This
Date in Blue Devil Football
•
August 29th •
By BOB
MILLER
Daily Herald Sports Editor
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Bellwood-Antis nearly turned an upset over backyard rival Tyrone on August
29, 1997.
The Golden Eagles were forced to put together two final-quarter scoring
drives to edge the Blue Devils 27-20 at Bellwood Memorial Stadium.
—
Down 20-7 in the second quarter, #5 state-ranked Tyrone slowly came back
scoring once in the waning moments of the first half and then twice in
the fourth quarter, including the winning TD with just 21 seconds on the
clock.
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B-A jumped out to a 6-0 advantage for coach John Hayes, when big senior
lineman Vinnie Torsell scooped up a Tyrone fumble and rumbled 75 yards
for the first score of the game with just under three minutes played in
the opening quarter.
—
On their next possession following the Torsell TD, the Blue Devils marched
68 yards for another score. Jeremy Guyer, who rushed for 80 yards on 16
carries had gains of 28 and 17 yards and Matt Miller completed a 10-yard
pass connection to fullback Don Lingenfelter. Guyer punched it in from
the two to make the score 12-0. Miller completed seven of 16 passes for
119 yards.
—
Jamal Owens burst 53 yards for a TD to slice the B-A lead to 12-7 with
Scott Gummo’s PAT, but the Blue Devils came right back to restore
their two-TD lead.
—
Jim Gwinn kicked B-A into overdrive with a 25-yard scamper on third down.
Miller completed a 19-yard pass to Lingenfelter and Guyer scooted for
a pickup of 12, before smashing in for the one-yard TD. Miller and Lingenfelter
combined for the two-point conversion on a pass play to give B-A the lead
20-7.
—
Tyrone closed to 20-14 at the half and it stayed that way until the Eagles
scored twice in the final four minutes to win the contest.
—
Opening the 1986
season at Gray Field, Bellwood-Antis held the Golden Eagle offense pretty
much in check on August 29, except for one third-period play that
turned the outcome of the game in TyroneÕs favor 7-0.
—
On that play, Tyrone senior halfback Roger Branstetter, slipped out of
several tackle attempts and scooted 40 yards for the only touchdown of
the game to complete a six-play march for the Eagles. Tim Stringer booted
the PAT to make the score 7-0 midway through the third quarter.
—
B-A scatback Jack Dorminy led all runners with 88 yards on 20 carries,
while Tyrone was led by fullback Harvey Norris with 64 yards on 22 carries
and Branstetter added 60 on just four carries.
—
Tyrone rolled to the BA-5 in the first quarter, but came away empty when
Blue Devil Chris Moore smothered a fourth-down play for a five-yard loss
and the Blue Devil defense took the ball away. Tyrone held Bellwood-Antis
and moved right back down the field to the BA-13. This time, it was Bob
Schmittle picking off a deflected Tyrone pass and racing 41 yards to get
B-A out of a deep hole again.
—
Following that steal, Dorminy led the Blue Devils to the T-10, but the
Eagles stuffed that series with a Branstetter interception after five
runs by Dorminy, including a 17-yarder that moved the pigskin to the 10-yard
stripe.
—
Bellwood-Antis crossed midfield three more times following the Branstetter
TD, but could penetrate no closer than the Tyrone-25, where a costly holding
penalty and three incomplete passes ended the most serious threat for
John Hayes’ Blue Devils.
—
Fresh from three straight successful seasons under coach Jim Gardner (8-3
in 1977, 8-3 in 1978 and 9-2 in 1979), new head coach John Hayes took
over only a month before fall practice began at Bellwood in the Fall of
1980.
—
Steve Walker, a slight 6-0, 160 pound junior answered the call by rushing
for 128 yards on 17 carries in his first varsity start to lead Bellwood-Antis
to a 14-9 win over Penns Valley on August 29, 1980.
—
Walker scored what proved to be the winning margin with a clutch seven-yard
touchdown burst on a fourth down and five to go call midway through the
fourth quarter.
—
Walker provided the offensive punch and Dave Clark, Dan Wolf and Doug
Detterbeck spearheaded a defensive effort that kept the much-bigger Rams
in check after a second-quarter scoring drive had given Penns Valley the
early lead.
—
Todd Bookhamer bulled in from a foot away to cap a 47-yard march the very
first time the Blue Devils ran the ball and senior letterman Dave DiRoma
booted both extra points.
—
Penns Valley came right back on the next series following the B-A score,
but Wolf led a defensive stand that denied the Rams the endzone on three
straight cracks from inside the BA-5. Penns Valley did kick a 25-yard
field goal on fourth down, but the momentum was definitely with the Blue
Devils.
—
Penns Valley tried to come back following Walker’s final quarter
TD, but Jim Dorminy stole a Ram pass and sprinted 56 yards with the interception
to stop a Ram threat. Then on the final possession of the game, Penns
Valley surrendered the ball near midfield when Clark and Detterbeck dropped
the Ram quarterback for a sack behind the line of scrimmage on a fourth
down play.
