The 2-2 Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils will make the short drive to Tyrone tonight to take on the 3-1 Tyrone Golden Eagles in the annual Backyard Brawl, one of the region’s most anticipated rivalries.
Tyrone is coming off a statement victory over Bald Eagle, extending their winning streak to three with a 21-14 win.
Bellwood, on the other hand, rolled to a dominant win last week over Central 20-0, snapping their losing streak after back-to-back losses against Huntington and Bishop McCort.
The Golden Eagles have been one of the toughest defenses in the area, allowing only 47 points in their first four games.
Defensive end Kyler Suhoney leads the way with 29 tackles, including five for loss.
Marshall Martin, Ashton Emigh, and Dylan Robinson have also been key forces up front, while safety Mason Emigh has proven to be a ballhawk in the secondary with four interceptions.
On offense, quarterback Eli Woomer has commanded the huddle with confidence, passing for 691 yards and six touchdowns so far.
Running back Caleb Whitby has been the workhorse, piling up 392 yards of total offense and finding the end zone five times.
Woomer’s favorite passing target has been Brayden Parsons, who has nine catches for 200 yards and two scores.
Meanwhile, Bellwood’s offense has been humming on the ground through four weeks, averaging more than 182 rushing yards per game.
At quarterback, Bradyn Partner has provided steady leadership for the Blue Devils, while running back Alex McCartney has powered the ground attack with multiple 100-yard games.
The receiving corps, led by speedy wideout Camdyn Houser, gives the Blue Devils a quick-strike dimension that can challenge any secondary.
Defensively, Bellwood’s physical front is anchored by Chase Plummer and Curtis Shedlock, who have been disruptive against the run with over 30 tackles each.
However, against the pass, it has been Collin Gibbons getting the takeaways with two interceptions and one pass defended.
As always, the Backyard Brawl will be decided in the trenches. If Tyrone’s line can create space for Caleb Whitby, it will open up play-action opportunities for quarterback Eli Woomer. Bellwood will try to control tempo with its run game while testing Tyrone’s opportunistic secondary.
With both teams entering on a high, Gray Field promises an electric atmosphere tonight at 7 p.m.
The game will be livestreamed on the Tyrone Eagle Eye YouTube channel.
