WEST SUNBURY – So some may be wondering why the West Sunbury dateline? It’s pretty simple actually, West Sunbury is the home of Moniteau High School, and it’s at Moniteau that we start our 2010 version of “Around District 9 in 15 Days.”

So what is “Around District 9 in 15 Days?”

“Around District 9 in 15 Days” is a way for the diehard fan to see all 26 District 9 teams in action over a span of 15 days covering the 10 weeks of the season. That includes three Friday-Saturday doubleheader weekends and one Thursday-Friday-Saturday tripleheader weekend. You will get to see three teams, Punxsutawney, Port Allegany and Cameron County twice.

The trip starts out with a doozy of game in Butler County between rivals Karns City and Moniteau Friday, Sept. 3, at Moniteau. Last year, the Warriors knocked off the Gremlins 22-21 at Moniteau, and because of the change in the KSAC structure, Karns City must make a return trip to its archrivals place.

A week later, the trip is in southern Jefferson County where A-C Valley will try to be more respectable against homestanding Punxsutawney this year. Last season, in Punxy the Chucks toppled the Falcons 40-0. This season’s game is set for Friday Sept. 10. 

Week Two is the first of the double-dip weekends, with a Saturday Sept. 11 matinee in Warren County, as Curwensville makes the long trek north to take on the Wolverines of Sheffield. These teams are meeting for the first time since 2007, when Curwensville toppled Sheffield 49-27 at Curwensville in the regular-season finale.

In Week Three, Punxsutawney appears for the second time in as many weeks, as the Chucks travel north to take on former D9 League foe St. Marys in what is once again a conference game – this time in the KSAC Large School Division – Friday Sept. 17 in St. Marys. The Dutch and Chucks haven’t met since 2007 when St. Marys rolled to a 31-6 home win.

An AML battle is highlighted in Week Four, when Ridgway makes the trip east to take on Cameron County Friday Sept. 24. The Elkers are traveling to Cameron for the second straight year and look for revenge after a 36-0 shutout loss in 2009.

Football fans will be in their glory in Week Four, as Clarion’s annual Autumn Leaf Festival means a three-game week.

The fun starts Thursday Sept. 30, when a pair of teams looking to rebound from subpar seasons square off in Rimersburg with Clarion-Limestone taking on a Union team it beat in a nailbiter 16-14 a year ago.

The following night Oct. 1, Clearfield is the site for a Mountain League contest between the Bisons and visiting Central Mountain in a game that isn’t very familiar to fans on either side.

Then on Saturday, Otto-Eldred faces its first AML North opponent of the season when it heads to Port Allegany for an Oct. 2 matinee with the Gators. Last year, Port won 34-12 in Duke Center to close out the regular season.

Six days later, the trip makes its second stop in Emporium Friday Oct. 8, when Coudersport makes the drive south to take on Cameron County in a game that could very well determine the AML North champion. Last season, Cameron took home the AML North crown thanks in large part to a 14-7 win in Coudersport.

The trip stays in the AML North the following day with its second Saturday afternoon game in Port Allegany in as many weeks Oct. 9 when the Gators host rival Smethport. A year ago, Port beat the Hubbers 34-0 for its lone shutout of the year.

The AML remains the focal point of the trip in Week Seven but this time it’s the AML South, as Johnsonburg is at Kane Friday Oct. 16 and Brockway is at Elk County Catholic Saturday Oct. 17 in a rare Saturday night contest.

A game that has quickly developed into an inter-county rivalry is on top in Week Eight when Brookville makes the quick trip west on I-80 to take on Clarion Friday Oct. 22 in an interdivision KSAC game, while the following week a KSAC Small School Division showdown takes place in Knox when Redbank Valley travels to Keystone for a Friday Oct. 29 matchup.

The trip concludes Friday Nov. 5 with a pair of former D9 League rivals squaring off in DuBois with Bradford matching up against the Beavers for the first time since 2007 when the Owls took home a 28-7 win in DuBois.