Tags: District 3, District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

Baron Dionis | August 24, 2024

After a very entertaining Friday night, action picks up again on Saturday with a District 6 vs. District 3 matchup. The Newport Buffaloes travel to Alexandria to face the Juniata Valley Hornets. This game promises to be a very exciting matchup as Newport is a 2A team in Mid-Penn while the Hornets are a 1A team in the ICC.

The Buffaloes finished 1-9 last year, beating only James Buchanan, while Juniata Valley finished 7-4, losing to Penns Manor in the first round of districts. This matchup is an interesting one to start with, so let’s see what these teams look like.

Hornets in the Juniata Valley

The Hornets come into this game with a very solid group of players from last year. Jett Hand is set to begin the season as the Hornets’ starting quarterback, along with receivers Lucas Dick, Trenton Norris and Levi Thompson. The passing game may be used more this year than last year, which could be dangerous for the opposing team on defense. They also have three starting linemen back who will help young running backs Adrian Prough and Andrew Clarke.

There are also a lot of returnees on defense, so Juniata Valley will be a tough opponent in week one. The Hornets will need to attack the inexperienced players in Newport, as they are a young team. Whether it’s passing or on the defensive line, Juniata Valley will need to be aggressive on offense. Moving the ball consistently will make the difference for the Hornets.

Newport Buffalo

Newport is coming off a rough year in 2023, finishing 1-9. They also lost 9 seniors, including several skilled positions and linemen. The roster this year is only 24 players, making it difficult to work with, but they have some returnees that can help, including fullback Dalton Kratzer, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year. They are not a particularly good passing team, but they do have their quarterback Trevin Arnold back.

It’s a new year and the Buffaloes are confident, but they’re starting off with a tough game against the Hornets. Newport needs to be able to stop the run and move the ball down the field to win tonight. Juniata Valley is good on both sides of the ball, but Newport can find ways to stop them if they can stop the run.

This will be an exciting opening game of the season for both teams. Keep an eye on this game outside of the region.

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