Jones focused on starting things off right for seniors
For more than three decades, the Tyrone football program was coached by John Franco or a member of his coaching tree.
To put that into perspective, the last time someone outside of that sphere coached Tyrone on an opening night, Michael Jordan had yet to retire from the Chicago Bulls for the first time, the movie Dazed and Confused was just about ready to be released in theaters, and Bill Clinton was less than a year into his first term as United States President.
So it will be no small thing on Friday when Coach Jason Jones leads the Golden Eagles onto Gray-Veterans Memorial Field to face Bellefonte in the season-opener. As a relative outsider to the program, he’ll be in uncharted territory.
But rather than focusing on the start of a new era, Jones, who will also be making his varsity debut, would rather see the attention and energy directed elsewhere, and in the lead up to the game he singled out two groups in particular: the seniors and the line.
It’s a night for our seniors and a night to play hard, but for them, it’s their last first game. We want to make it special for them.
Tyrone Coach Jason Jones
From his first day on the job, Jones had been asking for leadership and buy-in from the year’s senior class, elements that would be essential for any coach hoping to rebrand a program to their liking. After a summer of weightlifting and 7-on-7s followed by camp in August, Jones said couldn’t be much happier with the way his 12th graders have responded, so he looks at the game against Bellefonte as one for them.
“It’s a night for our seniors and a night to play hard, but for them, it’s their last first game,” Jones said. “We want to make it special for them. They have done well. Those guys, and their ability to work together as a group, make me excited as a coach to now finally be able to play games. The pressure on me is not Xs and Os. The pressure on me is to make sure we as a coaching staff give them everything they deserve for what they have given us through camp and Week 1.”
What they deserve is yet to be determined, but in a perfect world Jones would hope it includes success when it comes to running the football. It’s not that the coach feels he has to get a specific number of running plays in against the Raiders, but rather that the offensive line has done so much to improve that Jones would like to see their effort rewarded on the field.
“These guys have worked really hard, so I think it’s important for us to establish the running game to show everybody we’re not a one-dimensional team that’s just going to throw the football,” Jones said. “We’re a multi-faceted team that can do a bunch of different things. I’m excited about this group, and a lot of that is their preparation.”
The matchup is an interesting one for the Golden Eagles in a lot of ways. By many measures, Bellefonte had its best season since before COVID last year, when it finished 6-7 and won the District 6 4A championship. But Tyrone had the Raiders dead to rights in the season opener, leading for most of the game before things collapsed and Bellefonte scored two touchdowns in the final 1:43 to win 21-20.
Many of the skill players who produced that rally return for the Raiders, as do many of Tyrone’s best skill guys.
For the Eagles, leading receiver Mason Emigh and top rusher Caleb Whitby, who each had touchdowns against Bellefonte, return from last season, as does quarterback Ben Walk, who began to see significant action in the final four weeks of 2025. Other players have emerged as further offensive weapons, including running back Reid Starr and receivers Jon Stroup and Jesse Parks.
But ultimately, the game will be a measuring stick for how well Tyrone’s line, which lost all but one starter to graduation, has rebuilt following a season in 2025 when running and pass protection were not bright spots. However, the overall inexperience of the line could be mitigated if things go to plan for the offense.
“For us, the biggest thing is starting with the run game and getting playmakers in space,” Jones said. “When you can get the opposing team guessing, you’re doing your job.”
Tyrone has enough playmakers to do that, but Bellefonte has plenty of playmakers on its roster as well, and it starts with sophomore quarterback Alten Howell and senior slotback Ashten Howell. They combined for more than 800 rushing yards in 2025 after Alten was forced to start at quarterback following an injury to starter Brennan Huntsinger. Other big returners in the passing game include Landyn Langille and tight end Caleb Bartley.
Like the Eagles, the philosophy at Bellefonte is to find top athletes in open space, and while that will push Tyrone’s defense, it’s a challenge Jones likes.
“They have a variety of playmakers who, like us, make them difficult to prepare for,” Jones said. “Bellefonte has a bunch of good athletes, but I’ll take our playmakers up against anybody.”
One important x-factor on defense for the Eagles will be senior Kyler Suhoney, who after a strong junior year as an edge pass rusher is set to have a breakout season in 2026. His athleticism and ability to track down the quarterback are disruptive, and they’re things the Raiders will be forced to account for on every offensive down.
Jones said above all he and his staff are hoping to gauge where the team is under the new administration at this point in the process. He’s also trying to avoid burdening the seniors with heavy expectations in Week 1, preferring instead to play loose and focus on enjoying the moment.
“We want to set the bar for where we’re at, and that shows how far we have to go to reach our goals,” he said. “As a staff, we don’t want to put too much pressure on the guys. Bellefonte is talented and well-coached.”
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