Here are 5 takeaways from Week 3 of Centre County high school football
Bald Eagle got its groove back with a 48-0 victory over Bellefonte. Penns Valley took down Huntingdon in a 41-14 win on the road. State College also notched its third victory in a 45-3 win over Hollidaysburg and Philipsburg-Osceola lost 49-0 at Tyrone.
Here are five takeaways from Week 3 of the 2022 high school football season in Centre County.
Bald Eagle bounced back in a big way
The Eagles went into Bellefonte with focus and intensity on Friday night in their 48-0 victory over the Red Raiders. Every last detail was executed. It was an overall team effort with quarterback Carson Nagle finding Wyatt Spackman, Cam Watkins and Kahale Burns, twice, in the end zone. Defensively, the Eagles had four sacks on the night and Mike Snyder had two interceptions. A Curtin Bowl victory is not a bad way to get the season back on track.
Bellefonte didn’t have an answer
Miscues on offense and defense caused Bellefonte’s opportunities to sputter. The Red Raiders had multiple turnovers and penalties later in the first half that cost the team a good chunk of field positioning. Bellefonte has the talent to continue to improve, as we saw in Friday’s opening half against Penns Valley. The Red Raiders should lock in and watch the tape from that performance and apply it to next week’s game against a tough opponent in Tyrone.
The Penns Valley Punishers are here
The Rams are competing at a very high level. They’ve been able to come back in a game like last Friday’s against Bellefonte, where they scored 20 unanswered points in the second half in the 34-20 victory. Penns Valley has also systematically crushed teams from the point of attack in both of its wins against Line Mountain in Week 1 and Huntingdon in Week 3. Two touchdowns in the first and second quarters against the Bearcats and two touchdowns in the second half. Fourteen points allowed. The 41-14 victory was on the road this week.
Philipsburg-Osceola is a small team
The Mounties may not be the smallest in stature, but they are the smallest in numbers in the Centre Region and Mountain League. Philipsburg-Osceola has just 28 players on its roster. That means many of its players have to play both sides of the football. It also means that players will be tired earlier in the game and there will be less depth to replace drained or injured players. Tyrone, who is 3-0 on the year, is a powerhouse. The Golden Eagles have about 40 players and many of them have played together for years. Philipsburg-Osceola just couldn’t keep up with them in the 49-0 loss.
State College stills looks the part of a state champion
The Little Lions took care of business on Friday night against Hollidaysburg. Starting the season 3-0 is no easy task, but State College has certainly made it appear that way. Freshman running back D’Antae Sheffey made quick work of Hollidaysburg with 197 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. He was phenomenal — as was State College’s defense — and it has continued to be that way for three weeks, with the Little Lions outscoring opponents 119-48. It’s been smooth sailing for head coach Matt Lintal’s bunch, but they are still not satisfied until their goal is accomplished.
