Hometown Sports - Mifflin/Juniata

09/12/2025

Monday night, the East Juniata girls basketball team found itself in a nail biting contest again Halifax in Tri-Valley League action.
Unfortunately for the Lady Tigers it would be Halifax that would take home the victory, winning 41-36.
East Juniata’s offense was led by Madison Snyder who had 12.
Teammate Landyn Cramer who chipped in nine.
Halifax’s leading scorer was Lauren Sharbaugh with 15. Teammate Bebe Roland followed up with 11.

09/12/2025

Monday the East Juniata boys basketball team fell to a tough Halifax team 62-48.
Halifax was led by Josh Zahurak who cashed in 18 in the win.
East Juniata was led in scoring by Wrett Smith who posted a 16-point effort.

09/12/2025

JV Striders Bring Home the Hardware at AAU Cross Country Nationals

The JV Striders had an outstanding showing at the AAU Cross Country National Championships in Knoxville, TN this weekend, bringing home five medals and another All-American honor.

Leore Rowland continued the family tradition of strong running, placing 12th in the Youth 1K with a time of 5:20 and earning a top-25 medal.

Ruth Rowland kept her streak going in the Girls 2K, finishing 16th with a time of 8:53. She crossed the line with her trademark big smile and earned her second national medal.

Dekklyn Adams followed up his 3rd-place finish last year with an impressive 5th-place performance in the 2K, running 7:50 and securing All-American status for the second year in a row.

Rory Smith made a remarkable comeback after a broken collarbone earlier this season. Showing tremendous grit, he finished the challenging 3K course in 13:48, placing 62nd.

In the Girls 4K, the Striders were well represented by Daliyah Bargas, Lillen Adams, and Espie Bargas. Fresh off strong Mifflin County Middle School seasons, Daliyah and Lillen joined Espie, who had been dominant all fall and even set a new course record at Nittany Valley this year.

Espie led the group with an 11th-place finish in 16:03, earning a national medal. Daliyah followed with a time of 16:50, placing 23rd in the 14-year-old division and also earning a medal. Lillen crossed in 18:27, finishing 85th in the competitive 13-year-old field.

In the Boys 5K, Ethan Agney represented the Striders, finishing 60th with a time of 22:19 on what proved to be a grueling course.

This year’s nationals were not for the faint of heart, featuring a muddy swamp start and slippery hills. Despite the difficulty, the JV Striders showed true team spirit—cheering each other on, celebrating one another’s accomplishments, and lifting up teammates who battled through tough races.

08/12/2025

08/12/2025

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics
Matt Campbell Named 17th Penn State Head Football Coach
Campbell to lead the Nittany Lions after a highly successful tenure at Iowa State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft has named Matt Campbell as the 17th head coach in the storied history of Penn State Football, following unanimous approval from the Board of Trustees’ Equity and Human Resources Committee Monday morning. Campbell will officially be introduced at a press conference at noon on Monday.

“Matt Campbell embodies the values that define Penn State: integrity, excellence, strength of character and a commitment to student success,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “He is a proven builder of strong cultures, a developer of elite student-athletes, and an inspiring presence both on and off the field. His dedication to leading young people and his unwavering competitive drive make him the right choice to lead our football program into its next chapter. We are proud to welcome Coach Campbell into the Penn State family and know he will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes and community. I want to thank and congratulate Pat Kraft on bringing this search to a successful conclusion. I know we both look forward to seeing the new heights Coach Campbell can achieve for Penn State Football."

Campbell joins Penn State after a decade as Iowa State’s head coach, where he leaves the Cyclones as the winningest coach in the program’s history. A three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year (2017, 2018, 2020), Campbell led ISU to its only two Top 15 AP Poll finishes ever and coached 18 Cyclone All-Americans. In his coaching career, which also includes stops at Toledo, Bowling Green and Mount Union, he has tutored 39 players who went on to play in the NFL. Campbell is the only coach in Iowa State history to post five-straight winning seasons (2017-21) and owns eight of ISU’s nine winning conference seasons in the Big 12 era.

"From the start of our search, our mission was to find a proven leader who reflects Penn State’s integrity, toughness, and championship expectations,” said Kraft. “We also sought someone who has a demonstrated record of elite player evaluation and development, as well as the ability to retain top talent and assemble a strong staff. We found all that and more in Matt Campbell. For several years, Matt has been one of the most sought-after coaches for a reason, and we are fortunate that he is now our coach. In our discussions, it is clear that Matt understands and appreciates our storied history, our tradition and our high expectations. We are fired up to welcome Matt and his family to Happy Valley!”

Tied for second-longest tenured active coach in the Big 12 and in program history entering 2025, Campbell led ISU to its first Big 12 regular-season title in 2020 (8-1) and did so again in 2024 (7-2). The Cyclones set the school record for conference wins in 2020 and broke the school record for overall wins in 2024 (11-3). The 2020 season marked the first time in school history ISU ended the conference regular season in sole possession of first place.

“I am incredibly honored to join Penn State University as its next head football coach,” said Campbell. “This is one of the blue bloods of college football, and this program’s history and tradition are unmatched. I look forward to building on that foundation by developing student-athletes on and off the field, competing for championships and continuing the legacy of excellence that defines Penn State.”

I want to thank President Bendapudi and Pat Kraft for their trust and support throughout this process. I also want to express my deep gratitude to Iowa State University, its football program and the entire Cyclone community for the incredible memories and experiences my family and I have shared there. We will always cherish our time in Ames. My family and I are eager to become part of the Penn State community and get to work with the student-athletes, staff and fans who make this place so special.”

Campbell owns 45.2% of ISU’s all-time wins over ranked opponents and has 14 victories over ranked foes during his time at Iowa State. His 50 Big 12 wins are the most by a Cyclone head coach versus conference teams and owns 53.32% of ISU’s 93 all-time Big 12 wins. In earning 50 Big 12 wins, Campbell joins Bob Stoops, Bill Snyder, Mike Gundy and Mack Brown as the only coaches to do so in conference history.

Among active head coaches since 2016, according to Coaches by the Numbers, Campbell is tied for the fourth-best winning percentage against AP Top 5 opponents (.500; 2-2) and the tied for the fifth-best winning percentage against AP Top 10 opponents (.400; 4-6). He has coached nine All-Americans (T-6th) and three first-team All-Americans (T-8th) during that time.

Offensively since 2016, he ranks third in red zone scoring percentage (87.58%), fifth in completion percentage (63.7%), sixth in passing yards per game (257.3), seventh in passing yards per season (3,272.2) and scoring percentage (39.5%), eighth in QBR (95.7) and 10th in 20+ yard play percentage (7.2%). Defensively, he is third in fewest points allowed in the fourth quarter (4.9), fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed per game (1.0), fifth in rushing touchdowns allowed per season (13.1), sixth in points allowed per second half (10.33) and punt percentage defense (41.8%), and seventh in lowest touchdown percentage defense (22.5%), fewest yards per completion (11.4) and lowest 20+ yard play percentage (5.95%).

As a player, Campbell was a defensive end at Mount Union (1999-2002), where he was an All-American, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American and two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Lineman of the Year. During his time with the Purple Raiders, his squad won four conference titles, three NCAA Division III National Championships and went 54-1 in his four-year career. He was inducted into the Mount Union Hall of Fame in 2018 and the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2022.

A native of Massillon, Ohio, Campbell graduated from Mount Union in 2002, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. Campbell and his wife, Erica, have four children, Katie, Izzy, Rudy and Rocco.

HEAD COACHING RECORD
Year School Record Postseason
2011 Toledo 1-0 Military: Beat Air Force, 42-41
2012 Toledo 9-4 Famous Idaho Potato: Lost to Utah State, 41-15
2013 Toledo 7-5
2014 Toledo 9-4 GoDaddy: Beat Arkansas State, 63-44
2015 Toledo 9-2 Boca Raton: Beat Temple, 32-17 [did not coach bowl game]
2016 Iowa State 3-9
2017 Iowa State 8-5 AutoZone Liberty: Beat Memphis, 21-20
2018 Iowa State 8-5 Valero Alamo: Lost to Washington State, 28-26
2019 Iowa State 7-6 Camping World: Lost to Notre Dame, 33-9
2020 Iowa State 9-3 PlayStation Fiesta: Beat Oregon, 34-17
2021 Iowa State 7-6 Cheez-It: Lost to Clemson, 20-13
2022 Iowa State 4-8
2023 Iowa State 7-6 AutoZone Liberty: Lost to Memphis, 36-26
2024 Iowa State 11-3 Pop-Tarts: Beat Miami, 42-41
2025 Iowa State 8-4 Bowl Eligible
Career 107-70 Postseason Record: 6-5

THE CAMPBELL FILE

Personal
Year at Penn State: 1st
Hometown: Massillon, Ohio
Education: Mount Union, 2002 - B.A. History
Family: Wife: Erica; Daughters: Katie, Izzy; Sons: Rudy, Rocco

Coaching Career
2026-present: Penn State [Head Coach]
2016-25: Iowa State [Head Coach]
2012-15: Toledo [Head Coach]
2010-11: Toledo [Offensive Coordinator]
2009: Toledo [Run Game Coordinator]
2007-08: Bowling Green [Assistant Coach]
2005-06: Mount Union [Offensive Coordinator]
2003-04: Bowling Green [Graduate Assistant]

08/12/2025

Mifflin County Track and Field performed well in their season opener at Franklin and Marshall. Wyatt Kauffman opened the meet on a strong note with a PR time of 4:37.44 in the 1600. Reese Cubbison followed suit by taking first in the 800 in 2:02.26. Carter Smith finished the series with his first place in the 3000, running a personal record time of 8:51.18. Addie Ross took fourth place in pole vault, with a huge personal record vault of 10’0”. Ava Kratzer ran a great race in the 800, placing ninth with a time of 2:38.75. Many of the returning athletes have already improved upon their season opener performance from last year, making this meet a success for the team

08/12/2025

On Saturday, the MC girls 9th grade team defeated Reading 53-23.
Leading the way offensively was Jemma Kanagy who had 23 while teammate Grayce Napikoski finished with 10.
The girls play at home Wednesday at 4:00 at MCHS against Milton Hershey

07/12/2025

Photos by Dom Reed
By Dom Reed
MIFFLINBURG - Saturday, the
Mifflin County and Mifflinburg boys basketball teams had their eye's set on the ultimate prize.
Mifflin County was looking to win the Winter Wildcat Classic for back-to-back years.
Mifflinburg came in looking for revenge to a team they lost to last year in the Championship game thanks to a buzzer be**er from Evan Strohecker.
It was a pretty evening matched game early on as the Huskies got looks but couldn't connect until they would.
Zach Keller would net a three pointer to put the Huskies in front 5-4.
Mifflin County would knock down five three's in route to a 79-60 win over the Wildcats.
Mifflin County’s Jack Curry would account for four of the five three pointers made.
Curry would finish the night with 24 points.

“We got the energy going. We were putting up numbers and record numbers,” said Jack Curry. We are just trying to keep the same energy each game and we have to continue to work hard and put the work in at practice and start preparing for Milton Hershey.”

MIfflinburg had solid play despite the odds against the Wildcats. John Parker Marr led the way with 16 points Grady Brubaker was second in scoring with 14.

MIfflin County's defense was really solid. Curry had strong showings on both ends of the floor in a game that it was a whole team effort to get the win in a physical game.

“The second quarter I thought our energy slipped a little bit you know and just defensive discipline weren't quite what they were the first quarter,” said Mifflin County Coach Wade Curry. “At halftime we told our guys to be a little more aggressive getting the ball up the floor offensively and we have to get more touches on offense.we got to get more shots up. So we did that and scored 49 points in the second half and that was the difference for us in terms of this week. We have Milton Hershey on Wednesday and in really terms of skill they have similar to what we seen tonight against Mifflinburg. So this was a good game but we have a lot of preparing to do for our next game.”

Mifflin County will travel to Milton Hershey on Wednesday looking to extend their winning streak to four games. The Huskies also begin conference play on Wednesday.

07/12/2025

New Coach! Going Bowling!

By Joshua Yoder
STATE COLLEGE - Well Nittany Lion fans, there are several changes that will be coming to Penn State, but for right now, the Penn State football program will look to end the 2025 season on a high note as they will prepare to go up against the Clemson Tigers in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York on December 27.

It is fitting that the Nittany Lions ended up playing the Tigers as both teams came into the season with very high expectations of making it into the College Football playoffs. Unfortunately, neither team managed to have the season that they were hoping for.

For that, Penn State lost their Head Coach James Franklin mid-season before getting picked up by Virginia Tech with Terry Smith taking over as interim coach for the remainder of the season. Coach Smith went 3-3 at the helm of the football program and will be the coach going into the bowl against Clemson.

Many fans wondered if Smith would end up with the job as Head Coach but the NIttany Lions ultimately went with bringing in Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. However, coach Smith will remain at Penn State being a part of Campbell's staff.

Campbell, who spent the last 10 years as Head Coach of the Cyclones after five years at Toledo, comes in with an overall record of 107 wins and 70 losses and compiled a 5-5 record in bowl games.

We will soon see where coach Campbell will take the Nittany Lion football program in the coming future. But until then, we will see how Penn State will close out the 2025 season as the Nittany Lions will battle with the Clemson Tigers in the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27.

Good Luck Penn State. We Are!

Until Next Time!

06/12/2025

06/12/2025

Down to the wire!!
The East Juniata boys basketball team battled Littlestown down to the wire Friday night.
What would the result be in the close contest?
It would be the Tigers Wrett Smith posting up and draining a clutch three with 2.4 seconds left in the game to give East Juniata the win 36-33. Smith was also the top scorer with 21 points in the nail biting win.