Here’s what to look for in Week 7 of Centre County high school football
Centre County high school football’s regular season is beginning its home stretch in Week 7.
Bellefonte will head to Huntingdon on Friday, with State College hosting Carlisle, Penns Valley playing Conemaugh Valley at home and Philipsburg-Osceola traveling to Bald Eagle.
Here’s what to know about each team’s matchup in Week 7 of the regular season:
Bellefonte (1-5) at Huntingdon (1-5)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Coaches: Vaughn Donmoyer (Bellefonte), Shane Thomas (Huntingdon)
Players to Watch: RB Jamal Saunders (Bellefonte), QB Eric Mykut (Huntingdon)
Last Meeting: Oct. 6, 2021 (40-7, Bellefonte)
The Skinny: Both teams are in the midst of a rough season. Bellefonte fell 31-0 to Hollidaysburg on Sept. 30 and Huntingdon fell 42-0 to Clearfield the same day. Each has one victory against Philipsburg-Osceola on the year and are fighting for their second on Friday.
Carlisle (3-3) at State College (6-0)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Coaches: Brett Ickes (Carlisle), Matt Lintal (State College)
Players to Watch: QB Louis James Shank (Carlisle), RB D’Antae Sheffey (State College)
Last Meeting: Oct. 15, 2021 (21-14, Carlisle)
The Skinny: Carlisle is coming off a 42-14 loss to Central Dauphin on Sept. 29 and has had an up-and-down year. The Thundering Herd are 3-3 and have scored 170 points to opponents’ 175. The team’s offense and defense alike has won games and lost them. Senior quarterback Louis James Shank has the propensity to chuck the ball downfield with his completions going for 17.2 yards per throw.
As for the Little Lions, they’re coming off of their sixth win in a row. State College took down Central Dauphin East on Sept. 30 by a score of 42-14 and are looking to notch another win in its revenge tour. Much has been discussed about senior defenders JW Scott and Stephen Scourtis, with Scott leading the team in tackles (43) and Scourtis picking up four sacks in six games. It’s actually sophomore Sam Mayer who has led the team with five sacks on the year.
Freshman running back D’Antae Sheffey is continuing to have a strong season. He has 84 carries for 793 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Conemaugh Valley (1-4) at Penns Valley (4-2)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Coaches: Matt Kent (Conemaugh Valley), Martin Tobias (Penns Valley)
Players to Watch: RB, DB LB Eli Darr (Conemaugh Valley), RB Ty Watson (Penns Valley)
Last Meeting: N/A
How to Watch: NFHS Network
The Skinny: Conemaugh Valley has struggled throughout the season, having lost by two or more touchdowns in three of its four losses. However, the Blue Jays cleaned up their game with a 27-0 victory over Claysburg-Kimmel last week. Junior running back Eli Darr has 134 carries for 724 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the season. So Conemaugh Valley is a more than formidable opponent, despite its record.
Junior running back Ty Watson is coming off of a game where he had 16 carries for 186 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in Penns Valley’s 41-14 victory over Philipsburg-Osceola on Sept. 30. The Rams can dispatch Conemaugh Valley by continuing to stick to their running game, playing sound defense and playing with controlled chaos on special teams coverage.
Senior wideout Miles Brooks and junior quarterback Jackson Romig will additionally play a significant role in the game, having connected 33 times for 462 yards and seven touchdowns.
Philipsburg-Osceola (1-5) at Bald Eagle (3-3)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Coaches: Jeff Vroman (Philipsburg-Osceola), Jesse Nagle (Bald Eagle)
Players to Watch: RB Jakodi Jones (Philipsburg-Osceola), WR/EDGE Cam Watkins (Bald Eagle)
Last Meeting: Oct. 8, 2021 (49-0, Bald Eagle)
The Skinny: Philipsburg-Osceola fell 41-14 to Penns Valley on Sept. 30. The Mounties were gashed by Watson and responded with two touchdowns — Dayton Barger had a 15-yard touchdown run and Nick Johnson reeled in a touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Zack Meyers in the loss.
While Philipsburg-Osceola enters Friday’s game with its struggles, Bald Eagle played near-perfect football against Tyrone last week. The Eagles broke down the Golden Eagles with strong defense and a consistent ground attack, resulting in a 31-7 victory. Cam Watkins had 10 total tackles (nine solo), five tackles for loss, two sacks and six quarterback hurries in the win.
