Here are 5 takeaways from Week 6 of Centre County high school football
Of Centre County’s five football teams, the one that has looked the most consistent this season is Bald Eagle Area.
The Eagles topped Tyrone 15-9 on Friday to move to 5-1 on the season and 3-1 in league play, securing second place in the Mountain League, behind Clearfield. In third place is Penns Valley, which defeated Bellefonte 41-14 to improve to 3-2 in the Mountain League. Bellefonte falls to 1-2 in league play and Philipsburg-Osceola to 1-3 after a 49-0 loss to Clearfield.
An injury-riddled State College team lost 42-21 to Mid Penn Commonwealth Division foe Central Dauphin, falling to 1-2 in conference play.
Here are some takeaways from Week 6 of Centre County high school football.
Bald Eagle Area on path to finish 2nd in Mountain League
There’s nothing like getting another win to push your team ahead in the standings. Bald Eagle Area did just that on Friday night, taking down Tyrone by a score of 15-9. The Eagles, 3-1 in league play, sit just a game back of Clearfield in the Mountain League, which improved its league record to 4-0 on the year with a 49-0 dismantling of Philipsburg-Osceola. The Eagles will be favored to win their final Mountain League contests, at home against P-O and Bellefonte.
Bellefonte finally gets on the board
The Raiders hadn’t scored a single point in three consecutive weeks of loss against Tyrone (21-0), Hollidaysburg (42-0) and Clearfield (48-0). The Raiders finally got back on the board by scoring two touchdowns — from Tyler Rice and Nicholas Way — against Penns Valley in a 42-14 loss. Now at 1-5 overall on the season, they should be able to gain ground next week on a Huntingdon team that has dropped to 0-6 on the year.
Good coaching apparent with Penns Valley
Penns Valley entered the year with just one returning starter on both sides of the ball, and many new faces fighting for starting spots. Head coach Martin Tobias believed that it would be a tough year, but he’s put everyone in the right position and have scratched and clawed to a 3-3 overall record. The Rams manhandled Bellefonte on Friday night by a score of 41-14. Kudos goes to him and his staff for doing a job of keeping Penns Valley on the right path to success, especially in a ruthless Mountain League.
Philipsburg-Osceola had no answer for Clearfield
It has to be reiterated every week that Clearfield is one of the best football programs in central Pennsylvania. The Bison have the size, speed and strength that not many teams can match. Clearfield continued its dominance on Friday night with a 49-0 victory over Philipsburg-Osceola — a team that doesn’t have the numbers to match up with a deep Clearfield roster. It’s no shot at Philipsburg-Osceola, which has notched two wins on the year in hard-fought battles, but Clearfield gets a lot of the credit for how its beaten down on everyone so far by racking up 240 points and giving up just 26.
State College has a fun homecoming experience
State College had it all on Friday night — a large marching band, bright Friday night lights, food, tailgating, high-schoolers yelling at the top of their lungs in support of their classmates on the field. Memorial Field, located just steps away from downtown State College, was buzzing with excitement on homecoming. The sound of fans banging on the metal bleachers made calls on the field inaudible from the sideline. Despite the 42-21 loss, State College football has a lot to hang their hats on — the Little Lions have a great experience, even in non-homecoming games.
