By Rich Rhoades

It’s guaranteed that the ranks of the undefeated in District 9 will go down by at least one this week as two 3-0 squads from the Allegheny Mountain League clash in Curwensville when the Golden Tide host Cameron County Friday night.

The Tide-Red Raider showdown is one of 15 games in Week 4 involving district teams. Two games are scheduled for Saturday in the AML.           

The other five unbeaten D9 teams are at least favored if not heavily favored in this week’s games.

In Curwensville, the Golden Tide ended their losing streak to Coudersport with a 28-21 win at Coudersport last Friday. Now, the Tide come home to play the other strong team from the AML North in Cameron County.

Curwensville quarterback David Kalgren won his second straight RRR Roadhouse D9Sports.Com District 9 Player of the Week with his performance against the Falcons. He accounted for three of the Tide’s four touchdowns and made a game-saving interception at the Tide 10 with the Falcons driving in the final minutes of the game.

For the year, Kalgren has passed for 436 yards and seven touchdowns, over half the yardage going to his top receiver Jesse Hoover (13 receptions, 227 yards). Kalgren’s 130 yards rushing rank second behind team leader Jed Greslick (233 yards).

Cameron County eked out a win against defending Class A champion Kane in overtime in the opener and has pitched a shutout since blanking Ridgway and Brockway in routs. Running back Andrew Kesterholt (255 yards, 2 TDs) and quarterback Jason Blose (183 yards passing, 3 TDs; 185 yards rushing, 5 TDs), who threw just one pass in last week’s 40-0 rout of Brockway, are the offensive leaders for the Red Raiders.

There have been plenty of points scored between these teams when they’ve met since Curwensville joined the AML in 1999. The Tide have won four of the seven meetings, but Cameron County won last year 59-22 in a game that the Red Raiders led 53-8 at halftime.

That game went into the Mercy Rule running clock as did Curwensville wins in 2003 (55-7), 2001 (36-6) and 2000 (42-6). Cameron County won in 1999 (16-6) and 2002 (15-6). The only Tide non-Mercy Rule win over Cameron County came in 2006’s 46-29 victory.

In the rest of the AML Friday night, Coudersport visits Ridgway in a game featuring two 2-1 teams. Brockway (1-2) hosts Otto-Eldred (0-3) looking to end a two-game losing streak.

The 3-0 Johnsonburg Rams, 1-8 a year ago, are off to a good start. It may not be surprising considering they have some returning talent back, but the Rams have enjoyed an amazingly easy schedule to start the season. This week, the Rams play their fourth straight winless team when they travel to 0-3 Smethport. The Rams have beaten Otto-Eldred, Sheffield and Port Allegany and all of them are 0-3. That trio has combined to score just five touchdowns.

Two AML games are set for Saturday afternoon as Sheffield (0-3) hosts Elk County Catholic (2-1) and Port Allegany (0-3) hosts Kane (2-1).

The Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference has no marquee matchup with perhaps Union (0-3) at Keystone (1-2) the biggest toss-up game among the five games.

Redbank Valley (3-0) travels to Brookville (1-2) for their first matchup since the Raiders routed the Bulldogs in the 2004 District 9 Class AA Championship game. The KSAC’s unbeatens in Karns City and Moniteau are both at home. The Gremlins host 1-2 Clarion-Limestone while the Warriors entertain 0-3 A-C Valley, which has lost 25 straight. Warriors quarterback Tyler Armagost needs 139 passing yards to reach the 4,000-yard milestone.

In the other KSAC game, Clarion (2-1) travels to Punxsutawney as the teams meet for the first time in 66 years, or 1942, less than a year after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

District 9’s three entries in the District 6 Mountain Athletic Conference all have divisional games as Clearfield (2-1) hosts state-ranked Tyrone (3-0) in a Nittany Division game. The Eagles are ranked fourth in Class AA by the Pennsylvania Football News. DuBois (2-1) travels to Indian Valley (1-2) in the Seven Mountains Division while St. Marys (2-1) hosts Huntingdon (2-1) in its home opener after starting the season with three straight road games. The Flying Dutchmen finish the schedule at home in five of seven games.

Bradford (2-1) plays a non-sectional game at home against longtime rival Warren (1-2).