Quick-starting Canton ends Northern Cambria's historic season in PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal

Nov. 27—ALTOONA — Even in defeat, the Northern Cambria High School football team displayed the type of resilience that made this historic season so special.

The first-time District 6 champions entered Saturday's PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal as a decisive underdog to District 4 powerhouse Canton, a team coming off a state semifinal appearance a year ago.

When the Colts fell behind by 21 points not even five minutes into the game at Mansion Park, the chances of a competitive contest unfolding seemingly diminished.

Northern Cambria displayed the grit that the Colts showed all year, trading blows with the Warriors before falling 42-13.

After falling behind 28-0, the Colts matched the Warriors with each team scoring two touchdowns the rest of the way.

"It was just the fact they were a little bit bigger, a little bit faster, a little bit stronger than any team we have seen this year," Northern Cambria coach Sam Shutty said. "Every little edge counts. Every second faster they are, every little bit stronger, all of that together can be overwhelming for kids."

Northern Cambria (10-4) still made history as the first Colts football team to win a District 6 crown. Northern Cambria hadn't produced a 10-win football team since the dominating 1979 Colts squad.

Quarterback Owen Bougher and receiver Peyton Myers, two of the 13 seniors on the Northern Cambria roster, each set single-season records — Bougher for passing yards and passing touchdowns; and Myers for receiving yards.

"It's just all the memories," Shutty said. "I'm so proud of our community in Northern Cambria for the support that they gave us and just the love they showed for our team.

"Those are just special memories that this group of kids will have forever and no one will take that away forever. That's just such a special thing that we shared and we will always remember."

Canton (12-1) will face District 3 champion Steelton-Highspire in the state semifinals. In 2021, the Warriors reached the semifinals, but lost to eventual Class 1A champion Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic at Mansion Park.

"They have the fire in their eyes," Canton coach Tyler Sechrist said. "These seniors know it's the last rodeo. They know every play could be their last. This time of year, one bad game and it's all over. They're just excited to finish this."

That was evident on Saturday as the Warriors scored touchdowns on special teams, offense and defense to lead 21-0 in the opening 4 minutes, 22 seconds of play.

Weston Bellows returned the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown 15 seconds into the game.

After a Colts punt, Canton needed four plays to score after Hayden Ward took an option pitch and ran 24 yards for a TD at 8:32.

Riley Parker intercepted a Bougher pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 at 7:38 of the first quarter.

Parker (10 carries, 107 yards) scored on a 2-yard run, and Bailey Ferguson's extra point made it 28-0 at 1:34.

"They're an up-and-coming team," Sechrist said of the Colts. "They've got some good young players. They're really on a roll. I thought it was huge for us to go out and not give them some hope.

"You could see when they scored, how a team can get some hope when that happens. They're a well-coached team. They're going to be a good team, but I think we had the advantage being in this situation before."

The Colts showed some resolve on the ensuing possession, as senior back Colton Paronish ran 64 yards to the Warriors 3-yard line. Two plays later, Bougher scored on a 2-yard run. Trey Pershing's extra point set a 28-7 score with 33 seconds left in the opening quarter.

"We hadn't been running that play much," said Paronish, who netted 68 yards on 11 carries. "We ran it a few weeks ago against Conemaugh Township and I had a beautiful hole. My line made a beautiful hole for me again. I had one guy to beat and I beat him. Then I got real slow at the end because I was gassed and he caught me."

The teams battled on mostly even ground for much of the second quarter. Both the Colts and Warriors had possessions end on fourth-down stops. Each team punted once.

"We really just thought it could be our last game," Paronish said. "That's what we've been thinking for the last few games. We just go out there and play with all we had.

"That's what we were trying to do all game, no matter what the score was. We were giving all that we have."

With only 39 seconds remaining in the first half, Hayden Ward ran 12 yards for a touchdown that set a 34-7 score.

"That's one of those things you can't see on tape," Shutty said of Canton's deep and skilled roster that produced 308 rushing yards on 38 carries. "I had a feeling they were that big, that fast, that strong, but on film you can't really get that.

"I think our guys were really surprised by that, but the speed of this team on the field is something we haven't seen and it took us a while to adjust to it. What a good team. What a fast team."

Canton's Hudson Ward ran 49 yards for a touchdown, and Parker ran the two-point conversion in to put a running clock into motion after the Warriors took a 42-7 advantage with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Bougher threw his 23rd touchdown pass of the season, hitting Xander Dolansky on an 11-yarder with 6:41 left to pull the Colts within 42-13.

"I cannot be more happy with the season. Last year, we went 2-8," Paronish said. "I was injured a lot last year, and we had a lot of people injured. We had only two seniors (in 2021). It's nice to have a winning season and do something that no one at Northern Cambria has ever done."