 in 2021.

About the Scarlet Dragons: Central will look to bounce back after falling to Richland at home in Week 2. Quarterback Jeff Hoenstine has completed 35 of 54 passes for 405 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Eli Lingenfelter has 15 receptions for 242 yards and four TDs, an average of 121 receiving yards a game.

About the Panthers: Penn Cambria has scored 84 points while allowing 27. Quarterback Garrett Harrold has completed 24 of 36 passes for 441 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Harrold also has 116 rushing yards and two scores to complement back Zach Grove's 224 rushing yards and three TDs.

Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic (1-1) at Somerset (0-2)

Last week: Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic 35, Westmont Hilltop 21; McCort-Carroll 50, Somerset 7.

Last meeting: Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic 45-24 in 2021.

About the Marauders: Bishop Guilfoyle all-state quarterback Karson Kiesewetter accounted for all five of the Marauders' touchdowns as the defending Class 1A state champs beat Westmont Hilltop. Kiesewetter rushed for 185 yards and four TDs, and had passed for 185 yards and a 45-yard TD to Braden Reilly.

About the Golden Eagles: Somerset hopes to get on track after being outscored by a combined 80-14 through two weeks. Cole Perry caught a 35-yard scoring pass from Carson Sanner against McCort-Carroll.

WPIAL

Greensburg Salem (1-1) at Ligonier Valley (2-0)

Last week: Greensburg Salem 26, Derry 17; Ligonier Valley 27, Southmoreland 18.

Last meeting: Greensburg 26-0 in 1929.

About the Golden Lions: Greensburg Salem split the first two games despite opponents outscoring the Golden Lions by a combined 66-29, including a 49-3 season-opening loss to Hempfield. Cody Rubrecht has completed 15 of 32 passes for 214 yards, and rushed 22 times for 213 yards and three TDs.

About the Rams: Haden Sierocky scored three of Ligonier Valley's four touchdowns in last week's win at Southmoreland. Sierocky had an 84-yard kickoff return for a TD, ran 19 yards for a score and caught a 9-yard TD pass from Broderick Schreyer.

Nonconference

Conemaugh Township (2-0) vs. Claysburg-Kimmel (1-1), at Hollidaysburg

Last week: Conemaugh Township 28, Conemaugh Valley 12; Southern Huntingdon 48, Claysburg-Kimmel 13.

Last meeting: The teams have not played.

About the Indians: Tanner Shirley has completed 30 of 39 passes for 442 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Ethan Black has 14 catches for 214 yards and three scores, and Jon Updyke has 10 receptions for 169 yards and two TDs.

About the Bulldogs: Claysburg-Kimmel will try to rebound after allowing 479 total yards to Southern Huntingdon last week. The Bulldogs had 147 yards in Week 2. Cole Claycomb had Claysburg-Kimmel's touchdowns, a 34-yard pass from Caleb Oakes and on a 17-yard run.

North Star (0-2) at West Branch (1-1)

Last week: Keyser, W.Va., 56, North Star 14; West Branch 48, Everett 28.

Last meeting: The teams have not played.

About the Cougars: North Star is looking for its first win of the season. Quarterback Connor Yoder has completed 10 of 25 passes for 175 yards. Isaac Berkey has 105 receiving yards on three catches.

Tyler Biggans has 479 rushing yards and seven TDs on 50 carries, and Wyatt Schwiderske has 270 yards on 40 runs. West Branch ran for 764 yards in two games.

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.