Remarkably, only one game in District 9 this week features two unbeaten teams. Still, it’s a key week for teams looking for their first win or trying to build momentum for the middle of the season.

The only battle of the unbeatens features an Allegheny Mountain League North Division showdown between Coudersport and Port Allegany. Elsewhere, Redbank Valley hosts Clarion in an interesting Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference game and Brockway hosts resurgent Elk County Catholic in an AML-South Division matchup.

All 14 games featuring D-9 teams will be played Friday night this week, as opposed to last week’s four-game Saturday.

In other games, Cameron County (0-2) travels to Otto-Eldred (1-1), Smethport (0-2) hosts Sheffield (1-1), Johnsonburg (1-1) entertains Curwensville (2-0), Kane (0-2) hosts Ridgway (0-2), Bradford (1-1) travels to Punxsutawney (1-1), DuBois (2-0) hosts Brookville (1-1), Clearfield (2-0) hosts Indian Valley (0-2), A-C Valley (0-2) travels to West Middlesex (1-1), Moniteau (2-0) visits Union (0-2), Karns City (1-1) travels to Keystone (1-1) and Clarion-Limestone (2-0) hosts St. Marys (0-1).

Coudersport won last year at Port Allegany, 21-14, in the regular season on its way to a division title, but Port won at Coudersport in the first round of the Class A playoffs, 10-9.

It’s back to Coudersport again as the Falcons have looked solid in two wins, outscoring Johnsonburg and Cameron County, 64-13, including a 35-0 win over Cameron County last week.

Leading the way for Coudersport is running back David Babcock (174 yards, 4 TDs) and quarterback John Gerhart (219 yards passing, 3 TDs).

Port Allegany has posted wins over winless Ridgway (28-15) and Smethport (14-7). Last week, the Gators didn’t score until the fourth quarter against a Hubbers squad that gave up 68 points in its opener against Curwensville.

Running back Cody Anderson (156 yards, 4 TDs) and quarterback Willie Bova (245 yards) lead the Gators’ offense.

Clarion notched a tight 21-20 non-conference win last week against stubborn St. Marys while Redbank Valley struggled with six turnovers in a 29-7 loss to non-conference foe Sharpsville from District 10.

The Bobcats are led by the district’s leading rusher in Chris McSwain (31 carries, 310 yards, 4 TDs). McSwain scored the game-winning touchdown last week from 3 yards out with 5:35 left in regulation. Manny Carpin has 170 yards rushing, 118 yards receiving and has scored three touchdowns three different ways: interception, rushing, receiving.

The Bulldogs are led by running backs Skyler Smith (156 yards, 3 TDs) and Brandon Johnston (149 yards, 1 TD).

The Crusaders, who were 1-9 a year ago, have beaten winless Cameron County (41-7) and Kane (27-6). Running back Anthony Tettis (172 yards, 4 TDs) leads the ECC offense.

Brockway lost a hard-fought 14-7 decision last week against nemesis Curwensville and want to get back into the win column to keep pace with the Golden Tide at the top of the standings. Running back Bobby Liddle’s 232 yards rushing ranks him fifth in the district.

TOTEM POLE INCIDENT REVIEWED BY JUDGE — Last Friday before the Raiders’ home opener with Clearfield, Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Foradora signed a petition for a preliminary injunction on the Brookville Area School Board of Directors’ suspension of seven football players for their part in an incident involving the school’s totem pole that once stood in front of the high school.

Judge Foradora agreed with the petition filed by Brookville attorney Heidi Dennison, who was representing the parents of Matt and Brett Mohney, Travis Diener, John Pysh, Silas Wonderling, Kory Brownlee and Kris Smith, that the suspension "violated due process under school law" and "imposed unreasonable harsh punishment upon the students in the consideration of the totality of the circumstances."

The high school, which is being renovated, had taken down the totem pole during construction. There appeared to be a disagreement on the clarity of the status of the totem pole -- whether it was going to be re-installed -- and the intent of the accused players.

"We have no choice but to comply with the judge’s directive," Brookville Area School District Superintendent James Estep said in the story broken by the Courier-Express/Tri-County Sunday in last Sunday’s edition.

Combined with head coach Chris Dworek’s 10-day suspension, the school board’s suspension would have kept the above players out of the first three games of the season. Instead, the players missed only the Moniteau game that Brookville lost, 52-20. Last Friday, with the reinstated players, Brookville lost to Clearfield, 28-7.

It was unknown whether the school district would appeal Foradora’s ruling.

ODDS AND ENDS — Clarion-Limestone’s Hayden Johnston ranks first in the district with 464 yards passing and 8 TDs and eight in rushing with 219 yards and one TD. … DuBois is trying to start the season with three straight shutouts for the first time since 1968. The Beavers blanked Central Mountain 35-0 and Punxsutawney 31-0 to start the year. … Clearfield debuts in the Mountain Athletic Conference-Seven Mountain Division by hosting winless Indian Valley. The Bisons beat IV in the PIAA Class AAA playoffs two years ago and have played them each year over the last several years. Now it’s a league game. … Surprised at Johnsonburg sophomore RB Calvin Grumley stealing the show in the 100^th meeting with Ridgway Saturday night? Not at all. Grumley’s varsity basketball debut as a freshman last year should make it know surprise at all. He’s one of the best all-around athletes in the district. Grumley rushed for 192 yards and had 298 all-purpose yards and three TDs in Johnsonburg’s 20-12 win over arch-rival Ridgway. … Ridgway hasn’t been 0-2 since 1994.