BY CORY ISENBERG
The Tribune-Democrat
December 23, 2007 12:13 am
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Mitch Blackwell was one defender that opposing players did not want to see coming their way on the gridiron, especially quarterbacks.
Central Cambria’s fierce senior defensive end finished the season with an area-high 17 sacks. Blackwell had 99 tackles including 83 solo stops, earning him The Tribune-Democrat Defensive Player of the Year nod.
“He’s a kid that falls into the high-motor category,” Central Cambria coach Ken Bussard said. “He was relentless in his pursuit to the ball. He had a real passion for tracking quarterbacks down. He had a little bit of a mean streak as a football player and could turn it on when he was playing and off when he wasn’t on the field.”
Bussard said the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Blackwell wasn’t the Red Devils most vocal player.
“Mitch was a quiet leader, who led by example not by his words,” the Central Cambria coach said. “Whenever we needed a play to ignite the defense, whether it was a quarterback sack, a hurry or a slowdown, he seemed to be the one to provide the play.”
Blackwell was one of the nine senior leaders on a Central Cambria squad which finished with a 7-3 regular-season record.
“All the seniors are my best friends,” Blackwell said. “I will never forget them. We all worked hard together. We definitely proved a lot of people wrong this year because they didn’t think we would do as well as we did.”
The Red Devils defensive end, who also played on the offensive line this season, has some vivid memories regarding this season.
“Beating Forest Hills at their field was probably the highlight of the season,” Blackwell said, noting that it was the first time in 12 years that the Red Devils prevailed over the Rangers.
In the District 5-6 Class AA playoffs, Central Cambria recorded victories over Penns Valley (7-6) and top-seeded Tyrone (21-10).
“Penns Valley was the first playoff game that anyone on the team had experienced,” the Central Cambria player said. “They were a tough and physical team. Beating Tyrone which was ranked No. 2 in the state was also one of the highlights of the year.”
The Red Devils advanced to the District 6 championship for the first time since 2000, falling to Bishop McCort 28-21 in overtime to end their season with a 9-4 mark.
“It’s definitely an honor to be named (defensive player of the year),” Blackwell said. “What probably got me noticed by opposing coaches is that I basically wreaked havoc since I was a sophomore. I play at 110 percent on every play. I tried doing what I could to help the team win football games.”
Blackwell, who was a First-Team All-Area selection last season, also as the area’s sack leader, attributed this year’s coaching staff for the team’s success.
“It made a big difference to have Coach Bussard back,” said Blackwell, who had 43 sacks in the past three seasons. “And having coaches like Chris Villarrial and John Sikora come to Central Cambria definitely helped a lot.”
The Red Devils’ lineman is looking to continue his playing career in college and has narrowed his choices to IUP, Slippery Rock, Clarion and Waynesburg.
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