Going into the Backyard Brawl, the Golden Eagles knew what the keys to victory were. Tyrone was set on stopping the run of defense and establishing a running game on offense, but that did not happen.
Bellwood rushed for 254 yards, while Tyrone ran for only 33 yards. Tyrone forced two turnovers but, unfortunately, surrendered four, all at key points in the game.
“Although the scoreboard does not show it, our defense made some plays, got some stops, and forced some turnovers. Our defense played well enough for us to win; however, our offense just couldn’t move the ball, plain and simple,” said senior lineman and linebacker Owen Oakes.
Tyrone’s turnover woes began on the game’s opening play.
On the opening kickoff, junior Caleb Whitby broke a couple of tackles, got to midfield, and then fumbled. Instead of the Golden Eagles starting on offense and having momentum from a nice kick return, they were forced onto defense.
The Blue Devils then marched through the Tyrone defense on a nine-play drive that ended with an Alex McCartney touchdown run.
Along with turnovers and missed tackles, penalties also played a factor. Even though Tyrone only had four penalties on the night, they all came at crucial moments in the game.
For instance, on their first offensive drive, the Golden Eagles passed the ball to junior Ben Walk for a nice 22-yard gain; however, it got called back for a holding penalty that ultimately led to a punt.
BA got the ball back, started to march down the field, but on a critical goal line play, Tyrone’s defense came up big like they have been doing all season and forced a fumble to turn over downs. Tyrone caught a break, gaining some momentum, but it would not last. .
The Golden Eagles’ offense executed a solid first three plays to gain a first down, but Bellwood-Antis Chase Plummer stumbled into a pick-six on the fourth play of the drive.
That play ended Tyrone’s chances of making a first-half comeback, as you could visibly see the deflation of the Tyrone team headed to the sidelines.
On the next drive, Tyrone’s offense marched back out onto the field and went three and out. At this point in the game, BA is in complete control, dominating all aspects of the game.
However, the Tyrone defense, which has been performing great all season, got a couple of stops to keep the game within reach.
Halftime ended with a 14-0 Bellwood lead, not a great half for Tyrone, but it kept the game well within reach.
At halftime, the Tyrone coaching staff saw that the players were getting down, and reminded them that they were only down by 14. You could see the energy light back up into the room, and the players were ready for the second half.
However, BA received the second-half kickoff and took advantage, keeping the momentum on their side by marching down the field for a seven-play touchdown drive.
Tyrone again went three and out on their next drive.
However, once BA got the ball back, they forced another stop.
Tyrone had the ball down 20-0 and put together a 4-play 83-yard touchdown drive thanks to a Brayden Parsons’ 68-yard receiving touchdown.
Unfortunately, that was about all the Tyrone offense could put together all night, only scoring 7 points all game.
“Our offense has been struggling. We just need to play harder and faster, and we will be set. We all know what we can do; we just have to do it,” said senior lineman Caden Harris.
The final score was 26-7, Bellwood-Antis.
Tyrone (3-2) faces off against Bishop Guilfoyle (4-1) at Mansion Park on Saturday, September 27.
Records: Bellwood-Antis (3-2); Tyrone (3-2).
Next week: Bellwood-Antis is at Philipsburg-Osceola on Friday next week, and Tyrone travels to Mansion Park to play Bishop Guilfoyle Academy on Saturday, Sept. 27.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bellwood-Antis 14 0 6 6 — 26
Tyrone 0 0 7 0 — 7
First Quarter
BA–McCartney 3 run (Smearman kick), 7:08.
BA–Ch. Plummer 30 interception return (Smearman kick),:40.
Third Quarter
BA–McCartney 12 run (kick failed), 8:00.
T–Parsons 68 pass from Woomer (Novak kick), 1:48.
Fourth Quarter
BA–McCartney 16 run (kick failed), 9:27.
TEAM STATISTICS BA T
First downs
BA 15
TYR 10
Total yards
BA 269
TYR 197
Rushes-yards
BA 44-254
TYR 20-33
Yards passing
BA 15
TYR 164
Passing (comp.-att.-int.)
BA 2-6-0
TYR 11-23-2
Punts-avg.
BA 2-32
TYR 3-30.3
Fumbles-lost
BA 2-1
YR 2-2
Penalties-yards
BA 2-20
TYR 4-25
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Bellwood-Antis, McCartney 21-149, Plummer 9-72, Partner 7-19, Crist 2-12, Shedlock 1-2, Gibbons 4-0. Tyrone, Whitby 9-45, A. Emigh 1-1, Zupon 2-(-4), Woomer 8-(-9).
PASSING–Bellwood-Antis, Partner 2-6-0-15. Tyrone, Woomer 8-18-2-153, Zupon 2-4-0-9, Walk 1-1-0-2.
RECEIVING–Bellwood-Antis, Ch. Plummer 1-9, Waite 1-6. Tyrone, Parsons 3-77. Whitby 2-42, A. Emigh 1-24, M. Emigh 1-4, Stroup 1-2, Woomer 1-2, Martin 1-1.
