‘Those guys are playmakers.’ State College’s young talent shines in blowout victory over Altoona
State College football got back in action Friday night after inclement weather canceled last week’s match-up with Hollidaysburg, and the Little Lions let their youth shine as they cruised to a 49-7 victory over Altoona.
During the game, State College commemorated the half-century mark for its 1973 state championship team. In a homecoming for the old squad, they got to see if their season could be replicated in a new era.
State College had question marks coming into the season, as many of its key players graduated. A big performance from its non-seniors may prevent such questions from coming in future seasons.
Shown by the emergence of sophomore D’Antae Sheffey, coach Matt Lintal is no stranger to turning to his younger players to make an impact.
“Super excited about the young talent we have,” Lintal said. “Those guys are playmakers.”
State College started the game down 0-7, following an Altoona touchdown. Sheffey immediately looked to respond for his squad, taking a kick return the distance before it was called back due to a block in the back.
Sheffey didn’t give up there, as he then took a handoff that almost went to the house, but he tripped — leaving him with a 24-yard gain.
“I wanted to split it so bad,” Sheffey said. “Someone just caught me on my leg ... I should’ve had that.”
Even though he didn’t score, his run helped his squad eventually get it in for a touchdown on a goal-line fade to junior Michael Gaul.
Poor execution by the Mountain Lions came back to bite, as its run-heavy offense couldn’t generate anything. Things continued to pile on after, as the squad shanked its punt out of bounds, giving State College the ball deep in enemy territory.
In scoring position, Lintal went right back to the two-way player, with a big run by Sheffey putting them back in the red zone. This time, Sheffey got the chance to put one on the board, running it in for his team’s first lead of the game.
The other young Lion to stamp his impact on the game was sophomore Daimear Coad. As the Altoona offense began to stall, he took advantage of the extra possession time, making multiple big plays for his squad.
The young duo worked together, as a 43-yard catch for Coad set up Sheffey’s second touchdown of the day, extending the lead to 21-7.
In similar fashion to Sheffey’s first drive, Coad was rewarded for his crucial plays, as he took a screen pass down the Mountain Lion’s sideline for a 51-yard score — the first of his career.
In one half of play, the Little Lions’ young guys had already put the game out of reach for the cross-town opponent.
“Really excited for Daimear to get his first touchdown here and have a really great night,” Lintal said. “So there’s a lot more coming from that.”
Though Coad and Sheffey put the ball in the end zone, Coad credited the dominating half of play to junior Eddie Corkery.
“Our QB really knows what he’s doing,” Coad said. “Eddie stepped up and did what he had to do.”
The second half went as expected, as deep shots to juniors Ty Salazer and Cooper Brushwood deepened the Little Lions’ lead.
The Little Lions ended the game in victory formation, and they got back in the win column after a loss in week 2 to Downingtown East.
“It was beautiful,” Coad said. “A lot of people doubted us after (losing), we had to just come and do what we had to do.”
State College now moves to 2-1 and will head on the road next week to take on Central Dauphin.
Other scores from Centre County
Penns Valley 43, Philipsburg-Osceola 32
Bald Eagle Area 41, Tyrone 22
Clearfield 26, Bellefonte 7
