The Tyrone Golden Eagle football team will travel to Martinsburg on Friday for a much anticipated matchup with the Central Dragons.

Both teams enter the contest 1-0.  Last week Tyrone hung on against Bellwood in a nail-biting 18-14 win. Central easily topped Tussey Mountain 34-12 in their season opener.

“This is definitely a huge game for us,” said senior outside linebacker Duane Boone. “In the past couple of years Central has been a bigger rival for us than Bellwood, so it should be a dogfight.”

The Golden Eagles will look to avoid a letdown after their emotional and memorable last second win in the 2014 edition of the Back Yard Brawl.

Any follower of Tyrone football knows exactly how much the Central game means to the team. Last year the Dragons took down the Golden Eagles on their home field. The previous year Central scored a convncing shutout win at home.  This cross-county rivalry has even spilled over into the winter, as Central knocked Tyrone out of the AA boys basketball playoffs last season with a late-fourth-quarter run.

Both teams bring quality skill players to the contest.   Central quarterback Noah Benton has been hooking up with Justin Helsel on deep plays for Central.  Tyrone’s veteran receiver and defensive back Nick Getz has made key plays on both sides of the ball.  Tyrone will also look to junior Ricky Reader and senior Duane Boone coming on the outside blitz.

The Central game plan thrives on a high risk, high reward mindset.

On defense, the Dragons usually stack eight defenders in the box to stop the run. Their two linebackers also play very close to the line of scrimmage. If Tyrone can penetrate Central’s first level of defense, they could break some huge runs. If not, it could be a long night for the Golden Eagles.

On offense, Central runs a spread formation. They stretch the defense across the field and use their athletes to beat other athletes one-on-one. Benton has had a lot of success throwing the ball, relying on his athletic receivers to make the play.   If Tyrone can keep the Dragons from making big plays down the field, Central may have a rough time driving the ball without making a few mistakes.

The weather may prove to be a factor on Friday. The forecast is a sweltering 90 degrees late into the day. Both teams will have to stay hydrated to avoid cramping up.

All things considered, this matchup is likely to be an exciting one. Tune in to our live updates on Twitter if you can’t find your sunscreen.