Strong start, dominant running lead Bellefonte football past Forest Hills in home opener
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BELLEFONTE - After falling to Tyrone in heartbreaking fashion in Week One, Bellefonte football faced the prospect of starting 0-2 on Friday. Its Week Two opponent - Forest Hills - had previously beaten the Red Raiders by five touchdowns in 2025, effectively exposing the team's early-season flaws and taking full advantage of them.
However, in this case, the game went completely differently. Bellefonte (1-1) took control immediately on both sides of the field and was able to get out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter as a result. And though the Rangers made things interesting late, it used that cushion to hold firm, defeating Forest Hills by a score of 28-21.
It was a strong all-around effort defined by its early defensive success and proficiency in running the football. A few injuries forced it in a tough spot late, but the Red Raiders held on to secure their first win of the season, an effort head coach Tony Confer was especially proud of on Friday.
"Our kids played a tremendous game last night and overcame three key offensive and defensive injuries to get the win," said Confer.
"This was a compete team win. Our guys could have easily wavered when we were faced with the level of adversity we had last night, but they didn't. They stuck together and showed their resilience by finishing what they started."
Sophomore quarterback Alten Howell found the end zone three times with his legs to lead the offense, with all three of his scores coming in the first half and two coming in the first quarter. He finished with 88 yards on 18 attempts, good for an average of 4.9 yards. And fellow sophomore Bentlee Hall surpassed 100 yards on 8.5 yards per rush, getting in the end zone in the third.
As a whole, the team finished with 331 rushing yards on 47 attempts - good for an average of over seven yards per carry - and over 400 yards of total offense. Confer credited his offensive line - featuring Levi Lowry, Carson Crawford, Nino Fannin, Gavin Lucas, Ben Cherinka, Patrick Woomer and Ruger Auman - for paving the way for one of the era's more dominant offensive performances.
"Our offensive line played a dominant, physical game up front, allowing Alten Howell and Bentlee Hall to combine for almost 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns," said Confer. "They paved the way to 400 yds of offense, 331 yds on the ground."
Passing wise, the Red Raiders only threw it 11 times but were efficient when the ball left their lands, with Howell completing all five of his passes and he and Quinn Park combining for 70 yards while completing 8-of-11.
With the defense holding the Rangers scoreless through most of the first half, Bellefonte was able to enter halftime with a 21-7 lead. Injuries forced the unit to make adjustments. Forest Hills got the ball rolling, but it stiffened up at the right time.
The defense was lights out again until we suffered injuries on that side of the ball," said Confer. "However, the kids didn't quit and did what they needed to do to finish the job."
The win propels Bellefonte back to .500, and it'll look to build off it in another tough road test in Week Three. The Red Raiders travel to Class A power Bishop Guilfoyle for what should be a difficult test, with last year's 7-0 loss coming down to the wire.
Bellefonte 28, Forest Hills 21
Bellefonte 14 7 7 0
Forest Hills 0 7 0 14
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Bellefonte, Bentlee Hall 13-111, TD; Alten Howell 18-88, 3 TDs; Parker Jodon 3-51; Quinn Park 6-33; Ethan Speersra 2-15; Caleb Bartley 2-13; Landyn Langille 2-12; Ashten Howell 2-8. TOTAL 47-331, 3 TDs.
PASSING - Bellefonte, Alten Howell 5-5-0 48 yards; Quinn Park 3-6-0 22 yards. TOTAL 8-11-0 70 yards.
RECEIVING - Bellefonte, Ashten Howell 2-34; Parker Jodon 2-17; Landyn Langille 2-11; Caleb Bartley 1-9.
RECORDS: Forest Hills 1-1 (1-1 Laurel Highlands); Bellefonte 1-1 (1-1 Laurel Highlands).