Central to Face Guilfoyle in Rare Match

It might seem hard to believe, but, despite both teams’ success and proximity to one another, Central only has played Bishop Guilfoyle three times on the football field in the programs’ histories.

That just makes it that much more special when the state contenders get together.

“It’s kind of funny,” Scarlet Dragon junior lineman Caden Schenk said. “My dad and I were talking about it. We called it kind of our Super Bowl.”

There definitely will be a lot on the line on Friday night when Schenk and his unbeaten Dragons entertain a Guilfoyle team likely to put Central’s run defense to the test at Roaring Spring Athletic Field.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The squads enter the contest with combined records of 7-1. Central is coming off a 41-20 victory at Bellwood-Antis, its closest game of the season so far. Guilfoyle is riding a three-game winning streak after opening the season with a 17-7 loss at undefeated Bald Eagle Area – the Marauders beat Huntingdon 53-20 last week in their closest victory of the campaign.

Dragon coach Dave Baker believed this would be his team’s biggest challenge to date.

“We felt [coming into the season] that Bishop Guilfoyle would be an equal team to Tyrone, but they seem to be better,” Baker said.

While shifting league affiliations and fluctuating enrollments have kept the four-time PIAA champion Marauders and three-time state semifinalist Dragons’ meetings few and far between, the games they’ve played have been thrillers. None of them have been decided by more than eight points, and three points have separated the teams in the last two encounters – Central emerged with a 21-20 win at Mansion Park Stadium to open last season.

Clashes should be a more frequent occurrence with both schools now in East Section 1 of the expanded Laurel Highlands Conference.

The new LHAC alignment has also added significance to this week’s clash. The top team in the East will play the top team in the West in a de facto conference championship game in Week 10. Currently, Central and BEA are both undefeated, while BG has the one loss.

Central and Bald Eagle don’t play each other this season. For Central to have an opportunity to play for the LHAC title, it needs to keep winning and hope BEA slips up or that it can get the tiebreaker with the Eagles.

Guilfoyle, meanwhile, needs a triumph over Central to serve as the cherry on top of winning out in its eight games following the BEA setback. Then it needs the Eagles to lose twice the rest of the way.

“This game,” Baker said, “is really important.”

While Central’s proficiency throwing the football has taken center stage again this season, it might very well come down to the Dragons’ ability to stop Guilfoyle’s running game that will determine the outcome this week.

“Our defense seems to be pretty good, although Bellwood was able to run on us to a certain extent. We felt they had a good running game and blocked well,” Baker said. “Going into Bishop Guilfoyle, we’re going to have to stop their running game, because that’s what they do.”

After running for more than 318 yards against Huntingdon, Guilfoyle comes to Central averaging 230.0 yards on the ground, led by Ryan Hagg with 317 but also with Kaden Wyandt and Hamilton Gates over 100.

Bellwood rushed for more than 150 yards and five yards per carry against Central last week. Guilfoyle, though, has the capability of doing that and more out of a variety of formations and also to use the run to set up a dangerous passing attack.

“BG’s going to be a challenge. That’s for sure,” said Schenk, who is tied for sixth on the Dragons with 12 tackles this fall and will be in the middle of the line battles on Friday night.

“I think as long as we have a very dedicated week of practice and are all dialed in, it should work out pretty well.”

Hunter Smith, Lukas Black, Wyatt May, Troy Butler and Cameron Westrick have been among the other standouts on the Central defense in the first month of the season.

If Guilfoyle can move the ball via the run, the Marauders will be able to keep Central’s explosive offense off the field. Against Bellwood, Eli Muthler threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Jack Dunn caught nine passes for 252 yards and three scores.

Central doesn’t seem to have missed a beat despite graduating top players like Jeff Hoenstine and Eli Lingenfelter from the team that nearly made the state finals a season ago.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Schenk said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but that’s what we’re made for. Iron sharpens iron. I know our guys up front are ready.”

In other Week 5 games …

Berlin Brothersvalley Mountaineers (4-0) vs. Northern Bedford Black Panthers (4-0)

Date and time: Friday, 7 p.m.

Site: Panther Community Stadium, Loysburg

Coaches: Berlin Brothersvalley -- Doug Paul; Northern Bedford -- Garry Black

Last game: Berlin Brothersvalley -- defeated Laurel, 27-0, on Sept. 15; Northern Bedford -- defeated Everett, 34-7, on Sept. 15

Last meeting: Berlin Brothersvalley, 45-7 (District 6 Class 1A championship game, Nov. 27, 2015)

Series record: Northern Bedford, 12-7 (first met in 1958)

Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs (1-3) vs. Curwensville Golden Tide (1-3)

Date and time: Friday, 7 p.m.

Site: Coach Andy Evanko Stadium, Curwensville

Coaches: Claysburg-Kimmel -- Chuck Kassick; Curwensville -- Jimmy Thompson

Last game: Claysburg-Kimmel -- lost to Juniata Valley, 27-6, on Sept. 15; Curwensville -- defeated Southern Huntingdon, 55-13, on Sept. 15

Last meeting: First meeting

Series record: 0-0

Juniata Valley Green Hornets (4-0) vs. West Branch Warriors (0-4)

Date and time: Friday, 7 p.m.