The Moshannon Valley Black Knights/Damsels will head out to face off against the Homer-Center Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Moshannon Valley is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 55 points two weeks ago, they were much more limited against Berlin Brothersvalley on Friday. They lost 34-8 to the Mountaineers. The loss continues a trend for the Black Knights/Damsels in their meetings with the Mountaineers: they've now lost four in a row.
Moshannon Valley's defeat came about despite a quality game from Rocco Reifer, who rushed for 118 yards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Homer-Center, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 41-6 win over Portage. Considering the Wildcats have won five contests by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Moshannon Valley better keep an eye on Carson Arone. He was instrumental in Homer-Center's win, rushing for 138 yards and two scores on only 15 carries, while also throwing for 50 yards and one touchdown. They are undefeated when Arone posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 2-3 otherwise. Gabe Cobaugh also helped with two TDs in total.
Homer-Center was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 188 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Homer-Center, racking up 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Codey Bell, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Homer-Center has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 30.4 points over those games. As for Moshannon Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Moshannon Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 172.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Homer-Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 182.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
