After escaping a close game this past Friday with a win against the Philipsburg Mounties (35-27), the Tyrone Golden Eagles finished the COVID-shortened regular season at a perfect 5-0 and have entered the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Tyrone will face the Penn Cambria Panthers, who boast a 3-3 record, this Saturday, 7pm at Gray Field.

The last time the Golden Eagles won a playoff game was in 2015.

While the game alone has enough hype around it already, there is actually a story within the story.

Golden Eagle Head Coach John Franco coached this same Penn Cambria’s senior class, who were sophomores when he came back to Tyrone.

While Tyrone has a better regular-season record, the two teams have no common opponents. Therefore, those comparisons cannot be made.

On paper, Penn Cambria is a pass-heavy offense and looks to succeed through the air.

Through six games, the Panthers have averaged 179 yards per game passing and 132 yards per game on the ground.

Penn Cambria is led by sophomore quarterback Garrett Harrold, who has over 1000 yards passing, as well as 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in just six games. He proves to be a dual-threat, leading the Panthers in rushing with 313 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

Harrold’s go-to receiver is senior Nicholas Marinak, who has 27 receptions for 467 yards and an impressive four touchdowns. Marinak is also second in rushing with 143 yards with only 15 carries.

The keys for the Golden Eagle defense is containing Penn Cambria’s explosive wideouts as well as getting a pass rush and hopefully sacking the Panther quarterback.

On the offensive end, the Tyrone lineman must make time for quarterback Brandon Lucas to make plays and also push back the Panther defensive lineman to open holes for running back Tommy Hicks to gain some yardage.

If the Golden Eagles can achieve a win, it will be the first time since 2014 Tyrone will be headed to the district championship. However, the only way to the top is through the Penn Cambria Panthers.

Expect a game where explosive plays are common and defensive stops are crucial. The Eagle Eye will live-stream the game on its YouTube channel.