This Date in Blue Devil Football : November 19
By BOB MILLER
Daily Herald Sports Editor
— On November 19, 1966, Bellwood-Antis fell victim to Juniata Valley 13-7 in a Mountain High League playoff for the league championship. The two schools finished in a tie and did not meet during the regular season.
— Bellwood-Antis put up several threats during the game, but had trouble finding the end zone for coach Chet Dillen.
— The Bellwood-Antis touchdown came on a two-yard run by Jim Singler, who also ran in the extra point. Singler had a 12-yard burst and John Graham added an 11-yard sprint during the scoring drive to key the score. SinglerÕs father Reeder Singler was a member of the Tyrone 1940 mythical state championship team, playing as a running back and kick returner.
— Near the end of the opening quarter, Blue Devil quarterback Tim Sissler connected with Graham for a 35-yard pass play that came to nothing. The Blue Devils also had an apparent 78-yard TD pass from Sissler to Dan Davisizer called back because of an illegal procedure penalty. Graham returned a Juniata Valley punt 35 yards to the JV-9, but once again the Blue Devils were turned away scoreless.
— The B-A defense stopped Juniata Valley at the BA-4 and BA-15, and in each case was able to hold on to prevent a score.
— The Hornets scored their winning touchdown with 2:52 remaining in the game when they returned an intercepted B-A pass for a score.
— Already Western Conference Class B and Mountain League champs, Bellwood-Antis under head coach Chet Dillen added the Inter-County Conference Group-B title with a convincing win over West Branch on November 19, 1965. B-A had to share the ICC with Central because the Scarlet Dragons and Blue Devils battled to a 14-14 tie, the only blemish in an otherwise perfect 9-0-1 season for Bellwood-Antis.
— Needing just six points to take the Blair County scoring title, John Graham and the Blue Devils pounded the Warriors 41-13 at Memorial Stadium in front of the home crowd, although the stubborn opponents made a game try of it for a quarter and a half. Suddenly, the Main Line Express poured in three scores in the final three and a half minutes of the half and from there it was all over but the shouting.
— Denny Campbell, who along with Roy Pickens (1946-48), is the only B-A back to both run and pass for 1,000 yards in their high school careers, scored three touchdowns and rushed for an extra point in addition to rushing for 96 yards on 20 carries. Graham also had 20 carries for 85 yards, one TD and one extra point which pushed him to a 109-108 margin over Ron Bookhamer of Williamsburg to win the County scoring title by the slimmest of margins.
— Graham also tossed a pair of TD passes, to Dave Campbell of 48 yards and to Jim Decker of 28 yards, while completing four of four passes for 132 yards. Decker also caught a pass for a successful PAT. Rugged senior 230-pound lineman Pete Stetter, who usually opened the holes for his teammates, moved into the backfield to rush for two extra points in the final game of his high school career.
— Bellwood-Antis used every player on the bench in a 45-6 victory over Bigler Township of Madera, on November 19, 1943.
— This was dubbed a “Luncheon Special” for the B-A students, staged at home right after the noon lunch period with all of the Bellwood-Antis students dismissed so they could attend the football game.
— Bellwood-Antis kicked off to start the contest, but soon had the football back. Three plays later, freshman Kenny Woodhall smashed through the middle of the line and raced 53 yards for a touchdown. The Blue Devils fumbled the ball away on their next possession to Bigler, who turner around and handed it right back via a pass interception. Woodhall scored his second TD of the afternoon after the turnover. Raymond Strunk scored the third Blue Devil TD of the first quarter on a line plunge.
— Strunk went over again for his second score of the game on a reverse in the second quarter and added the extra point on a line plunge to give Bellwood-Antis a 26-6 advantage at the half.
— The reserves got plenty of time on the field as early as second quarter, but coach Duke Burkholder put his starters back in to begin the third quarter. Strunk scored for the third time with the Blue Devils marching down the field to score.
— Jim Campbell scored the final pair of Blue Devil touchdowns. First Campbell grabbed a pass just moments after Strunk’s third score and took the ball 55 yards for a TD. Then in the fourth quarter, Campbell sprinted 35 yards for the final score.