BELLEFONTE, PA - The roar of the crowd, the crack of shoulder pads, and the familiar chill of a Friday night under the lights set the stage for a pivotal Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference showdown as the Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils traveled to face the Bellefonte Red Raiders.
With conference pride on the line, the atmosphere carried an extra edge as Bellefonte entered the contest fresh off a statement victory over previously undefeated Richland, a win that sent a message to the rest of the league. Bellwood-Antis arrived with its own momentum, having answered with a dictating bounce-back victory on Senior Night, and the Blue Devils looked to carry that confidence onto the road.
At the heart of Bellwood's offensive attack was a punishing ground game averaging 250.5 yards per contest, powered by Alex McCartney, Bradyn Partner and Chase Plummer, while receivers Ethan Shawley, Jeffrey Waite, and Jackson Dorminy provided a threat through the air. With Plummer working back from an injury and just playing defense, junior Brady Crist looked to make an impact. Last week, Crist ran for forty-eight yards on six carries.
Bellefonte, the defending District 6 Class 4A champion, countered with a balanced attack of its own, averaging 172 rushing yards and 100.5 passing yards per game, with Alten Howell leading the ground game and Parker Jodon serving as a key target in the passing attack. With every yard carrying added weight and both teams eager to strengthen their standing in the LHAC, Friday night's matchup promised a hard-fought battle where toughness, execution, and momentum could make all the difference.
Bellwood-Antis’ physicality outlasted Bellefonte’s in a statement victory for the visiting Blue Devils. Bellwood took the lead quickly and poured on in the second half to secure a 27-3 win.
After deferring the opening kickoff, Bellefonte began the game on offense. After picking up three first downs and getting deep inside Blue Devil territory, Ethan Shawley made the first significant play of the game. Bellefonte set up a screen pass on Bellwood’s twenty-four-yard line; however, Ethan Shawley read the developing play like a book. He jumped the pass and took the interception twenty-nine yards to set the Blue Devils up with great field position.
On the fifth play of Bellwood’s first possession, they faced a third down and nine. Quarterback Bradyn Partner connected with Ethan Shawley for a nine-yard pickup. Three plays later, Bellwood faced another third down. This time, Alex McCartney ran eight yards to move the chains. Two plays afterwards, McCartney opened the scoring with a ten-yard touchdown run. Miles Smearman connected on the extra point to give the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead with 3:13 left in the opening frame.
For the remainder of the second half, both teams traded possessions, but no one found the endzone. Penalties and turnovers stalled most drives, forcing both teams to punt.
Bellefonte recovered two fumbles by the Blue Devils, while Bellwood tallied an interception and a turnover on downs.
Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich praised his team for battling through their first half miscues. He added, “I’m really proud of this group. We’ve been in tough situations before, so this wasn’t our first time facing adversity. Our guys responded well and were able to flip the page quickly. They continued to focus on the next play and didn’t dwell on their mistakes.”
The Blue Devils sure did respond early to begin the second half. Curtis Shedlock returned the Red Raiders kickoff to the Bellwood forty-four-yard line where the offense took over. On the third play of the drive, on third down and nine, Bradyn Partner connected with Jeffrey Waite for nine yards to extend the drive. Six plays later, on a fourth and three at the Bellefonte twenty-eight-yard line, the Blue Devils executed an exquisite play action pass. After faking a handoff to McCartney, Partner found a wide-open Ethan Shawley for the touchdown. Miles Smearman converted the extra point to put the Blue Devils up 14-0 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
The Blue Devils defense continued to dominate and quickly forced a three and out for the Raiders. After a punt, Bellwood had possession again at their own forty-one-yard line.
Bellwood continued to wear down the Red Raiders defense and capitalized on a nine-play drive. The Blue Devils continued to run behind their powerful offensive line by running on all nine plays. Alex McCartney found the end zone for the second time on a one-yard touchdown. Smearman added the extra point to put the Blue Devils in front 21-0 with one minute remaining in the third quarter.
The stingy Blue Devils defense forced another punt and took over yet again just inside the final quarter on their own forty-four-yard line. Bellwood wasn’t finished yet.
With Brady Crist sidelined to injury, senior Chase Plummer trotted on the field for offense for the first time in two weeks. Plummer made an immediate impact. On a second down and fifteen, Plummer took the hand off for five yards. On the subsequent play, Partner linked with Curtis Shedlock for a key eleven-yard pickup to extend Bellwood’s drive. Six plays later, on fourth down and four, Plummer powered his way into the endzone on a nine-yard touchdown run. After a bad snap, the Blue Devils led 27-0 with 6:12 left in the contest.
Bellefonte put together its best drive of the night and kicked a field goal with forty-five seconds left to escape the shutout. Senior kicker Tristan Liadis drilled a twenty-one-yard field goal to set the final score at 27-3.
Lovrich shared his praise for his team’s second half performance. He added, “Our guys stuck to what the task was and did what they needed to do. They took care of the ball and methodically drove down the field. Bellefonte is a really good football team. This is a positive step for us. Every game is a playoff game now. We need to focus on continuing to improve each week.”
The Blue Devils tallied 196 rushing yards in the competition, led by Alex McCartney, who ran for 109 yards on 24 carries. Partner provided 42 rushing yards and 78 passing yards.
The Blue Devils (7-2) will travel next week to compete in the LHAC crossover game. Their opponent is uncertain at this time.
Bellwood will look to finish the regular season off strong before entering the 2A district playoffs.