Cambria Heights win D6 Single A Title!

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Greg Ricupero | November 18, 2023

D6 Single A Championship Game

#4 Cambria Heights Highlanders (9-3) vs #2 Purchase Line Red Dragons (9-3)

Last Meeting Week #1 8/25/23 CH 7 @ PL 19

Cambria Heights win D6 Single A Championship in a wet one, Purchase Line’s season ends as they are unable to climb the final mountain!

I’ve been to over a 1000 high school football games and have never been at a game where it rained and never slowed down until last night. The Highlanders made plays early, the Dragons made mistakes early and then in the second half the Highlanders played ground & pound football. That’s the story of the game. The End.

I watched the Northern Cambria-Cambria Heights game from last week and I was at their first meeting. I was impressed with the game plan put together by Coach Jarrod Lewis and his staff. They actually passed the ball to set up the run and basically played keep away in the fourth quarter. I have been watching them the last four years and usually it was just ground and pound. That was wildly different than what they had done two weeks earlier in Patton. Halfback Stephen Nelen had looked good throwing the short ball.

The Highlanders won the toss and elected to receive. A bold statement about their offense. On the games first play Nelen went in motion took the pitch and threw a 47 yard halfback option pass to Hunter Nelen. The Highlanders were in the Sheetz Red Zone! Six plays later Garrett Jasper who had a huge game busted in for the games first touchdown. Jasper actually came into the game seventh on the team in the number of carries. Jasper a Junior is the team’s tight end and listed as 6’2” 240 pounds. He would be a nightmare all night for the Dragons.

Three plays later PL quarterback John Elick was intercepted by sophomore linebacker Dawson Warner. Starting at the Dragon 36, CH converted a fourth and one and on the next play Stephen Nelen raced 23 yards to make it 14-0. On the Dragons second possession they managed a first down and got the ball near midfield before facing a fourth and three. A penalty made going for it out of the question and they were forced to bring in the punting unit. The snap went over the head of punter Victor Bartlebaugh as he and three Highlanders raced after the ball it went back into the Sheetz Red Zone. Jasper picked the ball up on the bounce and waltzed into the end zone with 17 seconds to go in the first. But the quarter wasn’t over for the Dragons. Elick was picked again as the quarter ended by junior linebacker Luke Mulraney. PL had created the mountain and now had only three quarters to get over it.

As the second quarter started, the Dragon defense allowed one first down before forcing a CH punt. PL would continued to shoot themselves in the foot. Starting at their own 18 they gained 9 yards on two plays. They hurried to the line to run a quarterback sneak and gain the first down, instead they were flagged for illegal procedure. On the next play they got four of the yards back. On fourth and a long yard Coach Matt Falisec decided to go for it. I think it was a good call down three touchdowns and knowing you only had so many opportunities left, plus your offense has to be a to get a yard if you plan on winning. Elick was stuffed. Two plays later the Highlanders were in the Sheetz Red Zone prepared to finish off the Dragons.

This was the sixth time I had seen the Dragons, plus a 7 on 7, scrimmage and practice. I know a lot of the kids because they are rugby players. These young men don’t quit! Like a lot of small schools injuries devastated this team all year. But to my surprise even their walking wounded were dressed for the game. I’m really proud of these young athletes, they have the hearts of champions and Coach Falisec and his staff did a great job steering the ship.

Senior Jaylin Robertson a playmaker made a big play on the Highlanders next play. CH ran to the left and as the ball carrier was being tackled the ball popped loose. Robertson picked up the ball and raced 81 yards down the sideline and the Dragons had hope. Football can be a game of momentum. On the Highlanders first play after the ensuing kickoff they fumbled again. Junior Zander Stiffler pounced on the bobbled snap and the Dragons were in business at the CH 30. It took the Dragons over three minutes to score and they had to fight for every yard. Robertson plowed in from a yard out and the Dragons were only down eight after the missed PAT.

The Highlanders got the ball back at their own 37 with just over three minutes to go in the half. The Dragon defense immediately held forcing a fourth and two. But again the Dragons hurt themselves jumping offsides. The Dragons held again and this time, they forced a punt. The Dragons took a knee and went into the locker room down eight.

The Dragons were getting the ball first and had the momentum. Football is a team game, you need your defense and offense to play well to give you the best chance of winning. The third quarter was scoreless, but won by the Highlanders. Their defense gave up five yards on six plays and forced two punts. The offense had a seven minute and twenty seven second drive that included thirteen straight running plays. Finally forced to pass they went deep and almost scored. But Victor Bartlebaugh made an incredible interception in the end zone to stop the drive. The Highlanders forced the second punt and had the ball as the fourth quarter started. The Highlanders second drive took nearly four minutes off the clock and was stopped at the PL 22 by Charles Edwards. Edwards is a senior linebacker who has missed about half the season due to medical issues. He’s was recently named co-captain of the Indiana County Warriors rugby team. He is an awesome individual, super competitor and just a great young man. His game reminded me of a game I watch back in 2008 when a young man named Matt Beckman for Ligonier Valley made like 30 tackles, play guard on offense, kicked, punted and was a fullback in short yardage situations. Edwards seem to be in or make every tackle and when the other team has the ball the entire time that’s a lot of tackles. He also played on the offensive line. Just an amazing performance.

The Dragons had the ball back at their 22 with nine and a half minutes to go down eight. Two plays later junior Tristan Weakland sacked Elick causing a fumble that he recovered at the PL 15. A couple of punishing runs by Jasper and junior Jaxxon Kline plowed in from one yard out and with six minutes left the Highlanders led by 14.

The last six minutes were anticlimactic. The Dragons turned it over on downs as Elick and sophomore Shawn Marsh just missed hooking up deep a couple of times. Marsh played a very good game defensively and I will look forward to seeing him next year. But instead of running out the clock the Highlanders fumbled the ball straight back to PL. That’s when the CH defensive line took over with back to back sacks and another turnover on downs. The Highlanders took the victory formation and their first D6 Title.

Coaches Falisec and Small thanks for putting up with me all year. To the Senior Dragons Brock Small, Austin Chambers, Robertson, Owen Misko, Elick, Edwards, Dan Boring, Quentin Brooks, Dylan Bouch and John Hughes thanks for the memories and cherish your accomplishments this year. To the Red Dragon fans, band & cheerleaders you have been awesome.

Congratulations to the Highlanders, what a great season and you still have more football to play. The ground and pound offense has some new wrinkles and makes you a real threat. CH can definitely win next week just believe in yourselves and your teammates and coaches. Good Luck!

CH 21- 0- 0- 6=27

PL    0-13- 0- 0=13

CH-Garrett Jasper 1run xp Cameron Abrams 8:07 (7-0)

CH-Stephen Nelen 23 run xp Abrams 3:24(14-0)

CH-Jasper 14 fumble return xp Abrams 0:17 (21-0)

PL- Jaylin Robertson 81 fumble return xp Jakob Mountain 6:24 (21-7)

PL-Robertson 1 run xp wide left 3:16 (21-13)

CH-Jaxxon Kline 1 run 2pt pass ng 6:00 (27-13)

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