It was a good week for Centre County high school football teams in Week 1 of the new season. Four of the five teams won their opening games, with only Bellefonte losing to very talented Jersey Shore. In Week 2, the Red Raiders will get a chance at redemption when Huntingdon comes to visit, and Philipsburg-Osceola, 1-0 after a stirring win at West Branch, will face Bald Eagle Area for a very interesting contest.
Here’s a brief look at this week’s action:
BALD EAGLE AREA (1-0) AT PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (1-0)
FRIDAY, AUG. 30, 7 P.M., PHILIPSBURG
It goes without saying that this game took on a new dimension after P-O’s 41-16 win at West Branch on Friday night. BEA rolled as well — 42-35 over a fiery team from Troy — and this will be the first time these two met when both had no losses since, well, a long time ago.
The Mounties controlled the first half against West Branch and led 15-0 going into the final minute of the second quarter. But the Warriors struck for a long touchdown with 33 seconds left to pull within a score at halftime. In years past, P-O’s recent history says that it would fail to respond and allow its opposition to rally, but not this year. Hunter Weitoish returned a third-quarter punt for 74 yards and a P-O touchdown, and then three minutes later Kaleb Stamm took one in from the 14-yard line and the Mounties were back in control, 28-8. West Branch tried to rally with a touchdown late in the third, but two more P-O scores settled the issue and the Mounties prevailed, 41-16. Stamm ran for 108 yards in the game, and 6-foot-6 P-O quarterback Ryan Whitehead went 11-for-18 for 181 yards and two touchdowns to lead the P-O attack.
In Troy on Saturday, BEA and Troy traded scores all night until Tommy Snyder scored for the Eagles with nine minutes left to give BEA a 42-29 lead. Troy, as it did all night, responded with a score of its own, but it was too late, and the Eagles held on for their first win, 42-35. Snyder ran for 100 yards on 14 carries and scored twice, and quarterback Jaden Jones ran for 107 and scored another touchdown. Jones also threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns, while Gage McClenahan returned to the lineup and caught seven passes for 74 yards.
It would probably be a good idea to check the scoreboard lights before this game because they are going to need them all. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Philipsburg. The game was originally scheduled to be played at BEA, but was moved because of ongoing track installation at Alumni Stadium.
ST. AUGUSTINE PREP (0-0) AT STATE COLLEGE (1-0)
FRIDAY, AUG. 30, 6 P.M., STATE COLLEGE
The State College Little Lions started fast against Mid Penn foe Mifflin County last Friday night and never let up in a 42-6 win. The Lions sprinted out 35-0 by halftime and then waited out the running clock in the second half for their first win of the season. Mifflin scored a late touchdown, to its credit, but the night belonged to State College.
New SC quarterback Brady Dorner completed 7-of-10 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, and running backs Isaiah Edwards and Dresyn Green combined for three touchdowns on 12 carries and 180 yards. In all, State College had eight players carry the ball and another six make catches in the game.
Next up for the Lions will be a visit by St. Augustine Prep out of New Jersey. St. Augustine has not played yet, but the Hermits were 7-4 last season, including a 19-7 loss to State College at home in Week 1. St. Augustine lost its senior quarterback Chris Allen to graduation, but top running back, freshman Nasir Hill (894 yards, four TDs) will return as well as the team’s second-ranked receiver, Justin Shorter. The Hermits are known for their aggressive defense — they had 19 sacks and 13 interceptions last year — and are very tough against the run. In all, this will be a very good test of the new SC offense, especially its running game.
It will be the first of two non-league games (Hollidaysburg is next) for SC before it finishes the season with seven straight Mid Penn contests. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at the South Track field.
HUNTINGDON (1-0) AT BELLEFONTE (0-1)
FRIDAY, AUG. 30, 7 P.M., BELLEFONTE
It was well known that Jersey Shore had a ton of experienced skill people returning for 2019, and they did not disappoint in the Bulldogs’ 55-35 win over Bellefonte on Friday night. Jersey Shore took an early 14-0 lead, but Bellefonte fought back to a one-score deficit, 28-21, by halftime. The Raiders then tied it at 28 after a 53-yard TD pass from Ethan Rossman to Mason Grey. Unfortunately, the Raider “D” could not hold on, and Jersey Shore scored four more times and the Bulldogs won going away.
Now, Bellefonte will face Huntingdon, an 8-0 winner over Mount Union on Friday, in the Mountain League opener for both teams. Huntingdon scored on a second-quarter touchdown and a third-quarter safety and then held on against Mount Union for the win. Bearcat quarterback Nick Troha completed 14-of-25 passes for 135 yards in the game, but Huntingdon could only muster 51 yards rushing. The Bearcat defense, however, intercepted two passes and had three sacks in a solid, shutout performance.
This will be a telling week for the Raiders. If they can keep the Huntingdon running game quiet and keep their offense going, the Raiders will have a good chance to come up with a much-needed win. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Bellefonte.
PENNS VALLEY (1-0) AT CLEARFIELD (1-0)
FRIDAY, AUG. 30, 7 P.M., CLEARFIELD
Penns Valley head coach Martin Tobias was probably a bit understated when he said, “We got off to a strong start and executed pretty well for the first game of the season,” after the Rams’ win over Fairfield. By getting off to a strong start, he was referring to PV’s 56-0 lead by halftime and their eventual 77-0 rout. It was an impressive first night for a Penns Valley team that has high aspirations for the 2019 season.
This week will be different. The Rams will open their Mountain League season at Clearfield against a Bison team that also has big plans. Last Friday, Clearfield held on against DuBois, 31-20, in the opener for both teams. Clearfield had a slim 17-14 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Bison outscored DuBois 14-6 in the final frame to come away with win No. 1. Bison quarterback Oliver Billotte threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns for the night, while four running backs, including Billotte, combined to run for 144 yards and another touchdown. Clearfield gave up a hefty 320 yards through the air to DuBois, but the Bison picked off three passes and held the Beavers to just 44 yards rushing. Clearfield also picked up 10 tackles-for-loss and three sacks.
It’s safe to say that Penns Valley was not really tested in Week 1, and that Clearfield will be among the best teams the Rams will face all season. Last year, also in Week 2, Clearfield held on for an up-and-down 56-42 win. It says here that the Bison will not be able to afford to give up 42 points to the Rams this year. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Clearfield.
