Here’s 5 takeaways from Week 7 of Centre County high school football
Week 7 was a mixed bag for Centre County high school football in general, but difficult for its playoff teams.
Bald Eagle Area and State College were both eliminated from playoff contention, while Bellefonte topped Philipsburg-Osceola and Penns Valley won in regular season action.
Let’s take a look at five takeaways from the weekend’s action.
1. Bald Eagle Area comes up short after delay
The Eagles were tied up with Bellwood-Antis in the third quarter after scoring 14 straight points when the lights went out on their playoff run.
The stadium lighting shut off and caused a delay before play resumed. The Blue Devils took control from their, scoring 14 unanswered points — including a rushing touchdown on the first play after action resumed.
Bald Eagle couldn’t get its momentum rolling after the game restarted. The Eagles had an opportunity to get the ball back in Bellwood-Antis territory with less than two minutes left, but the Blue Devils took a run 65 yards for a touchdown on 4th-and-1 to seal the game and give the Blue Devils a 35-21 victory.
2. State College can’t hang on to lead
The Little Lions were in control for the majority of Friday night’s District 6 Class 6A Championship game against Altoona but were unable to close out the win. They lost to the Mountain Lions, 22-21, with senior quarterback Marcus Day scoring all three touchdowns for Altoona. His team’s two-point conversion gave the Mountain Lions a one-point lead with 1:22 on the clock.
State College was unable to score from there, with senior quarterback Conrad Moore throwing his third interception of the night to end the game and the Little Lions’ playoff run.
3. Bellefonte builds momentum heading into playoffs
The Red Raiders built their winning streak to three games Friday night and pushed them into the playoffs. They defeated Philipsburg-Osceola, 35-7, in their final game before the postseason.
The game was close early but a touchdown just before the half gave Bellefonte a two-score lead and the Red Raiders never looked back from there.
Their third win in a row came after an 0-3 start to the season and has propelled them into the postseason on the back of a run-heavy attack featuring senior quarterback Ethen Rossman.
4. Penns Valley takes down Huntingdon
Penns Valley played this week despite missing out on the District 6 Class 2A postseason, and was able to earn another win. The Rams defeated Huntingdon, 35-18, to get to 2-3 on the year.
The game was relatively close throughout but Penns Valley was able to pull away with a 21-12 second half. Despite their playoff hopes being dashed, the Rams still have at least one more game to play. They’re scheduled to take on Philipsburg-Osceola Nov. 6 on the road.
5. Philipsburg-Osceola struggles offensively
The Mountaineers have stayed more competitive this year than they have in recent years but were still unable to earn their second win this week. Their 35-7 loss to Bellefonte was close at the half, with the Red Raiders only holding a two-possession lead. However, Philipsburg-Osceola was unable to capitalize on a few scoring opportunities and that sealed the team’s fate.
The Mountaineers will still have four more opportunities to get their first multi-win season in nearly a decade with games scheduled until Nov. 20.
