It might only be Week 4 of the high school football season, but the Bradford Owls are entering a crucial stretch of games that will determine whether or not they return to the postseason.
Bradford is looking to rebound after a disappointing 28-7 loss to undefeated Ridgway last week in which the Owls turned the ball over five times for the second week in a row.
To add injury to, well, injury, Bradford also lost a pair of starters when running back/linebacker Derek Sunafrank (ankle) and offensive/defensive lineman Vinny Burgess (knee) both went down.
Replacing two key starters adds another challenge as Bradford makes the long bus ride to West Sunbury to take on the Moniteau Warriors, who, like the Owls, stand at 2-2 on the season.
Sunafrank — who is second in rushing for Bradford with 290 yards — will be replaced by senior Nik Erickson in the backfield. With one of his three top backs missing (the other two being Donny Pattison and Jaron Ambrose), Bradford coach Jeff Puglio is looking to change things up a bit on offense.
“We’re going to be rotating a lot of guys in and out,” Puglio said. “Nik is going to serve as more of a blocking back. We’re looking to give the ball to Donny and Jaron in different ways. We want to spread the ball around to our playmakers, so we’re going to be using some more creative packages.”
First and foremost, of course, is the fact that Bradford simply has to do a better job of holding on to the ball. Despite the final score, the Owls played reasonably well against the Elkers. But with the offense continuously coughing up the ball, too much of the burden fell on the defense, and Ridgway took advantage.
“It really is about ball control,” Puglio said. “We can’t keep turning the ball over. Three of our turnovers last week came inside the opponent’s 30-yard line. We need to be able to keep the ball and sustain drives.”
They’ll have to do it against an unfamiliar opponent in Moniteau, a team that is coming off a close 20-14 win over Karns City. While they own an identical record as Bradford, the Warriors have been outscored on the season 97-62, with a pair of close wins against the Gremlins and Kane (14-13) offset by decisive losses to Clarion (34-14) and Ridgway (36-14).
“They’re a big, physical team,” Puglio said. “They have some nice-sized kids up front and their linebackers are aggressive. That’s something we haven’t handled well. I’m looking for how we get off the bus and attack.”
Puglio added that the team’s focus needs to be on playing a complete game. By his own admission, Puglio said that even with nice wins against St. Marys and Kane this year, the Owls have yet to play four consecutive quarters of good football.
“I told the guys that through four games we’ve only played well in two quarters,” he said. “We’ve got to ask ourselves: Are we just a two-quarter team or are we more than that?
“The team that concerns me most is the Bradford Owls. If we play with a little aggression and a little passion, we’ll be just fine.”
Finally, back by popular demand, here is a quick run thru of this week’s matchups:
Bradford (2-2) at Moniteau (2-2)
If the Owls can get their offense going, the defense ought to play well enough to get BHS back above .500. BRADFORD by 7.
Otto-Eldred (3-1) at Smethport (4-0)
Both offenses have been humming, but don’t sleep on Smethport’s stout defense: the Hubs are allowing just 7.8 points per contest. SMETHPORT by 4.
Coudersport (3-1) at Port Allegany (0-4)
The Falcons may not need to throw the ball at all in this one. Look for multiple TDs from Steve Kelly and Hayden Keck. COUDY by 35.
Ridgway (4-0) at Brockway (4-0)
Battle of the unbeatens could determine both the Large School Champion and the top seed in Class AA. RIDGWAY by 7.
Karns City (1-3) at Brookville (1-3)
If star QB Jack Krug plays, Brookville is awfully good. If he doesn’t, the Raiders will still score points, but not enough to cover for a subpar defense. KARNS CITY by 2.
Punxsutawney (2-2) at Kane (0-4)
The Wolves haven’t done much on offense to suggest they can score enough to win this one. PUNXSY by 6.
Sheffield (0-4) at Cameron County (0-4)
I feel like just about anything could happen in this game. Regardless, someone is finally getting off the schneid. CAMERON CO. by 3.
Curwensville (2-2) at Keystone (2-2)
Don’t sleep on the Golden Tide; last year’s Class A runner-up has some really nice players. CURWENSVILLE by 9.
Clarion (4-0) at St. Marys (0-4)
Feels like the Dutch are getting closer to win number one, but it’s probably not happening this week. CLARION by 21.
Clarion-Limestone (3-1) at Redbank Valley (4-0)
A crucial game in the Class A playoff race between two teams that can put points on the board. Redbank QB Keaton Kahle is a good one. REDBANK by 3.
Elk County Catholic (2-2) at Union/A-C Valley (1-3)
ECC tailback Stephen Bobby has been one of the breakout players of the early season. He should have another big game tonight. ECC by 10.
