Game Capsule
Tyrone Golden Eagles (1-3) vs. Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils (0-4)
Friday, September 22, 2023
Gray-Veterans Memorial Field
SERIES: Tyrone first played Bellwood High School in 1934, winning three games against BHS through 1936. After Bellwood consolidated with Antis Township High School in 1939 to form Bellwood-Antis, the series renewed and has been played every season since.
The Golden Eagles lead the overall series with 53 wins and 30 losses. One game has ended in a tie. Against B-A Tyrone is 50-30-1.
Both teams have had tremendous runs—both schools have won eight in a row at least once—but in the last nine games the Golden Eagles are up just 5-4.
Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis played in the season opener every season from 1944 through 1975 before it was played in Week 2 in 1976 and 1977. It went back to a Week 1 game after that and stayed in the first week until 1981. From 1981 through 1983 the Backyard Brawl feel in Week 2, but it went back to a season-opener in 1984 and stayed there, with one exception, through 2022 (In 2020, during the COVID season, the Backyard Brawl was played in the final week of the season after both teams had been eliminated from the postseason).
The last time the Backyard Brawl was played this late in the season was 1942, when the teams played in Week 10. It was their second meeting that season, after the PIAA had recommended playing local teams more than once in an effort to save high school football seasons during the war.
COACHES: John Franco (23nd season at Tyrone, 212-58); Nick Lovrich (6th season at Bellwood-Antis, 44-15).
LAST TIME OUT: Tyrone – lost to Bald Eagle Area 41-20 in Wingate. Tyrone fell behind 21-0 before touchdowns from Brady Ronan, Luke Walk, and AJ Coleman pulled the Golden Eagles within 21-19 by halftime. BEA went up 28-22 at the end of the third quarter and then pulled away with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth. Cameron Dubbs ran for 156 yards in the second half and finished with 197 yard and 4 touchdowns, while quarterback Carson Nagle had 312 yards passing. Ashton Walk led the Golden Eagles offensively, completing 18 of 34 passes for 293 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Bellwood-Antis – lost to Central 41-20 at Memorial Stadium. While the loss dropped the Devils to 0-4, B-A became the first team this season not to lose to the unbeaten Dragons by mercy rule. Alex McCartney ran for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns to front B-A, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with the relentless passing attack of Central, led by Eli Muthler. Muthler completed 16 of 24 passes for 318 yards, and Jack Dunn snatched 9 receptions for 252 yards and 3 scores. A touchdown pass from Holden Schreier to brother Chance Schreier in the third quarter had the Devils knocking on the door, down 21-14, but the Dragons closed the period with a pair of scores to begin pulling away.
LAST MEETING: The Golden Eagles were flagged 15 times for 100 yards but rode the first-half passing of Ashton Walk to a 27-12 victory over B-A at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field on Friday, August 26, 2022.
Walk completed 11 of 17 passes for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, al of which came in the first half. Two of those scoring tosses went to Ross Gampe, who had 4 receptions for 94 yards.
Gaven Ridgway led the Devils offensively, passing for 94 yards while running for another 72.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Tyrone – Ashton Walk, QB (47-89-774, 6 TDs, 6 Ints.); Brady Ronan, RB-DB (37-200, 11 receptions for 238 yards, 3 TDs); Braden Ewing, OL-DL (4 TFL); Seth Hoover, RB-DB (31-108, 9 receptions for 86 yards); Eli Woomer, WR-DB (9 receptions for 179 yards, 1 Int.); Andrew Weaver, WR-DE (11 receptions for 178 yards, 7.5 TFL, 5 sacks); Austin Lucas, FB-LB (2 TFL). Bellwood-Antis – Holden Schreier, QB (31-62-395, 3 TDs); Alex McCartney, RB-DB (95-574, 4 TDs); Colin Gibbons, WR-DB (11 receptions for 162 yards); Griffin Kyle, WR-DB (3-17, 4 receptions for 48 yards); Chance Schreier, TE-LB (4 receptions for 61 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int); Caden Pellegrine, RB-LB (3 receptions for 37 yards, 2 TFL); Jordan Hescox, RB-LB (34 tackles, 8 TFL, 1 Int.).
NOTES: The Golden Eagles are ahead in the all-time series against Bellwood-Antis, 50-30-1 … Tyrone leads in the last 10 games 6-4.
ORANGE AND BLACK 