Sportsbeat Preview: Cambria Heights Highlanders

PATTON, Pa. (WTAJ) – Cambria Heights quietly proved to be one of the best teams in Central Pennsylvania last year after winning the District VI Championship and making it to the PIAA Class 1A Quarterfinals.

“Obviously coming off a District VI win, we’re all excited,” senior Tristan Weakland said. “(We’re) just looking for another big year this year. We’re all confident and we’re all excited.”

“We don’t want to be one of the teams that won once and then just kind of fall off a little bit,” senior Braylon Rydbom said. “We want to keep competing at that level.”

The scary part for other teams is that the Highlanders, who finished 10-4 last year, are returning nine starters on each side of the ball. Among that group is Sportsbeat Top 10 recipient Garrett Jasper , who racked up five sacks and 30.5 tackles for losses last year.

“He’s reached another level of work ethic, and it was already pretty spectacular (because) he’s already one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever coached,” Cambria Heights head coach Jarrod Lewis said.

Despite many placing high expectations on Cambria Heights once again, Lewis and his team are focused on each week at a time before looking at the bigger picture.

“I know that’s cliché, but I really feel that way,” Lewis said. “I think this is a team that’s motivated but understands that they need to look at each week (and) take care of the small things. The big things will take care of themselves.”

If we’re also taking the Highlanders’ mindset, they’ll have an intriguing matchup on week one against River Valley, who defeated Cambria Heights 20-14 last year.

“We’re really focused on River Valley,” Rydbom said.

If you’re taking a macro look at the season instead of a micro one, an intriguing matchup comes for Cambria Heights in week five against Northern Cambria, who also returns a lot of star players including Sportsbeat Top 10 recipient Ty Dumm .

Last year, the Colts won the first matchup, but the Highlanders got revenge in the PIAA playoffs.

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Key Returners: Garrett Jasper (TE/DE), Isaac Weiland (QB), Stephen Nelen (RB), Jaxxon Kline (FB), Trey Trybus (RB/LB), Luke Mulraney (LB)

Key Losses: Hunter Nelen (WR), Alex Farrell (OT)

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