Here’s what to look for in Week 4 of Centre County high school football
Week 4 of Centre County football is here and teams are into the thick of the season.
Bald Eagle Area and State College jumped back into the win column last after victories over North Penn-Mansfield and Hollidaysburg, respectively. Philipsburg-Osceola defeated Huntingdon, 7-6, while Penns Valley and Bellefonte suffered tough losses at the hands of Clearfield (53-7) and Tyrone (21-0), respectively.
Here is what to know about the Week 4 games.
Bald Eagle Area at Huntingdon
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle), Shane Thomas (Huntingdon)
Last Meeting: Sept. 18, 2020 (46-8, Bald Eagle)
Players to Watch: RB Garrett Burns (Bald Eagle), OT/DE Mason Somers (Huntingdon)
The Skinny: Garrett Burns had three rushing touchdowns last week against North Penn-Mansfield. The visitors had no answer for Bald Eagle’s (2-1) explosive offense in the 50-7 blowout. If that’s any indication on what could happen for Huntingdon (0-3), which lost 7-6 to Philipsburg-Osceola (1-2) last Friday, it’ll be a long night for them.
Bellefonte at Hollidaysburg
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte), Homer DeLattre (Hollidaysburg)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: LB Nolan Weaver (Bellefonte), QB Jake McGinnis (Hollidaysburg)
The Skinny: Bellefonte (1-2) turned the ball over a lot in its previous matchup against Tyrone, where the Raiders lost 21-0. Of course they’re still attempting to work things out with a new system in place. Once players get healthy, they should be able to improve. Nolan Weaver is the centerpiece of Bellefonte’s defense, and once Jamal Saunders and Cole Crissman return from injuries, they’ll strengthened on offense. If this is that week, look out, Hollidaysburg.
On the flip side, Hollidaysburg (1-2) is coming off of a 34-20 loss against State College. The Little Lions were just simply better. With that being said, Hollidaysburg is still a team that has the talent necessary to be successful against many,if not most, of the teams in the area. Quarterback Jake McGinnis is 46-for-86 on passes for 624 yards, five touchdowns and one pick on the year.
Chambersburg at State College
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Matt Lintal (State College), Mark Luther (Chambersburg)
Last Meeting: Nov. 11, 2020 (42-35, State College)
Players to Watch: QB/WR Finn Furmanek (State College), N/A
The Skinny: State College (2-1) is coming off a 34-20 victory over Hollidaysburg (1-2). Finn Furmanek rushed 16 times for 69 yards and went 15-for-25 on passes for 251 passing yards and two touchdowns. He is the catalyst for the offense and should continue to be used as their de facto Swiss Army knife.
This iteration of Chambersburg has started off the season 2-1. Chambersburg defeated Greencastle-Antrim 16-14 in its opening matchup, followed by a 48-0 loss to Spring-Ford and a 21-7 win over Red Lion last week at home.
Philipsburg-Osceola at Penns Valley
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jeff Vroman (P-O), Martin Tobias (Penns Valley)
Last Meeting: Oct. 25, 2019 (Forfeit, Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: RB Matt Martin (P-O), Jarrett Stover (Penns Valley)
The Skinny: Philipsburg-Osceola (1-2) nabbed its first win of the season last week in a bruising, 7-6 game against Huntingdon (0-3). Ben Gustkey tossed the ball to Nick Johnson, who took it 65 yards for a touchdown.
Penns Valley (1-2) managed to score 7 points on one of the best teams in central Pennsylvania in Clearfield (3-0) last week. The Rams ultimately lost 53-7. Penns Valley has a chance to get back into the win column this week against a hungry Philipsburg-Osceola squad.
This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 4:56 PM.
