The 9-1 Tyrone Golden Eagles have their work cut out for them this week, but if they handle it they will control their own destiny for the Mountain League title.

Tyrone will play two of the top five teams in District 6 AA, on the road against Penns Valley on Wednesday and at home against Mount Union on Friday.

The Penns Valley Rams are a solid 9-2 this year, losing only to Huntingdon and Bellwood.

Penns Valley may have the strangest game strategy of all the teams Tyrone faces this year.

The Rams will hold and pass the ball for two minutes on almost every offensive series, melting the clock away until an opportunity for a layup appears.

If it were up to the Rams, they would probably prefer to score 12 points a game, just as long as the other team only has time to score ten.

Don’t believe it? Penns Valley averages 54.7 points per game. Tyrone averages 64.4.

In a sport where games are often decided by 5 points or less, (Penns Valley has had 3 of the these games)  that’s kind of a big difference. Compare that to Bald Eagle who scores 66.7 points a game. Although they score more points, Bald Eagle is a measly 4-6.

Their style of play is not the most exciting brand of basketball to watch, but it has served them well so far in the wins department.

A lot is riding on the Penns Valley game for Tyrone.

The Rams just took down Clearfield on Monday night, leaving the Mountain League title wide open for the Golden Eagles. If Tyrone can win Wednesday night against Penns Valley and beat Clearfield at home in the upcoming weeks, the title is theirs to lose.

“The Penns Valley game is huge for us. And it’s tough to beat [the Rams] up there. We will just have to score early and establish our own pace before they can control the game,” said Tyrone junior Tony Politza.

The game on Friday versus Mount Union presents a different set of challenges for Tyrone.  Mount Union has an entirely different style of play as compared to Penns Valley.

Comprised of the same athletes that took them to the District 6 championship in football, the Trojans usually don’t run a lot of plays. They like to match their athletes against their competitors and challenge them one on one.  So far they have found a lot of success doing this, posting a solid 9-1 record.

If Mount Union has a weakness, it is their strength of schedule. They play mostly ICC teams, who often aren’t a challenge for teams outside of their conference. In fact, the only tough teams Mount Union has played are Bellwood and West Branch, beating the former in a nail-biter and losing to the latter in a blowout.

Another thing that makes this matchup even more intense is the rivalry Tyrone and Mount Union have developed this year. Tyrone upset Mount Union in the District 6 Football Championship Game this season, surely breaking the hearts of many a Trojan. And with so many football players on their team, the Trojans are probably thinking revenge.

“We have some important games ahead of us. Penns Valley did us a favor by beating Clearfield, but now we need to do ourselves a favor and take them down on Wednesday. And then turn around and beat Mount Union at home,” said senior guard Tristan Lingafelt.

It’s a big week for the Golden Eagles. Hopefully Tyrone can continue to play well, because they will need to against these two opponents.