Bellwood-Antis is hot off three straight wins to open the season, and this Friday the Blue Devils will try for a fourth against the Central Scarlet Dragons in Roaring Spring.
Both teams look to be pretty solid. The Dragons have won two in a row, beating Somerset 20-13 and Tyrone 13-7. They area pass-heavy offense behind star quarterback Eli Muthler, having more than double passing yards than rushing.
It will be a new challenge for Bellwood-Antis, considering that no team they’ve played has really tested their secondary. Most teams so far this year have been running the ball instead of using the air to their advantage.
Coach Nick Lovrich said the Devils have been working on keeping the action in front of them and preventing plays from turning into big plays.
“We need to stay focused like always, especially on limiting big plays,” he said. “(Jay) Hoenstine is a good receiver so we’ll have to control him.”
Both teams, however, do have flaws. The Central line has struggled defending against the run. The Dragons have given up just under 300 rushing yards in their first three games. This is a pretty significant amount considering they won two of those games. The Devils will bring a new dynamic to Central, as they have rushed for 835 yards in their first three games alone.
B-A, meanwhile, hasn’t been tested in its own passing game, though even without projected starters Chase Plummer (knee injury) and Alex McCartney (knee injury) the Devils have run for 733 yards behind junior Colin Gibbons and sophomore Bradyn Partner.
Overall it looks like this Friday’s matchup will be a close one. Spectators should expect this to be an exciting matchup.
