Two former Lilly Raiders squared off as coaches last night with Justin Wheeler going against Nick Felus — and it became an intense game


Justin Wheeler, top, and Nick Felus


Photos by two excellent photogs, John Rucosky, Tribune-Democrat and Phil Andraychak, free-lance photographer


Sorry that I had the wrong photo of Nick on the first posting. This one is correct. 


… Lilly should be proud of the two coaches


Last night, two young men who started their competitive football careers on the fields of Lilly, Pa., faced off against one another in a high school football game at Mansion Park in Altoona. 


Each has been coaching for many years, and each has ties to Penn Cambria High School, which they attended and where they competed for the Panthers. 


Justin Wheeler served as an assistant coach at Penn Cambria before taking the job as head coach at Bishop Guilfoyle in Altoona. During his tenure, his Marauders have won three class A state championships. 


Nick Felus has developed a reputation as a superb coach of quarterbacks, and at Coatesville High School in Eastern Pa., he was an offensive coordinator before taking the head coaching job at Altoona and now at Penn Cambria. 


In this game, Guilfoyle was favored, but the Panthers turned the tables on the Marauders in their lair, earning a 27-14 victory. 


PC quarterback superb


Ironically, from what I read on Penn Cambria’s web page, both coaches teach at the Middle School, where their boss is Dane Harrold, the school’s principal, according to the PC website. 


The irony is that Mr. Harrold’s son, turned in a fabulous performance at quarterback and on defense to lead the Panthers to the victory. 


According to Phil Cmor’s excellent story about the game for the Tribune-Democrat, Garrett Harrold carried the ball 24 times for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also made a key stop on defense to seal the game. 


Whatever the punctuation, Penn Cambria’s 27-14 victory at Mansion Park Stadium on a balmy Saturday night was a signature win for the Panthers and one that will send notice all over the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.


“It was huge. It was definitely a momentum-builder moving on in the season,” Harrold said. “This win shows we can play with anybody.”


Harrold rushed for 235 yards on 24 carries from his quarterback spot, scoring on runs of 65 and 11 yards. Grove, Harrold’s fellow junior, took advantage of his 47-yard touchdown to finish with 109 yards on 17 carries.


As a team, the Panthers rushed for 399 yards.


“This feels amazing. This game shows everyone else, all the newspapers, that we’re here to play. It shows more than that,” Grove said. “When we beat them here, it shows, no matter what team it is, we can beat them.”


Philip Cmor, “Penn Cambria proves point with 27-14 victory at 

Bishop Guilfoyle,” Tribune-Democrat, September 5, 2021


How big a win was it?


Bishop Guilfoyle has won three PIAA Class 1A titles in the past decade. The last time Penn Cambria had beaten the Marauders was in 2011, and the Panthers seemed to be intent on taking out 10 years worth of frustration in four physical quarters.


Philip Cmor, Tribune-Democrat, September 5, 2021


Now, they can try to move forward in the LHAC.


Big win for the Panthers and their coach


The victory was a major one for Felus, a former QB for the Panthers, as he is trying to rebuild it into a contender in the Laurel Highlands Conference and District VI,


Penn Cambria improved to 2-0. For coach Nick Felus, it was an affirming win as he tries to resurrect the football program at his alma mater.


“It’s huge,” Felus said. “Our kids just played team football. They played physical football. They’re playing with a lot of passion, emotion, and we’re going to keep building off that.”


Philip Cmor, Tribune-Democrat, September 5, 2021


Wheeler was straightforward about his team’s problems containing Harrold and the Panthers,


“All week long, it’s hard to believe, but our goal was to stop the run,” said Marauder coach Justin Wheeler, a former standout player at Penn Cambria and the middle school principal there. “We weren’t able to do that in any defense that we tried.”


Philip Cmor, Tribune-Democrat, September 5, 2021


Proud of the coaches


The Lilly Raiders were a great training ground for young athletes, teaching them the rudiments of sports while also teaching them about succeeding in life. 


These two young men are a great example of that success. Justin has done a fabulous job at BG, and Nick is starting to turn PC back in the right direction. We can be proud of both of them. 


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