State College set to open PIAA playoffs, Penns Valley looks to capture District 6 title
There are two teams left in the playoffs from Centre County.
State College is set to host McDowell in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A state playoffs, while Penns Valley will travel to Mansion Park in Altoona to take on Bishop Guilfoyle in the District 6 Class 2A championship.
Here’s what to watch for in the two pivotal games for the Centre County squads.
McDowell (10-2) at State College (11-0)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Coaches: Dave Frank (McDowell), Matt Lintal (State College)
Players to Watch: RB Artis Simmons (McDowell), RB D’Antae Sheffey (State College), LB JW Scott (State College)
Last Meeting: N/A
The Skinny: The Trojans are headed from Erie to State College on Friday to take on the Little Lions. They’ll attempt to bring the same fighting spirit that their namesake had. McDowell has proven to be a formidable opponent throughout the year, outscoring opponents 512-248, which has resulted in a six-game winning streak. The Trojans are led by head coach Dave Frank and an offensive star at running back.
That senior running back, Artis Simmons, has proven to be a handful to bring down in the backfield. Simmons has 151 carries for 1,293 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He’s added 10 receptions for 79 receiving yards.
D’Antae Sheffey has had a phenomenal freshman campaign. He’s found his fair share of running space behind a great offensive line and he’s had to bulldoze his way through defenders at times. He’s earned 1,428 rushing yards on the season on 179 carries and has 19 rushing touchdowns on the year. He’s added 13 catches for 132 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Linebacker JW Scott is one piece of the toughest edge rushing duos in Pennsylvania with Stephen Scourtis flanking him. Scott, the son of Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr., has 91 total tackles (56 solo), 17 tackles for loss, four sacks, three quarterback hurries and an interception on the season.
Scourtis, the other kingmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Little Lions, is third on the team in tackles with 84 (37 solo) and holds a team-high 19.5 tackles for loss and 21 quarterback hurries, along with 7.5 sacks on the year.
Penns Valley (9-2) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (9-3)
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
Location: Mansion Park (Altoona)
Coaches: Martin Tobias (Penns Valley), Justin Wheeler (Bishop Guilfoyle)
How to Watch: NFHS Network
Players to Watch: QB Jackson Romig (Penns Valley), RB/LB Ty Watson (Penns Valley), QB Karson Kiesewetter (Bishop Guilfoyle), RB/LB Kaden Wyandt (Bishop Guilfoyle)
Last Meeting: N/A
The Skinny: Penns Valley has scraped and clawed its way into the District 6 Class 2A championship game, but not in the way you’d expect. It wasn’t just over the course of the current season. It dates back to last year in a 6-5 season. The team got stronger in the trenches. The Rams have leadership from each of their star players, especially senior wideout Miles Brooks and they’ve gotten creative with their offensive play-calling.
Junior quarterback Jackson Romig is coming off of a performance against Bald Eagle Area on Nov. 10 where he had a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game. Romig has gone 136-for-211 (64.5%) on passes for 2,181 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He’s rushed 91 times for 356 rushing yards and five touchdowns and his one 20-yard reception was a touchdown.
“We just have a bond like that,” Romig said last week. “We know that when everyone wakes up, everyone is on the same page. We’re going to go in, play our hearts out, do anything that we can to win and that’s what the mentality is. It’s just to come in, do our stuff and do what we need to do to win.”
Then there’s junior running back Ty Watson, who has been the catalyst for the team’s offense for much of the season. He has 211 carries for 1,403 rushing yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 24 rushing touchdowns on the season. Watson also has 22 receptions for 349 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Paired with Romig, the sky is seemingly the limit.
“Coaches trust us very much,” Watson said of his pairing with Romig in the backfield. “That’s the thing — we trust each other, Jackson and I. He’s one of my best friends. He’s great and awesome to be around. He’s a great leader, he picks the team up when we’re down and overall a great person.”
Bishop Guilfoyle entered the District 6 Class 2A playoffs as the third seed, defeating Southern Huntingdon 54-14 on Nov. 5. The Marauders defeated No. 1 seed Richland 33-22 on the road in Johnstown on Nov. 10. Now squaring off against the Rams of Penns Valley, Bishop Guilfoyle has its work cut out for the team. Sitting at 9-3 and outscoring opponents 478-183 and playing a championship game at their own home field, the defending PIAA 1A state champs are raring to go.
Karson Kiesewetter is Bishop Guilfoyle’s main mode of operation on offense. The senior is 110-for-166 (66.3%) on passes for 1,593 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes and five interceptions. He’s even more deadly on the ground — Kiesewetter has 177 carries for 1,269 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns on 7.2 yards per carry.
Kaden Wyandt is the engine of the Marauders defense. He sits at 121 total tackles on the season (33 solo) with 11 tackles per game, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
