By HUNTER O. LYLE
PORT ALLEGANY, PA – It comes as no surprise that the Port Allegany football team is off to a dominant, red-hot start. Again.
Fresh off their second District 9 Class A championship in three years and a new watermark of the PIAA state championship stage, the Gators haven’t missed a stride despite their key losses due to graduation. Through three games, Port has found three wins, amassing an impressive 163-61 disparity on the scoreboard as they look primed as ever to embark on another undefeated regular season.
Although it takes a committee of dynamic players on both sides of the ball to achieve the prominence that the Gators’ have, men among boys in District 9, the weight of the team lies largely on the shoulders of one man: Aiden Bliss.
“I think the team’s doing really well. We’re not where we want to be yet but I think we’re on track and everyday we’re coming to work which is what’s important to us,” said Bliss, who enters his fourth year with the program. “That bond of being a family just keeps getting closer and closer everyday so that’s what really matters. I think from there on, we’ll just keep growing and growing week to week.”
In the realm of up-and-comers and perennial stars, Bliss is the latter. Over the years, he has quickly ascended to the role of a primary option and his numbers are clear evidence of that progression. After starting his high school career as a receiver, Bliss then moved to running back, a move that garnered a breakout season and 1,638 yards. After averaging 126 yards a game and 8.4 yards a carry his sophomore season, he then smashed his own personal bests for 228.7 yards a game and 9.9 yards a touch his junior year, totaling 3,430 total rushing yards.
“I’d credit my progress a lot to the weight room. Obviously, none of that’s possible without God blessing me and all those kinds of things that really help along the way. My family is a great support system, my teammates push me every single day and I think I’ve grown exponentially from that,” said Bliss. “Getting older helps obviously, you’re more mature, but I’d say hitting the weight room with my guys and practicing every night in the summer on the football field (has been the key.) Just the little stuff.”
His success comes from a place of mental fitness and toughness that seems to dwarf his already imposing physical strengths. Developing under the Justin Bienkowski system, Bliss and his teammates have adopted a single-minded focus of winning. Their goals are written on a short list and there is no rear view mirror. Last week is over, look at what’s ahead. The only stat that matters lies in the win column. And Bliss, as a second-year team captain, has infused this into his own personal leadership.
“My team goals are the biggest thing to me. I want to win a state title. That’s the goal, that’s what we strive for, just to be the best we can be. Another goal I have, which is sort of a personal goal for the team, is to be the best leader I can be. It’s kind of immeasurable but I think I’ll be able to measure how good of a leader I was by where the team’s fundamentals go after I’m gone,” said Bliss. “I think ‘captain’ is really what you do with it. A lot of captains slow down but I want to make sure I’m leaving these guys with something they can understand, a system where they can go to practice every single day and get better. The most important thing is to preach to these guys what it means to have faith, what it means to have a great work ethic and doing the little things right. That’s what being a captain means in my mind.”
This year, as Port attempts to regain their place in the state finals and bring back a trophy as proof, Bliss has not slowed down and while he might want to, his stats are hard to ignore.
Currently, he has amassed 486 yards on 47 carries, improving on his career yards per carry at 10.3. As the tip of the spear, Bliss also leads the Gators with 10 touchdowns, a number that stands as No. 1 in Pennsylvania and No. 34 across the nation. As a linebacker on defense, he is equally as menacing, leading Port in total tackles with 17, solo tackles with 12 and is tied for first for assisted tackles with five.
However, while everyone is aware of Bliss’ impact on the ground, where he routinely bruises through defenses before taking off for the endzone, he has also found ways to contribute in a variety of other places on the gridiron.
As mentioned before, the Gators suffered significant losses in the offseason, specifically in their offensive and defensive trenches. With that in mind, Port has had to alter their typically run-it-down-your-throat attack plan and have opened up the air slightly more this year. Bliss has had a hand in that, collecting 97 receiving yards on five successful targets, two categories that will likely also be career-highs by season’s end. The real change though has been when Bliss himself steps into the pocket, quickly shifting the dynamic of the field and demonstrating his true versatility.
So far, Bliss has gone 2-for-2 when slinging the ball downfield, both of which have produced touchdowns. He has also thrown a handful of 2-point conversions, including two in the Gators’ season-opening win over Bradford. For him and his team, experimenting and finding new and creative ways to score is all part of the fun process.
“It’s been great. That’s really what it is, just having fun. Coming out and realizing how lucky we are to play the game,” said Bliss. “We’ve got so many athletes that can do so many things. Our coaches are doing a great job letting us all do things that we’re gifted at and there’s so many people on this team that can make a difference and be real studs. It’s been fun.”
After passing their first real test on the schedule, a 27-14 road win over Central Clarion that was circled on Port’s calendar and in which Bliss finished with 201 rushing yards and four touchdowns, the Gators are confident in their team and system. Although they refuse to do anything but keep their head down and grind at the task at hand, that dream of a state title seems more and more obtainable with each passing week.
“I think our potential can’t really even be measured. I think we can do anything we put our minds to. We’ve been a great group together since we started playing and it’s been a real natural connection,” said Bliss. “No matter where everyone’s at, it feels like at 7 o’clock on a Friday, everything comes together. We’re all in the same place, we’re all on the same page and that’s a special thing that I don’t think every team has. I think that our max potential is completely unlimited and infinite. I think we can be as good as we want to be and I think the state championship is definitely realistic. We just have to play right, keep our minds right and stay healthy.”
