vs
| 11/22/24 - Home | 41-19 W |
| 11/22/19 - Neutral | 24-21 W |
| 12/04/15 - Neutral | 19-3 W |
Central Catholic has gone a perfect 3-0 against State College recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Vikings are taking a road trip to challenge the Little Lions at 7:00 p.m. Central Catholic is coming into the game hot, having won their last 11 games.
Central Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 42-7 victory over North Allegheny. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Vikings' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Tigers are ranked 69th).
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Jayden Alexander and Chrys Black Jr. Alexander rushed for 73 yards and one TD while Black Jr rushed for 62 yards. Alexander showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 58 yards.
Central Catholic didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited North Allegheny to a completion percentage of just 50%. The Vikings weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 28.6%.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Central Catholic, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Alexander, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, State College got themselves on the board against Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, but Wilkes-Barre never followed suit. They breezed past the Wolfpack to the tune of 52-0. That looming 52-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Little Lions yet this season.
Central Catholic better keep an eye on D'Antae Sheffey. He was instrumental in State College's win, rushing for 150 yards and four scores on only 15 carries. Sheffey is becoming a predictor of the Little Lions' success: when he posts at least 100 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Zach Spicer, who rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown on only 12 carries.
Central Catholic's record is now 11-1. As for State College, their record now sits at 10-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Central Catholic has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like State College struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 209.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Central Catholic took their win against State College in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 by a conclusive 41-19 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
