WEEK 6 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Guy Cipriano

- gciprian@centredaily.com

Philipsburg-Osceola (2-3) at Penns Valley (1-4)

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: Penns Valley Athletic Field

Last year: Philipsburg- Osceola won 21-17

The skinny: Philipsburg- Osceola and Penns Valley bring contrasting Friday night memories into tonight.

The Mounties snapped a three-game losing streak with a crisp 28-0 victory at Bellefonte last week. Penns Valley extended its losing streak to three games with a sloppy 34-0 loss at St. Marys. Edge P-O?

Not quite, warned Mountie coach Jeff Vroman.

“Here’s the thing, I have known (Penns Valley coach) Marty Tobias for a long time, going back to my time as an assistant at Moshanon Valley, and there’s not a team that plays better at home than Penns Valley,” Vroman said. “That’s a fact. Our kids better strap it on and they better strap it on tight and get off the bus ready to play or they are going to behind the 8-ball.

“Our kids have to understand that. It’s crucial to put last week behind us. It’s over and it needs to go in the scrapbook. They need to turn the page, move on and realize where we are at.”

Tobias also wants his team to forget last week. The Rams lost four fumbles against St. Marys. The loss was Penns Valley’s first ugly result. The Rams are 0-2 at home, but played state-ranked Central and Huntingdon tough on their own grass.

“Barring last week, which was somewhat of an anomaly, we have been competitive in all of our games,” Tobias said. “We’re improving in some areas, but there’s no question I would like to see our record have at least one or two more wins than what we have.”

The past two P-O-Penns Valley games were spirited. The Mounties scored the lone fourth-quarter points on their way to a 21-17 victory last year, which avenged a 13-10 doubleovertime road loss in 2007.

Both of P-O’s 2009 wins have come against Centre County teams. The Mounties opened the season by defeating Bald Eagle Area 21-9. P-O didn’t commit a turnover in either game. Last week represented the Mounties’ signature victory thus far as Cody Curtis, Zack Czap, Steve Rusnak and Mike Marcinko all rushed for 45 or more yards.

“I think they probably have a great deal of momentum,” Tobias said. “They have been sort of like us. They have had some games they would have liked to have seen go the other way. They could have had a couple more wins and didn’t get them, but they continued to play hard and with effort and their effort paid off last week.”

Noise from Homecoming festivities, not passes, could fill the Spring Mills air tonight.

The Mounties attempted 45 passes in their first five games, one more than the Rams. The teams combined to complete 35 passes during this season’s first half. P-O averages 41.2 rushing attempts per game. Penns Valley averages 39.0

“The kids understand this is a very important week,” Vroman said. “We put ourselves in a position where we have to win and the kids are reacting like that. I like their attitude.”

Next week: Tyrone at Philipsburg-Osceola; Clearfield at Penns Valley

State College (4-1) at Cedar Cliff (3-2)

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: West Shore Stadium

Last year: State College won 38-7

The skinny: State College’s first five games once appeared more daunting than its final five.

But besides next week’s game at winless Central Dauphin East, the Little Lions might not receive another chance to empty their massive bench.

Clever coach Jim Cantafio has Cedar Cliff primed to make the postseason despite losing junior quarterback Tim Kelly to a season-ending injury. Altoona defeated Central Dauphin last week. Bishop McDevitt is ranked No. 1 in the state. Chambersburg could be the Mid-Penn’s most improved team.

And, as expected, every one of those impending games worries State College coach Al Wolski.

“One thing we know is that our last five games against teams that historically might not have been as tough are against teams that are a lot better,” Wolski said. “Cedar Cliff is a lot better, Altoona beat Central Dauphin, Chambersburg has improved massively and beat Harrisburg. Some of these games were a little easier a year or two ago.”

Wolski knows not to overlook any team coached by Cantafio. The duo faced each other frequently when Wolski led Reading and Cantafio coached Wilson West Lawn.

If Cedar Cliff wins three of its next five games, the Colts will post their first winning record since 2000.

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Orris, who is 5-foot-7, wasn’t projected to start, but under Cantafio’s guidance he has completed 50 of 86 passes for 609 yards. State College will face a physical tight end in 6-foot-3 junior Josh Lebo.

“Jim does a good job of getting them ready and he has some talent,” Wolski said. “They have a big tight end, they run the ball effectively, give you a bunch of different looks and he has them playing hard on defense. He’s a good coach. I have coached against him before and it will be fun to reconnect.”

State College defeated Harrisburg 30-19 last week, receiving a boost from the return of senior safety/quarterback Dom Mills from a foot injury. State College attempted a season-high 21 passes in the victory, completing 12. Matt Mazzara went 6-for-9 while Mills went 6-for-12.

The Little Lions have made quick work of Cedar Cliff recently, outscoring the Colts 135-14 the past three years. Another lopsided score could be a mild surprise.

Next week: State College at Central Dauphin East

Bald Eagle Area (0-5) at Clearfield (3-2)

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: Bison Sports Complex

Last year: Clearfield won 41-6

The skinny: Bald Eagle Area, a playoff participant last season, has slammed the reset button.

“First half of the season we didn’t play very consistent,” coach Jack Tobias said. “That’s something we have been working on all week. It’s the second half of the season and right now we are 0-0 with five games left. We’re going into it with that mindset.”

If that’s the case, then the Eagles are opening at a difficult place.

Clearfield, which suffered heavy graduation losses, is playing like, well, Clearfield.

Expect everything and anything to happen.

The Bisons hurled the ball around before others and there’s no end in sight to coach Tim Janocko’s wide-open ways. Clearfield, which has scored 35 or more points three times this season, enters tonight averaging 187.4 passing and 137.0 rushing yards per game. Clearfield averages more than 20 passes per game. The sophisticated ways continue despite a roster with just 10 seniors.

“They are young and getting better,” Tobias said. “Tim always has a well-coached and well-prepared team. We need our secondary this week to do a lot of things and we need the guys in the box to stop the run and free other people up for us.”

BEA’s secondary received its first big test last week when Tyrone completed 7 of 12 passes for 107 yards. Clearfield, like Tyrone, plays a sophomore quarterback. Curtis Frye has completed 54 of 102 passes for 927 yards. If the 5-foot-10 Frye stays healthy, he could be on his way to posting impressive career numbers.

Wide receivers Trey Campman and Derek Danver and running back Derek Morgan also concern Tobias, whose team allows 264.4 rushing yards per game.

“Their quarterback does a nice job,” Tobias said, “but he has a great supporting cast.”

Next week: Central at Bald Eagle Area

Bellefonte (1-4) at Dubois (3-2)

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: E.J. Mansell Stadium

Last year: DuBois won 32-29

The skinny: Bellefonte’s double-wing offense has struggled since a doubleovertime Week 2 victory at Brookville.

“Maybe we have become a little predictable of when we are going to run and when we are going to throw,” coach Zac Wynkoop said. “We need to do a better job of mixing it up. Maybe we can do it with formations and things of that nature.”

The Red Raiders haven’t scored a first-half point since the Brookville victory. The offensive struggles reached an abyss last week as the Red Raiders compiled eight first downs and 33 rushing yards during a 28-0 home loss to Philipsburg-Osceola.

Bellefonte is averaging less than nine first downs per game since its lone victory. Fifteen turnovers the past three weeks has placed strain on a young defense.

“It’s tough when your defense gets a stop and you’re three-and-out or turn the ball over and they have to run right back on the field,” Wynkoop said. “We have to move the chains and take care of the football.”

Keeping DuBois’ offense on the sidelines could help Bellefonte make tonight’s game competitive. The Beavers, who feature athletic quarterback Josh Means and shifty running back Cam Kelly, are averaging 23.8 points per game despite last week’s 21-7 loss to Central Mountain.

“Their quarterback is a very good athlete with very good vision,” Wynkoop said. “He can throw well and he likes to run it. We have to contain him, keep him in the pocket and make sure we get a lot of hats to the ball and tackle well on Friday.”

The loss put the Beavers, who are headed to a District 10 league next year, behind Central Mountain and Hollidaysburg in the MAFC Seven Mountains Division race. Bellefonte, which hasn’t won a Seven Mountains game the past two years, enters tonight with different objectives than DuBois, which is trying to position itself in the District 6-8-9-10 Class AAAA playoffs.

“Each week we want to become a better team and eliminate mistakes,” Wynkoop said. “We don’t want to let it snowball and keep our heads down.”

Next week: Central Mountain at Bellefonte

Regional Games of Interest

St. Marys (4-1) at Tyrone (4-1) — That preseason chatter about Tyrone’s inexperience seems like a faded summer memory.

Central Mountain (3-2) at Hollidaysburg (2-3) — The Golden Tigers have fared much better against schools their own size. Winner might be headed to MAFC Seven Mountains title.

Bellwood-Antis (5-0) at Moshannon Valley (5-0) — Houtzdale resident and State Rep. Camille “Bud” George loves a big event in his district. Wonder if this game is big enough to bring him home from Harrisburg?

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