Bellefonte defense stops Huntingdon cold

By rscaife
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: September 1, 2018

By Kenny Varner

HUNTINGDON – Defense set the tone Friday night for the Bellefonte Red Raiders as it was ready for the explosive Huntingdon offense.

The Red Raider defense did not allow a first down or even any yards rushing in the first half while keeping its passing game to only 21 yards at the intermission.

The offense lit up on the first play from scrimmage in the third and added a field goal to take home the 10-0 shut out of the Bearcats.

Quarterback Kyle Myers had a strong outing going 10-17 for 133 yards through the air while scampering for 64 yards on the ground.

Teammate CJ Funk caught two passes for 30 yards and had 38 yards rushing himself.

Trae Bauman was the big playmaker in the game, catching a 43-yard pass from Myers for the game’s only touchdown.

“They (the defense) played really well tonight. Coach B does a good job getting the kids where they need to be. There were a lot of times we had five sophomores on the field defensively,” Bellefonte coach Shanon Manning said. “This was a fine win for a bunch of young kids who are to find their way.”

The first half, both defenses showed its muscle as neither team could get the other to budge.

Bellefonte moved the ball moderately, picking up four first half First downs but the Bearcat defense bent but didn’t break, keeping Bellefonte scoreless.

Defensively, Bellefonte’s defense did one better as it seemed to be able to find itself constantly in the Bearcats backfield and refusing Huntingdon quarterback Andrew Hudy anytime to get a good look downfield.

Bellefonte’s offense also outplayed Huntingdon as the Red Raiders defense rolled to 102 yards to the Bearcats 21.

Going into the intermission, fans were thinking whoever scored First might win the tightly contested battle.

But the Red Raiders got the ball to start the second half and was able to make the most of its second half start.

Starting with the ball on the 43 of Huntingdon, Myers lofted a pass down the middle to Bauman and he blamed his way downfield for the touchdown with 11:44 left in the third. With Chris Persiko’s PAT, the visitors held a 7-0 advantage.

Midway through the stanza, the Red Raiders’ offense started to roll down the field with its mix of passes and power runs.

However, the Bellefonte drive stalled and Persiko once again got a call to try a field goal. Persiko, who was 0-for-2 in the first half in his tries, connected perfectly from 33-yards out, upping it to 10-0 with 6:01 still left in the third.

That would be enough that the pumped up Bellefonte defense would need as it totally shut down the Bearcats running game the rest of the way and forced them to beat them through the air.

Though the Bearcats moved the ball between the twenty’s, the Red Raiders would step up each time as the eventually wore down Huntingdon to bring home the victory.

Bellefonte will be once again be on the road as they travel to Philipsburg-Osceola.