Here’s what to look for in Week 8 of Centre County high school football
Three more regular season games.
That’s all that’s left in Centre County, as the high school football teams in the area are gearing up for the final stretch of their seasons. Bald Eagle (6-1) now has the best record in the area and the second-best in the Mountain League after Clearfield (6-0). Bald Eagle will take on a Bellefonte (2-5) team coming off of a victory over Huntingdon (0-7). State College (4-3) is continuing to fight following a number of injuries and has Carlisle (4-3) this week. Penns Valley (3-4) has a home game against Everett (0-6) for a nonconference matchup.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchups in Week 8.
Bellefonte (2-5) at Bald Eagle (6-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte), Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle)
Last Meeting: Oct. 16, 2020 (17-7 Bellefonte)
Players to Watch: ATH Nolan Weaver (Bellefonte), QB Carson Nagle (Bald Eagle)
The Skinny: Bellefonte had their first win since Sept. 3 against Philipsburg-Osceola (22-6) with a 40-7 victory over Huntingdon on Friday. Nolan Weaver had 21 carries for 266 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.7 yards per carry and his longest rush came on a 75-yard touchdown. The Raiders are looking to continue to build upon their running game against the Eagles on Friday.
Bald Eagle is rolling and coming off of a 49-0 victory against Philipsburg-Osceola. Eagles quarterback Carson Nagle had a big game against the Mountaineers, going 21-for-27 (77.8% completion rate) on passes for 207 yards, four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He’s 104-for-169 (61.5%) on the season for 1,220 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. Their matchup with Bellefonte is another game where they could get their pass game going with receivers in Cam Watkins and Kahale Burns, who both scored two touchdowns in their victory over Philipsburg-Osceola.
Carlisle (4-3) at State College (4-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Brett Ickes (Carlisle), Matt Lintal (State College)
Last Meeting: Sept. 13, 2019 (53-12, State College)
Players to Watch: Jashaun Green (State College)
The Skinny: Carlisle has had a very similar season to State College. They began the year with three consecutive wins against Mechanicsburg (27-14), Hershey (49-0) and Cedar Crest (45-0). Then, things got tough for the Thundering Herd as they lost back-to-back games against Cumberland Valley (27-24) and Harrisburg (34-14), before following with a 34-7 victory over Chambersburg. Carlisle dropped their most recent game to Central Dauphin, losing just 24-21.
State College had to put all of their chips on the table in their latest victory over Cumberland Valley. The Little Lions were trailing 12-0 at halftime and came back for a 21-18 overtime victory. Jashaun Green’s return to the team following injury played a big role in their comeback. He made a big grab by catching the ball at its highest point and snagging it to set up the game-tying field goal. He will allow Jack Morris to settle in at quarterback after taking over for starter Finn Furmanek.
Everett (0-6) at Penns Valley (3-4)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Dave Lightner (Everett), Martin Tobias (Penns Valley)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: QB Malex Akers (Everett), RB/OLB Ty Watson (Penns Valley)
The Skinny: Malex Akers is the main gear of the Everett offense. However, Everett has continued to lose this season. The Warriors lost 7-6 to Curwensville to open the year, following with a 28-7 loss to Tussey Mountain and a forfeit against Glendale. They were shut out in back-to-back weeks by Juniata Valley (42-0) and Northern Bedford County (24-0). Their most recent loss came against Mount Union (32-16).
Penns Valley is coming off of a tough loss against Tyrone where they gave up two late scores to lose 28-18. Fortunately for the Rams, they’ve been a tough opponent for even the best of Mountain League opponents and held Bald Eagle to 14 points, along with victories against Huntingdon (40-7), Philipsburg-Osceola (35-20) and Bellefonte (41-14). Ty Watson continues to lead the way on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football.
Tyrone (3-4) at Philipsburg-Osceola (2-5)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: John Franco (Tyrone), Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola)
Last Meeting: Oct. 9, 2020 (27-21, Tyrone)
Players to Watch: RB/CB Brady Ronan (Tyrone), RB/LB Luke Hughes (Philipsburg-Osceola)
The Skinny: Brady Ronan had 17 carries for 87 yards in Tyrone’s 28-18 victory over Penns Valley. The Golden Eagles got things done with two touchdowns in the waning minutes of the game to fight toward a winning record on the year. Their running game and defensive play are key aspects of their success. As long as they keep the ball on the ground and chip away at time of possession, they hold an advantage — evidenced by their 21-0 victory over Bellefonte earlier in the year.
Philipsburg-Osceola took a hit with the loss of Matt Martin, who is recovering from his injury. Martin led the team with 355 rushing yards on 65 carries and a touchdown. The key for the Mountaineers is to continue rushing with Luke Hughes, who accounts for 245 rushing yards on 95 carries and three touchdowns. Their Wing-T offense should still get other rushers involved including slotback Andrew Faust and quarterback Ben Gustkey.
