Ligonier Valley, Richland to meet for District 6 championship

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 | 6:24 PM

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When Ligonier Valley coach Roger Beitel and Richland coach Brandon Bailey were preparing for Friday’s PIAA District 6 Class 2A championship game this week, they likely had a feeling of familiarity.

Ligonier Valley and Richland are 12-0. Both are nicknamed the Rams, and the teams are mirror images offensively and defensively.

That’s been scary for opponents of both teams all season.

Will it be an offensive shootout at Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium, or will the defenses shine?

“You never know,” Bailey said. “I know this is the matchup people have talked about all year up here. Hopefully, it will be entertaining.”

Richland averages 44.7 points, allows 10.08 points and 468.8 total yards per game. Ligonier Valley averages 47.9 points, allows 9.18 points and 452.5 total yards.

Both teams have top-notch quarterbacks, good running backs, outstanding receivers and big and strong offensive and defensive lines.

“There is no doubt that the top two teams in Class 2A were head and shoulders above the rest of the field,” Beitel said. “There’s not much difference between the teams.

“Maybe in the coaching: Brandon was a quarterback, and his players look to him to get them in the right plays. I played linebacker in college, and I’m more defensive-minded.”

The other difference is experience. This is Ligonier Valley’s third consecutive trip to the District 6 finals. The LV Rams won the previous two times against Bishop McCort, and the juniors and seniors have been part of 39 victories. During the same period, Richland’s underclassmen have won 19, including 12 this season.

“We had a lot of injuries in 2017,” Bailey said. “But those injuries proved to be beneficial because it gave other players opportunities. Coming into the season, we felt we could be pretty good.”

The difference in the game will be what defense plays better and what team capitalizes on mistakes.

Ligonier Valley, other than a 55-yard run by Bellwood-Antis quarterback Shawn Wolfe and a 19-yard gain on a fake punt, limited the Blue Devils to 28 yards of offense in Saturday’s 34-7 semifinal victory.

The LV Rams also posted 41-0 shutout of Marion Center in the opening round.

“That was pretty impressive,” Beitel said of his defense. “Our defensive line played great. But Richland is a different challenge. We’ll need another great effort again this week.”

Ligonier Valley sacked Wolfe 10 times: three by Christian Jablonski and two each by Mike Petrof and Wylie Spiker.

Ligonier also gained 499 yards in the game, 314 coming from the right arm of quarterback John Caldwell. The senior has thrown for 2,489 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Senior Aaron Tutino, who holds the state record for career touchdown receptions, has 59 catches for 1,268 yards and 19 scores.

“We just didn’t finish off a couple drives,” Beitel said. “That’s something we’re unaccustomed of doing.”

Richland has blasted its two playoff opponents, defeating West Branch, 61-7, and Penns Valley, 59-7. Bailey admits those games weren’t much of a test. He feels a strong regular-season conference schedule has prepared Richland for the test they will get from Ligonier Valley.

“They’re so well-balanced, like us,” Bailey said. “They have great belief in their system, and in all the games we’ve watched they’ve dominated the line of scrimmage. We can’t let that happen.”

Richland senior quarterback Joe Hauser has completed 181 of 315 passes for 2,702 yards and 33 touchdowns. Caleb Burke is his main target with 65 catches for 1,129 yards and 15 scores. He has three other receivers with 25 or more catches.

On the ground, Richland leans on two running backs: Teon Reed (779 yards and eight touchdowns) and converted tight end Zack Vogelsberger (692 yards and 15 scores).

Beitel said his team is preparing for anything — trick plays, onside kicks and pooch punts. But not turning the ball over is key, he added.

“Watching them on film, the one thing we noticed is you can’t beat yourself,” Beitel said. “So many teams have killed themselves in games.

“This is a different challenge. You just have to go and play. We’re going to rely on our experience and hopefully come out with another title.”

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.

Tags: Ligonier Valley