CENTRE COUNTY — All four of our local LHAC high school football teams will begin league play on Friday, August 22 while the State College Little Lions will begin their season on Friday with a non-league contest against Gateway High School.
Here’s a closer look at the opening week of the 2025 high school football season:
Huntingdon (0-0) at Bald Eagle Area (0-0)
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m.
Wingate
The BEA Bald Eagles are coming off a 5-5 season in 2024 that saw the team lose to traditional rivals Bellefonte, Tyrone, Clearfield, Bellwood-Antis and eventual state champion Bishop Guilfoyle.
Despite the losses, BEA put up solid offensive numbers and was held below double figures only twice in 10 games.
The Eagles scored in the thirties three times and went over forty in a 49-7 win over Penns Valley.
The bad news is that a giant part of that offense–in the person of senior quarterback Carson Nagle–graduated and will have to be replaced.
Nagle accounted for 2332 yards passing last year and another 346 on the ground with a combined 26 touchdowns.
However, the Eagles do have experienced running back Nick McCully returning along with leading receivers Kollin Cunningham, Beau Taylor and Gradyn Fisher.
The Eagles will face a Bearcat team that was 0-10 last year but nonetheless showed improvement as the season progressed.
They also return many of their top players including quarterback Elliott Guisler, running back/receiver Evan Edmiston and receiver Caleb Rutter.
It is a new season, and Huntingdon will be looking to break its losing streak immediately in Week 1, but BEA captain Cunningham said the Eagles have good size, depth, and are optimistic about their chances in the new year.
This is a challenging opening night for both teams.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Wingate.
Tyrone (0-0) at Bellefonte (0-0)
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m.
Bellefonte
The Raiders had a playoff-qualifying 7-5 record last season with impressive victories over P-O, Central, Chestnut Ridge, BEA and Huntingdon.
They ran up a lot of points, but the catalyst for much of that offense was senior quarterback Liam Halterman, who graduated.
Halterman threw for 1194 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for another 646 yards and 13 touchdowns.
It’s obvious then that replacing him will be a top priority for the Raiders, especially since there are many other returning offensive players like Isaac Gall, Ashten Howell, Ka’ven Smith-Kirk and Jackson Long.
Bellefonte went over 34 points five times last season and won four of its final six regular-season games.
Seeing Tyrone in Week 1 will be a rekindling of an old Mountain League rivalry.
Tyrone was also 7-5 last season and came down the stretch in 2024 winning five of its final six games.
The Golden Eagles are in a similar position of losing their star quarterback in Ashton Walk, who threw for over 3000 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024.
They also lost 1000-yard rusher Seth Hoover, so the Raiders will certainly be facing a new-look Tyrone offense.
There are some returning Eagles from 2024, but over 90% of the Tyrone offense graduated so there will be new players all over the field.
This game, then, will showcase a ton of new faces on both teams, and much of the attention will be focused on the quarterbacks.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Bellefonte.
Bishop Guilfoyle (0-0) at Penns Valley (0-0)
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m.
Spring Mills
Ironside to Ironside promises to be a big part of the Penns Valley Rams’ offense in 2025.
That is, junior quarterback Carter Ironside completing passes to his brother, senior wide receiver Fletcher Ironside.
The Ironsides are the most experienced returnees for the Rams in 2025 along with receiver/running back Spencer Althouse.
The Rams, however, had a difficult season in 2024 and came in with a final record of 1-9. One bright spot was the team’s improvement over the season that ultimately led to a solid 34-14 win over Westmont-Hilltop in the final game of the season.
The Ironsides will bring stability to another young Ram team, but the opening week’s opponent needs very little introduction.
It is the state champion Marauders from Bishop Guilfoyle.
Guilfoyle was 15-1 last year and ran through the District and PIAA Playoffs with double-digit wins in every game.
The state final was a 41-22 victory over Port Allegany at Cumberland Valley High School on December 5.
The only blemish on the Marauders’ record was a 28-27 loss to Penn Cambria on October 25 at Penn Cambria.
The Rams will be up against it in this game, but, according to Fletcher Ironside, the team will be focused on getting better every week and that begins in the first week with Guilfoyle.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Spring Mills.
Central (0-0) at Philipsburg-Osceola (0-0)
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m.
Philipsburg
The Philipsburg-Osceola Mounties finished strong in 2024 with two wins in their final three games wrapped around a loss to state champion Bishop Guilfoyle.
The Mounties’ slow start, however, left them with an overall record of 4-6 with wins over Huntingdon, Penns Valley, Westmont-Hilltop and Greater Johnstown in the season finale.
Heading into the new season, the team has solid reasons for optimism about 2025.
Sophomore quarterback Archer Baughman threw for 902 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year as a starter, and three of the team’s top four running backs will return–Parker Lamb, Jayden Jones and Colton Chapman. Also returning will be senior receiver Talon Koptchak.
P-O first-week opponent will be the Central Dragons, a former Mountain League foe that P-O will know well.
Central was 5-6 last season with a first-round District 6 playoff loss to powerful Penn Cambria.
The Dragons are another team that lost its star quarterback–Eli Muthler–who was in many ways the catalyst for the offense. Muthler threw for over 1600 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 178 yards and another six touchdowns.
Top rusher Braydon Beach and top receiver Jay Hoenstine also graduated, but the Dragons do bring back a number of running backs and wide receivers who saw action in 2024.
Central slumped at the end of last season and lost its final four games in a row, so the Dragons will be looking to start the new season on an upswing.
For P-O, this will be a challenging test to begin the season, and it will be important for the Mounties to get off to a good start with teams like Chestnut Ridge, Clearfield, BEA and Bellwood coming up on the schedule.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Philipsburg.
Gateway (Monroeville) (0-0) at State College (0-0)
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m.
State College
After an 11-2 season overall and an 8-1 record in the Mid-Penn Conference, the State College Little Lions are looking to do it all again.
The Little Lions’ offense was something to behold in 2024. Beginning in the first week of October, they scored 38 points against Cedar Cliff, 55 against CD East, 60 against Carlisle, 58 against McDevitt, 35 in the playoffs against McDowell, and 75 against Williamsport.
The final game of the year was a 41-19 loss to Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the PIAA, 6A Tournament.
The bad news is that most of that offensive power graduated, including quarterback Eddie Corkery, running back Lamar Wilson, and receivers Ty Salazer (1597 receiving yards!), Michael Gaul, and Cooper Brushwood.
There are returning players though, including receiver Daimear Coad, running back Rowan Walker, linebackers Trayce Brennan and Quincy Smith, and DB Henry Lustig.
Last season, SC opened its season against 3-7 Gateway with a 49-14 win in which Corkery threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
Brushwood, Gaul and Adam Shirf all caught touchdown passes in the game.
The Gators went on to get wins over Plum, Kiski Area, and Armstrong.
State College will have a new look in 2025, but the Little Lions can always count on their depth and size, especially early in the season.
It will be important for them to get off to a strong start with Mid-Penn foes Altoona, Harrisburg and Cumberland Valley waiting on the schedule.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field.
