Claysburg-Kimmel vs Bishop Guilfoyle Preview: District 6 1A Semi Finals

Tagged under: District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

Baron Dionis | November 9, 2024

One of the teams competing in the 1A District 6 Championship next week was decided after Northern Cambria defeated Penns Manor 27-7. The other team will be determined Saturday night as the Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs (7-4) take on the Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders (10-1).

These two teams both bring very strong offenses to the field and it will be a fun game to watch. Claysburg relies more on their run game, while Bishop Guilfoyle has shown to be able to do it all.

“I’m not sure there is one,” Claysburg Coach Chuck Kassick said of their plan to stop the Marauders’ strong offense. “Kissel is truly a phenomenal athlete at QB. He’s a stud. Gates is elusive, fast, and runs his way to the end zone a lot. Consiglio punishes defenses. We’re hoping to make them earn yards and win first downs. Hopefully we can make them uncomfortable.” 

Bishop Guilfoyle also has a tough task in stopping a strong run game with the Bulldogs that has scored a lot of points this season. 

“We have to be disciplined,” Bishop Guilfoyle Coach Justin Wheeler said. “They’re running game is pretty exceptional with two kids that are both very dynamic runners. We have to make sure we stay in our gaps and be aggressive versus the run.”

Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs

If the Bulldogs want to knock off the one seed, they will need to execute their run game like they have all year. Quarterback Mason Campagna has run for 1,197 yards and thrown for another 1,475. He has also ran for 21 touchdowns and thrown for seven. Mark Lattieri is another strong runner who has run for 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The Bulldog defense will also need to stop a strong Marauder offense. It all starts up front. Their defensive line has been impressive this season with Remington Diehl accounting for 17.5 sacks and Collton Replogle having eight of his own. As a team, Claysburg has 10 interceptions, which they will need their secondary to stop a strong passing game.

“We will need to take care of the football,” Coach Kassick said. “We can’t have turnovers. We’ve got to weather any storms BG Academy brings and not panic. And we’ve got to basically play the best we’ve ever played. It’s a tall order to say the least. BG Academy is a seasoned group full of all state players. They’re well coached. They play hard. They’re deserving of every accolade they’ve received, and it will be a monumental task, but we’ll give it all we have.”

Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders

If the Marauders continue to do what they have done all year, they will likely have no problems. It all starts offensively behind quarterback Chase Kissell, who has thrown for 2,504 yards and 29 touchdowns. He will need to find number one target Hamilton Gates who has reeled in 68 catches for 1,230 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gates also has 526 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. 

Defensively, Bishop Guilfoyle has handled the run game well all season against teams like Bishop McCort-Carroll and Bellefonte. Jake Kissell has 21 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks on the year. He will be a big contributor towards stopping Claysburg’s strong run game. 

“In order to win, we must control the line of scrimmage,” Coach Wheeler said. “And we have to be balanced on offense. Our passing game has been very good all year but to win in November and December you have to have a strong run game as well. So balance will be key.”

If Claysburg plays their pieces right, it could be an entertaining game, but Bishop Guilfoyle is a very dominant team this year. The stakes though are very high as a District 6 Championship appearance is on the line.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews