HOLLIDAYSBURG 28, BRADFORD 7

Oct. 12, 2007

Some of the information for this story was found in the Oct. 13, 2007, edition of the Altoona Mirror

BRADFORD – Hollidaysburg ended Bradford’s District 9-leading seven-game regular-season win streak by taking away what the Owls do best – running the football.

The Tigers (7-1) beat the Owls (5-1) by limiting Bradford to 93 yards rushing. The Owls came into the game averaging a District 9-best 299.6 yards per game but averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, well below their season average of 7.0 yards per carry.

With the rushing game grounded, the Owls had to try to take flight, something they don’t like doing. Bradford and quarterback Tyler Grandy, still playing for the injured Ben Walter, threw 17 passes, completing, 10 of them, for 117 yards and one interception. Going into the game, the Owls had attempted a District 9-low 14 passes completing seven of them for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Hollidaysburg, which led 13-7 at halftime, didn’t take control of the game until late in the third quarter when it extended its lead to 21-7 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Pat Smith to Justin Gildea with a 1:30 left in the quarter.

It was one of three times Smith and Gildea hooked up on the night. The pair also got together for the game’s second touchdown, a 26-yard pass that made it 13-0 Hollidaysburg, and on the contest’s final score, a 21-yard touchdown play. Gildea set up the first of his three scores by blocking a Bradford punt in the second quarter, a rare special teams’ mistake for Bradford.

Smith was 9-for-19 passing for 204 yards and the three scores with Gildea catching six passes for 99 yards.

Brad Nocek, who had 14 carries for 113 yards, opened the scoring for Hollidaysburg with a 68-yard run that helped the Tigers take a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

Bradford cut the lead to 13-7 at halftime thanks to a 3-yard Steve Hill touchdown run.

The Owls return to action Friday at DuBois in their final D9 League game before the conference folds after this year.

NOTES – Bradford’s last regular-season loss was nearly a year ago to the day – Oct. 13, 2006, 29-27 at home to Central Mountain … With Bradford’s loss, Karns City, Kane and Cameron County now share the longest regular-season win streak in District 9 at seven wins, all coming this year.

HOLLIDAYSBURG 28, BRADFORD 7

Score by Quarter

Hollidaysburg 7 6 8 7 – 28

Bradford 0 7 0 0 – 7

First Quarter

H – Brad Nocek 68 run (Boland kick), 10:10.

Second Quarter

H – Justin Gildea 26 pass from Pat Smith (kick failed), 8:30.

B – Steve Hill 3 run (Cody Nuzzo kick), 5:34.

Third Quarter

H – Gildea 9 pass from Smith (Ulsh pass from Smith), 1:30.

Fourth Quarter

H – Gildea 21 pass from Smith (Boland kick), 7:11.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Hollidaysburg: Nocek 14-113, Hammond 7-65, Milardo 6-64, Glunt 6-18, Smith 4-9, Ott 2-9, Team 1-(-9). Bradford: McMurtrie 7-38, Johnson 12-32, Hill 5-18, Pascarella 2-5, Grandy 3-2.

PASSING – Hollidaysburg: Smith 9-for-19, 204 yards, 3 touchdowns. Bradford: Grandy 10-for-17, 117 yards, 1 interception; Johnson 0-for-1, 1 interception.

RECEIVING – Hollidaysburg: Gildea 6-99, Nocek 1-67, Pramuk 1-26, Glunt 1-12. Bradford: Johnson 4-40, McMurtrie 2-24, Goodman 2-9, Teribery 1-33, Nuzzo 1-11.