Falcon Knights hope to avenge prior defeat in facing Redbank Valley for D-9 1A crown
This is the first in a series of four articles previewing Butler County area high school football playoff games this weekend.
By Derek Pyda
Eagle Staff Writer
The blueprint for beating a football team as talented as Redbank Valley does not allow for many missteps.
The tightrope proved too much for Union/A-C Valley when it faced the Bulldogs Oct. 22 in Rimersburg.
The Falcon Knights turned the ball over eight times, with Redbank returning two of them for touchdowns, as the Bulldogs earned a 28-6 win.
“Turnovers and penalties made it hard for us to get anything done offensively,” said Union/A-C Valley coach Brad Dittman. “We spent a lot of time in our own end.”
The Falcon Knights (9-2) will get a second shot at Redbank and this time, the District 9 Class 1A championship will be on the line when the teams meet for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.The Bulldogs (10-1), defending district champions, are riding a 10-game winning streak after dropping a 22-20 decision to Keystone to open the season.“That game was a defining moment for us this season and we've used it as motivation,” said third-year Redbank coach Blane Gold. “The biggest lesson we learned is that on any given night, we can lose to anybody. We have to be physically and mentally prepared going into each game.”Redbank's lone loss also led Gold to realize the mettle possessed by his senior quarterback, Bryson Bain, who threw a pair of pick-6s, which helped Keystone prevail despite gaining just 92 yards of offense.“He was benched during the game, but has come back and proven to be so mentally tough,” Gold said. “He's headed to (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) on a baseball scholarship and this is his first year of playing football.”Bain's numbers are very impressive — 1,632 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and just five interceptions. In the first meeting with the Falcon Knights, he was held to 11 of 26 passing for 117 yards, but did throw a crucial touchdown pass.Waiting to challenge him again is a Falcon Knights' defense that has intercepted 23 passes. The secondary includes starters Skyler Roxbury and Caden Rainey at safety, Ryan Cooper and Jacob Bowser at cornerback. Brody Dittman is a frequent contributor at cornerback as a reserve.Redbank's passing game is difficult to defend because Bain has a number of receivers he targets frequently.Tate Minich leads the pack with 31 receptions for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. Chris Marshall (28-438-9) and Marquese Gardlock (25-445-4) are also threats.“A lot of Class A teams in our district have individual players who put up crazy stats, but they're sitting at home now,” Gold said. “We like to spread the ball around, get it to players based on how opposing defenses are playing against us.”“Their receivers run good routes and we have to be disciplined with our coverage,” said Coach Dittman.Union/A-C Valley's pass rush will have much to say about how effective Bain is throwing the ball. The Falcon Knights have sacked opposing quarterbacks 20 times this season, with Landon Chalmers accounting for nine of them.“We've created pressure in the backfield all year long and will need to Friday,” said Dittman. “If we give Bain a ton of time, he will pick us apart.”Ray Shreckengost leads the Bulldogs in rushing with 790 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was held to 69 yards and one score on 19 carries against Union/A-C Valley last month.Redbank intercepted Union/A-C Valley quarterback Bailey Crissman five times in the first meeting.“It was a combination of things,” Coach Dittman said. “We made some bad reads, but they (Bulldogs) have some really good skill players on defense who made some plays.”Crissman has thrown for 960 yards and 13 touchdowns while running for 264 yards and two more scores.The Falcon Knights' proud ground game, featuring a combined 1,551 yards and 19 touchdowns from the duo of Dawson Camper and Mikey Card, was held to just 70 yards on 30 carries in the earlier meeting with the Bulldogs.Camper and Card rushed for a combined 167 yards on 29 carries in last week's 14-8 win against Smethport.In last week's 35-14 semifinal win over Port Allegany, the Bulldogs held a ground game averaging over 180 yards per contest to minus-12 yards on 25 carries.But Gold knows the Falcon Knights will be a tougher out.“They are by far the best team we've faced this season,” he said.Rainey, a senior, could be the X-factor. He's scored six touchdowns for Union/A-C Valley this season, two each running, receiving and on punt returns. He's averaging nearly 24 yards in the latter this season.
