SUNBURY - Mount Carmel Area's loss Sunday night to North Schuylkill, a loss that denied the Red Tornadoes the 800th victory in school history, just might have been the worst thing that could have happened for Shikellamy.
That's right. For Shikellamy.
Instead of getting a team fresh off a big celebration, the Braves will play host tonight to a team on a mission, a team out make sure it accomplishes what slipped through its grasp in a hotly-contested backyard rivalry and a team looking to get back on the winning track before taking on another rival, unbeaten Southern Columbia, in Week 9.
Shikellamy enters the game with a 4-3 record and leading the District 4 Class AAA rankings, although that speaks more to the equality among the Class AAA teams than to any kind of dominance the Braves have displayed through the first seven games.
Since opening the season with consecutive losses to Danville and Mifflinburg, the Braves have won four of five, a 33-21 setback to a Central Columbia team that also battled Mount Carmel tough being the only blemish since the opening two games.
The Braves have also changed since that time. Ernie Tyler started the season at quarterback, enjoying solid success while passing for 691 yards and five touchdowns. An injury, however, has put him on the sidelines and forced his favorite target, Tyler Pratt, to the quarterback position.
As part of a passer-receiver connection with Tyler, Pratt hauled in 18 receptions for 444 yards and four scores. As the quarterback in last week's 21-14 victory over Jersey Shore, Pratt completed three of five passes for 19 yards, and ran 20 times for 24 yards and two scores.
Cody Welsh, with 327 yards and three scores on 80 carries, is the Braves' leading ground gainer.
Sunday evening, the Red Tornadoes and Spartans were knotted at 13 late in the fourth quarter when North Schuylkill scored the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion.