The Tyrone Golden Eagles started strong and finished stronger Friday in Roaring Spring in a 28-6 Laurel Highlands victory over Central.
After taking a 14-0 into halftime, Tyrone’s offense flatlined in the second half until the Dragons pulled within a touchdown at 14-6 with 3:43 to play. But after recovering an onsides kick, the Eagles got a touchdown reception from Caleb Whitby and a pick-6 from Brayden Parsons to close out Central and improve to 2-1.
Here are four takeaways from the game.
FIRST DOWN: OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE
Tyrone’s offense has experienced a roller coaster ride of outcomes through three games. There are times when it can score in a hurry and times when it can grind out drives that last 10 plays or more.
And then there are other times, like the third and fourth quarters against Central, when moving the ball is a struggle.
The one constant for the Eagles so far has been the defense, which is allowing just 11 points per game and has held each of its last two opponents to a single touchdown.
The group has been stout against the run and it may well have the best secondary in the Laurel Highlands. On Friday, it also showed it can get the ball back to its offense.
The Eagles forced six turnovers against Central, converting two of them to touchdowns, in its best showing thus far where takeaways are concerned. Mason Emigh and Brayden Parsons each had two picks, with Parsons returning his second 35 yards for a late score. Owen Oakes had the other one to shut down a Dragon advance at the end of the first half.
Those turnovers gave the Eagles 9 total takeaways on the season, seven of which have come by way of interception. Perhaps just as important, Tyrone has turned four of those takeaways into touchdowns.
As the Eagles strive to find four-quarter consistency on offense, it’s been helpful to play behind a defense as stingy as the one they’re fielding every Friday. Sometimes, as in Tyrone’s 49-6 win over Westmont in Week 2, it’s a luxury. But there are other times like Friday when you need your defense to be the backbone of the team, and so far it looks like Tyrone has that group.
SECOND DOWN: TOP CORNER
If the first three weeks of the season are a fair indicator, you’re not going to find a better cover corner in the Laurel Highlands than Tyrone junior Mason Emigh. You may not find a better defender, period.
Emigh has been a lock-down corner through three games, and throwing his way has not been easy for opposing quarterbacks. He leads the team with three interceptions and he even has a fumble recovery for good measure.
His size and speed make him a difficult matchup in zone or man coverage, but it’s his athletic instincts that set him apart. His first interception against the Dragons is a good example.
JJ Moushlian was behind the coverage, but Emigh never lost track of the man or the quarterback, so he was able to track the pass and get it at its high point.
He’s got a nose for the ball, which generally puts him in good positions to make things happen.
On top of that, Emigh is strong against the run and a sure tackler. His 12 total tackles are fifth on the team, and 10 of those are unassisted. It’s tough to get by him in the open field, and he’s proven very good when coming off his coverage to make a tackle.
While he leads the team with more than 200 receiving yards, Emigh is quietly putting together one of the better performances for a Tyrone defensive back in a while, and considering the way the Eagles have spread the ball around in their passing game, his greatest impact this season may be on the defensive side of the ball.
THIRD DOWN: RESPONDING
In the last two games, Tyrone has shown tremendous resiliency in answering back opponents’ scores.
Granted, the defense has allowed just one touchdown in each games, but it’s a testament to the Eagles’ offense that each time it has responded by driving the field.
Against Westmont Hilltop in Week 2, Tyrone rebounded from a long Hilltopper scoring drive at the end of the first half to move 68 yards in less than 30 seconds for a touchdown that restored a three-score lead.
But last Friday against Central was the big one. After the Dragons had marched 78 yards for a score that cut Tyrone’s 14-0 lead to 14-6 with 3:43 to play, the Eagles bounced back with a 50-yard, three-play scoring drive capped by a 45-yard touchdown reception by Caleb Whitby that made it 21-6 with 1:32 to play.
That’s a good sign for the Eagles, who haven’t yet shown the offensive consistency to pull away from quality teams. But with a defense strong enough to keep them in any game, their knack for bouncing back will be big moving forward.
FOURTH DOWN: BIG STRETCH
The gauntlet of a Laurel highlands schedule is grueling, especially this season in 3A.
That makes this week’s game for Tyrone an important one.
The Eagles travel to Wingate to take on 1-2 Bald Eagle Area, which is coming off its first win of the season in a 21-0 shutout of Penns Valley.
Considering the strength of 3A in 2025, almost every game is a must-win, but none more so than those you should win, and the Eagles will be heavily favored against BEA.
After that, things really start to heat up, and the remainder of Tyrone’s schedule will be against top playoff contenders. A week after playing Bald Eagle, the Eagles will host Bellwood-Antis before traveling to Altoona to play defending Class A state champion Bishop Guilfoyle. Both of those teams have been hampered by injuries early in the season but should be much healthier when they play Tyrone.
Tyrone then closes the season with games against Huntingdon, Penn Cambria, and Philipsburg-Osceola – three teams ranked ahead of Tyrone in 3A heading into Week 4. The Bearcats are undefeated after topping B-A 7-6 last week, while Penn Cambria and PO have just one loss apiece.
Tyrone will determine its own playoff fate against that late-season schedule, but only if it can handle its business against BEA.
ORANGE AND BLACK 