Marion Center over Cambria Heights in an Instant Classic!

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Greg Ricupero | September 13, 2025

Marion Center comes back from 15 down to beat Cambria Heights!

GRSN Game of the Week

Marion Center (3-0) at Cambria Heights (3-0)

Battle of the Last Two Unbeaten Heritage Conference Teams!

Started with a pick & ended with a pick!

Marion Center stings Cambria Heights!

Setting

Cambria Heights hadn’t loss a Heritage Conference game since losing to Northern Cambria on 10/27/23. They had won 14 straight and 19 out of the last 20. They had beaten two of the three teams ranked ahead of them in the preseason coaches poll. Only Marion Center was left. The Highlanders have won two straight D6 titles, but they loss most of their skill players to graduation. They however have one of the best lines in the area and a new group of skill players who got a lot of playing time last year. The Stingers had to totally rebuild their line, but have probably the best group of skill players in the area.

The game was played at beautiful AmeriServ Bank Field in Patton. They were the last two undefeated teams.

1st Quarter-“Win the turnover battle and you will win the game” Sports Cliche

On the games third play Junior Stinger Tyler Phillips intercepted a pass and returned it to the Highlanders 32. Marion Center was able to turn the turnover into points when quarterback Cam Rising hit Troy Slovinsky on a crossing pattern. The Stingers were up 7-0. Both teams struggled offensively and punted on their next possession. The Highlanders started in Marion Center territory and overcame a fourth and two as they moved towards a tying score. They finished the drive when quarterback Kaiden Ivory threw a perfect fade pattern to Brayden DeArmitt to tie the game at 7-7. The Stingers had the ball as the quarter ended.

2nd Quarter-“It is hard to keep a champion down!” Sports Cliche

The Highlanders played the second quarter like the two time defending champions they are. The Stingers were stuffed on fourth and two

from the Highlanders 38. Marion Center ran an option play but defensive end Jack Sherwood made a super play getting Rising to pitch the ball early and than tackling the runner for a loss. The Highlanders would then drive 59 yards for the lead. Clawson had a big catch & a big run before capping the drive with a short run. Rising was sacked on the Stingers next possession and MC punted. The Highlanders starting at the Stingers 29 were unable to take advantage of the short field. Ivory was sacked and the Highlanders couldn’t convert the fourth down. The Stingers went three and out and punted. The Highlanders would drive 57 yards with Clawson capping the drive with his second touchdown. Marion Center punted again and CH got the ball with six seconds to go in the half. One deep pass attempt failed incomplete and the teams went to the half with CH up 22-7.

3rd Quarter “Get the ball to #7!” GRSN Last week & at halftime!

Note: #7 is Marion Center Playmaker Sophomore Troy Slovinsky !

On the Stingers second play Troy Slovinsky takes a screen pass 51 yards to the Highlanders one yard line. Mike Fabri scores on the next play and it is 22-14. Both teams punted on their next possession. Cambria Heights then drove 58 yards to the MC ten as the quarter ended. They scored a touchdown as the quarter ended but a penalty negated the score.

4th Quarter “That’s my quarterback!” Terrell Owen’s quote about Tony Romo

Highlander kick Nito Kutruff kicks a field goal on the first play of the quarter and CH went up eleven. Marion Center wentright down the field after a good Troy Slovinsky kick return. It took them less than two minutes to cut the lead to five points. For the second straight week Rising hit Alec Brudnock for a touchdown. Brudnock is having a fantastic season. His diving catch on a perfectly thrown Rising ball was a perfect Ten! They just missed connecting on the two point conversion. The Stingers special teams struck again on the kickoff. Senior kicker Josh Troup kicked the ball over the entire Highlanders return team. The MC kicking team pinned the Highlanders at their own nine yard line. Three plays later CH punted from their own 12. Marion would drive 55 yards for the go ahead touchdown in just under three minutes. Cam Rising made two long punishing runs to get the drive started and then picked up a fourth down at the Highlanders 19. On the next play he hit Troy for a touchdown that gave the Stingers a 26-25 lead. But CH had over five minutes to go. The Stingers stopped Cambria Heights on downs, thanks to big defensive plays by Carter Knox and Brooks Stormer. The Stingers needed one first down to run out the clock, but the Highlanders didn’t cooperate. On fourth and two from the CH 40 Coach Adam Rising decided to punt the ball and let his defense win it. Great call coach! The Highlanders had a minute thirty six seconds, the ball inside their own 15 and only needed a field goal. They got up to near midfield before Trent Slovinsky picked off a pass. The Stingers went to the victory formation! Game over!

These are the two best teams in the Conference and hopefully will meet in the D6 2A championship.

Heritage Conference Scores

United Valley 19 Conemaugh Township 15

Homer Center 38 Penns Manor 14

Purchase Line 35 West Shamokin 13

River Valley 56 Portage 26

Northern Cambria 41 Conemaugh Valley 0

MC 7- 0- 7- 12- 26

CH 7-15- 0- 3- 25

S- Troy Slovinsky 26 pass from Cam Rising xp Josh Troup 726 (7-0)

H- Brayden DeArmitt 28 pass from Kaiden Ivory xp Nito Kutruff 113 (7-7)

H- Nolan Clawson 2 run xp Kutruff 750 (7-14)