BEA did not play up to standards in its 42-7 loss at Clearfield on Oct. 12. Both teams went into the game without losses, but the Bison broke ahead early, allowed the Eagles to creep back into it, and then sailed out with 28 unanswered points to claim the win going away.
Three turnovers did not help the BEA cause, but Clearfield quarterback Isaac Rumery accounted for three touchdowns and guided the Bison to over 430 yards of offense on the night. Two long passes — a 60-yarder to Taye Lynch and a 47-yard bomb to Jake Lezzer — highlighted the Clearfield offense.
Bald Eagles’ quarterback Jaden Jones accounted for their only score on a 12-yard run in the first quarter.
BEA will now have to regroup against 4-4, non-league Jersey Shore.
Jersey Shore was off to a poor start this season, including a Week 1 17-14 loss to Bellefonte, but the Bulldogs have won three of their last four to even their record.
Non-league or not, BEA will want to get back on track after the loss to Clearfield and with the big showdown against Bellefonte looming just a week later.
Kickoff is at 7p.m.
BELLEFONTE (6-2) AT BISHOP CARROLL (2-6)
FRIDAY, OCT. 19
Playing against the Central Dragons in any year is not a preferred way to get better after two consecutive losses.
Yet the Bellefonte Red Raiders were up to the challenge and gutted out a 21-12 victory over the Dragons at Lock Haven University on Oct. 12.
And that happened after Bellefonte spotted Central two early touchdowns and fell behind 12-0.
Two important things took place after that second Dragon touchdown. First, Bellefonte’s CJ Funk woke his team up with a 1-yard touchdown with just 47 seconds left in the first half that cut Central’s lead to 12-7.
Then, Central quarterback Noah Muthler, who accounted for both Dragon touchdowns on a run and a pass, left the field with an injury and did not return. From there, Central’s offense stalled, and the Raiders did just enough to pull the game out behind their replacement quarterback, Ethan Rossman. Rossman threw for two touchdowns — 7 yards to Mason Gray and 2 yards to Funk — and ran for 80 yards as Bellefonte scored 21-unanswered points to hold on for the win.
Now, at 6-2, the Raiders will travel to 2-6 Bishop Carroll and try to put up another win before taking on one-loss BEA in Week 10. Carroll lost to Penns Valley, 42-14, on Oct. 12 after taking a 14-13 halftime lead over the Rams. PV wouldn’t be held down, though, and scored 28 second-half points to win its fifth game of the season. Bellefonte would be wise to use the PV game plan against Carroll: Stop the run, and try to force Carroll into turnovers (PV got four).
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
TYRONE (4-4) AT PENNS VALLEY (5-3)
FRIDAY, OCT. 19
Tyrone might be just 4-4 after losing its last four games, but it is hard to think of a team that’s had a more difficult schedule. After wins over Bellwood, Central, P-O and Bishop Carroll, the Eagles have lost to Bellefonte, BEA, Clearfield and Hollidaysburg.
The Hollidaysburg loss, on Oct. 12, was by a score of 28-13 after the Tigers used their depth, size and running game to rally in the second half for the win. After a 7-7 stalemate going into the locker rooms, the Tigers scored three touchdowns in a row and held on.
Penns Valley meanwhile took a while to get moving against Bishop Carroll, but two long touchdowns in the third quarter, one by Aaron Tobias the other by Ryan Ripka, turned the tide. PV put on 28 points in the second half and coasted away. It was the Rams’ fourth win in their last five games, and they will be looking to continue their impressive turnaround after a 1-3 start to the season.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (1-7) AT CLEARFIELD (8-0)
FRIDAY, OCT. 19
Philipsburg-Osceola had high hopes of putting up a good showing against Huntingdon on Oct. 12, and in the 7-6 first quarter nothing indicated that the Mounties wouldn’t. But things turned in the second quarter, kept turning after halftime, and P-O was powerless to stop it as the Bearcats ultimately romped to a 60-7 win.
The lone highlight for P-O was a 47-yard touchdown strike from Bubba Slogosky to Landon McDonald at the end of the first quarter that briefly put the Mounties ahead, 7-6. After that, beginning with the subsequent kickoff, the night belonged to Huntingdon.
Now, it will be a trip to traditional rival Clearfield next up for P-O. The Bison are undefeated and have yet to be tested, really, with their closest win being a 14-point victory over Penns Valley on Aug. 31. Since then, the Bison have almost casually taken out the meat of its Mountain League slate. For P-O, this means the Mounties will have to put up their best effort so far this season for all four quarter just to stay competitive in this game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
ALTOONA (3-5) AT STATE COLLEGE (7-1)
FRIDAY, OCT. 19
With only a single blemish on its record in the loss to Harrisburg, State College will square off against local rival and Mid Penn foe Altoona on Friday at Memorial Field.
Altoona, to say the least, has been all over the chart so far this season. The Mountain Lions’ record is 3-5, and one of the three wins was an eye-opening 38-0 romp over Williamsport at home on Aug. 31. There were also victories over Taylor Allderdice, 27-9, and Carlisle, 49-42, in two overtimes. But there were also losses to Chambersburg, Central Dauphin East, Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley from the Mid Penn and non-league Hollidaysburg in Week 1.
The 24-21 loss to Cumberland Valley on Oct. 12 was in many ways a reflection of Altoona’s season. After playing an inspired first half and leading by 21-14, the Lions couldn’t get their offense in gear in the second half. They gained a total of just over 50 yards after the break, while CV tied it in the third quarter and then won it on a 28-yard field goal by Tim Kissinger with six minutes left to play. Altoona got a solid effort from running back Max Dell’Anno, who ran for 125 yards and a touchdown, but the Lions also had four turnovers, including an interception that ended its final drive of the game.
State College, meanwhile, rebounded from its loss to Harrisburg by holding off Central Dauphin, 35-28, on Oct. 12. The Lions were led by quarterback Tommy Friberg, running back Dresyn Green and wide receiver Keaton Ellis. Green scored twice — on a 63-yard pass from Friberg and a 58-yard run — Ellis once on a 14-yard pass, and Friberg threw for two scores and ran one in himself from the 1-yard line. SC took a 21-14 lead at halftime and then went up 35-21 on Green’s 58-yarder with just 3:54 to play.
State College is now 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference, one game behind Harrisburg. The Little Lions need wins to keep pace in the conference and have to hope that the Cougars slip up. Game time is 7 p.m.
