Here’s what to look for in Week 5 of Centre County high school football
Football is nearing its halfway point in the season with Week 5 of Centre County high school football coming up on Friday.
Bellefonte (1-3) will take on a 4-0 Clearfield team at home. Philipsburg-Osceola (1-3) features Moshannon Valley (2-2) at home. Penns Valley (2-2) will travel to Bald Eagle (3-1) for another Mountain League and Centre County matchup. State College (3-1) will head down to Harrisburg to take on a vaunted Central Dauphin East (3-1) team.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchups in Week 5.
Clearfield (4-0) at Bellefonte (1-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Tim Janocko (Clearfield), Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte)
Last Meeting: Nov. 8, 2019 (35-21, Bellefonte)
Players to Watch: QB/DL Oliver Billotte (Clearfield), ATH Nolan Weaver (Bellefonte)
The Skinny: The last time that these teams faced off, the outlook was vastly different for Bellefonte. The Raiders were 8-1 heading into a neutral-site playoff matchup against Clearfield, defeating the Bison 35-21. Bellefonte is now sitting at 1-3 on the year and has gone through some growing pains with injuries and a new coaching staff. Clearfield has a commanding 4-0 record on the season and looks like a one-team wrecking ball in the Mountain League.
While it’s a home game for Bellefonte, Clearfield quarterback Oliver Billotte will draw the awe of the crowd. The 6-foot-5 standout has 512 passing yards, three passing touchdowns to go with 238 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on the year. Bellefonte is coming off of a 41-0 loss to Hollidaysburg.
Moshannon Valley (2-2) at Philipsburg-Osceola (1-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Michael Keith (Moshannon Valley), Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: RB Levi Knuth (Moshannon Valley), RB Matt Martin (Philipsburg-Osceola)
The Skinny: Moshannon Valley may have had two losses to begin the season, against North Star (30-7) and Bellwood-Antis (35-7), but quickly made up for those losses with back-to-back games against Claysburg-Kimmel (28-12) and West Branch (21-0). They’ve shown the ability to continue to keep fighting when the chips are down and will be another tough matchup for Philipsburg-Osceola.
Knuth has begun the season off to a hot start, rushing for 371 yards on 53 carries (seven yards per carry). He also has six rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown. He’s the key player for a Moshannon Valley backfield that also features senior running back Niko Smeal, who has 110 rushing yards on 30 carries (3.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
Philipsburg-Osceola is coming off of a loss to Penns Valley last weekend and could use a signature win in a tough season filled with adversity.
Penns Valley (2-2) at Bald Eagle Area (3-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Martin Tobias (Penns Valley), Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle)
Last Meeting: Oct. 30, 2020 (20-0, Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: RB/CB/K Ty Watson (Penns Valley), QB Carson Nagle (Bald Eagle)
The Skinny: Ty Watson is becoming one of the more intriguing Centre County athletes to watch. Last week against Philipsburg-Osceola, Watson had nine rushes, 107 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had an interception and a number of extra-point tries. He’ll be tough to stop if Penns Valley continues to ride the hot hand when rushing the ball. This week, the 2-2 Rams need to bring their “A” game against a strong and calculated opponent in Bald Eagle.
As for the Eagles, they’re true to this, not new to this. They’ve been a consistent program for a number of years and find themselves 3-1 after four games. That’s in large part due to the stability of freshman quarterback Carson Nagle, who’s played admirably in his first year. The young starter has gone 52-for-96 on passes for 748 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. While mistakes have come at times, he’s stood out as someone who is willing to take those deep shots down the field.
State College (3-1) at Central Dauphin East (3-1)
Time: 7 p.m
Coaches: Matt Lintal (State College), Lance Deane (Central Dauphin East)
Last Meeting: Sept. 27, 2019 (48-7, State College)
Players to Watch: QB/WR Finn Furmanek (State College), ATH Mehki Flowers (Central Dauphin East)
The Skinny: This is probably the matchup that most in Centre County have all been waiting for.
State College has rallied to win its last two games following a hiccup against Downingtown East on Sept. 3, where the Little Lions lost the home matchup 42-21. Since then, the Little Lions downed Hollidaysburg on the road by a 34-20 score and followed up with a home victory over Chambersburg, 38-20. QB Finn Furmanek has completely etched himself in as the starter with 754 passing yards on the season, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. The junior quarterback also has 181 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, plus 109 receiving yards.
Then on the other side is Central Dauphin East, a program that is home to the third-best player in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports. His name is Mehki Flowers and he’s a Class of 2022 Penn State commit. Flowers is next in line of Penn State players with Harrisburg roots, following the path of Micah Parsons. At the safety position, no one in the state is better. As a wide receiver, he’s the 16th-best player at the position in the country. What can’t he do is a question that State College can answer with a win on Friday.
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 5:40 PM.
