This
Date in Blue Devil Football
•
September 20th •
By BOB
MILLER
Daily Herald Sports Editor
—
On September 20, 1996,
Bellwood-Antis celebrated Homecoming and had to go into overtime before
pulling out a 17-14 win over Southern Huntingdon at Bellwood Memorial
Stadium.
—
After three straight losses to open the season for head coach John Hayes,
Bellwood-Antis delighted a large Homecoming crowd that saw 1996 Homecoming
Queen Wendy Garner crowned at halftime by 1995 Queen Elsa Parks, and stayed
around for two overtime periods. B-A has been involved in three overtime
contests, since the rules were changed to eliminate ties and have won
all three-defeating Bishop Guilfoyle 14-7 during the regular season in
1995 and Bedford 34-28 in the 2000 Semifinals of the District 5/6 playoffs,
also in two OTs in addition to the Southern Huntingdon game in 1996.
—
Each team tried three field goals, with Tim Noonan, junior lineman, who
would be selected to the Second Team AP Small School All-State squad as
a senior in 1997, almost being the goat, after missing a 28-yard field
goal with 0:28 left in the fourth quarter, before stepping back and booting
the winner from 22 yards away in the second overtime.
—
Bellwood-Antis jumped out to a two-touchdown lead over Southern Huntingdon
and then allowed the Rockets to come back and tie the game in regulation.
—
B-A took a Rocket punt after Southern Huntingdon was unable to move following
the opening kickoff, at the SH-39. Fullback Don Lingenfelter had his number
called for five yards and tailback Jeremy Guyer picked up 14, but was
hurt and did not return. Matt Miller picked up nine big yards on a reverse
and Lingenfelter smashed in for the one-yard TD. Noonan kicked the PAT
for a 7-0 lead that was all the scoring in the first half.
—
Bellwood-Antis took the second-half kick and promptly drove 65 yards for
their second score. Quarterback Steve Conlon connected on four straight
passes for 56 of those yards, including a 31-yarder to senior classmate
Brad Wertz for the TD. Noonan’s PAT gave the Blue Devils a 14-0 advantage.
—
Southern began the fourth quarter with a drive deep into Blue Devil territory,
but was turned away by a Matt Miller interception at the BA-2. Unable
to move the ball, Bellwood-Antis was forced to punt with Southern Huntingdon
getting the ball at the BA-35. Quarterback Mark Moline completed a 34-yard
pass play to Chet Clark on the first call and followed that with a one-yard
sneak for the score. The PAT was no good, so B-A led 14-6.
—
Southern recovered a B-A fumble two series later at the BA-25. The Rockets
ran a trick play, lining up freshman quarterback Scott Covert at halfback.
Covert fired a pass to Clark for 22 yards. Jeff Grissinger added both
the one-yard TD and 2-pt. PAT to tie the game 14-14.
—
After Noonan’s last second miss in regulation, both teams flubbed
field goal tries in the first overtime.
—
Bellwood-Antis came up with a big interception to quickly end Southern’s
second overtime. From the 10, Lingenfelter smashed up the middle three
straight times to set the ball at point-blank range for Noonan, who was
true on the 22-yarder as B-A gutted out their first win of the campaign.
—
Bellwood-Antis won their third straight shutout victory of the season
on September 20, 1974,
with a 34-0 triumph at West Branch.
—
Led by hard-hitting linebacker Jerry Taylor and cohorts Mike Endress,
Tom Jackson, Joe DelGrosso, Dan Maidl, Joe Riley, Gary Hribik, Jim Evans,
Brian Marasco and the rest of the Blue Devil defensive unit, West Branch
was demoralized with another superb effort. The Warriors became the fifth
straight team, including two preseason scrimmages that failed to dent
the Blue Devils’ endzone for coach Mike Hoffer and assistants Steve
Hayes and Darrell Claar.
—
Gary Hribik, a Big 33 Nominee who passed for 127 yards and two TD passes
and scored another on the ground, found Tom Jackson with a 39-yard toss
in the opening stanza for a touchdown to open up the floodgates.
—
Three minutes later, a quick four-play drive that covered 78 yards was
capped by a 53-yards pass play from Hribik to Joe Orolin for another score.
—
A second quarter interception by Jim Evans put the Blue Devils in business
again at the West Branch-14. Evans bolted a dozen yards and then bruising
fullback Jerry Taylor slammed in for the two-yard score. Hribik and Orolin,
a converted quarterback, reversed their roles with Orolin passing to Hribik
for the 2 pt. PAT and a 20-0 B-A lead.
—
Taylor keyed the first of a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns with five
carries for 31 yards, and then banged in for the one-yard score. Hribik
blasted in for the final TD from three yards out after setting the score
up with a couple pass completions to Evans and one each to Orolin and
Taylor. Jim Riley booted extra points after both fourth-quarter scores.
—
The defensive shut out streak would continue through five regular season
games, although Tussey Mountain did score on defense, returning a pass
interception 100 yards in game five and Mount Union would hold Bellwood-Antis
to a 0-0 draw in game four. Finally in game six, a powerful Southern Huntingdon
team not only would score, but handed B-A their first loss of the 1974
season 24-6.
—
Hribik passed for 1,033 yards and completed 91 passes as a junior in 1973,
but would spend all or part of several games on the bench due to injury
during his senior season in 1974. That contributed to his throwing for
just 33 completions and 498 yards as a senior. Hribik holds B-A records
for completions (185) and pass attempts (400) and is tied for third in
TD passes (22) and is one of just three Blue Devil quarterbacks to pass
for 2,000 yards at B-A.
—
In a battle of two winless teams, Bellwood-Antis emerged as the clear-cut
victor, on September 20, 1968,
smashing West Branch 35-0 on the loser’s field at Lanse.
—
After a scoreless first quarter, Dan Davensizer raced 14 yards to cap
a 70-yard drive and Jim Singler, who had a key 19-yard gain during the
march, added the extra point and the rout was on.
—
One year later, the PIAA would add the two-point conversion for any extra
points that were run or passed for. Until 1969, all extra point tries
were only one point, no matter how they were scored,
—
With less that a minute to play in the first half, Chris Edminston blasted
in for a one-yard touchdown that culminated a 68-yard march. Davensizer
ran the PAT for a 14-0 lead at halftime.
—
West Branch tried to surprise Bellwood-Antis with a quick kick, but it
didn’t work with the Blue Devils winding up with the ball at the
Warriors-15. Three plays later, Jim Singler dashed eight yards for the
TD and Davensizer rushed for the PAT and a 21-0 advantage.
—
In the fourth quarter, B-A added the final two scores.
—
First, Bellwood-Antis quarterback Jim DelGrosso ran the ball in from the
seven to cap a 70-yard drive. Then backup quarterback and Jim’s younger
brother, Bo DelGrosso, blasted in from a yard out following Ron Roulic’s
pass interception that set up the TD. Gary Vandevander and Mike Hoffer
ran in the extra points to set the final score at 35-0.
—
The Blue Devils would turn the season around and win five and tie one
of the final eight games to finish the season 5-4-1 for head coach Chet
Dillen after an 0-2 start. Dillen’s assistants in 1968 were long-time
aide Bob Fowler and Fred Jones, an IUP grad, who replaced Mike Hoffer,
who became the Director of Athletics. Ken Peterson was the junior high
head coach and was assisted by Richard Underwood.
—
Bellwood-Antis pretty much disdained the pass under coach Dillen, throwing
just a total of 47 passes in 10 games in 1968 and no touchdown passes.
Jim DelGrosso did most of the passing when the Blue Devils did throw the
football completing 18 of 38 passes for 207 yards. Dan Davensizer and
Bo DelGrosso completed one of nine passes between them.. Chris Edminston
(six for 54 yards) and Dan Davensizer (six for 50) led the B-A receivers.
Davensizer led the runningbacks with 570 yards on 141 carries, closely
followed by Edminston with 546 yards on 123 carries. Jim Singler added
203 yards on just 41 carries, leading the rushers with a 5.0 yards per
carry average.
