Football Game Preview: Bellefonte Raiders vs. Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineers + How To Watch

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Previous Games

10/04/24 - Home	43-0 W
10/06/23 - Away	13-14 L
09/23/22 - Home	9-8 W
09/03/21 - Home	22-6 W
10/23/20 - Away	35-7 W
+ 5 more games

Bellefonte has gone 9-1 against Philipsburg-Osceola recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Raiders will take on the Mountaineers at 7:00 p.m. That contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Kaven Smith-kirk and Colton Chapman.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Area meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Raiders fell 19-14 to the Eagles.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Philipsburg-Osceola, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They had just enough and edged out Bellwood-Antis 31-28. Philipsburg-Osceola's win was all the more impressive since the Blue Devils were averaging only 14.5 points allowed on the season.

The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Chapman and Alex McCartney. Chapman had a great game on Friday and rushed for 182 yards and a pair of scores. Meanwhile, McCartney did his best for the losing side, rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

Philipsburg-Osceola's defense made their presence known, laying out Bradyn Partner three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Chapman, Connor Guenot, and Mason Marlow, who each picked up one sack apiece.

Philipsburg-Osceola's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.3 points over those games. As for Bellefonte, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.

Everything came up roses for Bellefonte against Philipsburg-Osceola in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 43-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.