The Tyrone Golden Eagles (9-1) tomorrow will have the opportunity they have been waiting for since October 2.
That was the day after – the Saturday following the Eagles’ deflating 7-6 loss at Philipsburg-Osceola. For the Mounties, it was a win almost as big as a District championship after losing to Tyrone for 10 straight seasons. That much was evident when hundreds of the reported 7,000 fans on hand stormed the field afterwards in celebration.
But for Tyrone, it was a time to refocus, and take a look at what was happening inside the program ordained in last November to go undefeated in 2004 and win no less than a District championship.
“That game shook us and made us realize that we’re just like everybody else,” said Tyrone coach John Franco. “We had to regroup and prove ourselves again.”
Tyrone more than proved itself over the ensuing five weeks, outscoring its opponents 206-44, and now it finds itself back where the season truly began – facing the up-and-coming Mounties (9-1) in a game that will have the eyes of Central Pennsylvania on it, this time in the District 5-6 AA semifinals at Gray Veterans Memorial Field (7 p.m.).
It’s the second straight season the teams have met in the semifinal round. The Eagles come in as the No. 2 seed, while P-O is third. The winner faces the winner of the Bishop McCort-Central Cambria game next week at Mansion Park.
Last season, Tyrone disposed of P-O 58-14 in the semifinals on its way to a seventh District championship. But the win inspired the Mounties and set the stage for their dramatic win last month.
Now, Tyrone won’t be seeking revenge as much as trying to prove that they’re a different team five weeks later.
“We want to try to prove that we’re better, but it’s not revenge,” Franco said. “I hate that word. They beat us, and I tip my hat to them. Now, we want to compete and see if we can beat them. That’s the challenge, but it’s not revenge.”
The challenge is made tougher because the Mounties have traveled a path similar to that of the Eagles. After their win over Tyrone legitimized them as a team with serious District title aspirations, the Mounties were humbled a week later in a 6-3 loss to Bellwood-Antis. With that loss as a focus point, P-O is now playing its best football of the season, as evidenced by last week’s 31-14 win over Chestnut Ridge.
“The kids are very focused right now,” said P-O coach Jeff Vroman. “Even before the first Tyrone game, I don’t know if I saw them focused like they are now. They’re aware that a win puts us in the District 6 championship and a place we’ve strived for.”
In the first meeting – a classic defensive struggle that hearkened back to Tyrone/P-O games of the mid- to late-80s – the contest hung on missed opportunities.
Tyrone stopped P-O on its first possession on third-and-long before a facemask penalty on a quarterback sack gave the Mounties new life. One play later, quarterback Jeff Winters hit Lou Lafuria for a 41-yard touchdown.
The Eagles advanced as far as P-O’s 25 seven times and only once cashed a drive into points.
P-O nearly iced the game with a productive drive in the fourth quarter before Lafuria missed a 27-yard field goal.
Vroman and Franco both stressed the need to make the most of those opportunities the second time around.
“People say that in the first game we only had 130 yards, but we drove down and missed a field goal, and that’s an opportunity we need to cash in on,” Vroman said. “We played conservative at times, and a lot of that was me. I didn’t want to give Tyrone opportunities through turnovers.”
“Our defense set us up for our opportunities,” said Franco, who saw his defense limit P-O to 69 yards rushing in the first game. “We can’t expect them to set the table for us all the time this game, but if they do, we have to take advantage of it.”
Franco said one of Tyrone’s biggest problems in Week 5 was its inability to block well against a quick and spirited Mountie defense. That much was evidenced by 1,600-yard rusher Brice Mertiff’s 39-yard output – his lowest in since his sophomore season. In his place, Brinton Mingle gained 102 on 16 carries, but Tyrone will need a big game from Mertiff this time around.
“Since that day, we’ve worked on the simple blocking fundamentals, and we’ve blocked very well,” Franco said. “They’re incredibly quick and talented. We’ve seen few teams as big and strong on the offensive line as we are, but now we have to be quick.”
Another problem as far as the Eagles were concerned was the turnover battle. Junior quarterback Leonard Wilson has thrown for 818 yards and seven touchdowns this season, but his two interceptions both came against P-O, with one coming at the end of a drive that saw Tyrone penetrate as far as the Mountie 6.
Tyrone also was unable to capitalize on P-O miscues. After recovering a fumble at the P-O 33, Tyrone drove to the 4 and was unable to convert on fourth-and-inches.
“We have to correct the mistakes of last time while accentuating the positives,” said Franco.
Rematch Challenge
Every playoff game has unique challenges but playoff rematches add a new dimension to the equation. As the adage goes, it’s tough to beat the same team twice in one season.
However, both Vroman and Franco see playing a conference foe as a positive.
“It makes it a little easier in that we know them a little better than we would a team from Johnstown,” Vroman said. “We’ll be playing them for the fourth time in two years.”
“We’re used to each other,” Franco said. “So they are going to adjust and we’re going to try to counter-balance that and vice-versa. It becomes like a chess match.”
Unexpected Contribution
There are players on both teams with numbers that command attention. Winters leads the Nittany Division with over 1,100 yards passing. Lou Lafuria set a P-O record with 694 yards receiving. Mertiff has 26 touchdowns. Mingle has 18. Terry Tate has 16 tackles for loss.
But Vroman believes the key to the game could be one unheralded player making a difference when his team needs it most.
“We have playmakers, but I expect it to be a team effort,” said Vroman. “There’s going to be an unsung hero somewhere in the game that makes a big play. It will probably be someone people don’t expect who doesn’t get a lot of ink.”
Thanks for the Bouquet
Franco’s wife Sue said she received a bouquet of flowers again this season from an anonymous fan.
Each year since 1995, she has received what she described as “a beautiful bouquet,” as a kind of thank you. The flowers are accompanied by a note that says “Thank you for sharing the coach with us.”
Sue Franco said she has never found who sends the flowers, but she wanted to extend her own thank you for the gesture.
