Tyrone had three starters in double digits on their way to an easy 64-25 season-opening win over visiting Bellwood in the second winter sport Backyard Brawl.  The Blue Devils had won the girl’s game the previous night by a score of 58-38. 

Tyrone senior Ross Gampe led all scorers with 18, followed by senior Zac LeGars and sophomore Ashton Walk with 12 points each. Sophomore Sam Crilly added 10 off the bench for the Golden Eagles. 

“It’s definitely tough knocking the rust off coming into basketball season,” Gampe told the Altoona Mirror after the game. “but I thought we played pretty well tonight. We played well as a team.”

Bellwood, in its second straight loss to open the season, struggled from the start, falling behind 18-6 after one quarter and 30-11 at the half. 

The Blue Devils were never close in the contest, and the game went to the running clock in the third quarter.  

Bellwood’s leading scorer was forward Caleb Beiswenger with 10 points. 

One interesting challenge Tyrone faced against the Blue Devils was running their plays without the opposing coach knowing exactly what was coming. 

Bellwood’s new head coach is former Tyrone player and assistant coach Tyler Mertiff. 

“We had to watch calling out the plays because he knows all of them,” said Tyrone starter Dravyn Crowell.

For Metiff, it was different being on the other side of the Bellwood-Tyrone rivalry, but he has embraced his role as the new Blue Devils head coach. 

“I’m fully in for Bellwood now. We’re here to turn it around,” Mertiff told the Altoona Mirror.  

Tyrone also took the JV game 50-39. 

The Golden Eagles will be in action again tonight at home vs. Hollidaysburg. 

BOX SCORE 

BELLWOOD-ANTIS (25): Caracciolo 1 1-2 4, Beiswenger 3 2-4 10, Wagner 0 0-0 0, C. Schreier 0 0-0 0, Shanafelt 3 1-2 8, Nycum 0 0-0 0, H. Schreier 0 0-0 0, Bardell 1 0-0 3, Neyman 0 0-0 0, Cacciotti 0 0-0 0, Dickinson 0 0-0 0, Fatzinger 0 0-0 0, Robinson 0 0-0 0. Totals – 8 4-8 25. 

TYRONE (64): Walk 3 3-6 12, Escala 2 0-0 4, Crowell 2 0-0 4, LeGars 4 1-2 12, Gampe 8 2-3 18, Crilly 4 0-0 10, Lehner 0 4-4 4, Woomer 0 0-0 0, Parsons 0 0-0 0, Emigh 0 0-0 0. Totals – 23 10-15 64. 

SCORE BY QUARTERS 

Bellwood-Antis…………….. 6 5 6 8 — 25

Tyrone………………………… 18 12 20 14 — 64

3-point goals: Bellwood-Antis (5): Caracciolo, Beiswenger 2, Shanafelt, Bardell. Tyrone (8): Walk 3, LeGars 3, Crilly 2. 

Records: Bellwood-Antis (0-2); Tyrone (1-0). 

JV: Tyrone, 50-39. High scorers – H. Schreier, BA, 21; Lehner, T, 17.