2023 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference Preview: LHAC East 2

Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 6, News

Brian Ingalls | August 24, 2023

The 2022 Laurel Highlands Final Standings (Record-Conference/Overall)

1. Richland 10-0/11-1
2. Penn Cambria 9-1/9-2
3. Central 8-2/12-3
4. Bishop Guilfoyle 7-3/10-4
5. Bedford 7-3/7-4
6. Chestnut Ridge 6-4/6-5
7. Westmont Hilltop 4-6
8. Central Cambria 3-7
9. Forest Hills 3-7
10. Bishop McCort/Carroll 2-8
11. Somerset 1-9
12. Greater Johnstown 0-10
    

    ---

The Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference is always a successful conference and now they have added 8 quality teams for the 2023 football season.   The now 20 team conference will consist of teams from 3 different Districts (D5, D6, and D9), and will also feature 1 Single A, 12 Double A, 5 Triple A, and 2 Quad A teams.

The 20 teams have been sectioned into 4-5 team sections.  After the first 9 games, the conference will be ranked East 1-10 and West 1-10.  The top team from the East will play the top team from the West for LHAC Championship in week 10.  The rest of the league will play the cross-over games in week 10.  The only changes will take place if the teams already played, except for in the championship game.

Here is the 2023 LHAC Sections:

Bald Eagle Area Bald Eagles
2022 Record: 5-1 (MAC 2^nd Place) 8-4 Ovr
Head Coach-Jesse Nagle
8^th Season (48-34)

BEA Lost to Penns Valley 34-14 in the D6 AA Semifinals last season.

BEA has plenty of experience coming back including Junior QB Carson Nagle who threw for 2800 yards and 29 TDs last season. Nagle’s favorite two targets are returning in Senior Kahale Burns (903 yards and 8 TDs) and Senior Camron Watkins (854 yards and 7 TDs).  Bald Eagle Area has their 2^nd leading rusher from last year returning in Senior RB Cameron Dubbs (410 yards and 4 TDs).  Along the offensive and defensive line the Bald Eagles have plenty of returning starters.  These are: Senior DE Camron Watkins (6’2” 205), Junior TE Wyatt Spackman (6’0” 210), Senior OL/DE Alex Lefebvre (6’2” 240), Senior OL/DL Eric Clark (6’3 255), Senior OL/DL Caleb Lanning (6’0 250), and Junior OL/DE Braydon Dubbs (6’1 235).  Watkins led the teams with 10.5 sacks last year.  Other defensive starters returning are Senior Kahale Burns Safety, Junior Wyatt Spackman LB, Senior Gavin Burns DB, Senior Cameron Dubbs LB. Spackman was the second leading tackler last season with 66.  The key newcomers are: Ethan Shirk LB, Preston Reed Safety, Gage Gardner OL/DL, Austin Moyle OL/DL, Nick Wible Slot/RB/Corner, Mason Reese Corner/WR, Kollin Cunnigham Slot/DB, and Kaden Clark LB.

Coach Nagle said

“Coming off an 8 win season we are looking to take another step in the right direction. The players have bought that into the off season and we are excited for football to officially start.”

Bald Eagle Area will get tested early as they play Bishop Guilfoyle week 1.  BEA, Clearfield, and Penns Valley should all be a tough battle for the East 2 division.  BEA plays Penns Valley week 3 and Clearfield week 7.

2023 Schedule

Penns Valley Rams
2022 Record: 10-3 (MAC 3^rd place)
Head Coach-Martin Tobias
28^th Season (131-146)

The Rams lost to Bishop Guilfoyle 56-35 in the D6 AA Championship.  Penns Valley did avenge a regular season loss by beating BEA in the playoffs.

Coach Tobias has his great QB/RB tandem back in Senior QB Jackson Romig and RB Ty Watson.  Romig threw for 2400 yards and 31 TDs and rushed for 350 yards and 5 TDs last season.  Watson rushed for 1400 yards and 24 TDs and had 370 yards receiving and 2 TDs.  One of Romig’s favorite targets, Miles Brooks (1000 yards and 14 TDs) has graduated, but Seniors John Meyer and Danin Kersetter are back.  These two combine for almost 1000 yards and 9 TDs last season.  On the offensive line the Rams have Junior Landon Hess (5’9” 210), Senior Rylin Loner (6’0” 220), and Senior Hunter Stake (5’10” 215) returning starters.  The leading tackler from last year is back Senior Caleb Confer LB (97 tackles).  Other returning starters from last years defense are Senior Josh Lieb LB (81 tackles, 2 INTs, and 6 sacks), Senior Colin Niewinski DE (48 tackles), Meyer DB (46 tackles),  Senior Jarrett Stover LB (42 tackles), and Kerstetter DB (2 INTs).

Coach Tobias key newcomers are: Ethan Fetterolf LB/RB, Chad Hammer DB/WR, Cameron Kubalak DB/WR, and Logan Wolfe OL/DL.

Coach Tobias had this to say about the upcoming season:

“We have a strong core of returning players with valuable experience. We will have to replace an outstanding group of players who graduated. Our underclassmen will need to develop to improve our depth and fill various positions.”

Penns Valley is in one of the most competitive divisions with BEA and Clearfield with them in the East 2.  The Rams are at Bedford week 2, home against BEA week 3, at Clearfield week 6, home against Central week 7, and at Tyrone week 9.

2023 Schedule

Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineers
2022 Record: 0-6 (MAC 8^th place) 3-7 Ovr
Head Coach-Jeff Vroman
16^th Season 4^th season since returning (63-92)

Philipsburg has a lot of experienced Seniors on the 2023 roster, and only graduated two starters from last year. Coach Vroman said

“We have a lot of experience back, and we need to continue to develop depth to face a tough schedule in 2023.”

The Mountaineers return their top two RBs from last year in Senior Jakodi Jones (630 yards/9 TDs) and Senior Dayton Barger (570 yards/4 TDs).  Coach Vroman has four returning offensive linemen in Senior Alex Knepp (5’8” 190), Senior Hunter Foster (6’2” 200), Sophomore Evan Eichenlaub (5’10” 200), and Sophomore Connor Eichenlaub (5’10 195).  Other returning starters are Barger Safety, Jones LB, Senior Nick Johnson TE/DE, Junior Lucas Peterson SE/DB, Knepp LB, E. Eichenlaub DL, C. Eichenlaub DL, Senior Brandon Hahn DB, Junior Carson Long K, and Junior Sam McDonald RB/LB.  The key newcomers for Philipsburg are: Colton Chapman RB/LB, Ryan McClure OL/DL, Cam Mason TE/DE, and Aiden Minarchick TE/LB.

Coach Vroman will need the great team experience as they play at Clearfield week 3, home against Penns Valley week 4, at BEA week 5, and at Bishop Guilfoyle week 9.

2023 Schedule

Clearfield Bison
2022 Record: 5-1 (MAC 1^st place) 8-4 Ovr
Head Coach-Myles Caragein
1^st Season

The Bison beat Saint Marys 13-7 in the D9 AAA Championship, and then lost to Central 35-6 in the PIAA State AAA round of 16.

First year Coach Caragein, who has been on the Clearfield staff since 2014, will have all of last year’s offensive skill players returning.  Senior QB Will Domico, Junior RB Brady Collins, Senior FB Carter Chamberlain, and Junior WR Carter Freeland are all back.  Freeland had 408 receiving yards and 4 TDs last season.  Collins rushed for 1495 yards and 15 TDs last year.  Chamberlain had 581 yards and 10 TDs rushing last year. Clearfield is very inexperienced along both lines, with Senior G/DT Nolyn Rockmore (5’8” 227) and Junior DE Hunter Ressler as the only starters from last year.  The same returning offensive skill players return as starters on defense as well.  Collins and Chamberlain at LB, Domico and Freeland at DB.

Clearfield will have a tough end of the season where they are at Bald Eagle Area, at Richland, and at Central weeks 7,8, and 9.

2023 Schedule

Bellefonte Red Raiders
2022 Record: 1-9 (MAC 7^th place)
Head Coach-Tony Confer
1^st Season

Coach Confer said

“We are excited about the new league but our schedule is very top heavy. Our goal is to go out and compete each week. We are young team as we only return a couple full time starters. We have some young and hungry underclassman who want to make an impact on our football program. And we have some solid senior linemen and skill players returning this year that will be looked to lead this team.”

Bellefonte has these returning starters: Junior Sherman Lowry RB/LB, Junior Liam Halterman QB/FS, Senior Grady Garrison WR/LB, Junior Owen Pettina OL/DL, Senior Nate Way OL/DL, Senior Braden Bickle WR/DB, and Senior Owen Hendershot OL/DL.  Coach Confer’s notable newcomers are: Sophomore Logan Rarrick TE/LB, Junior Aden Howell WR/ SS, Senior Logan Aviles TE/DE, Junior Jaeden Gabrovsek WR/DB, Junior Pat Shingara OL/DL, and Sophomore Ian Valimont OL/DL.

2023 Schedule

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews