ALTOONA, Pa. (D9Sports) — Twenty District 9 football players representing five schools will compete in the 34th Annual Lezzer Lumber Classic at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 22, at Mansion Park in Altoona.
(Photo of Clarion’s Colton Rapp. Photo by Kyle Yates www.facebook.com/YatesPhoto)
The Lezzer Classic brings in players from District 6 and District 9.
The schools representing District 9 this year are Brockway, Clarion, Clearfield, Curwensville, and DuBois with Clarion having the most players at six. All 20 District 9 players are on the North team.
Representing the Bobcats are Zak Bauer, Colt Stimmell, Spencer Miller, Colton Rapp, Sterling Connor, and Keeven Weaver.
The Brockway players are Alan Weibel, Noah Vokes, Pierce Yahner, and Dylan LeCates.
Coming over from Clearfield are Jakob Sorbera and Zach Horton, while Josh Terry, Bryce Timko, Nick Stewart, Caleb Bloom, and Matt Carter represent Curwensville.
Three DuBois players are in the game including Bryce Sallack, Kenny Garvey, and Kyle Hopson. In addition, DuBois head coach Justin Marshall and assistant coaches Derek Marshall and Jim Thompson will serve as assistant coaches for the North squad.
Being that it is an All-Star game, some of the rules have been tweaked both for player safety and to give players and fans something different.
OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE RULES
The offenses must use a balanced line and each team must attempt passes on 30 percent of their offensive plays. Percentages of pass plays will be checked midway through the third quarter. If a team is under the 30 percent pass-attempt mark, each non-pass play will be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct until the percentages are met and maintained. Forced scrambles and sacks will be counted as pass attempts.
On defense, teams must align in the 4-3. All four down guys must be in a three- or four-point stance and must rush the passer. Slanting and looping by the front four is permissible. There shall be no blitzing or shooting of linebackers or secondary. Pass Coverage on first, second and fourth downs may be man or zone (in zone, two high safeties must be at least nine yards deep). Only man-to-man coverage is allowed on third down — applies to the secondary only. Anytime the offense has less than three yards to go for a first down or touchdown, the linebackers may move up onto the line of scrimmage and the secondary may move up but must stay outside the defensive end.
When defending against a kick, linebackers may move up onto the line of scrimmage and the secondary may move up but must stay outside of the defensive end. However, no more than seven players may rush on any kicking play.
RULE CHANGES
A few tweaks to the rules include a point-differential rule, the spot of touchback rule, extra-point placement and points awarded on PATs and points awarded for long field goals.
With the point-differential rule, if a team scores and is behind nine or more points that team will have the option of either kicking off or receiving. If they elect to receive and score on the ensuing possession but still trail by nine or more points, they have to kickoff. The rule does not change the designated second-half kickoff.
Kickoffs will still be from the 35-yard line, but if the ball is kicked into the end zone, then the defense is rewarded by having the offense start at the 15-yard line instead of the 20-yard line.
Another experimental rule for this year involves the PAT with the ball placed at the 13-yard line instead of the 3-yard line for a 30-yard attempt. Made attempts from the 13 will be worth two points instead of one. Teams still have the option of kicking from the 3-yard line, but those kicks will only be worth a single point. Field goals that are 40 yards or longer will be worth four points.
MISCELLANEOUS
Every player must play at least 15 plays, and if the game is tied after regulation that is how it will end.
For more information visit https://www.lezzerlumberclassic.org/.
