A week ago the Brookville game was shaping up as the calm before
the storm on the Bradford High Owls’ football schedule with the
struggling Raiders tonight (7 o’clock), an open date and then
unbeaten powerhouse DuBois over the next three weeks.
After all, Brookville (1-4, 0-3) had taken a beating in three
District 9 League losses to Clearfield (21-7), DuBois (41-14) and
St. Marys (33-7), and tonight the Raiders will take their home
field without five suspended players.
“We’re not good enough to look past anybody,” said Steve
Ackerman, BHS head coach. “This is not the team you would have that
discussion with.”
But last Friday night the Raiders opened some eyes throughout
the district with a hard-fought 7-6 loss to the unbeaten
Clarion-Limestone Lions, who defeated the Owls 27-16 the previous
week.
“They (Raiders) played real well against C-L,” Steve Ackerman
declared. “They did a great job defensively in staying on the
receivers even when Scott Davis (C-L quarterback) ran around like
he always does. They played Cover Two out of a 3-4 look and it was
very effective.”
The Raiders scored a touchdown with nine seconds left in the C-L
contest and faked the extra point, but the gamble did not pay off
as the pass fell incomplete.
“They (Raiders) set up for the extra point and faked it,”
Ackerman said after watching the game film. “I don’t know why.
You’ll have to ask Chris (Dworek, Brookville head coach).”
Despite averaging less than 10 points per game this year,
Ackerman thinks the Brookville offense is very dangerous.
“They (Raiders) are a nightmare to prepare for,” Ackerman
confessed. “It’s almost like they have 8,000 formations and 250
plays out of each one. They run no backs. They run one back.
They’ll run “I” formation, Iso and that crossbuck thing. They run
options, sweeps and traps, and have a rotation of five or six
backs. They also throw the ball with screens, bubble screens and
down the field with five or six different receivers.”
The Raiders’ defense is relinquishing nearly 22 points per game
thus far, but they also can offer some different looks to confuse
the Owls’ offense.
“We’ll probably see a Split-four with two outside linebackers
that they (Raiders) used against St. Marys,” Ackerman forecasted.
“Against C-L they played a 3-4, so we prepared for both.”
Except for a possible season-ending hip injury to Bob Colts, the
Owls (2-3, 2-1) are coming into this D-9 League match up healthy.
Ackerman and his staff have made some major changes to the
defensive line as John Lonzi, Steven Reinhardt, Rob Pire, and
either Alex Goodman or Britt Bookhamer will be starting on the
front wall.
“We weren’t aggressive or attacking up front,” Ackerman noted.
“We’ve had changes weekly. We have to find somebody who is going to
do it the way it’s supposed to be done.”
Other District 9 action has unbeaten DuBois (5-0) hosting St.
Marys (2-3). The Beavers were an honorable mention in the PIAA
Class AAAA rankings after their 33-21 upset of then-10th-ranked
Erie McDowell last weekend.
In AML competition, Johnsonburg (3-2) invades Elk County
Catholic (4-1) in a bid to close the gap at the top of the AML
South standings. ECC is currently knotted with Curwensville for
first place, while Johnsonburg and Brockway share second.
Also in the South Division, Brockway (3-2) welcomes Kane (2-3)
and Ridgway (0-5) is on the road at Curwensville (4-1).
Coudersport (5-0), an honorable mention in the PIAA Class A
rankings, welcomes Smethport (2-3), Port Allegany (4-1) visits
Otto-Eldred (2-3) and Cameron County (1-4) plays host to Sheffield
(0-5) in AML North action.
With a win, Coudy can clinch a playoff berth if O-E falls to
Port and the Gators can also clinch if both Keystone and Smethport
lose.
Curwensville can also claim a playoff spot with a win and losses
by Kane, Smethport, CCHS and Keystone.
