Here’s 4 takeaways from Week 1 of Centre County high school football
Centre County got off to a slow start as the Mountain League football season got underway Friday night. The four county teams went 1-3 in week one, with Bald Eagle, Bellefonte and Penns Valley falling to Central, Tyrone and Clearfield, respectively.
Meanwhile, Philipsburg-Osceola traveled home from Huntingdon with a victory.
Let’s look at a takeaway from each week one game around the county.
1. P-O shows will to compete
Philipsburg-Osceola’s 35-20 win over Huntingdon was the program’s first Mountain League victory since 2013 and its first road victory in league play since 2011. Both of those victories came under new head coach Jeff Vroman, who left the program after the 2013 season but returned earlier this year for his second stint at the helm.
Vroman told the Centre Daily Times before the season that he wants his players to learn to be competitive again after going 4-56 in the six years since he last coached the team. On Friday night, they were just that, taking a 7-6 lead over the Bearcats and never turning back. P-O primarily ran a Wing-T offense, which Vroman utilized in his previous tenure as the head coach. The offense allowed his team to pound away at Huntingdon and head home with a victory.
2. Rossman shines in Bellefonte loss
Bellefonte didn’t get a victory in its season opener but the Red Raiders look like they’re on the right track this season. They fell to Tyrone, 21-13, in a game that was close throughout. Bellefonte was led by senior quarterback Ethan Rossman, who will take a bigger role this season in his second year as a starter. The senior looked much-improved as a passer, showing poise and confidence on passing plays, even if he wasn’t consistently completing passes.
Rossman also showed off his rushing ability, leading Bellefonte with 112 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He was tasked with being the primary rushing threat as the team’s new leader and excelled in the role. He’ll still need to continue improving as a passer, but Rossman should be the best player for the Red Raiders and will lead the offense wherever it will go this season.
3. Penns Valley offense off to a slow start
Penns Valley scored at least 40 points in nine games last season, but opened this one without scoring any. The Rams were shut out by Clearfield, 27-0. The Rams struggled to get their offense going and made too many mistakes in their season opener. The team was led at quarterback by senior Aidan Brinker, who was making his first career start at the position.
Brinker’s Rams were held to only 88 total yards in the first half and were in a 21-0 hole by the time halftime hit and were unable to climb out. The team’s defense struggled to stop Clearfield quarterback Oliver Billotte on the ground and allowed him to gain 114 yards as a rusher. The Rams will need to shore up both sides of the ball to compete for a Mountain League title like they did last year.
4. Young BEA struggled to find rhythm
Bald Eagle’ Area’s youth was on full display in its 33-9 loss to Central Friday night. Garrett Burns started at quarterback for the Eagles and barely had time to react after each snap. The Scarlet Dragons consistently brought pressure and blew up the Bald Eagle offensive line. Their constant pressure made it difficult for Bald Eagle to move the ball throughout the game and never allowed its offense to get into a rhythm.
The young team will get better as it gains experience throughout the season, but it will need its offensive line to step up in a major way in order to find the kind of success the Eagles have enjoyed under head coach Jesse Nagle in recent years.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 9:43 AM.
