2024 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference Preview: East 1 Section
Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 6, News, pfn
Baron Dionis | August 17, 2024
2023 Final LHAC Standings (Overall-Record/Conference)
- Central 12-1 (11-0)
- Bald Eagle 12-2 (10-1)
- Richland 11-2 (10-1)
- Penn Cambria 9-3 (9-3)
- Clearfield 8-4 (7-3)
- Chestnut Ridge 7-4 (7-3)
- Forest Hills 8-4 (7-4)
- Bishop Guilfoyle 6-5 (6-4)
- Tyrone 6-5 (6-5)
- Penns Valley 6-5 (6-5)
- Central Cambria 4-6 (4-6)
- Phillipsburg-Osceola 4-6 (4-6)
- Bedford 3-7 (3-7)
- Somerset 3-7 (3-7)
- Bishop McCort-Carrol 3-7 (3-7)
- Bellefonte 2-8 (2-8)
- Huntingdon 2-8 (2-8)
- Westmont-Hilltop 2-8 (2-8)
- Bellwood-Antis 2-8 (2-8)
- Greater Johnstown 0-10 (0-10)
In the first season featuring 20 teams in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, we witnessed a very competitive season from schools in seven different counties. The East 1 section had many close contests and included the entire conferences best team. Let’s take a look at how the East 1 section of the Laurel Highlands shapes up this season.
Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils
2023 Record: 2-8
Head Coach Nick Lovrich
7th Season: 46-19
The Blue Devils are coming off of a tough season where they had lots of underclassmen see the field. The inexperience showed as they finished 2023 with a 2-8 record. They were able to beat Phillipsburg-Osceola and Greater Johnstown, but struggled in their other eight games.
Coach Lovrich is returning a lot of starters in 2024 and that could help make them competitive. On the offense, they return quarterback Holden Schreier, wide receivers Colin Gibbons and Griffin Kyle, along with a strong offensive line with Jayce Quick, Jack Grassmyer, Hunter Kyle, Christian Jennings, and Logan Ridgway. Kyle and Gibbons will return on defensive in the secondary as well, along with Cayden Pellegrine at linebacker.
Bellwood did lose four strong seniors in linebackers Jordan Hescox and Dalton Poorman, receiver and defensive back Josh Dorminy, and tight end/defensive end Chance Schreier.
Another tough schedule for Bellwood is approaching, but Coach Lovrich believes the Blue Devils can do damage after their strong offseason. “We had a very good offseason this year and we are anxious to put last year behind us. Our kids have worked hard to improve in the offseason. We have a lot of returning letterman back and that experienced that they gained last season will help us this year.”
Keep an eye out for the Blue Devils this season.
Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders
2023 Record: 6-5
Head Coach Justin Wheeler
14th Season: 133-37
Bishop Guilfoyle is back to Single-A and they have a chance to be one of the top teams in the state. PFN has the Marauders ranked as the number two team in Single-A in the 2024 Preseason Rankings. They were very competitive in 2023, but lost in the first round of playoffs to Bald Eagle. All of their wins were won by 14 points or more, but lost three one score games to Central, Tyrone, and Chestnut Ridge.
The Marauders return a lot of starters, but lost some key players. They lose Carter Sheehan on the offensive line who is now playing for Temple, Ryan Hagg at defensive back and receiver who is playing sprint football at Army, and Kaden Wyandt who scored 19 touchdowns and made 120 tackles. Ryan Hostler and Tyson Bridenbaugh are two other notable graduates aswell.
Despite losing some key pieces, they also return a strong core of players. They return their QB/S Chase Kissell, WR/DB Hamilton Gates and Braden Reilly, OL/DL Joe Eckenrode and Connor McElheny, TE/LB Jake Kissell and Nick McCloskey. This returning core for the Marauders can help send this team on a run in the postseason.
Coach Wheeler believes that this group of returning players, “Makes this season potentially a very exciting one. The team will have overall excellent speed and strength, and several players will be playing college football next fall.”
Bishop Guilfoyle is a very dangerous team this year and could be an early favorite to win the district six championship at the Single-A level. But before playoffs are brought up, they have to prove themselves against other tough teams in Central, Bald Eagle, and Tyrone, the teams that beat the Marauders a year prior.
Central Scarlet Dragons
2023 Record: 12-1
Head Coach Jerry Albright
1st Season
The Central Dragons have a big year approaching as they look to win their fifth consecutive 3A District 6 championship. It will look a little different this season as the Dragons have a new head coach after Dave Baker retired after 14 seasons with the team. He was the all time winningest coach in Central history, but his successor is Jerry Albright, who has also coached in Martinsburg for nearly 30 years.
The 2023 season had a lot of exciting games for Central as they beat Clearfield by one score in two contests, including a double overtime thriller in the state playoffs. They also had other big wins against Richland, Bishop Guilfoyle, and Penn Cambria.
Along with a coaching change, Central loses over 20 seniors, which included star linebacker and running back Hunter Smith, star receivers in Jack Dunn and Jacob Benton, and their entire starting offensive and defensive lines. The inexperience for the Dragons will be a difficult challenge, but it seems as if Central consistently replaces talent with more talent.
They will be returning their starting quarterback and free safety in Eli Muthler, linebackers Braydon Beech and Lukas Black, receivers Jay Hoenstine and Kyle Klotz, running back Thaide Mickel, and tight end Jaxon Detterline. This core of skilled positions is a great nucleus, but replacing an offensive line will be the biggest challenge.
Coach Albright said, “Great excitement for this 2024 football season. We lost a lot of seniors but have many younger players wanting to step up and fill in those roles. All of our returning experience is from our skilled positions, if we can get our linemen on both sides of the ball to play to expectations, we should have another successful season.”
Along with looking for a fifth district six title in a row, the Dragons also are the defending champions of the first LHAC Conference Championship. Central has a lot of new faces on the field this season, but it should be another exciting year for the Dragons.
Huntingdon Bearcats
2023 Record: 2-8
Head Coach Tim Lucko
2nd Season: 2-8
The Huntingdon Bearcats are coming off a rough 2023 season where they only won two games. They also lose a lot of talented seniors that played a big role in the teams success in 2023. Huntingdon will have to rely on youth as Coach Lucko believes they can provide some firepower.
Coach Lucko said, “After a 2-8 season in 2023, the Huntingdon Bearcats look to reverse their fortunes in 2024. The Bearcats return 4 starters from last year’s team but youth will be well served as the underclassmen on the roster could provide some serious firepower for the young Cats this season and beyond.”
The Bearcats lost lineman Chase Somers who is now playing at Saint Francis and receiver Tyler Long is playing at Cal U. Other notable graduates are Lincoln Miller, Ashton Steele, and Derek Banks. With a strong group leaving, Huntingdon is returning their quarterback in Eric Mykut, two lineman in AJ Rivello and Malachi Shelton, along with running back Evan Edmiston.
Coach Lucko says they need to rely on underclassman in 2024. Some notable newcomers are WR/DB Javaughn Dodson, linebacker Gavin Norris, and running back Cole Lane.
The Bearcats look to get back to the winning ways with a different looking team in 2024.
Tyrone Golden Eagles
2023 Record: 6-5
Head Coach John Franco
24th Season: 217-61
The Tyrone Golden Eagles have a big season ahead of them as they look to get back to their winning ways in the playoffs. They have a solid group of players returning, but also lost some big pieces to their team from last year.
Tyrone lost their running back Brady Ronan who is now playing at Bloomsburg and star lineman Braden Ewing who is now at Brown University.
The Golden Eagles return quarterback Ashton Walk, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with two solid receivers in Trent Adams and Eli Woomer. Seth Hoover is a returning running back, who will run behind a solid lineman in John Stanton.
Tyrone once again has a tough schedule, facing off against Clearfield in the opening game, then later facing Central, Bald Eagle, and Bishop Guilfoyle.
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