For two years, Huntingdon has been a part of turnaround seasons for Tyrone.
In 2023, the Eagles’ 39-7 win over the ‘Cats came during a 5-game winning streak that earned Tyrone a spot in the District 6 3A semifinals. Last season, when the Eagles were 2-4, a 32-7 victory at over Huntingdon at War Vets Field began another 5-gae winning streak that didn’t stop until the Eagles fell in the 3A title game.
After dropping the last two games to Bellwood-Antis and Bishop Guilfoyle, the Golden Eagles are in need of another winning streak to make a run at a spot in the District 6 playoffs, but the Huntingdon team they will face Friday at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field is not the same one they steamrolled during the last two campaigns.
At 5-1, the Bearcats are the surprise team of District 6. Just two years ago, during the first season of the Tim Lucko coaching era, Huntingdon finished 2-8, and it followed that up in 2024 by going winless, dropping all 10 games on the schedule.
But the ‘Cats have been a different team in 2025. While they have beaten the teams they should have beaten, like Somerset and Central, they also have some signature wins on their resume, like a season-opening victory over Bald Eagle Area, a 7-6 win against B-A in Week 3, and 28-27 win over Clearfield in Week 5.
Huntingdon is a team that’s for real, and it presents some challenges for the Eagles, who are reeling after starting the season 3-1.
The biggest test for Tyrone (3-3) will be limiting the ‘Cats running attack, which is averaging 171 yards per game. It’s led by three players – quarterback Elliott Guisler and running backs Evan Edmiston and Landon Erdman, who have collected more than 250 yards on the ground. In the win over Central last week, both Edmiston and Erdman rushed for more than 100 yards.
Tyrone has had its problems stopping run-heavy attacks over the last two weeks. The Blue Devils ran for 253 yards and the Marauders got 238, and that was with the Eagles essentially knowing runs were coming most of the time.
It’s been a strange turnaround because from Weeks 1 through 4 Tyrone was particularly strong against the run. Bellefonte’s Ka’ven Smith-kirk was the only back to get 100 yards in a game during that time, and that took him breaking a 67-yard run early on on a broken defensive assignment.
The Eagles’ run defense will need to experience a return to early-season form because running the football is what the ‘Cats do. It’s an essential part of the team’s DNA and those teams who have limited it have kept themselves in the ballgame. Huntingdon managed just 50 yards on the ground in their 14-6 win over BEA in Week 1. Bellwood-Antis held them to 91 in their 1-point loss, and BG limited them to 20 yards on 19 carries in a 38-14 win.
The ‘Cats average fewer than 6 completions per game and have thrown for more than 100 yards only twice.
Even if Tyrone can slow the Huntingdon running game, the Eagles will still have work to do to revitalize an offense that at one point was averaging more than 30 points per game, but has managed just 6 points in the last 9 quarters.
Much of the problem stems from Tyrone’s own inability to run the football. Since running for a season-high 265 yards against Westmont-Hilltop in Week 2, Tyrone has not gotten 100 team rushing yards again, and in their last two games the Eagles have been held below 50 yards rushing.
The Eagles’ trap game has been particularly ineffective, with defenders from the backside of the play frequently getting through the disrupt rushing attempts. It’s one of the reasons junior running back Caleb Whitby has gone from a back with a promising opportunity at a 1,000-yard season to one with just 364 yards, averaging 60 yards per game, with four games left in the season.
Tyrone’s passing attack has remained a factor during that time, though its effectiveness has waned as the Eagles ability to run has declined. Quarterback Eli Woomer has completed 51 of 104 passes for 903 yards and 7 touchdowns, and Mason Emigh (10 receptions for 254 yards) and Brayden Parsons (12 receptions for 277 yards) have been the go-to receivers. But the passing game bottomed out along with the running game a week ago when the Marauders held Tyrone to 64 yards passing on 7 completions.
With its .500 record, Tyrone is ranked fifth in 3A and on the outside of the playoff picture, 120 points behind fourth-place Philipsburg-Osceola. But the Eagles find themselves in the unique position of playing three of the teams ranked in front of them during the regular season, and it begins Friday against Huntingdon.
ORANGE AND BLACK 