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By Todd Ceisner
Bald Eagle Area at Philipsburg-Osceola
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Records: BEA 0-4 overall, 0-3 MAFC Nittany Division; P-O 4-0, 1-0
Last week: Tyrone def. BEA 28-6; P-O def. Clarion-Limestone 49-22
Last meeting: 2006 (P-O won 34-6)
Key players: BEA defensive front. Can’t overcommit against Mounties’ ground game. P-O RB Corey Shimmel. We spun the “Could Have a Big Game” wheel and the arrow pointed to his name.
Key stats: BEA has allowed 314 yards, four TDs through the air in last two games. P-O has seven players with at least one TD so far.
Breakdown: It appears by listening to John Bathurst and Jeff Vroman that tonight’s clash between Bald Eagle Area and Philipsburg-Osceola would be a pick ‘em game if Vegas oddsmakers were to handicap it.
And maybe so but those same oddsmakers would take one gander at the teams’ respective 2007 resumes and likely install the Mounties as heavy favorites at home.
Paging Lee Corso. Not so fast, my friend.
P-O is neither overlooking the winless Eagles – with heavy-duty showdowns with Penns Valley and Tyrone looming the next two weeks – nor is it underestimating their ability to be soil what’s been a dazzling start for the Mounties.
“Any time you play Bald Eagle Area, you assume through past history, it’s always been a tough ball game for us,” said Vroman, whose 33 career wins place him third among P-O coaches, four behind second-place Don Folmar and five behind leader Jack Bailey. “They’re not going to lay down. They’re going to be fired up and they want to win as any team would.”
In Bathurst’s mind, the Eagles’ misfortunes can be traced back to a handful of plays and bounces but that hasn’t been the focal point this week.
“Hey, we get to play another undefeated team this week,” he chuckled. “I keep telling them, ‘We’re in this together and it’s going to right itself or we’re going to make it right some night and everything else will fall into place.’”
For that to happen tonight, the Eagles will have to be disciplined on defense and swarm to the ball. Execution on offense and getting tailback Justin Koleno enough touches will also be key factors.
“It’s an understatement to say they’re the most balanced team we’ve seen yet,” Bathurst said. “I truly don’t think people can appreciate how difficult it is to defend their (Wing-T) run offense even if you’ve seen it on film or from the sideline. … You can’t appreciate how difficult it is until you see it coming at you in the face.”
And one player whose role in the P-O offense has increased recently is sophomore wing back Zack Czap. Diminutive and quick, Czap had what could be called his breakout game last week when he racked up 75 yards on three carries, including a 50-yard touchdown run.
“I expected him to have some input in the offense,” Vroman said. “How much, you really never put your finger on that until you get into a game situation. We have to bring him along slowly. You can’t just throw him in there as a sophomore and expect him to play every down and do everything. Between him and Corey Shimmel, they’ve done a pretty nice job for us.”
Penns Valley at Chestnut Ridge
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Records: Penns Valley 3-1 overall; Chestnut Ridge 3-1
Last week: Penns Valley def. Lewistown 24-6; Chestnut Ridge def. Williamsburg 29-0
Last meeting: 2006 (Penns Valley won 27-13)
Key players: Penns Valley QB/DE/TE Matt Johnson. Has been known recently to line up at tight end, giving the Rams a huge target. Chestnut Ridge RB Max Kauert. Has six rushing scores over last three games.
Key stats: Penns Valley defense allowing less than 2.9 yards per play. Chestnut Ridge has 200-plus rushing yards in last three games.
Breakdown: Here we are four games into the season and some teams still haven’t revealed their identity. And in some cases, that’s to be expected.
However, in the case of Penns Valley, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Rams possess maybe the toughest small-school defense around these parts and an offense that’s capable of scoring just enough to win.
It’s a tested formula. Works at most levels of football. After all, defense wins championships, right?
Then you look at Penns Valley’s game last week in which the Rams exploded for 24 points and held a diverse Lewistown offense to just 93 total yards and an irrelevant third-quarter touchdown.
“It was nice to put some points on the board,” said Rams coach Marty Tobias. “Once again, we have to thank our defense for that. They put us in good field position which enabled us to score some points.”
Tonight, when the Rams travel to distant Fishertown, their defense will have to be on its game yet again. Chestnut Ridge has a formidable rushing attack led by two backs T.J. Miller and Max Kauert, who each have a 100-yard game under their belts this season.
“We need to gear up to stop their run game,” Tobias said. “That’s what they hang their hat on. They come at you with a number of different looks. They are big and physical up front and defensively, they get after you.”
Clearfield at Bellefonte
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Records: Clearfield 2-2 overall, 1-1 MAFC Seven Mountains; Bellefonte 3-1, 2-0
Last week: Clearfield def. Punxsutawney 42-7; Bellefonte def. Huntingdon 31-14
Last meeting: 2006 (Clearfield 21-17)
Key players: Clearfield QB Jarrin Campman. Has accounted for 11 TDs so far (six rushing, five passing). Bellefonte RB Greg Benscoter. Coming off 100-yard game; Raiders need a steady rushing effort to keep teams honest.
Key stats: The two teams Clearfield has beaten (BEA, Punxsutawney) are combined 0-8; Bellefonte has scored six points in the first quarter.
Breakdown: Bellefonte coach Zac Wynkoop has some fond memories of playing football against Clearfield. He threw his first varsity touchdown pass as a Brookville High School junior quarterback in 1996, helping Brookville earn a 7-6 win in a downpour. The following year resulted in a loss to the Bisons and left the details a little cloudy in Wynkoop’s mind.
He hopes to pocket a few more memories tonight when Clearfield and its high-scoring offense visit Rogers Stadium.
Bellefonte has won two straight, including an impressive come-from-behind victory on the road last week against Huntingdon. After trailing 14-0 early on, the Red Raiders scored the game’s final 31 points.
“It was good to a get road win like that,” Wynkoop said. “And the adversity we had to face. We got down 14 points real quick and our kids could have made excuses and put their heads down but they didn’t. They played together and played hard and it paid off.”
Keeping the Bisons off the scoreboard will be a mighty task for Bellefonte, which has been surprisingly stingy on defense. The Red Raiders have yet to allow more than 14 points in a game and are plus-six in turnover margin.
Clearfield, meanwhile, is led by junior quarterback Jarrin Campman, who’s been a dynamic performer stepping in to replace Andrew Janocko. He has completed 57.7 percent (41 of 71) of his passes for 648 yards and he’s rushed for 188 yards.
“They have a very good quarterback and some very talented wide receivers,” Wynkoop said. “They like to spread you out. Their quarterback can run all over the field and make things happen. You can tell they’re very well-coached and when (Campman) starts scrambling around, the receivers work to find the open areas.”
As for the Red Raiders, Wynkoop hopes to establish a balanced attack, something he has seen in recent games.
“The past two games, I feel we’ve been very balanced,” he said. “It’s nice because it really opens up your playbook as far as play-calling abilities and what you feel comfortable with. It’s nice to be able to put some pressure on defenses as well.”
Games to watch
Hollidaysburg at Indian Valley: Ought to be a doozy at Mitchell Field. Winner gains inside track on the top seed in District 6 Class AAA.
Bishop Carroll at Westmont Hilltop (Saturday): This is not a misprint. The Huskies are on the verge of being 0-5. York William Penn at Harrisburg (Saturday): William Penn comes to Severance Field unbeaten and unscored upon. The Cougars have the means to change that.
In Print
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