The stormy weather played havoc in what was an interesting Week 3 for Centre County high school football teams.
Bald Eagle Area made an impressive comeback at Penns Valley on Sept. 8 to remain unbeaten in the Laurel Highlands Conference with a record of 3-0.
In Clearfield, the Bison started early and never let up against Philipsburg-Osceola, while Bishop Guilfoyle went off for 35 points in the second quarter and overran Bellefonte in Bellefonte.
Also on Sept. 8, State College and Hollidaysburg tried to wait out a lightning delay, but the weather remained too bad to even start the game and it was postponed. There has been no makeup date announced, and it is possible that the game will not be made up.
Here’s a look at each team and its next opponent coming up this week:
Tyrone (1-1) at Bald Eagle Area (3-0)
Friday, Sept. 15
Just over four minutes into the game at Penns Valley on Sept. 8, Bald Eagle Area found itself already down by 14 points. By the end of the first quarter, the Eagles were behind, 17-0, and looking for a way to get themselves back off the floor.
Enter the Eagles’ defense. From the end of that disastrous first quarter on, BEA’s defenders allowed the Rams to score just 6 more points, which came on a Ty Watson run as the third quarter came to an end.
And as the defense was doing its work, BEA quarterback Carson Nagle and running back Cameron Dubbs were rallying the Eagles back into contention.
After scoring on a safety in the second quarter, BEA actually went ahead on third-quarter scores that included a 22-yard pass from Nagle to Cameron Watkins, a 15-yard run by Dubbs and a 54-yard pass to Watkins.
The three touchdowns gave the Eagles a 22-17 lead, but a clutch PV drive and Watson’s touchdown gave the Rams the lead, 23-22, going into the fourth quarter.
Both defenses showed up in the fourth quarter as neither team was able to threaten early.
As time wound down, Penns Valley blocked a BEA field goal attempt with five minutes to play, but the Eagles’ defense got the ball back on the 50-yard line. From there, BEA drove to the 1-yard line, where Dubbs took it in with just over a minute to play.
Penns Valley threatened on its ensuing possession, but the Eagles held on for their third win of the season without a loss.
Penns Valley gained 330 on offense, including 260 passing yards by quarterback Jackson Romig, and BEA ran up 430. Nagle threw for 267 yards, Dubbs ran for 186 on 24 carries, and Watkins caught five passes for 115 yards.
Now BEA will welcome another former Mountain League nemesis when Tyrone comes to Wingate on Friday night.
Tyrone is 1-1, but the Golden Eagles were also a victim of the bad weather last Friday when their much-anticipated meeting against Central was postponed and rescheduled.
Before that, Tyrone lost a tough opening game to Clearfield, 29-21, and then ran over Greater Johnstown, 35-0, on Sept. 1.
Against Johnstown, quarterback Ashton Walk completed 8 of 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, and running backs Brady Ronan and Seth Hoover combined for 191 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Tyrone scored 21 points in the second quarter and then put the game away with another 14 in the third.
There is no need to talk up this rivalry, as this game is very important to two teams that have a long history between them.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Wingate.
Clearfield (2-1) at Bellefonte (0-3)
Friday, Sept. 15
Bellefonte played LHAC power Bishop Guilfoyle straight up through the first parts of the game at home on Sept. 8 and trailed by just 14-6 after the first quarter.
But an early second-quarter Guilfoyle touchdown and a subsequent recovered on-side kick opened up the gates for the Marauders. Before halftime, they struck for three more touchdowns and took a commanding 49-6 lead that they rode to their second win, with one loss (to BEA in Week 1).
Of all the local teams, Bellefonte has been given the toughest opening schedule, and after losses to three very good teams, it will not get any easier this week with old Mountain League rival Clearfield coming to visit.
Clearfield was involved in a rain-shortened game in which the Bison overcame Philipsburg-Osceola, 44-7, after a big second quarter essentially decided the outcome.
The game was suspended just after the beginning of the fourth quarter, and the coaches and officials agreed not to resume.
Clearfield earlier had wins over Tyrone, 29-21, on August 25, but the Bison lost to Forest Hills in Week 2, 22-13, in Sidman on Sept. 1.
Quarterback Will Domico has completed 35 of 61 passes for 552 yards and four touchdowns, while running backs Brady Collins and Carter Chamberlain have combined for 370 yards and eight touchdowns.
Carter Freeland is the top receiver, with 15 catches for 257 yards and two touchdowns.
Bellefonte has been gaining yards, but mistakes and turnovers have hurt the Raiders, especially on Friday against BG.
This is another game where Bellefonte can show improvement and compete with a good football team.
Kickoff at Rogers Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
Penns Valley (2-1) at Philipsburg-Osceola (1-2)
Friday, Sept. 15
Both of these teams are coming off losses on Sept. 8, and both will be looking at this game as a way to get back on track.
P-O ran into an excellent Clearfield team and committed too many mistakes in a one-sided, 44-6 loss, while Penns Valley saw a 17-0 lead over BEA evaporate into a difficult, 28-23 loss to the Bald Eagles.
BEA scored 20 points in the third quarter to take a 22-17 lead, but the Rams countered with a 1-yard, Ty Watson run that put them ahead 23-22 heading into the final 12 minutes.
The teams fell back on their defenses in the last quarter, but BEA broke through after taking over at the 50 with just over five minutes to play. They drove to the 1-yard line, where Cameron Dubbs crashed in for what was the winning score.
Watson, quarterback Jackson Romig and wide receiver John Meyer are the leading offensive players so far for the Rams, with Romig being a double threat with the pass and the run.
P-O counters with sophomore quarterback Zack Meyers, running back Jakodi Jones and wide receivers Lucas Peterson and Nick Johnson.
This is another game that could come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes, an area in which Penns Valley has a decided advantage.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Philipsburg.
Altoona (3-1) at State College (1-1)
Friday, Sept. 15
The weather was bad in Hollidaysburg on Sept. 8, so bad that the football game between the Golden Tigers and State College never even kicked off.
Lightning delayed the start at 7 p.m. and then never let up, forcing the game to be suspended shortly after 9 p.m. There has not been a rescheduled date yet, and both teams indicated that the game may not be made up at all.
That left the Little Lions with an open week before they enter Mid Penn Conference play against what so far has been a very offensive-minded Altoona Mountain Lion team.
Altoona is 2-1 coming into Memorial Field on Sept. 15 with wins over Taylor-Allderdice, 35-21, and Mifflin County, 35-0, on Sept. 8.
Against Mifflin, it was over early.
The Lions scored 28 unanswered points in the first quarter, another 7 in the second quarter, and then rode out the game under the mercy rule in the second half.
Because the game started early at 5:40 pm due to some impending bad weather, anyone showing up at the regular starting time would have missed all of the important action.
Led by Bron Mosely’s 165 yards rushing (and two touchdowns), the Lions put up 307 yards total, almost all in the first half.
State College, for its part, is looking to bounce back from its disheartening loss to Downingtown East on Sept. 1 at home.
State High rallied from a 21-point deficit that night, but ended up agonizingly close to a win that did not happen.
Now back in Mid Penn Conference play, this game looms large for both teams, and Altoona will come into Memorial Field with more motivation — and successes — than it has since joining the conference.
Kickoff at Memorial Field is set for 7 p.m.
