Here’s what to look for in Week 6 of Centre County high school football
There are just a few more regular season matchups left for Centre County high school football teams this season.
Bald Eagle (4-1) sits second in the Mountain League after defeating Penns Valley (2-3) last week. Philipsburg-Osceola (2-3) is looking to fight back against an undefeated Clearfield (5-0). Bellefonte (1-4) is headed to Penns Valley this weekend, looking to get back onto the scoreboard and in the win column. State College (3-2) has another tough Commonwealth League matchup, against Central Dauphin (2-1).
Here’s a breakdown of the matchups in Week 6.
Bald Eagle Area (4-1) at Tyrone (2-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle), John Franco (Tyrone)
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 2020 (15-12, Tyrone)
Players to Watch: RB Garrett Burns (Bald Eagle), RB/CB Brady Ronin
The Skinny: Bald Eagle Area has been rolling as of late. The Eagles’ most recent win came against Penns Valley in a 14-0 slugfest of physical defensive play. Burns is leading the team with 65 carries for 542 yards and five touchdowns. His ability as a runner has eased the pressure off of the shoulders of freshman quarterback Carson Nagle, who has thrown for 904 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Expect Bald Eagle to play aggressively and attack the football.
On the other end, Tyrone has struggled all season. The Golden Eagles have fallen 33-13 to Bellwood-Antis, 32-13 to Juniata Valley, and 42-12 to Clearfield. Tyrone’s only victories were against 1-4 Bellefonte (21-0) and 0-5 Huntingdon in a forfeit. Ronin has to be the focal point of the offense to get things going. He has 39 carries, 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Bellefonte (1-4) at Penns Valley (2-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte), Martin Tobias (Penns Valley)
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 2020 (28-14, Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: ATH Nolan Weaver (Bellefonte), RB/CB Ty Watson
The Skinny: Bellefonte’s struggles have continued. The Raiders were shut out last week for a fourth time in a 48-0 loss versus Clearfield. Weaver is still the bright spot with two touchdowns in Bellefonte’s lone win over Philipsburg-Osceola. He also has 25 total tackles on the season.
Penns Valley has played many games closely and are one of the stronger 2-3 teams. Despite losing 14-0 last week against Bald Eagle, the Rams’ defense showed up in a big way. Watson is continuing on his strong season with 35 carries, 240 rushing yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he has 16 total tackles, two sacks and an interception.
Central Dauphin (2-1) at State College (3-2)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Matt Lintal (State College), Glenn McNamee (Central Dauphin)
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 2020 (35-13, State College)
Players to Watch: Tyrell English (Central Dauphin), Finn Furmanek (State College)
The Skinny: Central Dauphin has missed a number of games because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Rams been fairly successful when they’ve been able to play, touting a running game that has generated 644 yards on 110 carries for 11 touchdowns. The main benefactor of Central Dauphin’s rushing attack is English, whose 53 carries, 289 rushing yards and six touchdowns lead the team.
On State College’s end, they’ve been heavily banged up. The injuries continued to mount last week during the Central Dauphin East matchup in Harrisburg, but the Little Lions continued to fight and were able to put 13 points on the board — losing 34-13 — on what is considered to be among the best teams in the state. With the team tending their wounds and getting healthier, this game should be a stronger one for State College. Furmanek is sure to lead the way for the Little Lions, as the junior quarterback has passed for 831 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding 233 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on the year.
Clearfield (5-0) at Philipsburg-Osceola (2-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Tim Janocko (Clearfield), Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola)
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 2020 (42-6, Clearfield)
Players to Watch: QB/DE/DT Oliver Billotte (Clearfield), RB/LB Matt Martin (P-O)
The Skinny: Clearfield has steamrolled through the Mountain League in a 5-0 start to the season. The Bison began with a 27-7 victory over DuBois, following up with a 21-0 shutout win against Bald Eagle, defeating Penns Valley 53-7, then Tyrone 42-12 and Bellefonte 48-0. Billotte is the mainstay at quarterback, passing for 688 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, to go with 42 carries for 257 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, Billotte has 33 tackles (14 tackles for loss), eight sacks and a pass deflection.
Philipsburg-Osceola nabbed its second win of the season last week against Moshannon Valley with a 21-14 triumph. The Mounties are looking to turn their season around and give Clearfield a fight. Success will take a lot of trickery and confusion with the Wing-T offense, along with the steady rushing attack that Martin gives them. The slotback has 59 carries for 340 yards and a touchdown of the season. Fullback Luke Hughes is the second leading rusher with 67 rushes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 3:26 PM.
