Burrell-Freeport ready for key clash
Burrell coach Tom Henderson has many different weapons his disposal.
The job for Freeport coach John Gaillot is to determine which one may be the difference-maker in Friday's Allegheny Conference matchup at Freeport.
The Bucs (3-0, 3-0) are averaging 49.3 points per game, the latest blowout coming in a 43-20 win over Summit Academy last Friday.
"They look very good, very tough," said Gaillot. "Their line is bigger this year and they're well-coached."
Leading the way is quarterback Camren Nelson, who completed 14-of-16 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns against the Knights.
"He's definitely very efficient," said Gaillot. "He has complete control of their offense and runs it well. They have the skill kids to run it. It will be a very big challenge."
"Camren's a joy to coach," said Henderson. "He's a once in a lifetime kid. He understands everything.
"He's correcting me more than I correct him. He'll tell me, 'We can't run that play Coach.' I'll say 'What do you mean' and he'll explain it and I just say, 'OK, just run the play,'" joked Henderson.
The Bucs defense has also been stout, allowing just 8.6 points per game, a little inflated after the Knights scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes last week.
"That's where we've improved the most over last year," said Henderson. "Last year, we struggled defensively. We had a lot of kids returning who got good experience. They worked hard in the offseason, had a good summer and it's showing.
"The success they've had, they deserve it.," Henderson added.
The Yellowjackets (2-1, 2-1) have also enjoyed a strong season, the lone loss coming in overtime against undefeated Shady Side Academy.
They defeated Apollo-Ridge 42-13 last week. Alex Isenberg rushed for three touchdowns and Andy Teorsky added two more to lead the squad.
"(Isenberg's) a two-year starter and they can run all over the place," said Henderson. "And, they have kids who can catch the ball."
The Bucs will try to avenge last year's 21-14 loss to the Yellowjackets. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Mars fullback Austin Miele, who leads the team with 378 yards rushing, appears to be OK after a right hamstring injury in last week's 27-0 win over Plum, but it remains to be seen how much action he will see Friday with the Planets' conference opener just a week away. ... Junior defensive back Josh Pinkerton has intercepted three passes and recovered a pair of fumbles for the Planets through three games. ... Mars defeated Fox Chapel 35-14 last season. ... The Foxes dropped a 42-21 decision last week to Franklin Regional, a conference foe of Mars. ... In the loss, the Foxes did get 101 rushing yards and a touchdown from halfback Montay Green and two touchdown catches from wideout Tre Bradley.
Slippery Rock has been consistent, scoring 14 points in each of its first three games. ... The Rockets, though, have struggled on offense, particularly in the passing game where Ayron Gallagher is just 9-of-31 for 68 yards. ... The Rockets' defense, though, has played well in all three contests, but that unit will be tested against Sharon. ... The Tigers have scored 104 points in three games. ... Sharon has speed to burn, particularly in the backfield where the tandem of Ronnie Howard and Louis Brown have terrorized defenses. ... Senior running back Justin Angerett leads Slippery Rock with 152 yards rushing. Gallagher is right behind him at 147 yards on the ground. ... Five of the Rockets' nine completions have gone to wideout Ryan Gordon, who also returned an interception 70 yards for a score last week.
The Panthers are coming off a tough 21-12 loss to undefeated Clarion Friday, despite 195 yards passing and one touchdown from Dan Reed. ... Zach Smith led the Clarion ground game with 50 yards on six carries, including a 39-yard scoring run. ... Reed is among the top throwers in the KSAC with 573 yards on 34-of-71 passing and leads the team with 218 yards rushing. ... Brett Zuck is tops in receptions with 13 for 262 yards. ... The Golden Knights were blanked by Redbank Valley 28-0, managing just 88 total yards. Zach Traister led Union with 94 yards rushing.
Both teams are coming off lopsided losses, the Warriors 45-16 at Punxsutawney, the Falcons 46-6 to Clarion-Limestone. ... Moniteau blanked A-C Valley 40-0 last year and has shut out the Falcons four times in the past five years, outscoring them 197-7 during that time. ... Warriors running back James Shope leads Butler County in scoring with six TDs and has 315 yards on 47 carries. ... Falcons QB Michael Orrvick threw for 82 yards last week and caught a 74-yard touchdown pass.
The Eagles are coming off a 34-14 loss to Wilmington, but they led 14-13 after three quarters behind a balanced running game. ... Nothing has been balanced for Franklin, as the Knights have been outscored 155-14, including a 62-6 loss to Strong Vincent last week. ... Grove City has four running backs with more than 100 yards rushing, led by sophomore Jamar Patterson with 164 yards and five TDs. ... Patterson is second among Butler County area players in scoring with five touchdowns. ... Eagles' sophomore quarterback Tyler Dagres has been efficient this season, completing 10-of-20 passes for 143 yards.
The Sabers squeaked past Deer Lakes 28-21 in an Allegheny Conference game last Friday as Caleb Berrett caught a touchdown pass and rushed for another. ... The game was tied at 21 before Devan Willyard scored on an 8-yard run late in the third quarter. ... Michael Krochta rushed for 118 yards for Ford City and Cody Gispanski threw for 102 more. ... The Knights dropped a 43-20 decision to undefeated Burrell, as Maurice Houston and Chris Highsmith had scoring runs. The Knights were outgained only 235-228 in the loss.
