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The Altoona Area High School football program hasn't had a winning season since the COVID-19 abbreviated season of 2020, when the Mountain Lions went 4-3 in seven games and defeated State College, 22-21 in the District 6 Class 6A championship game.
That title was Altoona's first in football in 18 seasons, since the 2002 Mountain Lions pulled off the feat.
Altoona has an opportunity to spin some more magic tonight, but it certainly won't be a routine task.
The Mountain Lions will face a powerful, unbeaten State College team that sports a 7-0 overall record and a 6-0 mark in the Mid-Penn Conference.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mansion Park.
After posting records of 1-9 in 2024 and 3-7 last year, Altoona has benefited from good senior leadership and solid play in all three phases of football -- offense, defense and special teams -- this season in posting a 4-3 overall and 4-2 conference record.
"It's a tribute to our kids,'' Altoona coach Vince Nedimyer Jr. said of the Mountain Lions' winning record through seven games this season. "We have a good group of kids who have bought into some of the changes that we've made, and the kids are making plays on the field. That has been the difference for us between this year and last year.
"I think it's been an overall thing,'' Nedimyer added. "On offense, defense, and special teams, the kids from ninth grade through 12th grade have bought into the things that we're doing. They're showing up at practice and having fun. It's been good.''
With the District 6-8-10 Class 6A playoffs on the horizon in less than three weeks, it will be even better, and even more fun, for the Mountain Lions if they can pull off an upset of a State College juggernaut that is currently ranked third among Class 6A programs in the state by PennLive and has shut out five of its first seven opponents.
"They're one of our rivals, and they're good,'' Nedimyer said of the Little Lions, who own victories over both state-ranked Bishop McDevitt and Central York this season.
State College junior quarterback Connor Kulka is a dual offensive threat who has completed 77 of 117 passes for 1,306 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while rushing for 278 yards on 31 carries and five scores.
"He's a good player who started last year for them,'' Nedimyer said of Kulka, whose father, Todd, is the Associate Director of Football Academic Support Services and an Academic Counselor for the Penn State football program, and a former linebacker who played on the undefeated 1994 Nittany Lions' team.
"(Connor Kulka) has the ability to both throw and run the ball well, and he manages the game well,'' Nedimyer said.
State College has plenty of offensive weapons around Connor Kulka, whose younger brother, Cole, is a freshman quarterback on the Little Lions' varsity squad.
Senior back Rowan Walker has rushed for 746 yards and 14 touchdowns on 125 carries this season for State College, while senior back Ka'Ven Smith-Kirk has rushed for 340 yards and four touchdowns on 45 carries.
Senior wideout A.J. Fry has a team-leading 24 receptions for 535 yards and seven touchdowns for State College, while senior Evan Grubbs (16), sophomore Max Vendemia (14) and senior Keen Furmanek (12) also all have double-figure reception numbers.
"Our offensive line has been tremendous throughout the season and obviously Connor Kulka, our quarterback, has done a great job of executing the offense as well,'' State College coach Matt Lintal said.
State College's outstanding defense is led by Fry, a Division I commit for Old Dominion University at linebacker. Two-way standout lineman Anthony Sheffey is a Division I University of Buffalo commit who will play on the offensive line at the college level but plays both ways up front at State College.
Senior free safety Kellen Williams has been in on a team-leading 39 tackles this year for State College, while senior linebacker Rowan Zinobile has been in on 38.
"(The defensive unit is) doing a great job,'' Lintal said. "They've been able to prevent a lot of big plays and they've controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the bulk of the season. I'm proud of the efforts of all of those guys, for sure.''
Altoona boasts two outstanding skill players in its offensive backfield in junior quarterback Mekhi Jackson and senior running back Myzick Clemons.
Jackson is a dual threat talent who has completed 48 of 86 passes for 510 yards and five touchdowns this season, while rushing for 484 yards and seven scores on 87 carries.
Clemons has run for 582 yards and six touchdowns on 98 carries this season.
"(Altoona is) certainly playing hard, motivated football,'' Lintal said. "Their quarterback certainly presents some issues with his arm, and especially with his legs. He's a tremendous athlete and a guy who (opposing defenses) have to make sure that they get wrapped up. He's slippery and very fast.
"The Clemons kid is a really tough, physical runner as well,'' Lintal said. "(Altoona has) done a nice job of being able to utilize those two athletes.''
Altoona opted not to enter the District 6 Class 6A playoffs last year, leaving State College to defeat Mifflin County in the district championship game.
The playoffs, and a winning regular season, are both real possibilities this year for Altoona, which closes the home portion of this year's schedule tonight and finishes the regular season with road games at Cedar Cliff and Cumberland Valley.
But first things first, Nedimyer said.
"(Competing in the playoffs is) always the goal,'' Nedimyer said. "But we're worried about State College right now. We're taking it one game at a time, and State College is a well-coached, fundamentally-sound team.
"We're going to prepare for them the same way that we prepare for any other team that we play, but we're excited to have the opportunity to play them.''
State College at Altoona
Where: Mansion Park.
When: 7 p.m. tonight
Records: State College (7-0, 6-1 Mid-Penn); Altoona (4-3, 4-2 Mid-Penn)
Coaches: Matt Lintal is 118-39 in 13 seasons at State College; Vince Nedimyer Jr. is 28-51 in eight seasons at Altoona.
Last week: State College defeated Central Dauphin, 48-0. Altoona lost to Bishop McDevitt, 47-14.
Last season: State College defeated Altoona, 37-7.
Noteworthy: Altoona last defeated State College in a regular-season game back in 2007, when the Mountain Lions won a 24-17 decision at Mansion Park. The two schools did not play each other from the 2011-2017 when Altoona was in the WPIAL.