By KERRY NAYLOR
Daily Herald
Sports Correspondent
Tyrone coach John Franco knows all too well how dangerous Indian Valley can be, regardless of their record. After all, in 11 years of coaching in a league that has come to be known as the Mountain Athletic Conference, no team has stung him more than the Warriors.
It all started in 1994, Franco’s first season at Tyrone. The Eagles were 4-4 and looking for a piece of its first Big 8 crown since 1988, and all that stood in the way was a game against Valley at Gray Veterans Memorial Field.
It was a game the Warriors controlled from start to finish, and which they won 15-0. IV rode back to Mifflin County with a Big 8 championship, while Tyrone was left to wait until next season.
When that time came, the Eagles got off to their hottest start in 50 years, going 8-0 before a rematch against Valley, again at Gray Vets Field. The 2-6 Warriors knocked Tyrone from the unbeaten ranks with a 13-7 upset, although the Eagles eventually advanced to the PIAA semifinals.
Valley added another win in 2001, and the all-time series between the schools stands at 9-7 in favor of Tyrone. Franco’s record against the Warriors is 7-3, his worst record against any MAC team save Huntingdon.
That’s why you can bet Tyrone (6-1) will be psychologically ready to play the Warriors (1-6) tomorrow at Gray Veterans Memorial Field on Senior Night. Although the Eagles are ranked seventh in the state this week by the Pennsylvania Football News, Franco won’t allow them to take the hapless Warriors lightly.
“We have a lot of respect for Indian Valley” said Franco. “I’m always impressed with their talent. When they beat us in ‘95 when they were 2-6, that was no fluke. They were good. And Stoker is such a good coach. I wasn’t surprised at all to see how he’s resurrected that program.”
But while Valley teams of the past have impressed and burnt Franco, this Warrior team is somewhat different. The Warriors of 2004 are undersized, with only three players 220 pounds or above, and they have had serious difficulty scoring with consistency.
Part of the problem has been Valley’s inability to sustain drives as a result of turning the ball over, coach Gawen Stoker said.
“We’ve had troubles with turnovers, but it varies. Some weeks it’s fumbles, and other weeks it’s interceptions. Some weeks it’s both. It doesn’t take many of those before you start losing offensive opportunities.”
The Warriors have been shut out three times this season, while scoring a single touchdown on three other occasions. They’re averaging just 7.7 points per game.
Tyrone, meanwhile, has gotten its offensive groove back after a bump in the road three weeks ago n Philipsburg. Tyrone has outscored its last two opponents 69-13 and is currently averaging 31 points and 340 yards per game.
“We’d better tackle. We haven’t done that very well at times this season,” said Stoker. “Tyrone keeps coming at you and sooner or later they get loose and score. (Leonard) Wilson does an outstanding job running their offense and they have great backs and receivers. They mix the run and the pass effectively and they get timely play calling. Their offensive and defensive lines don’t get a lot of press, but they get the job done.”
In fact, Wilson may not get credit enough. While senior Brice Mertiff is on the verge of his second 1,000-yard season, Wilson—a junior in his second season as a starter—is playing as steady as always. He’s completed more than 50 percent of his passes for 597 yards and been picked just twice, both coming against P-O.
It’s all a part of the steady improvement to which Franco said the Eagles dedicated themselves after losing to the Mounties.
“After P-O we wanted to go back to step one and try to improve each week,” Franco said. “We have to do that because of the situation we put ourselves in. But IV will be prepared this week. I fully expect to get their best game of the year.”
Milestone
Earlier this season, Mertiff went over the 3,000-yard mark for his career, and tomorrow, with 12 yards on the grounds, he would become only the third Eagle rusher to gain 1,000 yards in two seasons.
Mertiff has 988 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 125 carries, and currently leads the MAC Nittany Division in rushing yardage.
“Brice would be the first to say it’s been a team effort,” said Franco. “There’s no such thing as doing it on your own. There are a lot of good backs that don’t get 1,000 yards because their lines aren’t any good, but Brice is an outstanding runner and he has an outstanding line.”
Marcus Owens (1995-96) and Jesse Jones (1998-2000) are the only other Golden Eagle backs to gain over 1,000 yards more than once.
District Changes
District 6 has been already been affected by the entrance of Philadelphia public schools into the PIAA, with some schools being reclassified and others moving from the west region to the east region.
The Mifflin County School District, for different reasons, has plans to shake up District 6, as well.
Indian Valley and Lewistown High Schools have twice petitioned the PIAA to be moved from District 6 to District 4, where they say they would be met with more favorable traveling conditions. Each time the move has been rejected.
For his part, Stoker could see validity to both sides of the argument.
“How I feel doesn’t matter,” Stoker said. “It’s something we’re looking at and I want what’s best for the school. Right now, we’re on the edge of District 6, and we would be on the edge of District 4. It has its advantages and disadvantages, and our people feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. There has been some resentment from people in District 6, but how long will we be in District 6 before they say there aren’t enough triple-A teams to have four go into the playoffs?”
