Looking back at Centre County’s historic high school football season
The high school football season has come and gone in Centre County, and this year was a special one.
For the first time in county history, three Centre County teams made the PIAA state playoffs, and for the second year in a row four teams from the county made the district playoffs. Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, and State College all qualified for the state playoffs, while Penns Valley made it to the district playoffs.
Let’s take a look at how all five Centre County teams performed.
Bald Eagle Area Eagles
Record: 11-4
Postseason Result: Class 3A State semifinals
Most Valuable Player: Senior quarterback Jaden Jones
Mountain League All-Stars: Gage McClenahan (Athlete, 1st team), David Close (DL, 1st team), Asher Burkett (OT, 2nd team), Jones (QB, 2nd team), Kaden Bittinger (WR/DB, 2nd team), Tommy Snyder (RB/DL, 2nd team), Caleb Burns (DL, 2nd team)
Top Passer: Jones (1,891 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 53.9% completion percentage)
Top Rusher: Jones (462 yards, 4 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Matthew Reese (29 receptions, 622 yards, 10 touchdowns)
Summary: Bald Eagle Area made its deepest run in program history this year by reaching the PIAA Class 3A semifinals. The Eagles ultimately fell to the Central Valley Warriors in the semifinals, but that didn’t diminish what they’d accomplished.
The Eagles will lose one of the most prolific senior classes it has ever had. Bittinger, Jones, McClenahan and Reese were a part of one of the best skill position groups in the area. Jones leaves the Eagles as the school’s all-time leading passer with 6,068 passing yards. He and the Bald Eagle offense led the charge as the team compiled a 7-3 regular season record that earned the Eagles a No. 1 seed in the District 6 Class 3A playoffs.
After a 41-13 rout of Westmont Hilltop to win its second consecutive Class 3A District 6 title, BEA played in several tightly contested matchups. The other three of the Eagles’ four playoff victories were won by two points or less. Their season came to an end with the 45-0 loss to Central Valley, but Nagle said that doesn’t change how he feels about the season.
“It was a wild ride,” Bald Eagle head coach Jesse Nagle told the Centre Daily Times. “It was a great experience for the kids and for the whole community. Four years ago when we got here, we wanted to compete for district titles and state titles. We felt that, as a program, we reached that goal and were in contention to do that. I’m just really really proud of them. It doesn’t matter how big you are physically, it matters that you give everything you’ve got for every single play, and you never give up. If you do that, you can win in this game.”
Bellefonte Red Raiders
Record: 9-3
Postseason Result: Class 4A State first round
Most Valuable Player: Senior running back C.J. Funk
Mountain League All-Stars: Julian Emel (C, 1st team), Trevor Mauk (OG/DL, 1st team), JD Besch (OT, 1st team), Funk (RB/LB, 1st team), Isaiah Nadolsky (DE, 1st team), Max Barrier (OG, 2nd team), Nick Kreger (OT, 2nd team), Ethan Rossman (LB, 2nd team), Jalen Emel (DB, 2nd team), Trae Bauman (DB, 2nd team)
Top Passer: Rossman (993 yards, 12 touchdowns, 47.1% completion percentage)
Top Rusher: Funk (1,488 yards, 14 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Bauman (18 receptions, 381 yards, 6 touchdowns)
Summary: Bellefonte earned itself a District 6 Class 4A title this season and a berth in the PIAA Class 4A playoffs. The Red Raiders’ season ended when they fell to Cathedral Prep in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs, 49-21. This year was the team’s first full season in the school’s new Rogers Stadium.
The Red Raiders were led by senior running back C.J. Funk, who finished his career as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,401 yards. Funk was the focal point of a senior class that leaves Bellefonte as the winningest class in school history, according to Bellefonte head coach Shanon Manning. The class, which finished with 28 career wins, set the mark after not seeing team success early in the players’ careers..
“It was a really cool class,” Manning said. “It was a class that didn’t win any eighth- or ninth-grade games. For them to leave as the all-time winningest class in Bellefonte history. That’s cool for them. That says a lot about their progress and their commitment to getting better, along with their commitment to success.”
The Red Raiders finished the regular season 8-2 before taking down the Clearfield Bison 35-21 in the District 6 Class 4A championship game.
Penns Valley Rams
Record: 10-2
Postseason Result: District 6 Class 2A semifinals
Most Valuable Player: Senior quarterback Aaron Tobias
Mountain League All-Stars: John Aston (OT, 1st team, DE, 2nd team), Logan Snyder (TE, 1st team, LB, 2nd team), Austin Fisher (WR/LB, 1st team), Tobias (QB, 1st team), Ben Sharer (DL, 1st team), Stephen Ripka (Specialist, 1st team, WR, 2nd team), Zach Royer (OG, 2nd team), Gage Ripka (PK, 2nd team), Brennan Hyde (DB, 2nd team)
Top Passer: Tobias (3,534 yards, 54 touchdowns, 66.7% completion percentage)
Top Rusher: Junior running back Seth Baney (477 yards, 3 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Snyder (72 receptions, 1,080 yards, 12 touchdowns)
Summary: Penns Valley experienced one of the school’s most successful seasons in program history. The Rams won their first-ever Mountain League title and senior quarterback Aaron Tobias led an elite offense up and down the field all season on his way to setting a state record.
Tobias set the Pennsylvania record for passing touchdowns in a season with 54 and is the county’s all-time leading passer with 8,034 yards and 99 passing touchdowns. Senior tight end Logan Snyder set a record of his own with 2,445 receiving yards, a new Centre County record, according to records kept by Centre County sports historian Harry Breon.
Tobias and Snyder helped lead the Rams on offense to 42.8 points per game this season and a 9-1 regular season record. They took down Marion Center in the District 6 Class 2A quarterfinals, 48-12, before falling to Richland in the semifinals, 49-21.
Penns Valley head coach Marty Tobias said the season he had with the seniors, including his youngest son Aaron, was a memorable one.
“There’s no question this season was a memorable one,” Marty Tobias said. “It was a special year. To accomplish the things our team did and to have the success we had was wonderful. It was a great year for our kids. I’m really going to miss this senior class. I’ll miss their leadership, their dedication and commitment to the program and to upholding our values. They set a great example for our younger players. They represented the team, our school, and our community very well.”
Philipsburg-Osceola Mounties
Record: 1-9
Postseason Result: Did not qualify
Most Valuable Player: Junior running back Kaleb Stamm
Mountain League All-Stars: Stamm (RB, 2nd team)
Top Passer: Junior quarterback Ryan Whitehead (606 yards, 5 touchdowns, 55.6% completion percentage)
Top Rusher: Stamm (406 yards, 4 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Junior wide receiver Hunter Weitoish (10 receptions, 268 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Summary: Philipsburg-Osceola’s season came to an abrupt halt after eight games. The administration, coaches, parents, and players came to the conclusion that finishing the year would put the players’ health at risk and decided to forfeit the final two games of the season.
The Mounties dealt with several issues across the board this year, but health was the overwhelming issue. Whitehead, the team’s starting quarterback, suffered an injury that ended his season prematurely. Stamm, the team’s lone Mountain League All-Star, suffered injuries throughout the year and played most of his snaps banged up. With injuries piling up, so did the losses for the Mounties. They lost their final nine games, with the last two coming by forfeit, after winning their season opener.
That game, a bright spot for the Mounties, was a 41-16 win and a dominant performance by P-O. Stamm rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, but the Mounties couldn’t capitalize and carry the momentum through the rest of the season.
Even with his team’s struggles, Philipsburg-Osceola head coach Brian McGonigal is proud of his team.
“They were resilient,” he told the CDT. “They fought through adversity. Through all of the injuries we had, they fought through them. They never quit and never gave up. They did really well in those areas. Even with all of those circumstances, they came out and practiced hard each week. They had a good attitude about it.”
State College Little Lions
Record: 11-2
Postseason Result: Class 6A State quarterfinals
Most Valuable Player: Junior running back Dresyn Green
Mid-Penn All-Stars: Addison Darcy (OL, 1st team), Jason Cameron (OL, 1st team), Sam Storl (DT, 1st team), Kevin Kurzinger (DE, 1st team), Ryan Domico (LB, 1st team), Dresyn Green (DB, 1st team, RB, 2nd team), Isaiah Edwards (KR, 1st team, WR/ATH/DB, 2nd team), Nathan Lusk (TE/DE, 2nd team), Brady Dorner (QB, 2nd team), Kyle Domico (LB, 2nd team), Sammy Knipe (DB, 2nd team)
Top Passer: Dorner (1,729 yards, 15 touchdowns, 64.9% completion percentage)
Top Rusher: Green (1,217 yards, 19 touchdowns)
Top Receiver: Edwards (35 receptions, 682 yards, 8 touchdowns)
Summary: The Little Lions put together a successful season after losing several playmakers from their 2018 team, including Keaton Ellis, who played a role on defense for Penn State this year. They made a trip to the PIAA Class 6A State quarterfinals where they fell to Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 24-21, in a game that was close throughout.
Without Ellis and last year’s senior class, State College still had several weapons on offense this year and relied on Dorner, the team’s starting quarterback to get the ball to them. He did so successfully, leading the team to 31.1 points per game this season. Dorner distributed the ball well to the team’s top weapons, but also made teams pay with his legs, racking up 513 rushing yards this season.
Dorner is part of a senior class that will go down as the most prolific in State College history. The 2020 senior class set the school record for most wins as a class with 33. Their 33rd win came in the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs against Delaware Valley.
With their home stadium Memorial Field undergoing renovations, State College played its home games at the South Track Field. To reward the senior class for their sacrifice, however, the Little Lions did get to play in the inaugural beaver Stadium Classic against Cumberland Valley.
“It’s a special group of kids,” Lintal said after the win. “They’ve been grinding for years, and this is their payday.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 10:01 PM.
