Tyrone hosts Chestnut Ridge again in Week 10 crossover
Three hundred sixty-five days ago, Tyrone was preparing to go to New Paris to face Chestnut Ridge in a Laurel highlands crossover game that held significant playoff implications.
A win would be good enough to jump the Eagles past Central into the No. 3 spot in the District 6 3A standings, providing a favorable matchups in the semifinals and an easier route to the championships game.
At the same time, the Eagles were beginning to expand their offense and find a rhythm in the running game, something that had been sorely lacking during a 2-4 start.
It’s a story that’s strangely similar to the one playing out this season, as the Eagles again look for a strong finish to propel them to a favorable playoff positioning.
And like last season, Tyrone’s running attack may be establishing a groove at just the right time.
The Eagles and Lions face off Friday, this time at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field on Senior Night, in another LHAC crossover game.
“I’ve been telling my coaching staff for the last two weeks that this reminds me of last year because we knew we could throw the ball. The thing was, could we run the ball?” Tyrone coach John Franco said. “The running game is coming along. Our passing game has never left. Hopefully we can keep that trend going and let our offensive line dictate the ball game.”
Tyrone’s ground game experienced some low points midway through the seasons, capped by a pair of games in Weeks 5 and 6 against Bellwood-Antis and Bishop Guilfoyle where the Eagles gained just 44 and 48 yards, respectively, with the run. Huntingdon in Week 7 was a turning point.
In that one, Tyrone collected 257 yards on the ground against a stout run defense, led by 200 from junior Caleb Whitby. In the two games since then, the Eagles have rushed for 174 and 118 yards against Penn Cambria and Philipsburg-Osceola, with Whitby gaining 112 against the Panthers and 75 on 10 carries against the Mounties.
Whitby now has 751 yards on 124 carries and has a 1,000-yard season back in his sights.
It’s all been a part of a trend Franco said needs to continue if Tyrone (5-4) is to win its game against the 4-5 Lions.
“We want to keep the offense going on that path, and we think it’s been doing pretty well,” said Franco. “It’s still all dependent upon our offensive line. They’ve been getting better. Since the Huntingdon game, they’ve played their best football of the year. Our running game is definitely getting better, but that’s because our line had been playing much better.”
Of late, the Eagles have expanded their offense to include the passing talents of junior Ben Walk, who has played part of each of the last two games at quarterback to strong results. Last week against P-O, he went 4-for-5 for 89 yards and a touchdown pass to Mason Emigh.
His play has allowed Tyrone’s QB1 Eli Woomer to split out wide and get into passing routes, something at which he was quite adept during his junior and sophomore seasons, when he gained more than 1,000 receiving yards. As a passer this season, Woomer has completed 71 of 141 passes for 1,218 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Emigh has been Tyrone’s top target no matter who is throwing the ball, and he leads the team with 19 receptions for 423 yards. Brayden Parsons is second with 14 catches for 305 yards, and in all four players have 179 or more yards through the air.
On defense, while the Eagles are surrendering almost 180 yards per game on the ground, their saving grace has been the strength of their pass coverage. Along with 13 sacks, Tyrone has recorded 19 interceptions, including a pick-6 from Ashton Emigh that helped to seal last week’s victory over the Mounties.
The key has been preventing big plays and forcing even those teams that prefer to run the most into passing situations. It’s there that Tyrone’s secondary has thrived, but getting to that point will be challenging against the Lions, who average 174 yards per game on the ground.
They’re led by fullback Jayden Imler, who has gained 851 yards on 153 carries, along with Cooper Barefoot, who has 358 yards on 39 tries (9.2 yards/carry).
The concern for Franco is Ridge’s talent in running the triple option.
“When they get their fullback going, that’s how they win games,” Franco said. “We’ve been working all week on shutting him down, and making sure we have the quarterback and pitch man covered. The option is something we are going to have to get used to, and I hope it doesn’t take us too long.”
The Lions are coming off a 55-15 win over Westmont Hilltop where they ran for 377 yards, but the top teams on their schedule have found ways to limit their effectiveness with the run. Forest Hills, Penn Cambria, and Bellwood-Antis all held Ridge below 100 yards, with the Blue Devils keeping the Lions to a season-low 51.
When Chestnut Ridge does throw, it’s with sophomore Landyn Pincin, who played the game against Tyrone last season as a freshman due to injury. In that game he went 10-for-14 for 114 yards; this season, he has completed 71 of 127 passes for 793 yards, but he has also thrown 9 interceptions, which makes finding a way to put Ridge in passing situations critical for the Golden Eagles.
The win over P-O locked Tyrone into the 3A playoff bracket, but it’s possible they could jump one place from No. 4 to No. 3 with a victory over the Lions and some help. It’s an outside chance, but a Golden Eagles win, combined with a win by Bellwood-Antis over Forest Hills, could allow Tyrone to jump into the third position, which would mean a second game against No. 2 Huntingdon, a team Tyrone dispatched 41-21 three weeks ago.
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