Tyrone (1-1) at Central (1-1)
Roaring Spring Athletic Field
Friday, September 5, 2025
Last Time Out: TYRONE – defeated Westmont Hilltop 49-7 at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field. The Eagles ran for 265 yards behind 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries by Caleb Whitby. It was part of a big night in general for Tyrone’s offense, which generated 419 yards and 7 plays of 28 yards or more. Eli Woomer completed 8 of 14 passes for 154 yards and touchdowns to Brayden Parsons and Marshall Martin, and Mason Emigh pulled down 3 receptions for 98 yards. The Eagles’ defense dropped six plays behind the line of scrimmage and limited the Hilltoppers to 19 rushing yards on 20 carries. CENTRAL – defeated Greater Johnstown 14-6 in Roaring Spring thanks to a 6-yard touchdown run by Jesse Muthler with 12 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. The game was scoreless entering the fourth quarter before Colton Harbaugh got the Dragons on the board with a 5-yard run. The Trojans tied it with 8:39 to play, but the Dragons responded with a 17-play drive that took up all but the final few seconds of the game. Muthler fronted Central’s offense, completing 14 of 23 passes for 130 yards. Running back Semaj Musei ran 17 times for 146 yards.
Series: Tyrone and Central have faced each other 50 times since the series began in 1970, including five matchups in the District 6 playoffs. The Dragons held a comfortable lead in the series before Tyrone ripped off nine consecutive wins from 1994 through 2008. The peak years of the series came in 2009 and 2010 when the teams squared off four times, twice in the postseason. In 2009, the Dragons won in the regular season finale 14-7 in Roaring Spring, but Tyrone paid a return visit to the Cove in the District 6 2A semifinals and defeated Central 7-0. One year later, Tyrone rallied in the Cove to win 21-20 in the regular season, and then defeated the Dragons 17-7 in the postseason. The Eagles and Dragons have played one time in the District 6 championship game, a contest won by Central 17-14 on a last-second field goal in 2020.
In as evenly contested a series as one could imagine, both teams have won 24 games, while two have ended in ties.
Last 10 games: Central leads 9-1.
Coaches: TYRONE – John Franco (225-66 in 25 seasons at Tyrone; 286-149-2 overall); CENTRAL – Gerald Albright (6-7).
Last Meeting: Central punched in a touchdown late in the first half and scored on the first possession of the third quarter before hanging on to win 13-7 at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field on Friday, September 6, 2024.
The Eagles were driving near the end of a scoreless first half and got as far as Central’s 34, but on fourth down Ashton Walk was sacked just shy of midfield, handing the ball over to Eli Muthler and the Dragons’ explosive offense. Muthler completed 4 of 5 passes on the ensuing drive, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Deterline with 29 seconds to play, and then ran for a 25-yard touchdown on Central’s first possession after halftime to make it 13-0.
Tyrone got a 55-yard touchdown reception on a screen from Walk to Seth Hoover in the third, but didn’t muster much offense afterwards.
Walk completed 14 of 34 passes for 208 yards, while Muthler connected on 16 of 35 for 217 in a showdown between two of Blair County’s top quarterbacks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: TYRONE – Eli Woomer (QB-DB) 19-for-34, 383 yards, 3 TD … Caleb Whitby (RB-DB) 26 carries for 209 yards, 3 TD … Ashton Emigh (RB-LB) 8 carries for 21yards, 2 TD, 3 receptions for 58 yards, 4.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks … Brayden Parsons, (WR-DB) 4 receptions for 38 yards, 1 TD … John Stroup (WR-LB) 3 receptions for 49 yards … Owen Oakes (OL-LB) 12 tackles, 1 sack … Kyler Suhoney (OL-DE) 3 TFL, 1 sack … Marshall Martin (HB-LB) 12 tackles, 2 TFL … Mason Emigh (WR-DB) 4 receptions for 178 yards, TD, 1 Int., 1 TFL. CENTRAL – Jesse Muthler (QB-DB) 30-for-51, 364 yards, 1 TD, 13 tackles … Semaj Musei (RB-DB) 23 carries for 157 yards … JJ Mushlian (WR-DB) 10 receptions for 104 yards … Bentley Dickson (WR-DB) 7 receptions for 80 yards … Colton Harbaugh (RB-LB) 20 tackles, 1 sack … Jett Butler (OL-DE) 2 TFL, 1 sack.
TYRONE – has not won in Spring Cove since 2018 (33-13) … has stopped 21 plays behind the line of scrimmage … WR Mason Emigh is averaging 44.5 yards per catch. Ashton Emigh is just over 19 and John Stroup 16 … defense has not allowed a touchdown in the third quarter, where Tyrone has outscored its first two opponents 27-0.
CENTRAL – is averaging 19 points per game … QB Jesse Muthler is averaging just over 12 yards per completion but has thrown for just one touchdown … 10 receivers have at least 1 reception.
Hidden Stat: QB Eli Woomer is 17-for-22 in the first halves of Tyrone’s first two games.
ORANGE AND BLACK 