The game hadn’t gone the way they wanted it to, marred by big plays from Shamokin’s offense and the struggles of its own. But the fact that they were there in the first place was a breached milestone in itself, considering both the hardships of their 2025 campaign and the program’s history as a whole.

“You want to end everything with wins and feel better about it, but that’s why we play the game,” said Confer after Friday’s loss. “Shamokin had a better team tonight, but I’m proud of these kids. We were sitting at 3-6 not long ago and came back, got to 6-6, won a district title and here we are in a state playoff game.”

The Red Raiders entered the season with just two state-tournament appearances under their belts since the start of the new millennium, having not earned a District 6 Class 4A title since 2019. Though they were coming off their closest attempt to breach that barrier, a seven-win campaign that ended in a competitive district title loss, their injuries seemed too costly for 2025 to be the year that drought ended.

Not only did Bellefonte go through three quarterbacks from Week 5 onwards, with freshman Alten Howell taking over for its closing stretch, its backfield was also vastly different compared to earlier weeks. No. 2 running back Ashten Howell took over lead-back duties from Week 8 onwards, and freshman Bentlee Hall filled in at No. 2 for the team’s most crucial games, with senior Isaac Gall also going down due to injury.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte junior Ashten Howell (6) finds open field as senior Gavin Dufour, left, blocks for him during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

Its injuries, coupled with it still being a growing program, were always going to make it an underdog as it entered a bracket featuring the 16 best teams in the state in Class 4A. But the fact that the Red Raiders made it as far as they did represents their strong belief system and indicates more climbing to come.

“Our team had been going downhill, but our resiliency, fight and just the thought of trying to make a district game, trying to get into the state playoffs, our goal was still there,” said senior Ian Valimont when discussing the season.

“After Richland, we thought we could probably win a district title and go through a couple of rounds of states. We made it to the district title; we beat Juniata; we finally did it. We were so happy, and then we went to states and tried our best.”

Yes, much like last season, the current offseason features a large array of key departures, seniors that played a key role in the team’s 13 wins and three playoff wins over the last two seasons.

With Valimont and captain Logan Rarrick both set to graduate, both lines will look vastly different in 2026, lines that helped Bellefonte’s run game prosper throughout the season’s entirety while shutting prolific runners down on the other side. And the same could be said about Bellefonte’s receiver room and secondary, which loses integral pieces in Jackson Long and Gavin Dufour.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte senior Logan Rarrick (50) listens to a coach with his teammates during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

“We’ve got a lot of young kids, but we also have some seniors leaving too,” said Bellefonte junior Ashten Howell. “Our line, we’re going to need a little work there, but I definitely think losing our safety, Jackson Long, will be a key part too. He ran our defense pretty well.”

However, in pursuit of its first district title in six years, it’s hard to deny that the development of Bellefonte’s underclassmen was also a key factor. Alongside a strong junior class featuring Ashten Howell, Quinn Park, Landyn Langille, Mason Englert, and others, its sophomores and freshmen were certainly impactful, playing large roles while gaining considerable experience.

In its sophomore class, linebacker Carson Crawford led the team in tackles with a staggering 131 – 93 of which were solo – while adding three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Sam Witmer played a role on both lines, finishing with 38 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. And Nash Weaver added 19 tackles out of the secondary.

And when it comes to its freshman class, watch out.

Parker Jodon has already been trusted to cover team’s best receivers and done it well, holding Juniata standout Jasper Shepps to two receptions for 16 yards, posting a team-leading eight pass deflections and also finishing fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte freshman Parker Jodon (17) breaks up a pass intended for Juniata's Jasper Shepps (11) as senior Jackson Long (28) closes in during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

Alten Howell stepped in at quarterback and proceeded to total 568 yards and six touchdowns through his last four games under center. There were times throughout Friday’s state playoff game where he looked nothing like a freshman, particularly on the team’s opening, 81-yard touchdown drive that saw him break off a 52-yard run on third-and-long and set the Red Raiders up in the red zone with a 13-yard completion.

He led the team in rushing on Friday, turning eight carries into 80 yards. And Bentlee Hall seconded him, turning ten into 40 and totaling 138 yards in the team’s last three contests.

“Stepping as a freshman quarterback was pretty hard, but I had everyone behind me to help me with it,” said Howell.

“Those kids are both gamers, play hard and do everything they can to help the football team win,” said Confer on Howell and Hall. “You don’t usually have freshmen in the backfield, but I don’t consider Alten a freshman anymore.”

“He comes in Week 5 against Penns Valley, helps us win that game and he’s been in the mix since then. He’s a hard-nosed kid, not very big but goes hard and does everything you ask of him. And Bentlee, he’s been through a lot this year, and it’s good to see him get an opportunity. He answered the call and did well with it,” he added on the pair.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte sophomore Carson Crawford (32) runs off the field during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

While the quarterback position could be a question mark heading into 2026, with three players in Howell, Brennan Huntsinger and Quinn Park each proving capable at the helm, expect both Howell and Hall to play roles on the offense next year.

They, coupled with Bellefonte’s growing junior and sophomore classes and those coming up, paint a bright picture when it comes to the future of the program. It may be blurry, with so many factors to consider and nothing being predictable in high school sports. But through two seasons under their revamped coaching staff, the Red Raiders have only continued to reach new heights.

“In these upcoming years, if our program keeps rolling, doing the things we’ve been doing during the summers and working hard at practice, I think our program is coming back,” said Valimont.

“Before you know it, January will be here, and we’ll be training and getting the kids in the weight room and working towards next year,” said Confer. “I’m excited about the group we have coming back, plus the eighth-grade group coming up as freshmen next year. We have a lot to look forward to next year.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte freshman Alten Howell hands the ball off to fellow freshman Bentlee Hall (22) during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte freshman Parker Jodon (17) walks off the field during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte freshman Alten Howell (5) works to pick up extra yardage during the team's 17-6 win over Juniata in the District 6 Class 4A football championship on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Mifflin County.