Coming off of a forfeit bye week, Tyrone is ready to open their 2022 playoff run this Friday night against the Central Dragons. Due to the forfeit win over St. Marys, Tyrone gathered enough points to secure the second seed in the playoffs and will host the Dragons on Friday at Gray Memorial Field.

Tyrone’s last game against Hollidaysburg was a big one for the team and the program. Tyrone beat a much bigger opponent and proved they can hold a lead.

Central is ranked third in the playoff bracket and is looking to keep its high-flying offense going.

This game is a great matchup pitting one of the best offenses in the area against one of the top defenses.

The key to Central’s offense is quarterback Jeff Hoenstine, who has lit up the stat board with 2848 passing yards and 40 touchdowns and only one interception.

Central’s leading receiver, Eli Lingenfelter, has accounted for 1199 of those yards and 21 touchdowns.

Hoenstine also gets it done on the ground as well, with over 400 rushing yards on the season, both from designed runs and QB scrambles.

While Central’s explosive offense is potent, its defense has not been as dominant, giving up 230 points on the year. In comparison, Tyrone’s defense has only given up 126 points so far this season.

Tyrone’s defense had a great showing in the first half against Hollidaysburg, but they will need to clean things up when trying to hold a lead.

Tyrone’s offense was revived last week, scoring 35 points in the first half after being shut out in the second half by Penns Valley.

During the game against Hollidaysburg, Ashton Walk threw for 261 yards and scored four touchdowns through the air. Ross Gampe also had another great game with 118 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Tyrone is hoping to keep that offense rolling heading into the playoffs.

The Eagle’s offensive skill players match up well against Central’s, but just like the rest of the year, this game will come down to which team can control the line of scrimmage.

On both sides of the ball, Tyrone’s line will need to play all out if they want to win on Friday night.

The defensive line will need to put pressure on Hoenstine and force him to make mistakes.

Defensive ends Andrew Weaver and Ross Gampe will need to contain Hoenstine in the pocket and let Braden Ewing make plays on the quarterback.

On the offensive side of the ball, Central and Tyrone are similar in size, meaning the game will likely come down to who wants it more.

This Friday will be a premier playoff matchup between two excellent teams. Kickoff is at 7 pm at Gray Memorial Field. The game will also be live-streamed on the Tyrone Eagle Eye YouTube Channel.