District 6 3A Round 1 Preview: Forest Hills at Penn Cambria

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Hunter Myers | October 31, 2025

With five minutes left to play in Week 3, it looked all but certain that Penn Cambria’s defense had carried them to another early-season win. However, Forest Hills had different ideas, scoring two more touchdowns to steal the win at home. That loss represents one of only three blemishes on the Panthers’ last two years’ record. Since that week, these teams have been on a crash course through the very difficult Laurel Highlands, finding themselves on opposite sidelines once again, this time to keep their seasons alive.

In their early-season matchup, both teams played well, but Forest Hills’ Xander Richardson was the game-changer, scoring two touchdowns on the ground in the final five minutes. The Week 3 win was Forest Hills’ second victory in the last five seasons, with their last win over the Panthers coming in 2021. Penn Cambria has been a tough team to beat recently, appearing in the last two District 6 Class 3A Championships and hoping to reach their third in a row. Forest Hills has also been consistent, with a 61% win percentage (20-13) in their last three seasons, making the playoffs in all three.

After starting their 2025 campaign 4-0, Forest Hills has lost three straight entering the playoffs, giving them an overall record of 6-4. Their cold stretch included losses to the two teams who met in the Laurel Highlands Championship, Bishop McCort and Bishop Guilfoyle. Overall, their season has been characterized by very good defense, with an offense based on a balanced attack. In the Rangers’ six wins, they have held opponents to just 9.8 points. Meanwhile, their offense has amassed 3,022 yards, 49% rushing and 51% passing. Xander Richardson, the Rangers’ star quarterback, has over 1,000 yards rushing and passing, a dynamic dual-threat athlete who could change the game in an instant.

Penn Cambria had won six games in a row before losing to Clearfield in a heartbreaking overtime loss last week in the crossover games. This brings the Panthers’ record to 8-2, with an 0-2 record in one-score games. Luckily for Penn Cambria, they have largely avoided one-score games, beating opponents 40.9-9.4 in their eight wins. The Panthers have been very dominant in their victories, due to their stifling defense and prolific run game. Penn Cambria has now rushed for 200+ yards in seven of their ten games. However, Forest Hills forced their lowest rush total of the year, holding them to only 94 yards. The Panthers’ running back, Corbin Vinglish, will be key to their game plan, as he has six 100+ yard games and 990 yards in total on the ground.

As the leaves change color, we turn to very important matchups in high school football and potentially very close scores. The key to this game will be the Panther run game and how much ground they can gain on the Rangers’ front seven. Be on the lookout for the few explosive plays either team allows, as this could decide who is playing at Mansion Park next week for the District 6 Class 3A title.

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