Centre County Week 1 Preview: State College hosts Williamsport for District Championship Rematch

Tagged under: Centre County Report, District 4, District 6, Gameday Hub, News

Brendan Ricciardi | August 26, 2022

Football is back in a big way in Centre County, as Friday night will see all five schools playing at home to kick off the 2022 PIAA regular season.

Let’s take a look at how some of these teams fared in 2021, and what to expect when they take the field for their first meaningful action of the new campaign.

Game of The Week: State College Area Little Lions vs Williamsport Millionaires

Where: Memorial Field

When: Friday, August 26th, 7:00 PM

It’s only right that the State College Little Lions get us started this week, as they made it all the way to the PIAA 6A State semifinals last year for the first time since 2009 before falling to eventual champion Mt. Lebanon. 

It was an up and down year for the Little Lions throughout most of the 2021 regular season, as they never had a winning streak or losing streak of more than two games. They hovered around the .500 mark for most of the season before catching fire at the end and winning four straight games, including three playoff wins.

The first of those playoff victories came against these very same Williamsport Millionaires by a score of 17-14 in the District 6 6A Championship game.

State College is led by Head Coach Matt Lintal, and competes in the Commonwealth division of the Mid-Penn conference. The Millionaires are going to be led by new Head Coach Mike Pearson after Chuck Crews resigned following seven years in charge, and they will be looking for revenge following last season’s thriller. They come from the Wyoming Valley conference, are a member of Division 1.

This non-conference game will take place at 7:00 on Friday night at Memorial Field, and it’s going to be a great early season test for these two programs to see how they compare among the district’s best.

It may not be the only meeting of the season.

Bald Eagle Area Bald Eagles vs Troy Trojans

Where: Bald Eagle Area Stadium

When: Friday, August 26th, 7:00 PM

Bald Eagle Area High School had a very good rebound season in 2021, finishing at 8-3 overall on the year with a 5-1 conference record. The Bald Eagles are a 2A program that plays in the Mountain League, and are also a member of District 6. Troy is 2A as well, and plays in the Northern Tier League in the Large School division of District 4.

Under Head Coach Jesse Nagle, the Bald Eagles won a home playoff game by a score of 33-29 over River Valley last season before falling to Forest Hills in the next round.

Bald Eagle and Troy met in 2021 on a neutral site, with Bald Eagle shutting out the Trojans 20-0. Outside of 2020, these teams have started the season against each other every year since 2017, and the Bald Eagles have taken every matchup.

Similar to State College and Williamsport, another team is coming to Centre County looking for some revenge. 

Penns Valley Rams vs Line Mountain Eagles

Where: Penns Valley Area HS Stadium

When: Friday, August 26th, 7:00 PM

The Penns Valley Rams are back after a season that saw them finish 6-5 overall, and 4-3 in the Mountain League. Penns Valley is led by Head Coach Martin Tobias, who enters his 27th season in charge of this Rams program.

Like Bald Eagle, they are also members of the Mountain League and are a District 6 2A school in the PIAA classification system. 

The Rams had an interesting season in 2021, as they had an undefeated 5-0 record at home but went 1-5 on the road. Their 5-5 regular season record was still enough for them to qualify for the District 6 2A Tournament, where they fell in the first round to Bellwood-Antis. 

They’ll welcome in Head Coach Brandon Carson and the Line Mountain Eagles in Week 1. The Eagles are a member of the Liberty division of the Mid-Penn Conference, and are also a 2A program coming from District 4.

The last time Penns Valley and Line Mountain faced off was in 2020, when Penns Valley won 35-12.

Bellefonte Raiders vs Sellinsgrove Seals

Where: Rogers Stadium

When: Friday, August 26th, 7:00 PM

The Bellefonte Raiders are looking for a bounceback season in the second year of new Head Coach Vaughn Donmoyer’s tenure.

The Raiders struggled defensively last season, finding themselves with a record of 2-8, and 2-4 in their conference. Like Bald Eagle and Penns Valley, Bellefonte is a member of the Mountain League. However, they are a 4A program of District 6. Their 2-4 conference record earned them a spot in the District 6 4A playoffs, where they fell to Juniata.

The Raiders open up the season with a non-conference matchup against Head Coach Derrick Hicks and the Sellinsgrove Seals, who are a 4A school that competes in Division 1 of the Heartland Athletic Conference. 

Philipsburg-Osceala Mountaineers vs West Branch Warriors

Where: Philipsburg Osceala Area Stadium

When: Friday, August 26th, 7:00 PM

Jeff Vroman is preparing for another season at Philsburg-Osceala in his second stint with the program, looking to right the ship.

It has been a tough go for the Mounties in the past couple of seasons, with several years featuring one and two win campaigns.

Along with every Centre County team not named State College, Philipsburg-Osceala is a member of the Mountain League conference, and it also has a 2A classification in District 6.

The Mounties will face off with the West Branch Warriors in Week 1 for the second straight year after falling 28-21 in OT last season. The Warriors are a Class A program that is a member of the Inter-County Conference in the North Division, and are led by Head Coach Kevin Hugler. 

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