After spending the last week waiting to see where they would be playing their first playoff game, the Bradford football team is finally ready to hit the field tonight against Johnstown (7-3) in the District 5-6-9 Class 4A semifinals.
Coming off a 23-14 road victory over Curwensville two weeks ago that secured their playoff bid, the Owls have had to stew on that big win for quite a while. But the wait has had its benefits, namely allowing coach Jeff Puglio’s players a chance to recuperate physically.
“The goal has been to recover and heal,” Puglio said of the team’s time spent during the break. “We had a lot of guys banged up after our last game. We wanted to get everybody healthy and work ourselves back up to 100 percent.”
Bradford will need to be at its best against a Johnstown team that will be eager to get back on track after some struggles in recent weeks. The Trojans have dropped back-to-back games against Central Cambria (49-20) and Bishop Guilfoyle (31-7).
But Johnstown has the pedigree of being the defending D-5-9-6 champions after beating Clearfield 26-21 in last year’s title game.
Quarterback Austin Barber helms an offense that is averaging almost exactly the same number of yards on the ground (177.6) as through the air (178.5). Barber enters tonight with 30 total touchdowns (19 passing, 11 rushing) on the season.
Team speed on both sides of the ball is something that Puglio has stressed to his team in their preparations for the game.
“They’re really athletic,” Puglio said of the Trojans. “They have a lot of team speed on the perimeter that we need to be aware of. We need to make sure we’re attacking them. We’ve got to be able to set the tone and attack.”
On the Owls’ side, don’t expect any surprises when it comes to the focal point of the offense. Fullback John Eakin — coming off a three-touchdown performance against Curwensville — will need to be at his best once again to keep Johnstown’s offense off the field as much as possible.
For most of Puglio’s players, this will mark the biggest game of their careers so far. So what has been Puglio’s message about how to approach tonight’s game? To treat it like any other.
“We’ve got to look at it like it’s just another game,” he said. “There’s no more pressure that we need to put on ourselves. We’re just playing a team that’s a little further away.”
PICKS
Bradford at Johnstown
This has been one of the more successful Owls football season in recent memory, but I think it comes to an end tonight. Once the calendar turns to November, you need to be able throw the ball against better competition, and Bradford’s reliance on the run could prove to be its undoing against a strong opponent.
JOHNSTOWN by 12
Redbank Valley at Otto-Eldred
Coming off a shutout loss to Kane in the final AML title game, the Terrors will have a chance to show what they’re really made of. This should be a very close game.
OTTO-ELDRED by 3
Coudersport at Clarion-Limestone
Coudy faces a step up in competition, as C-L figures to be too much for the Falcons to handle.
C-L by 16
Brockway at Kane
The Rovers are no slouches, but the Wolves look like a team on a mission.
KANE by 14
Brookville at Clarion
CLARION by 10
Clearfield at Bellefonte
CLEARFIELD by 6
