Under the Friday night lights at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field, the Tyrone Golden Eagles delivered their most complete and electric performance of the season as they toppled top-ranked Huntingdon 41-21 and shook up the District 6 Class 3A playoff picture in the process.
“We had a different energy tonight,” said senior receiver Mason Emigh. “Coming off two losses, we knew we had to stop the run early and make them play from behind. We executed that perfectly.”
With the win, Tyrone (4-3) improved to the number four seed and sent a clear message: the Golden Eagles aren’t just in the hunt. They’re peaking at the right time.
From the opening kickoff, Tyrone set the tone. The defense forced a quick three-and-out on Huntingdon’s first possession, and moments later, quarterback Eli Woomer launched a 42-yard strike to Ashton Emigh to ignite the crowd and put the Eagles in scoring position.
One snap later, Caleb Whitby powered his way into the end zone from 12 yards out, and Tyrone had a 7-0 lead just two minutes in.
That early punch was only the beginning.
After another defensive stop, Tyrone’s offense struck again. Whitby broke free for a 35-yard run, then capped the drive with a punishing 17-yard touchdown, his second of the night.
Huntingdon showed why they were 5-1, responding with a 67-yard scoring drive finished off by quarterback Hunter Erdman’s 11-yard run, cutting the deficit to 14-7 late in the first.
But Tyrone’s offense, now firing on all cylinders, never blinked.
Woomer was surgical on the next drive, completing all four of his passes, including connections with Mason Emigh, Marshall Martin, and Brayden Parsons, before Whitby bounced outside for a 22-yard score, his third touchdown in just 14 minutes of play.
Up 21-7, Tyrone’s defense forced yet another punt. The offense then mounted a clinical 79-yard drive that consumed the final five minutes of the half. Woomer found sophomore Dylan Robinson for his first varsity touchdown on a 5-yard pass with 37 seconds left, sending Tyrone into the locker room with a commanding 28-7 lead.
Whatever adjustments Huntingdon made at halftime, weren’t enough to slow the Eagles.
On their opening possession of the third quarter, Tyrone marched down the field again, highlighted by a 36-yard completion to Mason Emigh.
Whitby cashed in from six yards out, his fourth touchdown of the night, stretching the lead to 35-7.
Though the Bearcats clawed back with a pair of scoring drives to close the third, cutting the lead to 35-21, Tyrone never wavered.
A few weeks ago, in a heartbreaking collapse against Bellefonte, the Eagles let a similar lead slip away. But not this time.
This time, Tyrone answered with authority.
The offense chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter on a 14-play, clock-grinding drive, featuring key third-down conversion receptions by Martin and hard fought yards from Ashton Emigh.
Though the series ended without points, it kept Huntingdon’s offense off the field and drained their comeback chances.
On the very next series, Mason Emigh came up with a crucial interception to halt any remaining momentum from the visitors.
Woomer sealed the win with a 3-yard touchdown run, and Owen Oakes added the exclamation point with his third interception of the season. The offense lined up in victory formation shortly after.
Tyrone’s offense exploded for 457 total yards, 257 of those on the ground. Whitby led the way with a career-high 200 yards on 29 carries and four touchdowns, breaking eight runs of 11-plus yards behind a resurgent offensive line.
“The line really showed out this week,” Whitby said. “It felt great to get the run game rolling again.”
Woomer had one of his cleanest outings yet, going 12-of-18 for 200 yards, spreading the ball to five different receivers. Mason Emigh led the group with 68 yards on three catches, while Robinson, Martin, Parsons, and Ashton Emigh each made key contributions.
With Woomer’s performance, he placed himself in Tyrone football history as the only player to ever record 1000+ receiving yards and 1000+ passing yards in a career.
Defensively, the Eagles were just as sharp. They held Huntingdon to 226 total yards, only 63 through the air and allowed just two third-down conversions on six attempts. The front seven clogged rushing lanes, while the secondary capitalized when it mattered most.
The win, aided by a Bellefonte victory over Philipsburg-Osceola, solidified Tyrone’s place among the top four in the district rankings with three games to go, including crucial matchups against reigning champion Penn Cambria and playoff hopeful P-O.
Friday night wasn’t just a bounce-back win. It was a statement to everyone in District 6.
Tyrone is finding its identity, and if this performance is any indication, the best football might still be ahead.
Next up: 10/10 at Penn Cambria 7PM
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Huntingdon 7 0 14 0 — 21
Tyrone 14 14 7 6 — 41
First Quarter
T–Whitby 12 run (Novak kick), 10:03.
T–Whitby 17 run (Novak kick), 5:19.
H–Erdman 11 run (Snare kick), 1:42.
Second Quarter
T–Whitby 22 run (Novak kick), 9:14.
T–Robinson 5 pass from Woomer (Novak kick), :37.
Third Quarter
T–Whitby 7 run (Novak kick), 7:22.
H–Erdman 21 run (Snare kick), 5:55.
H–Hughes 1 run (Snare kick), :43.
Fourth Quarter
T–Woomer 3 run (kick failed), :44.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs
H: 10
T: 25
Total yards
H: 208
T: 448
Rushes-yards
H: 22-155
T: 44-253
Yards passing
H: 53
T: 195
Passing (comp.-att.-int.)
H: 6-11-2
T: 12-18-0
Punts-avg.
H: 3-37.3
T: 1-38
Fumbles-lost
H: 0-0
T: 1-0
Penalties-yards
H: 2-20
T: 2-15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Huntingdon, Edmiston 7-33, Guisler 3-(-7), Gibson 1-1, Lane 3-34, Erdman 7-85, Hughes 1-9.
Tyrone, Whitby 30-200, A. Emigh 9-43, Woomer 5-10.
PASSING
Huntingdon, Guisler 1-2-0-9, Hughes 5-9-2-44.
Tyrone, Woomer 12-18-0-195.
RECEIVING
Huntingdon, Erdman 1-9, Edmiston 1-2, Carthen 1-19, Gibson 2-7, Doson 1-16.
Tyrone, A. Emigh 2-59, Martin 4-40, M. Emigh 3-67, Robinson 2-18, Parsons 1-11.
