Central (2-0) at Tyrone (2-0)
Gray-Veterans Memorial Field
Friday, September 11, 2026
Last Time Out: TYRONE – defeated Westmont Hilltop 34-7 last Friday at Windber Stadium. The Golden Eagles ran for 257 yards behind 98 yards on 16 carries from Caleb Whitby and cruised to the Laurel Highlands crossover win after scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter. Mason Emigh had three touchdowns on a pick-6, a 42-yard run, and a 10-yard reception from Ben Walk. Walk also had a touchdown pass to Jesse Parks. Tyrone’s defense, meanwhile, limited the Hilltoppers to 143 yards of total offense, including just 32 rushing yards on 19 tries. CENTRAL – put up big numbers for the second straight week in a smothering 44-0 shutout of Greater Johnstown at Trojan Stadium. Jesse Muthler threw for 133 yards and a touchdown and Semaj Musei ran for 106 yards and another score in Central’s second 40-point game of the season. Defensively, the Dragons held Johnstown to 138 total yards and forced three turnovers.
Series: Tyrone and Central will be facing off for the 53rd time Friday in a series that dates back to 1970. It was firmly solidified as a yearly contest as the decade progressed and both teams joined the Big 8.
As far as rivalries go, there are few on the Eagles’ schedule that have been as evenly contested. After the first 10 years, Tyrone held a slim lead with 5 wins and 4 losses and one tie – a 20-20 stalemate in the team’s first matchup in 1970.
The Dragons gained some steam heading into the 90s with five straight victories from 1989 through 1993, but an upset 14-6 win for the Eagles in 1994 set Tyrone off on a string of seven consecutive wins up to 2000, when Central left the Big 8 to join the Laurel Highlands. The Dragons returned to the schedule in 2007 when they joined the Mountain Athletic Conference, and Tyrone won two more lopsided victories before 2009, when Central topped the Eagles 14-7 in the final game of the regular season to cop the conference championship.
The Eagles returned the favor two weeks later with a 7-0 win in Roaring Spring in the District 6 2A semifinals. Tyrone would get two more wins over Central in 2010 and another in 2011, but since then the Dragons have held the upper hand, winning 11 of 14.
The teams have faced each other five times in the postseason, with the Dragons holding a 3-2 edge, including a 17-14 win in the 2A championship in 2020.
The Eagles lead the overall series with 25 wins and 24 losses with one tie.
Coaches: TYRONE – Jason Jones (2-0, 1st season); CENTRAL – Gerald Albright (11-13, 3rd season)
Last Meeting: The Golden Eagles had 199 yards of offense in the first half but clung to a 14-6 lead late after their offense stalled in the second half at Roaring Spring Athletic Field.
Following Carter Schenk’s 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Tyrone needed to recover an onsides kick, and it did, opening the gates on a late flurry that produced two touchdowns in the final 1:32 to put the lid on a 28-6 victory on Friday, September 5, 2025.
Caleb Whitby scored on a 45-yard screen pass and Brayden Parsons returned an interception 35 yards for a score to close the books on the Dragons, who turned the ball over six times, five by way of interception.
Eli Woomer passed for 174 yards and Whitby ran for 81, but the Dragons held Tyrone to just 72 yards of total offense in the second half.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: TYRONE – Caleb Whitby (RB-DB) 27 carries for 127 yards, 1 TD, 2 Ints. … Ben Walk, (QB) 12-for-29 for 148 yards, 3 TDs … Mason Emigh (WR-DB) 6 receptionsf or 109 yards, 2 TDs … Carter Gwinn, (WR-DB) 4 receptions for 32 yards … Kyler Suhoney (OL-DE) 23 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks … Dylan Robinson (RB-LB) 11 tackles, 2 TFL … Connor Zupon (QB-LB) 11 tackles. CENTRAL – Jesse Muthler (QB-DB) 22-for-31 for 330 yards, 3 TDs … Semaj Musei (RB-DB) 25 carries for 202 yards, 1 TD … Carter Schenk (WR-DB) 14 carries for 80 yards, 4 receptions for 71 yards, 4 TDs … Bentley Dickson (WR-DB) 7 receptions for 159 yards, 1 TD.
TYRONE –is allowing just over 215 yards per game …. has not opened a season 3-0 since 2022 … has registered 14 tackles for loss … has 5 players with at least one receptions.
CENTRAL – is averaging 179 passing yards per game … has run for 8 touchdowns … WR Bentley Dickson is averaging 22.7 yards per reception.
Hidden Stat: Tyrone has not beaten Central at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field since 2011.
ORANGE AND BLACK 