Preview: Central Dragons vs. Clearfield Bison
After three games on the road, Central is heading back home. They will take on The Clearfield Bison at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Pennsylvania (Central is ranked 99th, while Clearfield is ranked 123rd).
Last Friday, Central took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 42-7 victory over Bedford. The result was nothing new for Central, who have now won five games by 21 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Eli Muthler, who threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.5 yards per attempt. Muthler is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Thaide Mickel, who rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Bedford to a paltry 104 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Central's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Kasey Imler and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Clearfield's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell 35-28 to Richland.
Despite their loss, Clearfield saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Will Domico, who threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Freeland, who picked up 100 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Central's win was their fifth straight on the road, which bumped their overall record up to 8-0. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 0-8 Bellefonte and 1-7 Huntingdon (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 22.5% over those games). As for Clearfield, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-2.
We should be in store for an exciting game Friday as the two teams have no problem gaining yardage. Central has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 400.6 total yards per game. However, it's not like Clearfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 359.2 per game. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Everything came up roses for Central against Clearfield when the teams last played back in November of 2022 as the team secured a 35-6 win. Does Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Clearfield turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
