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Bellefonte reclaims Curtin Bowl trophy, defeats rival Bald Eagle in defensive, overtime thriller

By HENRY HUBER 7 min read

WINGATE - Coming out of a late timeout, Bellefonte's Ashten Howell had less than a minute to ponder what was coming next, knowing full well he'd be getting the ball on a game-defining play.

The Red Raiders were facing fourth-and-two in the first leg of the first overtime period, and they'd been held to ten points up to that point. But despite the team's offensive struggles throughout Friday's defensive slugfest at Alumni Stadium, the senior was confident in his and his teammates' abilities as he prepared to field the snap.

"I was just ready to push through," said Howell on his mindset coming back on the field. "I knew my linemen would be there, and they would be pushing. So, I was just pushing in my mind."

The nerves of the moment and all the bumps and bruises received throughout a physical rivalry game wouldn't hold the Red Raiders back.

Howell followed his blockers and broke the plane on a Wildcat keeper, finishing with 78 yards on 11 touches and scoring what proved to be a game-defining touchdown. The defense forced four straight incompletions to close it out in one overtime period, as Bellefonte took back the Curtin Bowl trophy with a 17-10 win over rival Bald Eagle (3-3).

The win meant the world for multiple reasons. Any win over the Eagles feels good for Bellefonte, with the Red Raiders securing their seventh win in the matchup through 11 seasons. But this win held added weight, coming off a rough loss to Penns Valley the previous week and occurring despite numerous injuries.

"That's huge for us. Our morale has been shaky at times, and I think this is really going to boost us going through the rest of the year because we've got some big games coming up," said Howell.

"I'm just super proud of these kids," said Bellefonte head coach Tony Confer. "When you can win this game, it means a lot to our community, means a lot to the kids, the administration. So, we're just fortunate to have the opportunity to win it this year. I'm sure Bald Eagle will be chomping at the bit to get it back."

"This week's practice was really, really good. I saw them come together; the coaches all came together, and the kids rallied together. Even though we had adverse situations throughout the game, the kids responded well," he added.

Offense was the primary concern heading into the game for the Bellefonte coaching staff, with multiple pivotal linemen being out with injury and the unit struggling through three quarters the previous week. In the days leading up to Friday, they changed up a few looks. And while it didn't result in a dominant offensive outing, it did produce some big plays.

After going down 3-0 thanks to an early fumble, Bellefonte responded immediately with an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to go up by four midways through the first quarter.

Ashten Howell picked up multiple first downs on the drive, including one that saw him pick up a 35-yard gain on a jet sweep. A hard count from Alten Howell got the Eagles to jump on fourth-and-one, and Bentlee Hall punched it in from six yards out a few plays later to cap off Bellefonte's longest drive of the night.

That touchdown became more and more important as the game went on.

Bellefonte's ensuing offensive drive was promising but ended in an interception, and the next three concluded by way of three-and-out. Within that span, Bald Eagle took a 10-7 lead to open the third quarter, but the Red Raider defense kept them a score behind until they could strike again.

That response would come late in the third quarter.

Another jet sweep - this time handed off to Parker Jodon - turned into a 32-yard gain for Bellefonte and helped it get into the Bald Eagle red zone. And while they'd get stuffed a few plays later, that play helped set up a game-tying field goal, with Noah Tomlinson scraping it in from 35 yards out to set the stage for Bellefonte's overtime win.

"That's a staple of our offense," said Confer when asked about the team's use of jet sweeps. "We use it to utilize our athletes and get our athletes on the perimeter. That way, they can run the ball and get themselves into space. Our quarterback (Alten Howell) does a good job setting everything up as well."

Defensively, the Red Raiders responded well to Bald Eagle's touchdown to start the third quarter, blocking a field goal to maintain the 10-10 tie in the fourth and allowing one combined first down in the last two drives. That complemented a strong first-half showing.

Through the first two quarters, they allowed two first downs while holding the Eagles to 42 yards within the span. Overall, Bellefonte held Bald Eagle under three yards per rush and aside from a 40-yard touchdown pass, largely shut down the Eagles' passing game.

"Defensively, they played a heck of a game," said Confer. "Can't take anything away from the defense."

For Bald Eagle (3-3), the loss didn't come without positives.

Defensively, it gave up a few more big plays than the Red Raiders but forced three three-and-outs and won the turnover battle 2-0. Nicholas Woodward came away with an interception in Bald Eagle's territory, and James Cowan forced and recovered a fumble on the first play of the game, setting up the Eagles' early field goal.

Offensively, the Eagles scored on a 40-yard passing touchdown from Chase Cane to Cowan, catching Bellefonte off guard on play action as Cane found Cowan wide open down the left sideline. Cowan finished with two receptions for 52 yards, and Cane surpassed 100 yards offensively (69 pass, 42 rush).

"Bald Eagle, they always come ready to play," said Confer on Bald Eagle. "So, when you get an opportunity to beat them, it feels good because it doesn't always happen."

All in all, the Curtin Bowl produced another classic in front of a packed crowd on Friday. The Red Raiders (3-3) will look to build on the win against Philipsburg-Osceola (4-2) in Week 6, and the Eagles will shoot to put an end to a three-game losing streak at Clearfield.

Bellefonte 17, Bald Eagle 10 (OT)

Bellefonte 7 0 3 0 7 – 17

Bald Eagle 3 0 7 0 0 – 10

1st Quarter

BEA – Andrew Penland 26 field goal, 10:29.

B – Bentlee Hall 6 run (Noah Tomlinson kick), 5:38.

3rd Quarter

BEA – Chase Cane to James Cowan 40 pass (Penland kick), 10:04.

B – Tomlinson 35 field goal, 3:00.

Overtime

B – Ashten Howell 2 run, :00.

TEAM STATISTICS B BEA

First Downs 11 8

Rushes-yards 39-156 38-108

Passing yards 40 69

Comp-Att-Int 5-14-1 6-14-0

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 4-35 6-42

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: Bellefonte, Ashten Howell 9-64, TD; Alten Howell 19-39; Parker Jodon 2-36; Bentlee Hall 7-29, TD; TEAM 2-(-12). Bald Eagle, Chase Cane 14-42; Sam Clark 12-38; Xavier Nagle 9-27; Drew Nagle 3-1.

PASSING: Bellefonte, Alten Howell 5-14-1 40 yards. Bald Eagle, Chase Cane 6-14-0 69 yards, TD.

RECEIVING: Bellefonte, Parker Jodon 2-24; Ashten Howell 2-14; Kolten Ammerman 1-2. Bald Eagle, James Cowan 2-52, TD; Sam Clark 1-7; Drew Nagle 1-5; Nicholas Woodward 2-3.

INTERCEPTIONS: Bald Eagle, Nicholas Woodward 1.

RECORDS: Bellefonte 3-3 (2-2 Laurel Highlands). Bald Eagle 3-3 (3-3 Laurel Highlands).

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