What to look for in Week 9 of Centre County high school football
There are only two games remaining in Centre County’s high school football’s regular season.
As certain teams are fighting for a few wins to remain in contention for the postseason, one has solidified itself and has a big matchup on the week — Bald Eagle Area (7-1) will take on Jersey Shore (8-0) at home this Friday. Bellefonte (2-6) will travel to Clearfield for its rematch against an 8-0 Clearfield team. State College is sitting at 4-4 and looks to defeat a powerhouse in Harrisburg, which sits at 7-1 on the year. Penns Valley (4-4) travels to Philipsburg-Osceola (2-6) for an away Mountain League game.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchups in Week 9.
Bellefonte (2-6) at Clearfield (8-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte), Tim Janocko (Clearfield)
Last Meeting: Sept. 24, 2021 (48-0, Clearfield)
Players to Watch: RB/LB Nolan Weaver (Bellefonte), QB/DL Oliver Billotte (Clearfield)
The Skinny: The last time that Bellefonte played against Clearfield, it got dominated 48-0. Bellefonte had just 35 passing yards and 22 rushing yards in the game (57 total yards). Clearfield had 406 yards on the game with 225 passing yards and 181 rushing yards. Defensively, the Bison had eight sacks. The rest of the season hasn’t been too kind to Bellefonte with the Raiders sitting at 2-6 on the year. They were able to move the ball a little better in the end of the game in their 48-0 loss last week against Bald Eagle, but it was far too late in the game to make a difference.
Nolan Weaver continues to be the bright spot of both Bellefonte’s offense and defense. The two-way senior has 48 carries for 310 rushing yards (6.5 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns on the season. He’s added 42 total tackles (18 solo), five tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception return for a touchdown. Weaver also has a fumble recovery for a score, with both defensive touchdowns coming against Philipsburg-Osceola.
Clearfield has dominated each team it has played against this season. The Bison have outscored opponents 317 to 26 with their most points allowed being against Tyrone (12). They have averaged 39.63 points per game and have held opponents to 3.25 points per game. Their largest margin of victory came against Philipsburg-Osceola on Oct. 1, when they won 49-0 and their most points scored in the season came in a matchup with Penns Valley on Sept. 10 (53-7).
Every time Oliver Billotte steps onto the field, it’s must-watch football. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound quarterback and defensive lineman powers through opponents on both ends of the field. He has 987 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and two interceptions, 56 carries for 389 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and nine rushing touchdowns. On defense, he has 51 total tackles and 19 for loss, along with nine sacks and a pass deflection on the year.
Jersey Shore (8-0) at Bald Eagle Area (7-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Tom Gravish (Jersey Shore), Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle Area)
Last Meeting: Oct. 18, 2019 (42-0, Jersey Shore)
Players to Watch: QB/WR/RB Brady Jordan (Jersey Shore), RB/LB Garrett Burns (Bald Eagle)
The Skinny: Bald Eagle Area already had a game against an undefeated conference opponent in Clearfield, and now has another undefeated opponent in the form of non-conference foe Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs rarely pull punches on the teams that they face, scoring 336 to their opponents’ 83 points. On Oct. 8, Jersey Shore scored 62 points in a 62-7 victory against Milton. Jersey Shore pummeled Danville by a score of 42-21 last week. The one other Mountain League team that they played against this season was Bellefonte, which fell 55-0 to the Bulldogs to open the year.
Brady Jordan has done it all offensively for Jersey Shore. The junior plays quarterback, receiver and running back and has made every yard count for the 8-0 team. In eight games, Jordan has gone 65-for-144 (45.1 percent) on passes for 1,186 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also has 76 carries for 643 rushing yards (8.5 yards per carry) and seven rushing touchdowns. While he hasn’t played receiver yet this season, Jersey Shore has been known to go into its bag of tricks to keep teams guessing.
This game is a litmus test on how far Bald Eagle can go in the playoffs. So far, the Eagles have passed most of the tests handed to them and have comfortably won in six of their seven victories. Their only close win came against Tyrone in a 15-9 defensive battle. Bald Eagle’s lone loss came against a powerhouse in Clearfield by a 21-0 score. The Eagles have outscored opponents 238 to 37, averaging 29.75 points per game and allowing just 4.63 points per game. They’ve kept things in check with their stout defense, which is the hope for them against a tough Jersey Shore offense.
Their senior leader is running back and linebacker Garrett Burns. Burns has 125 carries on the year for 885 rushing yards (7.1 yards per carry) and eight rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, Burns has seven receptions for 73 yards (10.4 yards per catch). On defense, the senior has 45 total tackles (33 solo), seven for a loss, along with an interception and a forced fumble.
Penns Valley (4-4) at Philipsburg-Osceola (2-6)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Martin Tobias (Penns Valley), Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola)
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2021 (35-20, Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: QB Jackson Romig (Penns Valley), RB/LB Matt Martin
The Skinny: Penns Valley has a chance to get to a winning record with a win over Philipsburg-Osceola. The last meeting between the two teams was tougher than the final score of 35-20 made it out to be. The Rams held just a 28-20 lead at halftime against Philipsburg-Osceola and didn’t score against until running back Ty Watson had an interception in the fourth quarter and subsequently rushed for a long touchdown.
Sophomore quarterback Jackson Romig is coming into his own. Romig had five touchdown passes against Everett in a 55-0 victory, equaling his touchdown total on the season. Prior to his explosive game against the Warriors, the Rams quarterback went 14-for-18 against Tyrone with 249 yards and a touchdown. However, he had two interceptions in the 28-18 loss.
Philipsburg-Osceola is a tough team. The Mounties fought through the injury to running back and linebacker Matt Martin, despite being down by multiple scores to Bald Eagle. In addition, their two wins have come in scraps versus Huntingdon, when they won 7-6, and Moshannon Valley, in a 21-14 contest. While their previous two losses have come in blowouts against Bald Eagle (49-0) and Tyrone (38-7), they have the chance to hang in and attempt to pull off the upset at home against Penns Valley.
Martin had a solid return against Tyrone, following his injury. The senior running back had 10 carries for 47 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He has 75 carries for 402 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown, to go with 15 receptions for 182 receiving yards (12.1 yards per catch) and three receiving touchdowns. Defensively, Martin has 62 total tackles (49 solo) and five tackles for loss, one sack and a pass deflection.
State College (4-4) at Harrisburg (7-1)
Time: 1 p.m. (Saturday)
Coaches: Matt Lintal (State College), Calvin Everett (Harrisburg)
Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2020 (41-6, Harrisburg)
Players to Watch: LB JW Scott (State College), Kyle Williams Jr. (Harrisburg)
The Skinny: While Harrisburg’s lone loss came against Governor Mifflin on Sept. 17 by a score of 49-13, the Cougars regrouped and have since won four consecutive games. Harrisburg has outscored opponents 225 to 149 and hold a 2-0 home record. Their latest win came against Cumberland Valley on Oct. 15, with a score of 45-7.
Harrisburg athlete Kyle Williams Jr. is a difficult matchup for any team to stop. The junior has 78 carries for 529 rushing yards (6.8 yards per attempt) and four rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, he has 44 receptions for 521 receiving yards (11.8 yards per catch) and seven receiving touchdowns. He also has 13 tackles on the year.
State College has had to show a lot of fight this season due to injuries. Two of the biggest injuries were to wide receiver Jashaun Green, who missed multiple games, and quarterback Finn Furmanek, who will miss the rest of the season. Following two losses against Central Dauphin East and Central Dauphin, the Little Lions found themselves 3-3. They won against Cumberland Valley in a 21-18 dogfight in overtime and had a close loss against Carlisle 21-14 last Friday.
JW Scott is a linebacker who has punished nearly everyone on the field. The junior has 79 total tackles on the year (46 solo) and three for loss. He’s added two sacks and three quarterback hurries on the year.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 5:20 PM.
