Central vs Penn Cambria: 3A District 6 Round One Preview

Tagged under: District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

Baron Dionis | November 1, 2024

For the last three years, Central vs Penn Cambria has been the matchup in the District 6 3A Championship. Central won all three of those championships and is the defending champion, running for four straight years. Although these two teams are not meeting in the championship, the stakes are still high in this round one matchup.

Central does not have as powerful a team as the last three years. Penn Cambria appears to have their best team in the last three years. The tables have turned and it could result in the Panthers finally getting past the Dragons. They in fact won the regular season contest in 2022, but lost in a blowout in the District 6 Championship. Let’s preview this opening game.

Central Dragons

The Dragons enter the playoffs as the fourth seed this season following a 5-5 regular season. They lost a close week 10 game against Forest Hills with a final score of 22-21. In that game, freshman quarterback Jesse Muthler got his first taste of varsity, at that position, due to senior Eli Muthler suffering an injury. In that game, he completed 20 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. If he can efficiently complete passes like he did in his quarterback debut, then Central’s offense can force a scoring shootout. 

Central needs to score as much as they can because Penn Cambria is going to score. The Dragons run defense has been weak this year, while the Panthers run game has been their biggest strength. Feeding Jay Hoenstine on offense will be huge. He has caught 68 passes for 767 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. Braydon Beach is another player to feed the ball to. He is averaging 6.3 yards a carry for 546 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He has also caught 20 passes for 178 yards. 

Central’s big losses to Bellefonte, Clearfield, and Bedford came from inability to stop the run. Senior linebacker Lukas Black will need to continue his incredible defensive season for the Dragons to advance to the next round. He has 139 total tackles, 81 solo, 16 tackles for loss, and three interceptions this season. If Central can stop the run, they have a chance, but their playmakers on offense also need to get it done.

Penn Cambria 

Penn Cambria is the one seed in the District 6 3A playoffs following an undefeated regular season. They are coming off a big win over Bishop Guilfoyle in the LHAC Championship. Everything about the Panthers this season has revolved around the run game, starting with Gavin Harrold. Not only has he ran the ball effectively, he has been a great receiver, making him a threat all over the field. He has reeled in 51 catches for 742 yards and nine touchdowns. On top of that, he has 59 carries for 472 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has been the go to guy for Penn Cambria and he is exactly who they need to get them started Friday night.

Three others are heavily involved in their offense as well. Thomas Plunkett is their leading rusher, with 795 yards and six touchdowns. Mason Mento also has 398 yards for six touchdowns. Quarterback Brady Jones has paired his 1,204 passing yards with 576 rushing yards as well. Their ability to get consistent yardage with so many guys is so hard to stop. For them to win round one, they should attack Central’s defensive line.

Defensively though, Penn Cambria has 11 interceptions. Their defense has been tough to pass on, which is Central’s strength on offense. Mento leads the Panthers with 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. 

Overall, this game appears to have a favorite in Penn Cambria. If Central plays them like they have in years past, then it could be a different story. The history between these teams makes the stakes of this game even bigger and could make this game very competitive.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews