The high school football season kicks off tonight with four games on our Renda Media network, including the start of Greg Page’s twentieth season as head coach of the Homer-Center Wildcats.
On WCCS and Renda Digital TV, it’s the fiftieth renewal of the rivalry between Homer-Center and Northern Cambria. The Wildcats finished 8-4 last season, including a 24-21 opening night win over the Colts, who were 4-7.
Coach Greg Page says Northern Cambria will be hungry for a win.
Page says lists two big factors in tonight’s game.
Colts coach Sam Shutty says the two teams are very much alike.
Shutty says his team had a great offseason.
On Cat Country, 106.3 FM tonight, River Valley welcomes Penns Manor. The Panthers are coming off a stellar 9-2 season and looking for a Heritage Conference title while the Comets were 3-7. River Valley won 33-0 in last year’s opener.
Panthers coach Ed Dalton says Penns Manor mixes it up on offense.
The Comets’ Carson Rhea says Penns Manor has to bring the intensity for all 48 minutes.
On 92.5 FM U92, United Valley coach Lou McElwee takes his Lions to Cambria Heights for a meeting with Jarrod Lewis and his Highlanders. United opened 0-2 last season, including an opening night loss to Heights by a score of 22-15, but the Lions rebounded and finished 7-4. The Highlanders were 9-2, continuing a consistent run of quality football ever since they joined the Heritage Conference. Both teams will be directed by new quarterbacks.
McElwee will turn to junior Brendan James, who backed up Dmitri Worthington the last two years.
Thousand-yard running back Nolan Clawson takes over at QB for Cambria Heights. Lewis says Clawson’s versatility is an asset.
The other games in the Heritage Conference tonight include defending champion Marion Center welcoming Conemaugh Valley. Purchase Line hosting Conemaugh Township, and Portage visiting West Shamokin.
On WDAD and Renda Digital TV, Indiana opens the season at Andy Kuzneski Field against Freeport. Coach Mark Zilinskas guided Indiana to a 3-7 record last season in his return to the sidelines after a decade away. The Yellowjackets were 8-4, including a 28-0 win over Indiana in Week One.
Zilinskas says his team is much more physical this year.
All of the action for our Renda Media games begins with a 6:30 pregame, with the exception of Homer-Center/Northern Cambria, which gets underway at 6:15.
