Penns Manor's Ryan Murdick is starting to make a habit of kicking game-winning field goals.
In both of the Comets' wins this season, Murdick put it through the uprights. The latest was Friday, when he hit a 22-yarder in a 26-23 double-overtime win over Ligonier Valley.
Murdick also made the game-winner in the season finale last year against West Shamokin to give the Comets their only victory of the season.
"The past three wins have been (made possible by) game-winning field goals," Penns Manor coach Dave Leasure said. "And all three have been at home."
In a conference where offense dominates, the Heritage Conference features only a few consistent kickers, such as Blairsville's Aaron Jones, Purchase Line's Robert Hopkins and Murdick.
"He's done some pretty good kicking the last couple years," Purchase Line coach Dave Small said of Hopkins. "We can get inside the 25, and if we stall out, we can look to kick a field goal."
Jones leads all kickers with 17 points, all extra points. Murdick is next with 13 points.
"We've always had a kicker," Leasure said. "Those extra points are too valuable not to have."
Laurel Valley has gone through two kickers, but nevertheless the Rams usually go for the two-point conversion.
"Clayton (Liggett) has done a lot of kicking," Laurel Valley coach Jerry Page said. "But we usually go for two out of necessity."
Back on track
Heading into last Saturday's game against Marion Center, Northern Cambria had yet to put together a complete, all-around game.
The Colts unleashed on the Stingers, piling up more than 400 yards of total offense en route to a 34-12 win.
"It was just a perfect game for us," Northern Cambria coach Frank Paronish said. "It was about time."
Quarterback Ken Younger was 9 for 18 for 202 yards and a touchdown, and John Bonatesta had 115 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Growing pains
No one ever told these guys it was going to be easy.
The conference's two new head coaches, Roger Beitel at Ligonier Valley and Saltsburg's Anthony Kobus, are taking their lumps this season.
The teams have one win between them.
Saltsburg (0-5), in the remaining four games, has the easier of the teams' schedules. In the next three games, the Trojans play three teams with a combined four wins. Saltsburg then plays its season finale against United (4-1).
"We have four left, and we have a shot at all four," Kobus said.
Ligonier Valley, however, plays the top four powerhouses in the conference in United (4-1), Purchase Line (4-1), Blairsville (5-0) and Laurel Valley (4-1).
Playing down
Purchase Line may be tied for second place in the Heritage Conference, but the Red Dragons are hurting in the point standings.
Purchase Line is one of the two Class AA teams playing in the Heritage Conference, which hurts the Red Dragons when determining playoff seedings.
"The Heritage Conference is our playoff," Small said. "We play nine games up here and then we play other schools. I don't see where it's any big deal."
Purchase Line, with 380 points, is seventh out of eight teams in the District 6 Class AA point standings.
Purchase Line faces its toughest test this week when it hosts undefeated Blairsville.
