Here’s what to look for and how to watch Week 1 of Centre County high school football
High school sports are back and football officially kicks off Friday night in Centre County with some alterations. Spectators will be limited due to a mandate from Gov. Tom Wolf to keep outdoor gatherings to less than 250 people.
The county’s four Mountain League schools have plans in place to stay under that limit for opening week.
Bald Eagle Area will accommodate different parents each week, with some parents of band members staying for only the pregame show to allow more parents of football players and cheerleaders into the game.
Bellefonte told the Centre Daily Times it will give parents the first option to get tickets.
Penns Valley will give two tickets to senior members of the football team, band and cheerleading squad. No other fans will be admitted. Parents must wear a mask while in the stadium and have to go through a screening and temperature check when they enter the stadium. Once inside, non-family members must adhere to social distancing. The stadium’s bleachers will be marked to show which rows may be occupied. Fans will not be able to drive up to the stadium and view the game from outside the stadium fences or from parked cars.
Philipsburg-Osceola will not allow away fans and will distribute a select amount of tickets each week. The band and cheerleaders will only be allowed at home games and any spectators who are admitted will have to wear masks, socially distance and have their temperature checked before entering the stadium.
The four schools will also stream their football games online this week in order to accommodate fans who won’t be allowed to attend. The streaming information will be included each week in the CDT’s preview of games.
Without further ado, let’s delve into this week’s action.
Clearfield (0-0) at Penns Valley (0-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
How to watch: WHVL on TV and Penns Valley Area School District on Facebook
Coaches: C — Tim Janocko; PV — Martin Tobias
Last meeting: Clearfield 56-49, last season
Players to watch: C — Jake Lezzer, WR; PV — Aidan Brinker, QB
The skinny: The Rams will have a chance to avenge their only regular-season loss of the 2019 season in their first game of this season. They’ll take on a team that went without its best player for the final few games of last season.
Lezzer only played in seven games last season due to injury but was in action when Clearfield took on Penns Valley. He caught six passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the game and will be the focal point for his team once again.
Penns Valley will be unveiling a new starter at quarterback in Brinker and will rely on him to pilot the offense this season. The senior saw some time as a backup last year, completing 5-of-8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 65 yards on seven carries.
He’ll need to find his weapons in open space and make plays with his legs for Penns Valley to keep up with Clearfield on Friday night.
Bellefonte (0-0) at Tyrone (0-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
How to watch: Bellefonte Athletics Streaming on YouTube
Coaches: B — Shannon Manning; T — John Franco
Last meeting: Bellefonte 55-10, last season
Players to watch: B — Ethan Rossman, QB; T — Damon Gripp, WR
The skinny: The Red Raiders will begin their 2020 campaign on the road Friday night against the Golden Eagles. Last year’s matchup was a blowout thanks to former Bellefonte running back C.J. Funk and the team’s rushing attack.
This time around, the Red Raiders will have to rely on its senior quarterback to defeat Tyrone.
Rossman enters the game with a year of starting under his belt and as an unquestioned leader of the offense after losing his top two receivers and backfield mate to graduation. The senior is a dual-threat who did plenty of damage on the ground last year, but has improved as a passer heading into the season.
A big first game from Rossman could set the tone for Bellefonte the rest of the way.
Tyrone will feature Gripp at wide receiver as they look to improve in their second year under Franco in his second tenure with the team.
The Golden Eagles will need their own dual-threat quarterback, Brandon Lucas, to find the wide receiver early and often against the Red Raiders.
Central (0-0) at Bald Eagle Area (0-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
How to watch: Eagle Ambassadors, Inc. on YouTube
Coaches: C — Dave Baker; BEA — Jesse Nagle
Last meeting: Bald Eagle 29-7, last season
Players to watch: C — Jeff Hoenstine, QB; BEA — Kyler Cunningham, TE/LB
The skinny: The Eagles are looking to build off the most successful season in program history after making the PIAA state semifinals last year. With a new group of leaders, they’ll be tasked with finding success without some of the best players the program has ever seen.
Bald Eagle is led on — and off — the field by Cunningham. The senior is a playmaker on the second level of the defense with the athletic ability to attack in the running game and hang with athletes in coverage.
The senior could see increased targets offensively this year as well, but the defensive side of the ball is where he can carry the team.
He and the Eagles’ first matchup will come against one of the most exciting players in the Mountain League in Hoenstine. The young quarterback lined up all over the field last season and was consistently one of the best athletes on the field, no matter who Central played.
His role this year will be something to monitor as he takes on various Centre County teams this season.
Philipsburg-Osceola (0-0) at Huntingdon (0-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
How to watch: Link will be provided on P-O Athletics social media accounts
Coaches: P-O — Jeff Vroman; H — Shane Thomas
Last meeting: Huntingdon 56-0, last season
Players to watch: P-O — Ryan Whitehead, QB; H —Darin Harman, QB
The skinny: The Mountaineers should be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in the county this season. They’re led by a new coach in Vroman, who is in his second stint at the helm of the program.
Vroman previously ran a Wing-T offense but says the team will now be multiple in how it attacks with the ball.Whitehead has the talent to make plays in the passing game and running game, and the coach says he expects his quarterback to put pressure on defenses by doing just that.
Improved turnout should lead to better depth for P-O after they forfeited the final two games of the 2019 season due to a rash of injuries. Vroman’s ability to find an offense the Mountaineers can excel in while keeping players on the team will be crucial to their chances of success this season and beyond.
Their first matchup will give them the chance to prove they can stay competitive, which P-O hasn’t been in recent years. They’ll be taking on a Huntingdon team with young talent that is coming off a playoff appearance last season.
The game will be the first opportunity of many for the Mountaineers to prove the program is heading in a positive direction.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 5:06 PM.
