Philipsburg-Osceola at Tyrone Game Preview

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

Hunter Myers | October 16, 2025

30 points. That is the difference in ranking points between the Philipsburg-Osceola Mounties (4-4) and the Tyrone Golden Eagles (4-4) entering the final two weeks of the season, as these two teams have jockeyed for the District 6 Class 3A four seed all year. Only four teams in the 3A class can make the District 6 playoffs, making this a regular season playoff game. Currently, Tyrone sits above the cutoff at 630 points, while Philipsburg trails at 600. Months of hard work, all aimed at the goal of playing for a chance at the district title, will come to a head on Friday night under the lights of Gray Veterans Field.

These two foes have met a staggering 70 times since their first matchup in 1956, when Tyrone beat the Philipsburg 25-14. That first game was an indication of how the all-time series would go, as the Golden Eagles have won 49 of the 70 games, good for a 70% win percentage. It has been 21 years since Philipsburg has prevailed over Tyrone, as the Golden Eagles have won the last 19 games, with the streak starting in 2004. The last meeting between these two opponents came in 2022, when Tyrone forced a shutout and won 49-0 behind 396 yards of total offense. However, this Philipsburg team has steadily improved over the last few seasons, already matching their win totals from 2023 and 2024, with two games remaining.

The Mounties entered 2025 with goals to continue improving on their last two seasons of 4-6 records, missing the playoffs in both, and they will have their chance Friday night. The Mounties started the first four weeks with a prolific rushing attack but have since fallen off, going for less than 100 yards in three of their last four games. According to Coach Vroman, “the offensive line did a decent job in last week’s football game. We put ourselves in manageable down and distance situations for most of the football game. We had several pre-snap penalties that set us back,” as they were shut out against McCort for the first time since Week 7 of last season. Philipsburg’s Colton Chapman will play a large role in their game plan, as the senior RB has over 700 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns thus far. Chapman will get his chance against a Tyrone defense that has allowed 247 rushing yards per game in its last four.

The job will not be easy for the Mounties, according to Coach Vroman, as they will have to “get ready to face a well-coached, athletic football team in Tyrone.” Two weeks ago, Coach Franco said his team’s “backs were against the wall each week” in trying to reach the playoffs, but now Tyrone finds itself with a golden opportunity at home to keep itself above the cut line. After starting 3-1, Tyrone is 1-3 in its last four, playing opponents with a combined record of 24-8, compared to the 9-23 of its first four opponents. The Golden Eagles’ junior RB Caleb Whitby has exploded recently, rushing for two straight 100+ yard games, totaling 312 yards and five touchdowns across them. Against Huntingdon, Whitby scored twice in the first six minutes. Look for Coach Franco to try and get him started early again.

Heading into this pivotal week, Coach Vroman’s “players know what is at stake,” as the carousel of the season continues moving. The key to this game for Tyrone will be its front seven and whether it can reverse the trend of struggling against good rushing offenses. Meanwhile, Philipsburg will need to stop Tyrone’s explosive third-down offense. The Golden Eagles went 3-for-3 for 35 yards passing on third downs against Huntingdon, and if the Mounties cannot get them off the field, it will be hard to slow them down. On Friday night, Gray Veterans Field will be rocking, as we get an early playoff game in mid-October.

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