Hometown Sports - Mifflin/Juniata

24/11/2025

23/11/2025

By Dom Reed
UNIVERSITY PARK - Penn State (4-6 1-6 conf) welcomed in 7-3 4-3 conf Nebraska on senior night at Beaver Stadium at Westshore Home Field.

Penn State won the toss and elected to defer it would work to their advantage early as the Cornhuskers would march down the field going 69 yards and seven plays the big play came from Emett Johnson but the Penn State defense would stand tall on a fourth down and one yard to go Zane Durant would make the stop the Nits also had impactful plays leading up to the big stop by Amare Campbell.

Penn State would also drive down the field on their opening possession the big play would pay dividends as the Nittany Lions scoring drive would hold true as Penn State would have key blocking from Kyron Hudson Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea for a four yard reception on a scoring drive that insisted of 7 plays 98 yard drive that resulted in a Lions score.

Penn State's Kaytron Allen would also pass Saquon Barkey in rushing yards as Allen and Nicholas Singleton would both match with 50 yard runs on explosive plays.

Nebraska would respond on a 11 yard TJ Lateef score with his legs to make the score a little more respectable but the Cornhuskers would still have work to do.

The crowd would go wild. Allen would make history, passing Evan Royster as the all-time rushing leader 2,934 yards.Allen would then find the endzone on a 13 yard score to extend the Nits lead 37-10

Penn State would get more key blocking this time it would be from Khalil Dinkins as Singleton would find the endzone on a 10 yard rushing touchdown tying Barkley with 43 touchdowns. To give the Nittany Lions a 23-3 lead Ryan Barker's kick would go wide left.

Penn State would hold true on defense holding the Cornhuskers to a modest three points Singleton and Allen would rush for 123 total between the two backs in the first half.

Penn State really got the running game going in their 37-10 win over Nebraska to a tune of 234 yards on 38 attempts Singleton and Allen both had strong showings in their final home game at Beaver Stadium Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 11 of 12 for 181 yards on one passing touchdown coming on a passing play to Rappleyea.

Penn State senior night would come with pure class and grit with the Nittany Lions helping lead interim head coach Terry Smith to his second win as a head coach Penn State will look to clinch a bowl eligible berth next week when they travel to Piscataway New Jersey next Saturday in hopes to even their record.

Penn State holds an all time record of 31-2 all time against the Scarlet Knights the last time the Nittany Lions lost to Rutgers came back in the 1980's as members of the big ten Penn State holds a 9-0 record against Rutgers.

22/11/2025

TVAA MVP 🥇

21/11/2025

20/11/2025

20/11/2025

The Mid-Penn's All-Star teams are out for football! Here is a complete list of the Keystone all-division offensive squad.

19/11/2025

By Dom Reed
LEWISTOWN - The Mifflin County Athletic Department introduced three great student athletes to the media on Tuesday evening to further their sports careers into reaching new heights.

All three student athletes that were introduced Tuesday all can take something with them into their next journey and not just becoming a better athlete but a better person as well.

After high school life they all say your friends go down different paths or different roads these three kids and I call friends will be making a difference in their community and their college.

Madden Weaver has always loved sports since he was a little kid what led Weaver to picking Mercyhurst was insight from a coach that reached out and said he would be a great fit for our school .Weaver was mutli sport athlete in high school participating in track basketball and his primary sport baseball and thats what Weaver will continue his career at Mercyhurst as he will compete in the North East Conference.Weaver played baseball all year around he really dedicated his time to the sport whether it was traveling to play for Flood City or being a participant of Prep Baseball Report which includes showcases around the world he never fell short of a goal that he envisioned and that was to move up in the ranks in baseball.
“It's all about staying consistent putting in the work whether its training or lifting and it's about staying healthy,” said Madden Weaver. “I’m really excited about playing at the next level and i'm ready to make some noise and be a team player and work my butt off.”Weaver will also major in Sports Management.

“Madden is a great example of a kid who worked hard to get what he wanted and not everybody is always willing to do that,” said Mifflin County baseball coach Ray Hopple. “He has worked hard at his craft since he was probably seven or eight so tonight is a culmination of all of that work and if anybody knew how hard he worked and what he did they would know He's a great example of achieving your goals with hard work.”
“He has loved baseball for as long as i can remember i'm super proud of him and his family he will be a wonder ambassador for our program moving forward.

Reese Cubbison is set to take his success with him to Duquesne and will further his education in computer science. There has been no shortage of success when it comes to the Cubbison family. Kylee runs at Bowling Green and has cememeted her name into record books in a very short time and i expect the male figure to do the same thing. Cubbison will bring with him tons on knowledge on how to run races and knows how to compete and simply makes everyone else good around him placing 13th in the states during the 2025 cross country season and was one time indoor and outdoor state qualifier and a three time cross country state qualifier. Reese Cubbison said: I just have to keep the momentum going and i want to continue to improve and hopefully break a four minute mile and make it to the NCAA's later on.

This leads us to our final member that will never be forgotten as he broke record after record at Mifflin County and will look to do the same once he gets to Oklahoma State Carter Smith will continue his career at OKlahoma State and still remains undecided on what he will be majoring in.
Smith was once a baseball player but decided he was going to be a runner and stuck with it and took off with it and hasn't looked back since with many of achievements. Not many people can say they got voted as a Track and Field Gatorade Player of the Year but he did that.

“I just have to continue to push myself and focus on making a impact it's honestly going to be a tough transition but i still think i can make it to nationals and they really have great cross county team so,” said Carter Smith.
His coach Alex Monroe agreed.
“Yeah you know two different athletes but they are very close,” said Monroe. “They've done all their training together and they just made a decision you know a year or two years ago and they were going to try to make something of themselves and today is that celebration and i'm just so excited for them pure joy to work every day with them but I always love going to work with them.

19/11/2025

The $40 million mulligan
By: Greg Maresca

Virginia Tech made headlines by hiring James Franklin as its next football coach because nothing screams “fresh start” like picking up a guy who was fired just over a month ago. Soon after the announcement came Franklin addressed the press in Blacksburg, Virgina to explain why this is such a great idea.

The Virginia Tech signing was a significant financial windfall for Penn State as the university will avoid paying approximately $40 million that was originally tied to James Franklin’s buyout clause that was one of the largest in college football history.

After a lackluster 3-3 start, Franklin was sent packing and ended his 12-year tenure in Happy Valley, a period that saw consistent competitiveness but ultimately fell short of delivering the elusive national championship. The move underscores both the urgency and the high stakes of modern college football where performance expectations and financial realities collide in dramatic fashion.

Initially, Franklin’s buyout was a jaw-dropping $49.7 million because nothing says “job security” like a golden parachute big enough to fund a small country.

After negotiations, the two sides agreed to slash that cosmic sum of $49.7 million to a mere $9 million. Yes, nine. What a bargain, right? Such a figure is a clearance-rack buy in the world of collegiate football coaches’ buyouts. And as if that wasn’t generous enough, the settlement also torched the offset clause that would have forced Penn State to keep cutting checks if Franklin’s next gig didn’t match his old salary. In other words, Penn State basically paid him handsomely to pack his bags and roll.

As for Franklin’s new gig at Virginia Tech, the financial details are still locked up tighter than the game plan before kickoff. However, when your last paycheck at Penn State was a cool $8.5 million, you are not exactly clipping coupons or eating at bargain buffets.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech is currently limping along with a 3-7 record, which makes this hire feel less like a strategic masterstroke and more like a desperate Hail Mary from deep your own endzone. The Hokies have been under the temporary stewardship of Philip Montgomery since September, after Brent Pry was shown the door for starting 0-3.

Pry’s buyout? A modest $6 million because apparently, in Blacksburg, Virginia firing coaches is less of a last resort and more about taking part in the national trend of cutting checks to make coaches go away.

Virginia Tech just approved $229 million in new athletic funding over the next four years. Because if you are going to hire a coach fresh off a firing, why not throw a quarter-billion dollars at the program to make it look intentional? This is college football economics at its finest: hemorrhage cash, pray for wins, and call it “building a culture.”

The absurdity is staggering.

Penn State paid Franklin $9 million to pack up and leave Penn State, while Virginia Tech is backing up the Brinks truck to welcome him with open arms. It is the kind of financial football theater that makes the U.S. federal government look frugal.

In the end, the only real winners are the coaches because in this game mediocrity pays, and loyalty is just a line item on a contract.

And here is the subplot no one asked for: Virginia Tech is a Nike school, while Penn State is ditching Nike for Adidas in 2026. Cue the conspiracy theorists whispering that Adidas wanted Franklin gone.

Totally unconfirmed, but this is college football where rumors are a sport of its own.

Franklin’s arrival in Blacksburg isn’t the finale; it is the opening act in what promises to be the most chaotic hiring season in years. Big-name vacancies are still looming at LSU, Florida, and at Penn State. So, buckle up, because the coaching carousel isn’t just spinning; it’s doing 360s at warp speed while boosters continue to toss around cash like confetti.