Bellwood-Antis dominates on the ground in win over Bellefonte
Tagged under: Centre County Report, District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Tristan Klinefelter | October 24, 2026
BELLEFONTE — The Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils spoiled the Bellefonte Raiders’ Senior Night with a strong running game and a stout defense, earning a 27-3 victory Friday night.
The Blue Devils’ defense made an impact immediately. On the opening possession, Ethan Shawley intercepted a Raiders pass and returned it to the 47-yard line. Bellwood-Antis capitalized on the turnover as Alex McCartney scored on an 11-yard run to give the Blue Devils an early 7-0 lead.
After several back-and-forth possessions, the Blue Devils broke off an explosive play, but Bradyn Partner fumbled, giving the Raiders favorable field position. The Blue Devils’ defense held strong and forced a punt. However, Bellwood-Antis fumbled the punt return, allowing the Raiders to recover. Bellefonte ultimately failed to convert the turnover into points, turning the ball over on downs.
“We didn’t play good football tonight,” Bellefonte head coach Tony Confer said. “We moved the ball early on, and we had the turnover and didn’t put it in the end zone. They are a good team defensively; they get to the ball, and we didn’t have answers offensively.”
Bellwood-Antis came out of halftime strong. On its opening possession, Partner connected with Shawley for a 28-yard touchdown, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 14-0.
Bellwood-Antis’s Bradyn Partner hits Ethan Shawley for the 28-yard touchdown. Bellwood-Antis 14 Bellefonte 0. @PaFootballNews https://t.co/Pjp8j2OzDi
— Tristan Klinefelter (@TristanK_PFN) October 24, 2026
After a Bellefonte punt, the Blue Devils drove down the field, and McCartney rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.
Bellwood-Antis added another touchdown in the fourth quarter when Chase Plummer scored on a 7-yard run. Bellefonte added a field goal with less than a minute remaining, making the final score 27-3.
“Bellefonte is the No. 1 team in District 6 Class 4A. Anytime you play a 4A school with a school our size, I thought it was a great win for our kids,” Bellwood-Antis head coach Nick Lovrich said. “Our guys have been pretty physical all year up front, and our backs run hard, so it’s a combination to move guys off the ball, and it’s a huge reason for our success.”
McCartney finished Friday night’s game with more than 25 carries, over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s a huge win tonight; even better to get out of here healthy. We have a whole new season coming up,” McCartney said.
It was a tough loss for the Raiders, who defeated one of the state’s top-ranked teams, the Richland Rams, just a week earlier. Bellefonte was also without one of its top players Friday night.
“When you get a win like we did last week, it’s hard to come back and play at that level,” Confer said. “We get one back and lose one; it feels like that’s been the story of the season. When you have a kid out like that, it hurts us on both sides of the ball.”
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