2024 PIAA Class 1A Title Game Preview: The Port Allegany Gators
Tagged under: District 9, News, pfn, Playoffs
Phil Myers | December 4, 2024
Port Allegany V Bishop Guilfoyle
PIAA Class 1A Title Game
Thursday, 1pm
Port Allegany
PIAA District 9 – Class A
League: Region 2
Head Coach: Justin Bienkowski
Overview: Port Allegany went undefeated and, for the 2nd time in the last 3 years, won the D9 title ultimately advancing to the state semifinals. This is their first trip to the championship game, losing in the semis in 2022 and 2012. The Gators average 51.8 points a game which is third best in the state. They have not scored less than 35 points in a game all year and the time they did was the first game of the season.
How they got to the Title Game: Port easily upended the Class A state runner-up from 2023, Fort Cherry, by a score of 46-8 last week. The Gator defense played their best game of the year by holding Fort Cherry’s offense to a mere 133 yards. Aiden Bliss had a big night as usual, rushing for 300 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns.
2024 Schedule
| OVERALL | PCT | CONF | PCT | HOME | AWAY | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-0 | 1.000 | 6-0 | 1.000 | 8-0 | 6-0 | W14 |
| 17-Aug | vs. Otto-Eldred (7-2) | |
| 23-Aug | vs. Keystone (5-6) | W, 35-18 |
| 30-Aug | @ Smethport (1-8) | W, 73-6 |
| 7-Sep | vs. Redbank Valley (9-4) | W, 66-38 |
| 13-Sep | @ Brockway (7-5) | W, 47-21 |
| 20-Sep | vs. Union-AC Valley (8-4) | W, 57-20 |
| 27-Sep | @ Ridgway (4-7) | W, 41-34 |
| 4-Oct | @ Saint Marys (4-5) | W, 50-13 |
| 12-Oct | vs. Kane (3-7) | W, 62-16 |
| 18-Oct | @ Brookville (2-8) | W, 44-14 |
| 25-Oct | @ Cameron County (6-4) | W, 48-0 |
| 8-Nov | vs. Keystone (5-6) | W, 57-14 |
| 15-Nov | vs. Redbank Valley (9-4) | W, 62-28 |
| 22-Nov | vs. Wilmington (8-3) | W, 38-20 |
| 29-Nov | vs. Fort Cherry (14-1) | W, 46-8 |
| 5-Dec | @ Bishop Guilfoyle (14-1) | – |
Key players/Stats:
RB Aiden Bliss: He has rushed for 3,180 yards and 53 touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards a carry. His 57 total touchdowns is good enough to rank him 2nd in the country in that category. His 386 total points ranks him #1 in the country because he has 22 two-point conversions to his credit.
RBs Tristan Kiser or Kellen Veilleux: Kiser has 1,226 yards running the ball and has scored 20 touchdowns. Veilleux has filled in for Kiser the past couple of weeks and has 419 yards on 44 carries and 4 TDs. Kiser averages almost 13 yards a carry and is the leading receiver on the team.
QB Brennan Fillhart: This freshman quarterback has played very well for the Gators. They don’t ask him to throw much, but he is effective when he does. He connects on 72% of his throws and has chalked up 713 yards passing with 9 touchdowns.
OL: Carson Neely anchors the offensive line and has 47 pancake blocks to his credit.
P/K Jarrod Funk: He has made 49 of 56 point after attempts. But in recent games Port Allegany has been successfully making two-point conversions.
Defense: Bliss, Kiser, and Gavin Mosses are the leading tacklers. The Gators have 34 quarterback sacks and have intercepted 28 passes. Nick Wilfong has 6 picks and Bliss has 4.
Offensive keys to winning: First and foremost, the Gators need to control the line of scrimmage with their formidable line. That in turn will allow them to eat up the clock and keep the ball away from Bishop Guilfoyle’s offense. If that happens, feeding the football to Aiden Bliss 30 to 35 times and letting him do his thing is going to be a tall task for Guilfoyle to stop. Secondly, Port will need to play error free football. They cannot turn the ball over wasting opportunities and they cannot afford to take penalties putting them in long yardage situations to get first downs. If they are successful in those two areas, Port Allegany has a huge chance to become the first D9 state football champ ever.
Defensive Keys to winning: Be physical and play smart. The Gators executed a great game plan last week in shutting down one of the better Class A offenses in the state. The Gators need to negate the running game of Bishop Guilfoyle and make them one-dimensional and they will have to pressure BG’s quarterback who can effectively throw downfield. If Port Allegany plays physical, puts pressure on the quarterback almost every time he throws, and stops the run, it will go a long way in deciding who will win this game.
Starting Lineup:
QB: #3 Fr Brennan FillhartRB: #31 Jr Aiden BlissRB: #4 So Kellen VeilleuxWR: #8 Jr Nick WilfongWR: #10 Jr Jarrod FunkTight End: #24 Sr Jake CauserLeft Tackle: #70 Sr Juuso YoungLeft Guard: #51 Sr Carson NeelyCenter: #76 Jr Ethan TarboxRight Guard: #58 Sr Tyler FillhartRight Tackle: #67 Jr Brayden BabcockDefenseDefensive End: Sr. #70 Juuso YoungDefensive End: So. #52 Gavin MosesDefensive Tackle: Jr. #76 Ethan TarboxDefensive Tackle: Sr. #51 Carson NeelyLinebacker: Jr. #15 Tristan KiserLinebacker: So. #6 Isaac PostlewaitLinebacker: Jr. #31 Aiden BlissSafety: Sr. #5 Kelvin BurgessCornerback: So. #4 Kellen VeilleuxCornerback: Jr. #8 Nick WilfongSafety: So. #2 Liam Hawver
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