Here’s what to look for in Week 2 of Centre County high school football
Centre County football is back in action for a second week, after a mixed bag of results for Centre County teams in Week 1.
Bald Eagle Area won a 20-0 game over Troy last week, displaying a dominant defense. The Eagles will face off against Mountain League foe Clearfield this week on the road. State College used five different quarterbacks en route to a 51-6 defeat of Mifflin County. The Little Lions will take on a new opponent this week in Downingtown East at home. Penns Valley will have a chance to redeem itself after a 54-14 loss to Richland when the Rams host Huntingdon on Friday. And either or Philipsburg-Osceola will get into the win column when the two teams face off in the first Centre County versus Centre County game of the year.
Here is what to know about the Week 2 games.
Bald Eagle Area at Clearfield
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle), Tim Janocko (Clearfield)
Last Meeting: October 11, 2019 (36-28, Bald Eagle)
Players to Watch: CB Max Yetsko (Bald Eagle), QB/DE/DT/OLB Oliver Billotte
The Skinny: Here’s one of three Mountain League matchups of the week.
Bald Eagle Area’s defense shone brightly last week with a 20-0 shutout versus Troy. Cornerback Max Yetsko had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown and will be Bald Eagle’s player to watch. Yetsko’s ability to play the ball and consistently bump receivers at the line should bring attention to Clearfield’s offensive game plan.
Clearfield quarterback Oliver Billotte is a force to be reckoned with. Last season, Billotte passed for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 248 yards and seven touchdowns. Billotte passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-7 victory over DuBois last Friday, adding 53 rushing yards on 11 carries. He’s what gets their offense going and it’ll be interesting to watch how he navigates Yetsko’s ballhawking ability.
Downingtown East at State College
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Michael Matta (Downingtown East), Matt Lintal (State College)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: QB Finn Furmanek/RB T.J. Yoder (State College), QB Jamy Jenkins (Downingtown East)
The Skinny: State College had a huge performance with 51-6 blowout victory over Mifflin County to take home the Seven Mountains Bucket. Finn Furmanek and T.J. Yoder both had two touchdowns apiece, with Furmanek tossing a pass to Yoder for a 55-yard receiving touchdown. The duo should be an important pair to watch and Furmanek only makes up one-sixth of the State College’s quarterback corps.
Downingtown East also had a win on Friday in a 14-7 away victory over Pennridge. Quarterback Jamy Jenkins had an 8-yard touchdown pass on a tight spiral to tight end George Bousum. Head coach Michael Matta’s goal is to control the clock with a strong rushing attack and to punish running backs on the defensive side of the ball. Expect both teams to play physically in the trenches.
Huntingdon at Penns Valley
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Shane Thomas (Huntingdon), Martin Tobias (Penns Valley)
Last Meeting: October 23, 2020 (35-18, Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: TE/OLB Tanner Ilgen, OT/DE Mason Somers
The Skinny: Penns Valley took on Richland last week, dropping the matchup 54-14. Luckily for the the Rams, they’ll be able to redeem themselves in a Mountain League game against Huntingdon. Huntingdon lost 32-8 to Mount Union last weekend.
Penns Valley will line up with junior offensive guard Gavin Ryan, senior linebacker Rylee Brungart and senior running back/linebacker Tanner Ilgen as the returning starters. Huntingdon has the majority of their offensive line from last season with Mason Somers, Trevor Dickson, Chase Somers and C.J. Moore.
Philipsburg-Osceola at Bellefonte
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola), Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte)
Last Meeting: October 23, 2019 (35-7, Bellefonte)
Players to Watch: RB/LB Matt Martin (P-O), WR/TE Cole Crissman (Bellefonte)
The Skinny: Finally. The first Centre County versus Centre County matchup of the season. Bellefonte and Philipsburg-Osceola both are coming off of losses.
The Raiders dropped their opening night game against Jersey Shore by a score of 55-0. It’s not necessarily indicative of what their season could look like under Vaughn Donmoyer, especially with an entirely new staff. Bellefonte will feature a heavy attack from running back Jamal Saunders and wide receiver/tight end Cole Crissman. If and when they get the ball into their hands, it’ll be fun to watch.
The Mountaineers had the game cut out for them on Friday, leading 21-0 versus West Branch. With three turnovers, Philipsburg-Osceola allowed the Warriors to creep back into the game and eventually take over for a 28-21 victory in overtime. Running back Matt Martin is always a strong bet to lead the offense and he had 21 carries for 139 rushing yards. He’ll be a tough player to stop for any defense. If they can clean up turnovers as a team, they’ll be a confusing offense to halt by employing the Wing-T.
