High School Football reports.

[SteelCityMan786]

What was said before the game
http://altoonamirror.com/page/conten...0.html?nav=736
Bye-ing into it
Barton likes week off to prep team
By Philip Cmor,pcmor@altoonamirror.com

The Hollidaysburg Area High School football team has survived a lot in the 2008 season.

The Golden Tigers weathered a first-game rout at the hands of State College. They came back from early deficits to beat South Western and Woodson. They lived to tell about trips to Lock Haven and Washington, D.C. They pulled out the Cedar Cliff game in the last minute and the DuBois game with a strong second half.

It even looks like they might have made it through the bye week unscathed.

''It can make you rusty, but we had a positive week of practice,'' Hollidaysburg coach John Barton said. ''We were a little dinged up, too, so it might have actually worked to our advantage.''

Barton had been dreading the possibility of having a week off for the last month of the season, when it became apparent only three of the four Class AAA teams in District 6 were going to enter the playoffs. Barton worried the bye would stunt the surge of momentum the Tigers had been building.

However, the Tigers are now right where most people expected them to be at the start of the season: the favorite in the 6-AAA championship game.

Hollidaysburg will get a chance to live up to the billing Friday night at Mansion Park when it meets Johnstown. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

''I'd rather be the underdog. It's easier to get the kids fired up,'' Barton said. ''But there's also something to be said for confidence.

''We have to stay humble and stay hungry.''

If they don't, Johnstown is just the kind of team that could give the Tigers problems and become the eighth non-No. 1 seed to win 6-AAA in the last 12 years. The Trojans (8-3) have a huge offensive line spearheaded by 6-foot-5, 280-pound right tackle David Istanich and a group of speedy, elusive skill players like receiver Laquinn Stephens-Howling, running back Quadir Christian and quarterback John Siciliano they use in a spread offense.

Basically, this is a team that can match up with the Tigers in terms of size and speed.

''Defensively, they do a lot of things and give a lot of different looks. That's a challenge,'' Barton said. ''Offensively, when they drop to throw, you teach your kids to drop back, and Siciliano will take off. If your pressure him, he can tuck it and go, too.''

Quarterback was one of the big question marks facing Trojans coach Kevin Marabito entering the season, but Siciliano, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior, has turned that into a strength as the campaign has progressed. He enters the district final with 1,131 yards passing and 815 more on the ground. He's had a hand in 17 touchdowns.

Perhaps the bigger indicator of Siciliano's maturation is that, since a 38-7 loss to Bishop McCort, the Trojans have scored 49, 36, 32 and 35 points in going on a four-game winning streak.

''Now, Siciliano is really starting to see some things. His running ability is a big plus,'' Marabito said.

Johnstown fell behind Indian Valley, 7-0, in last week's 6-AAA semifinal game. Then the Trojans turned on the juice to win, 35-7.

In critiquing Hollidaysburg, Marabito, though, sounded almost like Barton did in sizing up Johnstown. That shouldn't be surprising, though, because the Tigers also have a quarterback in Brandyn Ott who is just as likely to hurt you with his feet as with his arm, a good, balanced corp of ball carriers highlighted by Temple recruit Justin Gildea and a big line bolstered by 6-5, 280-pound Ryan McGrath.

The biggest difference is that Hollidaysburg has been more consistent in its performances.

''We're not going to be able to make mistakes,'' Marabito said. ''It's a solid team. We're going to have to control the ball.''

This is Hollidaysburg's third straight trip to the finals. The Golden Tigers edged Johnstown, 13-12, on their way to 6-AAA gold in 2006, but Barton's veteran squad is trying to attone for 7-0 loss to Indian Valley in last year's district final.

''Our kids from last year were frustrated,'' Barton said. ''The seniors this year were on a district championship team two years ago. They want to redeem themselves.''

[SteelCityMan786]

WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers are now 10-1 NEXT WEEK: First Round of the AAA State Playoffs against Selinsgrove
http://altoonamirror.com/page/conten...8.html?nav=736
Title for Tigers
Hollidaysburg cruises in final
By Jim Lane, For the Mirror

You can use many words to describe the Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers. Start

with efficiency. Both offensively and defensively.

The Tigers scored on six of seven possessions, and held Johnstown to just 29

yards and one first down in the second half en route to a 39-14 victory in the

District 6 Class AAA championship game Friday night at Mansion Park.

"I was really proud of our kids offensively," Hollidaysburg coach John Barton

said. "Offensively, we've really gotten into a rhythm where we think that

sooner or later we can figure out what people are doing [defensively].

"And, I can't emphasize enough how proud I am of our offensive line," Barton

said. "We've got a lot of skill kids who make great plays, but our offensive

line has stepped up again and again."

The Tigers overcame 6-0 and 14-6 deficits to post their 10th straight win

since a season-opening loss to State College. Justin Gildea's 23-yard TD scamper tied the game at 14-all with only one minute remaining in the first half, and that propelled the Tigers to a dominating second-half performance in which they put four scores on the board while completely shackling the Trojans.

Gildea returned the second-half kickoff 41 yards to the Johnstown 47, and,

six plays later, Brandyn Ott darted 9 yards to put the Tigers on top, 21-14.

Following that score, the Hollidaysburg defense quickly forced a Johnstown punt, and momentum stayed with the Tigers the rest of the night.

"We made a couple of adjusts [defensively] at halftime," Barton said. "That's

something we've gotten into this season. Sometimes it takes our kids the

first half to figure things out.

"We wanted to structure the defense so we could dictate where [Quadir

Christian] was going," Barton said.

Christian scored twice and rushed for 63 yards in the first half. The Tigers

held him to 3 yards on three carries in the second.

"I think the key to the second half was coming out hard on defense, and doing good," defensive end Conor Brinkhoff said.

He was right.

Ott and Gildea were practically unstoppable in pushing the Tigers over the

top. Gildea's 1-yard run made it 27-14 after three quarters, and Ott finished

things off with a 5-yard scoring pass to tight end Jake Bickley and a 2-yard

run. Meanwhile, the Tiger "D" was shutting down the speedy Trojans, who had

scored 49, 36, 32 and 35 points in winning their last four games.

"We were a little shaky on defense the first half, but we got a big pep talk

from [assistant coach] Toby Dick at halftime," Ott said. "We knew if we

scored, and shut them down on defense that first drive and scored again, we knew we'd go away with this game."

Quarterback Ott rushed for 123 yards and three TDs on 20 carries. He also

completed 11-of-13 passes for 96 yards and the 5-yard TD pass to Bickley. He intercepted a pass, too.

"It was a good night," Ott said. "I had to pick it up, and be a leader on the

team. The line did a heckuva job opening holes to help with the big runs."

"We expected a tough game," said tight end-linebacker Bickley. "We really

didn't change a lot of things defensively. The [coaches'] speeches really got us motivated, and we played a lot better."

Bickley and defensive back Joe Hargis said the Tigers have been a second-half team most of the season.

"The coaches give us great speeches," Hargis said. "They really pump us up,

the whole team gets together and it's like we're unstoppable on defense the

second half."

The Tigers lost to Indian Valley in last year's title game.

"It feels really good," Hargis said of the win. "We had a lot of motivation

coming into this game."

"You've got to give a lot of credit to Hollidaysburg," Johnstown coach Kevin

Marabito said. "They just took it to us on offense. We couldn't stop them

defensively, and that's a credit to them.

"They got us in positions we didn't want to be in," Marabito said. "They

block the perimeter well. The had a good game plan, and executed well."

Game notes: It was the second D6-AAA title in three tries for the Tigers, who

also won six district titles in AAAA. ... Tigers (10-1) face District 4

champion Selinsgrove at Shamokin next Friday. ... Johnstown finished with an 8-4 mark.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Johnstown 6 8 0 0 - 14

Hollidaysburg 0 14 13 12 - 39

First quarter

J-Christian 5 run (kick failed), 4:26.

Second quarter

H-Ott 7 run (Boland kick), 10:43.

J-Christian 2 run (Stephens-Howling pass from Siciliano), 3:34.

H-Gildea 23 run (Boland kick), 1:00.

Third quarter

H-Ott 9 run (Boland kick), 9:22.

H-Gildea 1 run (kick failed), 2:04.

Fourth quarter

H-Bickley 5 pass from Ott (run failed), 6:10.

H-Ott 2 run (kick failed), 1:05.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Johnstown-Siciliano 17-85, Christian 15-66, Jefferson 1-(-2). Hollida

ysburg-Ott 20-123, Gildea 8-70, Hammond 8-40, Rhodes 6-12, Griffith 1-8.

PASSING: Johnstown-Siciliano 4-11-0-24, Jefferson 0-1-1-0. Hollidaysburg-Ott

11-13-0-96, Hammond 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING: Johnstown-Jefferson 1-7, Agurs 1-6, Stephens-Howling 2-11.

Hollidaysburg-Gildea 6-67, Hammond 3-17, Pramuk 1-7, Bickley 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS: Hollidaysburg-Ott.

TEAM STATISTICS J H

First downs 12-19

Rushes-yards 33-149-43-253

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 4-12-1-11-14-96

Yards passing 24-96

Total yards 173-349

Fumbles-lost 3-0-1-0

Penalties-yards 4-18-3-26

Punts-avg. 3-33.7-1-24

[millwalldavey]

WOOOHOOO! You guys are coming to my stadium! I'll be there to see you play!

Name and # I should look for?

Look out... The Seals are TOUGH They ripped us apart. They lost first game to Mt. Carmel, but I think that if they played again, Selinsgrove would demolish them.

[SteelCityMan786]

The 2008 Season of Hollidaysburg Golden Tiger Football is now in the Books. The Tigers fall 35-10 against Selinsgrove. The team ends the year 10-2.

[steelersfanman92]

Carmel won over Penn high school so we are now going to be playing in Lucas Oil Stadium next saturday for the state championship against Center Grove!

[steelersfanman92]

Carmel lost to Center Grove on what people are calling the best comeback in Indiana State Champioship history with a 19 point comeback with around 5 minutes left in the game

Carmel QB Morgan Newton was picked as the states Mr. Football

[millwalldavey]

Basketball is upon us now.

Shamokin Area has one of the best teams in PA at class AA. Should be a fun season!

[SteelCityMan786]

Hollidaysburg's Boys Basketball team is 4-0 and the Girls Basketball team is 3-1. Both teams in action today in the championship of the Golden Tiger Roundball Classic. The Boys team plays Central Cambria and the girls play Altoona.

[SteelCityMan786]

Thought it would be a good time to bring this thread back to life as Football season now is around the corner.(Almost 1 Month until game 1 in Pennsylvania)

Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers
Conference: Mountain Athletic Football Conference-Seven Mountains Division
Class: AAA
Last Year: 10-2 Lost to Selinsgrove in First Round of PIAA AAA East Regional Quaterfinal 35-10

Schedule
August 22nd @ Altoona 10:00 AM (Scrimmage)
August 28th Huntingdon 6:00 PM (Scrimmage)
September 4th @ State College
September 11th @ South Western
September 18th @ West Chester Henderson
September 25th Bellefonte
October 2nd @ Indian Valley
October 9th Central Mountain
October 16th Woodrow Wilson (DC)
October 23rd @ Cedar Cliff
October 30th @ Williamsport
November 6th DuBois

We enter the 2009 season as the defending 2008 District 6 AAA Champion having defeated Johnstown 39-14 and won the 2008 Mountain Athletic Football Conference and the Mountain Athletic Football Conference Seven Mountains Division Championship by virtue of our victory last year against DuBois 26-13. This will be the last year we compete in District 6 AAA because like our rivals across town the Altoona Mountain Lions, we will be joining the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (AKA: WPIAL) beginning in 2010 pending no hurdles needing to be cleared.

[Big7BenHOF]

Good luck with your football season man. I had to quit my team. I get chronic migraines and headaches everyday, which pretty much disabled me to play. Best of luck to you 786!