Here’s what to look for in Week 2 of postseason play for Centre County high school football
It’s the second week of postseason play for high school football, and Centre County still has two teams competing.
Bald Eagle Area will host Forest Hills in a District 6 Class 2A semifinal game, while State College has a neutral-site matchup for the District 6 Class 6A championship against Williamsport on Friday.
Here are the previews for each matchup.
No. 8 Forest Hills (6-5) at No. 4 Bald Eagle Area (9-2)
(District 6 Class 2A semifinals)
Time: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Justin Myers (Forest Hills), Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: QB Damon Crawley (Forest Hills), RB/LB Garrett Burns (Bald Eagle)
The Skinny: No. 8 Forest Hills is coming off of a 29-0 dismantling of top-seeded Cambria Heights. Three of the Rangers’ losses have had a margin of a touchdown or fewer. They’ve outscored opponents 339-256 and are on a four-game win streak. Everything that they’ve done up until this point in the year shows that they’re a run-first football team, compiling 3,605 yards on the ground.
Simply stated, Crawley is hard to stop. The senior running back has been Forest Hills’ workhorse the entire season with 203 carries for 2,263 rushing yards (11.1 yards per carry) and 30 rushing touchdowns, along with two passing touchdowns on the year and 85 yards receiving. Crawley also has 43 total tackles on the season (five for loss) and two sacks.
No. 4 Bald Eagle Area had a close matchup last week against No. 5 River Valley, where they ended up winning 33-29. The Eagles had to dust themselves off after a 48-5 loss against Jersey Shore the week prior. They took the bye week, following a Bradford forfeit, and prepped themselves for a slug fest. The team is well-prepared, filled with standouts like quarterback Carson Nagle, running back/linebacker Garrett Burns, two-way star Cam Watkins, Trey Greene and a number of other players who are hungry.
Burns has seemingly found ways to continue pounding opposing players into the ground, whether they’re on offense or defense. Burns became the first player in 17 years to rush for over 1,000 yards for Bald Eagle. He has 169 carries for 1,130 rushing yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 12 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, he’s second in tackles on the team with 57 and has 10 tackles for loss.
No. 1 State College (5-5) vs. No. 2 Williamsport (6-5)
(District 6 Class 6A championship)
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Central Mountain High School
Coaches: Matt Lintal (State College), Chuck Crews (Williamsport)
Last Meeting: N/A
Players to Watch: John Scott (State College), RB Nasir Hennigan (Williamsport)
The Skinny: State College gained a bye week in the District 6 playoffs with a 21-7 victory over Altoona the week prior. Even as they’ve lost players throughout the season, including starting quarterback Finn Furmanek, The Little Lions have been able to fight on and gain gritty victories. Sophomore quarterback Owen Yerka has doubled at the running back position and has 87 carries for 342 yards on the year (3.9 yards per carry) and three rushing touchdowns. Senior running back Brady Bendik has 117 carries and 487 yards on 4.2 yards per carry and three touchdowns.
Scott just received his first Division I scholarship offer, from Gardner-Webb. He’s come into his own as a stalwart in the middle of State College’s linebacking corps. He leads the team with 98 total tackles (55 solo) and three tackles for loss. He’s third on the team with two sacks and has three quarterback hurries.
Williamsport took on Altoona last Friday and averted another State College rematch with the Mountain Lions. Williamsport raced on to win 36-13 and now has a chance to finish off the Little Lions. The Millionaires finished second in the Wyoming Valley Conference with a 2-1 league record and have a 6-5 record. They, too, have a host of rushers including Nasir Hennigan, who leads the team with 494 yards on the ground.
