2000 ARCHIVED FOOTBALL PREVIEWS 

WEEK ONE

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Clarion Area (8-0 KSAC, 10-1 Overall) at Redbank Valley (7-1, 7-3) Friday, 7 p.m.

NEW BETHLEHEM -- Clarion Area ranked third in the state in Class A by the Pennsylvania Football News begins its quest for its second straight KSAC title against a Redbank Valley team that is rebuilding. The recent loss of senior Matt Shealy makes things even bleaker for the Bulldogs who must find a way to contain the Bobcats speed. Clarion Area handed Redbank Valley its lone KSAC loss a year ago.

Clarion Area is led by junior running back/linebacker Kyle Cathcart and senior running back Mike Corbett as well as quarterback Mario Bernardi and Ben Bevevino.

Redbank Valley will be led by lineman Dustin Kahle, running back/linebacker Ron Geist and quarterback Chris Merwin, who backed up Jason Kundick. 

West Shamokin (1-7, 1-9 (as Shannock Valley) at A-C Valley (5-3, 7-4) Friday, 7 p.m.

FOXBURG -- This game marks the first ever game for West Shamokin, the merger of Dayton and Shannock Valley. But the football team won't be helped much, as the two schools had already been playing as one team. A-C Valley has its third head coach in three years, and the Falcons are hoping to get Ray Gilman off on the winning track. A-C Valley, though, has to replace all of its skill players from a year ago including the All-KSAC running back Mike Leach and quarterback Pat Moore. Look for Mike Stewart to hand the ball off to Chris Gilman, Ray's son, a ton in this game.

Karns City (6-2, 8-4) at Keystone (3-5, 3-6) Friday, 7 p.m.

KNOX -- The Gremlins of Karns City have a new head coach this season, Ed Conto, but Conto is no stranger to the KSAC having been the longtime coach at A-C Valley before joining the Karns City staff as an assistant last year. Conto says that the Gremlins are the most talented team he has ever coached. Keystone is young and its line is tiny.

The Panthers also don't have any proven wide receivers or running backs. That's the bad news. The good news is they do have one of the better quarterback around in junior Adam Black. Now only if the line can give him time to find his young receivers.

Moniteau (0-8, 1-8) at Union (2-6, 3-6) Friday, 7 p.m.

RIMERSBURG -- An early game with two of the KSAC's cellar dwellers from last season. Moniteau is looking for its first conference win in two years, a position Union was in at this time last season before topping the Warriors and Shannock Valley. Union's three wins were the most for them in a few years, and with no key players back from last season's team getting three this year might be a chore.

St. Marys (0-5 D9League) at Clarion-Limestone (4-4 KSAC, 4-5) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

CLARION TWP. -- Last year in their first-ever regular-season meeting in last year's opener at St. Marys, the Flying Dutchmen beat the visiting Lions, 33-27 in double overtime.

Junior halfback Dan Alderton (886 yds., 13 TDs) and quarterback J.J. Ferguson (456 yds., 6 TDs) lead the Lions' offense that will also get contributions from senior receiver Mike Reynolds, junior running back Chad Conti and sophomore back Ben Brooks. Sophomore kicker Rocky Davis was a second-team all-state selection as a freshman.

Junior quarterback Tony Kopp will run the Dutch's wishbone offense this year. Getting most of the carries will be senior fullback Bryan Babb and junior halfbacks Dustin Ruberto and Dan Fox.

DISTRICT 9 LEAGUE

Bradford (3-2, 5-5) at Clearfield (3-2, 9-3) Friday 7 p.m.

HYDE - Bradford and Clearfield square off in an important season-opening contest that will help set the tone for the District 9 League season. Bradford hasn't beaten Clearfield since 1987. Clearfield, 9-3 a year ago after winning its second straight D-9 Class AAA title, returns 15 starters. Leading the way is senior receiver-safety Brian Kaspick, who led D-9 receivers with 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. He'll have a new quarterback throwing to him in junior Corey Picard.      

Bradford (5-5 last year), coached by Tim Walter, returns 12 letterwinners and has lost most of its skill position players to graduation. Players to watch will be first-year starting quarterback, junior Kevin Rose. Junior fullback Mike Fair and junior halfback Rocky DeCasper will get most of the carries.

Clearfield won last year's game, 21-7.

NON-LEAGUE

Central Mountain (4-6) at DuBois (8-3) Friday, 7 p.m.

DuBOIS - DuBois plays its first game under head coach Lon Hazlet, who was hired in March to take over for the retired Herm Wertz. Hazlet coached Karns City to two District 9 Class AA titles and two KSAC titles in five years with the Gremlins.

Hazlet inherits a team that lost plenty to graduation. Gone are all-state tailback Justin Marshall (2,024 yds., 22 TDs), quarterback Eric Hatten (1,695 yds., 20 TDs) and receiver Bill Kulbacki (928 yds.,12 TDs). What Hazlet does have back are four starters on offense and seven who started at some point last year on defense. The headliner is
two-time District 9 League All-Star Jarrod Hendricks, a 6-foot-3-inch senior offensive guard and defensive tackle. Others include junior tackle Ryan Shaffer (6-1, 245). Some skill position candidates are senior quarterback Matt Sopic, senior running backs Todd Braid and Chad Hoare, and juniors Derek Marshall and Josh Campbell.

Central Mountain is in the second year of its combined move to join together the Lock Haven and Bald Eagle-Nittany school districts. Mike Packer is the head coach.

Brookville (7-4) at Titusville (4-5) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

TITUSVILLE - This series has always been close. Last year, Brookville held on to beat Titusville, 22-16 at home. The Raiders lead the all-time series, 4-3.

Raiders head coach Chris Dworek, in his fifth year, has plenty of work to do. He lost virtually all of his skill position players. Among his replacements are senior tailback Ryan Kesterholt and junior quarterback Matt Melillo. Other standouts are senior lineman Andy Marshall and junior linebacker Jared Belfiore.

Punxsutawney (1-8) at Oil City Friday, 7:30 p.m.

OIL CITY -- Oil City is once again one of the top clubs in District 10 having won the D-10 title in Class AAA last season. The Chucks have a lot of work to do coming off a one-win season.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE

Curwensville (6-3 South, 6-4) at Coudersport (7-2 North, 7-3) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

COUDERSPORT - Last year, in Curwensville's first game in the Allegheny Mountain League at home against Coudersport, the Tide committed six turnovers in a 12-0 loss to the Falcons.

For Curwensville, 14 starters are back from last year's 6-4 squad. Leading the way are senior fullback-linebacker Brian Marino, senior receiver-cornerback Adam Donahue, senior tailback-safety Mark Harnish and senior Matt Harnish, who will start at quarterback.

After just missing the playoffs, losing a tie-breaker game to Ridgway, last season, the Falcons under Paul Simcoe only have five seniors on their roster. Coudersport has already informed District 9 that it will not participate in the playoffs this season if it makes it choosing instead to play a game at Disney World Nov. 10 against Indian Valley Christian Academy of Florida.

Ridgway (7-2 South, 8-3) at Youngsville (2-7 North, 2-7) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

YOUNGSVILLE - Ridgway, ranked third in the state in Class A by the Pennsylvania Football News, opens in Warren County against the Youngsville Eagles.

Leading the way for head coach Mark Morelli's Elkers are first-year starting quarterback, junior Brandon Steger, and senior twin brothers Kaleb and Kalen Fitch, who will anchor the line.

The Elkers face a Youngsville team coming off a 2-7 season and short on experience for second-year head coach Conrad Danielson.

The Eagles are led by senior fullback/linebacker T.J. Fera, one of a few returning starters. Junior Jesse Walters moves from receiver to quarterback this season and junior Greg Luther will be at tailback.

The Elkers lead the all-time series, 27-6-2 and have won the last five meetings against Youngsville.

Elk County Christian (5-4 South, 6-4) at Otto-Eldred (3-6 North, 3-6) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

DUKE CENTER - Elk County Christian has never lost to Otto-Eldred and is 8-0 all-time against the Terrors, including a 44-0 rout last year in St. Marys.

Only six letterwinners return for Crusaders head coach Joe Schlimm, who enters his 14th season. The Crusaders were 6-4 last year.

Among the top players on a young Crusaders squad is senior running back Dan Gregory, who rushed for 213 yards on 44 carries in a backup role last year.

Otto-Eldred was 3-6 last year.

Johnsonburg (1-8 South, 1-8) at Sheffield (5-4 North, 5-4) Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

SHEFFIELD - Johnsonburg is coming off a tough season record-wise, but 17 starters are back for the Rams, coached by Bob Vallone. Leading the way are junior quarterback Bruno Iorfido (790 yds., 7 TDs) and senior receiver Jake Sprague (22 receptions, 378 yds., 10 TDs).

Sheffield, who co-ops with Abraxas, returns 15 lettermen from its first winning season in 15 years. Senior quarterback Kasey Smith begins his third year as a starter.

Sheffield won last year's game, 41-13, but Johnsonburg leads the all-time series, 36-13-2.

Cameron County (9-0 South, 12-1) at Port Allegany (1-8 North, 1-8) Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

PORT ALLEGANY - The defending District 9 Class A champion Cameron County Red Raiders don't have a whole lot back from last year's dream season. In fact, the Red Raiders lost 20 of 22 starters to graduation.

Head coach John Fragale will look to first-year senior quarterback Dennis McKimm to lead the offense. The running backs will be juniors Scott Horning and Gideon Hornung, and sophomore Scott Aikens.

For Port Allegany, senior quarterback/linebacker Tom Nasto and senior running back/defensive back Cliff Fillhart are the top players.

Cameron County beat the Gators, 41-0, last year.

WEEK TWO

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERNCE

Clarion-Limestone (1-0) at West Shamokin (0-1 KSAC, 0-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.

RURAL VALLEY - Clarion-Limestone travels to West Shamokin for a Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference matchup with the Wolves.

The Lions are coming off an impressive 44-20 win over St. Marys. C-L led, 41-6, by intermission. Ben Brooks led the Lions with 129 yards rushing and three touchdowns, while Dan Alderton added 60 yards rushing and a touchdown and 104 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

West Shamokin, 55-6 losers to A-C Valley last week, has lost 36 of its last 39 games. Last year, Shannock Valley went 1-9.

Clarion-Limestone beat Shannock, 45-13, last year and leads the all-time series, 16-12-1, including five wins in a row.

Union (1-0, 1-0) at Clarion (1-0, 1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

CLARION - After breezing by Redbank Valley, the Bobcats open their home schedule Friday against Union.

Clarion moved into the Honorable Mention ranks of the Harrisburg Patriot-News Class A state rankings and is ranked second in the state by Pennsylvania Football News. Last week, the Bobcats routed Redbank Valley, 55-7, after Redbank Valley scored the game's first touchdown.

Clarion gained 419 yards of offense, including 317 yards on the ground. Kyle Cathcart gained 88 yards and Dan Patton added 79 yards. Quarterback Mario Bernardi completed 3 of 5 passes for 102 yards, all three of them for
touchdowns.

Union first-year quarterback Brian Lipps passed for four touchdowns and 139 yards in the Knights' 30-21 win over Moniteau. Lipps was named the D9SPORTS.COM Player of the Week.

Redbank Valley (0-1, 0-1) at Karns City (1-0, 1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

KARNS CITY - Redbank Valley will try to rebound from its season-opening 55-7 loss to Clarion. It won't be easy with a trip to Karns City.

The defending District 9 Class AA champion Gremlins routed Keystone, 41-6, in their opener last week. Karns City racked up 387 yards of offense, 354 yards rushing. Leading the way was Beau Rattigan, who scored on a 67-yard run to open the game's scoring.

The Bulldogs were outgained, 469-109, by Clarion. Ronnie Geist, who opened the game with a 74-yard touchdown run, led the Bulldogs with 91 yards on eight carries.

These two teams met twice last season, with the Bulldogs winning in week two of the regular season, but Karns City getting revenge in the Class AA semifinals at Redbank Valley.

Keystone (0-1, 0-1) at Moniteau (0-1, 0-1) Friday, 7 p.m.

WEST SUNBURY -- This game pits two teams who struggled in Week one. Keystone lost 41-6 to Karns City at home, while Moniteau fell 30-21 at Union.

Adam Black paced the Panthers in the Karns City game going 14-40 for 149 yards passing. Kurt Carahan caught seven of Black's passes for 122 yards.

Keystone won this game at home last year.

DISTRICT 9 LEAGUE

DuBois (0-1) at Punxsutawney (0-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m. 

PUNXSUTAWNEY - It's the 85th meeting between these traditional District 9 League rivals. DuBois leads the all-time series, 51-30-3, and has won six of the last eight meetings. Last year, the Beavers routed Punxsutawney, 47-8 for its biggest margin of victory over the Chucks since 1973.

This year, both teams are coming off season-opening non-league losses. DuBois lost to Central Mountain, 16-14, and Punxsutawney was shut out, 27-0, by Oil City.

DuBois rushed for 141 yards last week. Junior Derek Marshall led the way with 60 yards on 16 carries and one TD. Senior Todd Braid had 58 yards on 13 carries and returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.

Punxsy gave up 319 total yards  to Oil City last week. Of Oil City's total, 285 came on the ground.

Offensively, the Chucks struggled as well gaining just 107 yards. Two Punxsy quarterbacks combined to go 8-for-22 for 71 yards. The Chucks will use both junior Dan Barrett and sophomore Joe Martin in their two-quarterback rotation. Senior tailback Paul Johnston led the rushers with 21 yards on seven carries.

Clearfield (1-0) at Brookville (0-1) Friday, 7 p.m.

BROOKVILLE - Clearfield  visits Brookville  in a District 9 League affair.

The Bisons opened the season with a 35-14 league win over visiting Bradford last week. The Raiders want to forget about their season-opener, a 25-0 shutout loss to Titusville. It was the first time the Raiders were shut out since their 34-0 loss to Clearfield in 1998.

Matt Meckey rushed for 115 yards on 16 carries, including a 75-yard TD run in the Bisons' win over Bradford. Quarterback Corey Picard completed a 70-yard TD pass to Brian Kaspick.

Brookville, meanwhile, was limited to 68 yards of offense in its loss to Titusville.

The all-time series between the teams stands at 5-5-1. The Bisons have won four of seven meetings since Brookville entered the D-9 League, but Brookville won last year's game, 26-7.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE SOUTH

Brockway (1-0) at Curwensville (1-0) Friday 7:30 p.m.

CURWENSVILLE - Both teams are coming off shutout victories and looking to get a leg up in the battle for the Allegheny Mountain League's South Divsion title.

Brockway dumped Eisenhower, 40-0, last week. Jesse Vivian rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries and Aaron Cantafio gained 82 yards on eight carries and scored three touchdowns. The Rovers ran over the Knights for 353 yards rushing on 46 attempts.

Curwensville rushed for 137 yards and passed for 118 yards in a 32-0 win over Coudersport. Mark Harnish rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries and returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown, Joe Bennett scored two touchdowns on short runs, Cory Bailor recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and Matt Harnish threw a 9-yard TD pass to top receiver Adam Donahue.

Matt Harnish, a first-year starter at quarterback, completed 12 of 19 passes and was intercepted once.

Curwensville has won nine of the 10 games between the two teams. The series was revived last year and was the first meeting since 1949. Brockway's only win over Curwensville was a 12-6 victory in 1948.

Ridgway (1-0) at Elk County Christian (1-0) Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

ST. MARYS - The state-ranked Elkers slipped by Youngsville, 9-7, last week. They'll have to travel to St. Marys to take on longtime rival Elk County Christian to make it 2-0 this week.

Ridgway, ranked 10th by the Pennsylvania Football News, needed a 22-yard field goal from Jon Fleming and a 1-yard TD run by Dustin Dickant to beat stubborn Youngsville.

ECC, meanwhile, got a 5-yard TD run from Craig Timm, who finishd with 123 yards on 18 carries in a 7-0 win at Otto-Eldred. The Crusaders gained 300 yards, but turned the ball over five times and were whistled for 11 penalties totaling 113 yards.

Ridgway leads the all-time series, 25-13, which includes a 34-21 victory at Ridgway last year.

Kane (1-0) at Cameron County (0-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

EMPORIUM - After stunning perennial power Smethport last week, Kane will try to knock off the defending Allegheny Mountain League and District 9 Class A defending champions this week.

Kane rallied to beat Smethpor, 28-27, when Royce Novosel-Johnson returned a kickoff 80-yard for a touchdown with 28 seconds to play. Tyler Smith then threw to Mike Jammerson for the two-point conversion to hand Smethport its first season-opening loss since 1983.

Cameron County, meanwhile, is coming of a 51-21 drubbing at the hands of Port Allegany. Port scored the first seven times it touched the ball.

The Red Raiders managed 189 total yards and got a 36-yard touchdown run by Scott Horning and TD passes from quarterbacks Dennis McKimm and Jason Crosby. Gideon Hornung led Cameron County with 65 yards rushing on 16 carries.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE NORTH

Port Allegany (1-0) at Coudersport (0-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

COUDERSPORT -- Port Allegany and Coudersport hook up in the AML North opener for both squads Friday night.

The Gators are coming off a thrashing of defending District 9 Class A Champion Cameron County 51-21 Saturday afternoon. In the game quarterback Tom Nasto three two touchdowns and ran for another one, Jayson Nick ran for two touchdowns and Cliff Fillhart caught a touchdown and ran another one as Port Allegany racked up 343 yards on offense including 224 on the ground.

Coudersport is trying to get back on track after being derailed by Curwensville 32-0. In the game, four Falcons' miscues led to four touchdowns for Curwensville. The Coudersport run defense wasn't bad allowing only 137 yards on 30 carries.

Smethport (0-1) at Otto-Eldred (0-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

DUKES CENTER -- Smethport is still recovering from its shocking 28-27 loss at home to Kane Friday night, the first opening-day loss for the Hubbers since 1983, as it prepares to go on the road for the first time in 2000 traveling to Otto-Eldred, a heart-break 7-0 loser to Elk County Christian.

Smethport led 27-20 with under a minute to play, but Kane's Russ Novosel-Johnson returned a kickoff 80-yards, and the Wolves converted a two-point conversion to get the win. Mach Shelgren led the Hubber with 97 yards rushing.

Otto-Eldred fumbled the ball with 11 second left inside the ECC five-yard line sealing its defeat. Terry Fowler led the Terrors with 60 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Youngsville (0-1) at Sheffield (0-1), Saturday 1:30 p.m.

SHEFFIELD -- Both of these District 10 AML North teams are coming off close loses last week. Youngsville fell 9-7 to Ridgway, while Sheffield lost 7-0 to Johnsonburg.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE INTERDIVISION

Eisenhower (0-1) at Johnsonburg (1-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

JOHNSONBURG - Johnsonburg will try to double its win total from last year against the visiting Knights.

Johnsonburg beat Sheffield last Saturday, 7-0, when Joey Carnovale scored on a 31-yard run with 5:39 left to play.

Last week Eisenhower fell to Brockway 40-0.

Johnsonburg leads the all-time series with Eisenhower, 14-12, and has won the last two meetings, including a 19-16 victory last season for its only win.

NON-LEAGUE

A-C Valley (1-0) at St. Marys (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

ST. MARYS - After dropping a 44-20 decision at Clarion-Limestone last week, St. Marys plays another Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference team in its home opener.

The Dutch could have their hands full. A-C Valley routed West Shamokin, 55-6, as quarterback Mike Stewart threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another. Running back Chris Gilman rushed for 91 yards and scored three touchdowns.

St. Marys, which lost at A-C Valley 60-6 last year, will try to close that gap. Running backs Bryan Babb and Dan Fox combined for 114 yards rushing on 11 carries. Fox, Dustin Ruberto scored rushing touchdowns against Clarion-Limestone. Backup quarterback Brandon Bennett completed all four of his passes for 50 yards, including an 11-yard TD pass to Doug Surra.

Bradford (0-1) at Olean, N.Y. (0-1)

OLEAN, N.Y. -- Both of these teams are trying to get back on track after opening season losses.

Bradford fell 34-14 to Clearfield, the Owls 13th loss in a row to the Bisons. Jum Nuzzo led the Owls with 143 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Olean fell to New York state powerhouse Lackawanna 22-12. Lacawanna has been the past three New York B Division title games winning two of the them. Olean is led by junior running back Mike Abdo and senior fullback linebacker Brandon Ashraf, who is 6-2, 220 pounds.

WEEK THREE

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Karns City (2-0 overall, 2-0 KSAC) at Clarion Area (2-0, 2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

CLARION - The winner of this game will take the early lead in the running for the KSAC title.

For more information on this game, see the front page of the football page or the Karns City or Clarion football pages.

West Shamokin (0-2, 0-2) at Moniteau (1-1, 1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Last year when West Shamokin was known as Shannock Valley, it beat Moniteau.

A-C Valley (2-0, 1-0) at Union (1-1, 1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Union is led by quarterback Brian Lipps, the D9Sports.Com Player of the Week in Week One, and wide receiver Josh Carmichael.

Clarion-Limestone (2-0, 1-0) at Keystone (0-2, 0-2) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Keystone loves to throw the ball. Junior quarterback Adam Black is 23-74 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. His top receiver is Kurt Carnahan who had 122 yards receiving in Week One. Carnahan then ran for 120 yards on five carries last week.

DISTRICT 9 LEAGUE

Brookville (0-2 overall, 0-1 D9 League) at DuBois (1-1, 1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. 

DuBois has won five of the seven meetings since Brookville joined the D-9 League in 1993 and leads the all-time series, 13-2. DuBois won last year, 41-21.

Bradford (0-2, 0-1) at Punxsutawney (0-2, 0-1) Friday, 7 p.m.

Bradford, who gained only 128 yards in the Olean game, is led by running back Jim Nuzzo and quartreback Kevin Rose.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE

Elk County Christian (1-1) at Johnsonburg (2-0) Friday 7 p.m.

The Crusaders beat the Rams last year, 42-19.

Curwensville (2-0) at Kane (2-0) Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Curwensville won last year's meeting, 21-0.

Sheffield (1-1) at Ridgway (2-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Sheffield, 33-0 winners over Youngsville last week, opened the year with a 7-0 loss to Johnsonburg. Running backs Dan Martellaci, Jerry Frazier and Vince Warner, and quarterback Kasey Smith are the Wolverines' top players.

Cameron County (0-2) at Brockway (1-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Cameron County leads the all-time series, 12-7, and won last year's game, 35-14, the teams' first meeting since 1968.

Coudersport (1-1) at Smethport (1-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

The Falcons offense needs to do a better job holding on to the football, it has fumbled the ball 14 times in the first two weeks.

Eisenhower (0-2) at Youngsville (0-2), Friday 7:30 p.m.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Both of these District 10 AML teams are looking for their first wins of the season. Youngsville lost 33-0 at Sheffield last week, while Eisenhower suffered a 28-6 defeat at the hands of Johnsonburg.

Otto-Eldred (0-2) at Port Allegany (1-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

O-E is led by running back Terry Fowler who had 60 yards rushing in Week One, while Port Allegany's offense is triggered by quarterback Tom Nasto.

NON-LEAGUE

Bald Eagle Area (1-1) at Clearfield (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Bald Eagle Area was a 13-7 winner over Lewistown last week. The Eagles are led by running backs Adam Nyman (34 attempts, 232 yards) and Dave Spear (35-142).

St. Marys (0-2) at Redbank Valley (0-2) Friday, 7 p.m.

NEW BETHLEHEM - After losing lopsided games to Clarion and Karns City, Redbank Valley hopes to get back on track against non-conference opponent St. Marys in the teams' first-ever regular season meeting.

Running back Ron Geist (20 carries, 147 yards) has scored the Bulldogs' only two touchdowns on runs of 74 and 41 yards.

St. Marys is led by running back Dustin Ruberto (34-158), who rushed for 102 yards in the Dutch's 21-6 loss to A-C Valley last week.

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

FOXBURG- It will be a homecoming of sorts for Karns City coach Ed Conto when his Gremlins travel to A-C Valley in what may be the game of the week in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference.

Conto, who is in his first year the helm of Karns City, will be returning to A-C Valley to face the school he coached for just a couple of years back. Last week, Karns City rebounded from its 21-0 loss to Clarion Area by thrashing Moniteau 61-6. The Gremlins have numerous weapons on offense, ranging from running backs Jim Belles, Beau Rattigan and Bill Graham, quarterback Ian Ferguson and receivers Brian Hilderbrand and Greg King.

A-C Valley, under the guidance of first-year head coach Ray Gilman, will be looking for redemption after being stunned by Redbank Valley 24-13 last week. The Falcons main weapon is running back Chris Gilman, who gained 201 yards rushing on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns last week.

Gilman believes that this will be a very interesting and entertaining game because of both teams having very similar styles.

"The style of football we play is basically the same as what Coach Conto used when he was here," Gilman said. "So it should be a very competitive game."

CLARION AREA (4-0) at WEST SHAMOKIN (0-4), FRIDAY 7 P.M.

RURAL VALLEY -- Two teams on the opposite end of the spectrum meet in Rural Valley Friday night.

Clarion is 4-0 and winners of 13 regular season games in a row including a 34-0 win over Clarion-Limestone last week. West Shamokin, meanwhile, is 0-4 and haven't won four KSAC games in three years. The Wolves lost to Keystone 19-16 last week.

Clarion is led by a power running game and a wall-like defense. Kyle Cathcart is the Bobcats go to man on offense. He has 253 yards rushing and four TDs last week earning him D9Sports.Com District 9 Player of the Week honors. Meanwhile, Cathcart and his defensive teammates limited C-L to -32 yards of offense and have allowed just 7 points all season.

West Shamokin is led by quarterback Ryan Van Horn who was 20-29 for 202 yards and 2 TDs last week. He threw scoring strikes to Bill Fulton and Eric Powers.

UNION (2-2) at CLARION-LIMESTONE (3-1), FRIDAY 7:30 P.M.

CLARION TWP. -- These two teams were at the opposite end of the spectrum last week, as Union got a forfeit win after leading Venango Christian 27-0 when the game was called, while C-L was handed its first loss of the season 34-0 to Clarion.

The Lions comes into this game banged up, as Mike Reynolds and Adam Hepfl will not play and Jordan Johnston is doubtful. Star running back Dan Alderton is expected to play however, which is good news for C-L. Alderton is the Lions leading rusher with over 240 yards on the ground this season. Clarion was able to shut down Alderton last week holding him to three yards on four carries all in the first half.

Union is led by quarterback Brandon Lipps, who was the D9SPorts.Com Player of the Week in Week One, and wide receiver Josh Carmicahel. Lipps returned an INT for a TD against Venango, while Carmicahel had a punt return for a touchdown.

REDBANK VALLEY (1-3) at MONITEAU (2-2), FRIDAY 7 P.M.

WEST SUNBURY -- Redbank Valley got its first win of the season last week 24-13 at A-C Valley, while Moniteau suffered its second defeat 61-6 to Karns City.

The Bulldogs were led by quarterback Chris Merwin a week ago. Merwin was 10-19 for 147 yards and a TD and rushed for two more touchdowns helping Redbank to the win. Running back Ron Geist rushed for 150 yards in the win.

Moniteau is led by running backs Bill Stabb, Zane Grindle and Ryan Jackson.

DISTRICT 9 LEAGUE

BRADFORD (2-2) at ST MARYS (2-2) FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

ST. MARYS - It's homecoming for St. Marys as it tries to notch its third straight win in a District 9 League contest.

The Flying Dutchmen were 21-20 winners at Brookville last week, getting the winning score on quarterback Tony Kopp's third touchdown pass of the game to Tim Thompson with 45 seconds left on the clock.

Dustin Ruberto is off to a good start on the ground for St. Marys, rushing for 317 yards on 72 carries.

Bradford is also looking for its third straight win after beating Oil City, 46-34, last week. The Owls rushed for 378 yards against the Oilers, led by Jason Casey's 11 yards on 18 carries. Matt Grillo gained 108 yards on only four carries.

Bradford has won the last four games between the teams, including a 41-14 decision last year.

AML NORTH

SHEFFIELD (1-3) at SMETHPORT (3-1), FRIDAY 7:30 P.M.

SMETHPORT- The Hubbers will attempt to maintain its lead atop the Allegheny Mountain League North Division when Sheffield comes to town in an AML match-up.

Smethport was upset by Kane 28-27 in its first game of the year but has rebounded by winning three straight games. The Hubbers ran over Eisenhower 43-6 last week. Smethport's weapons range from running back Eric Raydo and Marc Shelgren and quarterback Jeff Shostak.

Sheffield is looking for its second win of the season and to rebound from its 31-6 loss to Port Allegany last week. Sheffield is led by the running back duo of Marquis Tounsend and William Ethridge.

AML SOUTH

CURWENSVILLE (4-0) at JOHNSONBURG (4-0) FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M.

JOHNSONBURG - It's pretty unusual that a team can play five straight unbeaten opponents to start the season. But that's what Curwensville has done.

And the Golden Tide, so far, have passed every test. Last week, Curwensville dumped Ridgway, 27-7, and will take its perfect record to unbeaten Johnsonburg.

Curwensville, which has been successful mostly with power football this year, aired it out against Ridgway. Quarterback Matt Harnish (27-for-57, 311 yards, 5 TDs) and Adam Donahue (15 receptions, 233 yards) hooked up three times for touchdowns.

On the ground, the Tide feature three capable backs in Joe Bennett (37 carries, 214 yards), Brian Marino (37-191) and Mark Harnish (51-187).

Johnsonburg, 1-8 a year ago, is led by senior fullback-linebacker Joey Carnovale (289 yards, 8 TDs), quarterback Francis Iorfido (18-of-36, 316 yards, 3 TDs) and receiver Jake Sprague (9 receptions, 176 yards).

Curwensville beat Johnsonburg last year, 40-0, and leads the all-time series, 17-16-6.

BROCKWAY (3-1) at ELK COUNTY CHRISTIAN (1-3) SATURDAY, 7:30 P.M.

ST. MARYS - Brockway will try to keep pace with the rest of the top of the standings in the Allegheny Mountain League's South Division in a Saturday night game with Elk County Christian.

The Rovers are averaging a whopping 317 yards rushing per game. Leading the way is 3,000-yard rusher Aaron Cantafio, who leads District 9 with 585 yards rushing and has scored nine touchdowns.

Elk County Christian running back Craig Timm has started off well for the Crusaders, rushing for 444 yards with four touchdowns.

Brockway won last year's game, the first ever between the teams, 48-12.

CAMERON COUNTY (0-4) at RIDGWAY (3-1), FRIDAY 7:30 P.M.

RIDGWAY - Let's see, Ridgway is coming off its first loss of the season to Curwensville last week and it lost twice to Cameron County last year by the combined score of 112-20.

Will the Elkers be fired up for this one?

Ridgway will try to bounce back from a 27-7 loss to Curwensville. The Elkers will try to get their offense going, led by quarterback Brandon Steger (558 yards, 7 TDs).

Cameron County is led by junior running back Scott Horning (29 carries, 251 yards).

Ridgway leads the all-time series, 44-12.

AML INTERDIVISION

NON-LEAGUE

KEYSTONE (1-3) at KENNEDY CHRISTIAN (3-1), SATURDAY, 1 P.M.

HERMITAGE- Keystone will be going to Kennedy Christian Saturday with some momentum, having defeated West Shamokin 19-16 last week for its first win of the season.

The Panthers were led by Adam Black's 200-yard passing performance. Black also had two passing TDs and one rushing touchdown. The defense also intercepted West Shamokin twice late in the game to preserve the win.

But the Panthers may be biting off more than they can chew when the face Class A District 10 powerhouse Kennedy Christian.

"Kennedy Christian is very big and has a lot of speed," Keystone coach Dan Reed said. "They have a lot of excellent athletes. They remind me of Karns City, but Kennedy Christian might be more physical.

"They are loaded at every position, are dominating and have many kids back. We are going to play the best we can against them."

Reed noted that Kennedy Christian running back Justin George could be a force.

"He is a very hard runner and possesses an excellent combination of power and speed," Reed said.

DuBOIS (2-2) at McDOWELL (2-2) FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

ERIE - The Beavers travel to Erie to take on their former Allegheny Football Conference rivals.

DuBois, coming off a 39-20 loss to State College, will try to beat McDowell for the first time in Erie since 1991. The Beavers beat the Trojans last year in DuBois, 24-20.

Leading the way for DuBois are running backs Todd Braid (46 carries, 265 yards, 4 TDs) and Derek Marshall (55-251, 4 TDs). Quarterback Matt Sopic (22-of-54, 304 yards, 2 TDs, 3 Ints.) is coming off a career-high 154-yard passing effort against State College.

Junior running back Ryan Sherwood (77 carries, 459 yards; 9 receptions, 75 yards; 10 TDs, 63 pts.) is the top player for McDowell, which lost 24-21 to Hollidaysburg last week.

Earlier this year, McDowell beat Central Mountain, 46-20. Central Mountain beat DuBois in the season opener, 16-14.

McDowell leads the all-time series between the teams, 6-4.

BROOKVILLE (0-4) at GROVE CITY (0-4) FRIDAY, 7 p.m.

BROOKVILLE - In a battle of winless teams, Brookville travels to District 10 country to play Grove City.

The Raiders came close to their first win last week in a 21-20 loss to St. Marys. Running back Ryan Kesterholt (41 carries, 167 yards) rushed for 119 yards against the Dutch.

Grove City has lost twice to state-ranked teams: Wilmington (40-0) and Sharon (63-0). Quarterback Chad Pratt (13-for-42, 200 yards, 2 TDs, 7 Ints.) and running back Josh Pratt (38 carries, 134 yards) are the Eagles' top players.

Brookville hasn't been 0-5 since 1986.

CLEARFIELD (3-1) at BELLEFONTE (3-1) FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

HYDE - The Bisons will try to rebound from what seems to be a loss to Punxsutawny. Injuries dimmed what was otherwise a dominating performance in a 27-0 win over the Chucks.

While the Bisons were limiting the Chucks to minus-29 yards of offense, they lost quarterback Corey Picard for the season with a knee injury. Receiver Brian Kaspick, linemen Matt Fannin and Phil Butler were also injured, but most of them should be back in the lineup for Bellefonte.

Clearfield will look to running backs Matt Meckey (63 carries, 404 yards) and Dave Richards (56-367) to lead the way.

Bellefonte's only loss came to state-ranked Tyrone last week, 14-7. The Red Raiders split with the Bisons last year, beating Clearfield in the PIAA playoffs, 27-10.

Running back Nate Stone (205 yards, 63 carries) and quarterback Stewart Sampsel (516 yards) are Bellefonte's top players.

PUNXSUTAWNEY (0-4) at HOLLIDAYSBURG (3-1) FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

PUNXSUTAWNEY - It could be a long trip to Hollidaysburg for the winless Chucks.

Hollidaysburg is coming off a 24-21 win over McDowell while Punxsutawney was held to minus-29 yards of offense in a 27-0 loss to Clearfield.

WEEK SIX 

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

DISTRICT 9 LEAGUE

BROOKVILLE (1-4) at BRADFORD (3-2), FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

BRADFORD - Bradford will try to win its fourth straight game for the first time since 1988 when the Owls host the Brookville Raiders.

During the winning streak, the Owls have averaged 45.7 points per game. They've never scored 40 points in four straight games, something they'll try to do against a Brookville squad coming off its first win of the
season, a 32-15 win at Grove City.

As usual, Bradford runs the ball almost exclusively in its offensive attack. The Owls average 251 yards per game offensively, 242 of it coming on the ground. Leading the way is running back Jason Casey (61 carries, 321 yards), but other backs Matt Grillo, Elliott George and Jim Nuzzo have also turned in 100-yard efforts so far this year.

Ryan Kesterholt (66 carries, 324 yards) has rushed for over 100 yards two straight weeks, including a career-high 157 yards with two touchdowns.

Quarterback Matt Melillo (32-for-95, 383 yards, 4 TDs, 5 Ints.) passed for two touchdowns and ran for another against Grove City.

Brookville leads the all-time series, 7-1, and lost for the first time to the Owls, 28-14, last year.

AML NORTH

AML SOUTH

ELK COUNTY CHRISTIAN (1-4) at CURWENSVILLE (5-0), FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M.

CURWENSVILLE - The undefeated Golden Tide are playing a team that's not undefeated for the first time this year.

Memories of last year's 17-0 loss at ECC is no doubt a motivator for head coach Andy Evanko's team.

Last week, Curwensville knocked off unbeaten Johnsonburg, 48-14. The Tide gained 414 yards offensively. Running backs Mark Harnish, Joe Bennett and Brian Marino combined for 217 yards. For the season,  Bennett (285 yards), Harnish (267) and Marino (257) provide plenty of balance in the backfield.

But the Tide aren't one-dimensional. Quarterback Matt Harnish completed 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards last week, upping his season yardage total to 474. He's thrown six touchdown passes, four of them to Adam Donahue who has made 20 receptions for 306 yards.

The Tide defense has created a whopping 24 turnovers and the team has a turnover ratio of of plus-15.

Junior running back Craig Timm is the focus of Elk County Christian's offense. He's rushed for 514 yards.

The Crusaders opened the season with a 7-0 win over Otto-Eldred, but have lost four straight games since then.

RIDGWAY (4-1) at BROCKWAY (4-1), FIRDAY, 7:30 P.M.

BROCKWAY - It's homecoming for the Brockway Rovers, who have rolled right along to three straight wins after losing to Curwensville.

Last week, Brockway blanked Elk County Christian, 30-0. Ridgway (4-1) comes to town after beating Cameron County, 24-14. Two weeks ago, the Elkers lost to Curwensville, 27-17.

This is the third game between the nearby rivals since the series was revived in 1997. Each team has won on its home field.

This time, perhaps the outcome bears more weight on Ridgway's side. The Elkers are chasing a District 9 Class A playoff spot. Brockway, on the other hand, are assured a position in the Class AA playoffs.

Still, it's a rivalry that should be enough to motivate either team regardless of records.

"We're not even thinking playoffs right now. It's Ridgway-Brockway and the kids shouldn't need any motivation," Brockway head coach Ray Reckner told the Courier-Express of DuBois. "It's a big rivalry. That's why we came to the AML to develop rivalries with teams like Ridgway."

Brockway is giving up only 6.8 points per game while amassing 343 yards per game offensively. Of that, 317 yards per game is rushing.

Senior wingback Aaron Cantafio has rushed for 705 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He's right at 3,400 career rushing yards with 41 touchdowns. With at least five games left, Cantafio has a realistic shot
at 4,000 yards, a level that's believed to be never eclipsed in District 9 history.

Vivian has complemented Cantafio well at the other wingback spot, rushing for 414 yards and four touchdowns. Fullback Mike Grecco has done well, too, rushing for 163 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

Ridgway got its running game going last week, with a season-high 239-yard effort. Dustin Dickant (56-281) rushed for three touchdowns and a career-high 130 yards.

Still, Ridgway may be the only team in District 9 that averages more passing yards than rushing yards per game. Quarterback Brandon Steger (33-for-58) leads the area with 652 yards passing and shares the lead
with seven TD passes.

Tight end Kalen Fitch (11 catches, 194 yards) and receiver Jesse DePanfilis (11-193) and Dickant (7-179) are Steger's primary targets.

Ridgway leads the all-time series, 14-3. Ridgway won at home, 16-14,last year while Brockway beat Ridgway at home, 15-0, in 1997. Brockway has won 12 of its last 13 home games dating back to the season-ending win over Ridgway in 1997.

JOHNSONBURG (4-1) at KANE (3-2), FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M.

KANE - Its the 84th meeting between these traditional rivals and both teams will try to keep their District 9 Class A playoff hopes alive.

The Rams, 48-14 losers to Curwensville, will attempt to get their offense going against a Kane team that's given up an average of 40.3 points over the last three weeks.

Last week, Kane outlasted Otto-Eldred, 32-29. Otto came into the game without scoring a point all season.

Fullback Joey Carnovale (50 carries, 319 yards) leads Johnsonburg in scoring with 61 points. Quarterback Francis Iorfido (24-for-57) has passed for 471 yards and receiver Jake Sprague (11 receptions, 240 yards) ranks third in receiving yardage.

For Kane, Dan Imbrogno rushed 30 times for 174 yards against Otto-Eldred last week.

AML INTERDIVISION

NON-LEAGUE

CLEARFIELD (4-1) at PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (1-4), FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M.

HYDE - The Clearfield Bisons visit traditional rival Philipsburg-Osceola.

The Bisons continue to rely on the running duo of Matt Meckey (84 carries, 505 yards) and Dave Richards (70-467), who rank fifth and sixth respectively in the Tri-County Area.

Philipsburg-Osceola, 19-6 losers to Indian Valley last week, use a run-oriented offensive attack led by tailback Dan Jones (111-498).

Philipsburg-Osceola shares a common opponent with the Bisons. The Mounties dropped a 14-0 decision to Bellefonte in the second week of the season.

GROVE CITY (0-5) at PUNXSUTAWNEY (0-5), FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

PUNXSUTAWNEY - Something has to give between these winless teams when the Chucks host the winless Eagles in a non-conference game at Jack LaMarca Stadium.

Grove City dropped a 32-15 loss to previously winless Brookville last week. This game could be a key indicator for the Route 36 Trophy game between Brookville and Punxsutawney in two weeks.

WEEK SEVEN, OCT. 12-13

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

KEYSTONE (2-4) at REDBANK VALLEY (2-4), 7 P.M. THURSDAY, OCT. 12 

NEW BETHLEHEM -- A rare Thursday night matchup pits two teams who started the season off slow but have been playing better in recent weeks.

Keystone started 0-3 but has won two of its past three games including a thrilling 32-28 last-second win over A-C Valley last week.

Redbank Valley also lost its first three games but has rebounded by winning two of three with the one loss coming last week in a hard fought game with Clarion-Limestone 17-13.

Keystone features an aerial attack that has District 9's most prolific passer in Adam Black. Black, last week's D9Sports.Com District 9 Player of the Week, has completed 73-181 passes for 864 yards and seven touchdowns. His top receivers are Pat Irwin (23-232 & 2 TDs), Bobby Telesz (13-147) and Ted Wilson (10-106 2 TDs). 

In last week's win over A-C Valley Black was 18-32 for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Irwin caught six passes for 84 yards and a score, and Wilson emerged as a serious threat catching seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers don't run much having gained only 377 of their 1,308 yards this season on the ground. They have rushed the ball 125 times while passing it 189.

Redbank Valley, meanwhile, got good news last week when senior wide receiver Matt Shealy returned after missing the first five games with a spleen injury. Shealy wasted little time getting into swing catching six passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

Chris Merwin QB's the Bulldogs attack. Last week Merwin was 10-24 for 182 yards passing and two touchdowns. For the season he is 38-87 for 603 yards and five touchdowns.

The Redbank Valley running game is led by sophomore Ron Geist. Geist ran 21 times for 110 yards last week and has rushed 125 times for 656 (5.2 yards per carry) and four scores in 2000.

CLARION AREA (6-0) at A-C VALLEY, 7 P.M. FRIDAY

FOXBURG- It will be a battle of teams going in entirely different directions when Clarion visits A-C Valley.

The Bobcats continue to roll through the KSAC en route, having crushed Moniteau 62-6 last week. Mario Bernardi had a coming-out party of sorts by going 3-for-3 passing for 142 yards and three touchdowns in what may have been his best performance this year. Meanwhile, Kyle Cathcart continued to run over defenders, gaining 110 yards on just three carries and scored three touchdowns. Clarion gained 488 yards of offense against the Warriors.

Clarion, still the second-ranked team in Class A in the PA Football News, has averaged 53 points a game, better than any team in the entire state. The Bobcats also have the best point-differential in the state, outscoring opponents by an almost 51-point average.

Meanwhile, the Falcons enter Friday's contest having been stunned by Keystone 32-28 last week. After starting out 3-0, A-C Valley has lost its last three games.

The Falcons had a 28-26 lead over the Panthers before a 16-yard TD run by Billy Colwell with seven seconds left gave Keystone the win. A-C Valley had the lead on three separate occasions. The Falcons had problems containing Adam Black, who went 18-for-32 passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns.

Running back Chris Gilman and quarterback Cory Jackson should be key contributors for the Falcons. Jackson had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown last week, while Gilman scored on a 39-yard run and converted 2 two-point conversions.

MONITEAU (2-4) at CLARION-LIMESTONE (5-1), 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY

CLARION TWP- Clarion-Limestone will continue its march toward the playoffs when the Lions host Moniteau.

The Lions hope that their contest against Moniteau will be their first win in a pivotal three-game stretch that will determine their fate for making the playoffs.

If C-L runs the table and wins its final three regular-season games, which includes an Oct. 27 match-up with Karns City, the Lions are assured a playoff berth. A loss in one of the final three games will require some help from some AML teams and a little bit of luck.

But C-L made a major step to returning to the playoffs by defeating Redbank Valley 17-13 last week. The Lions got an inspired effort from some of its reserves and endured Matt Shealy's fine performance to hold off the Bulldogs.

The Lions were without starters Chad Conti, Mike Reynolds and Jason Thompson last week and got the job done in the air, scoring on passes of 80 and 63 yards.

On the other hand, Moniteau is looking to regroup after being thrashed by Clarion Area 62-6 last week. Bill Staab was limited to just 62 yards on 30 carries while the Warriors defense was victimized for 488 yards. Staab and Co. will be trying to put a major damper on C-L's plans.

UNION (3-3) at KARNS CITY (4-2), 7 P.M. FRIDAY

KARNS CITY- After losing a 3-0 heartbreaker to D-10 power Wilmington last week, Karns City will be seeking redemption when Union comes to town Friday night.

Two missed field goals and a late interception was all the kept the Gremlins from improving to 5-1. Karns City held a Wilmington offense averaging over 45 points a game to just a field goal, but couldn't get on the scoreboard.

Karns City is averaging 34 points a game while giving up an average of only 8 points.

Union's fortunes were quite different than that of the Gremlins last week, having defeated West Shamokin 16-0 to reach the .500 mark.

Anthony Conner had a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, while Brian Lipps had a 70-yard TD strike.

The Golden Knights held West Shamokin to 174 yards of offense en route to the win.

D9 LEAGUE

DUBOIS AREA (3-3) at BRADFORD (4-2), 7 p.m. FRIDAY

DUBOIS - With only a few important District 9 League games left on the schedule, this one holds plenty of weight in determining who wins the league title.

A DuBois (3-0 in the league) win would set up the Beavers' game at home with Clearfield on Oct. 27 with the league title on the line. A Bradford win could lead to an Owls title if DuBois knocks off Clearfield. Bradford lost its season-opener to Clearfield, 35-14.

The Owls, on a four-game winning streak, are 3-1 in the league.

Historically, the Beavers have owned the Owls. They've won 11 straight against Bradford and 23 of the last 24. The last time DuBois lost to Bradford was a 20-7 setback in 1988.

Injuries to running backs Derek Marshall (deep thigh bruise) and Chad Hoare (pulled quad muscle) puts both of them on Hazlet's doubtful to play list.

Marshall leads the Beavers in rushing with 415 yards and has scored a touchdown in every game this year. Hoare's presence may be missed the most at linebacker on defense.

Even if both play some, look for Todd Braid (57 carries, 316 yards) and Josh Campbell to do the bulk of the ballcarrying. Campbell appears ready to go as he recovers from a broken foot injury that's limited his season so far. Chris Basinger will step in for Hoare on defense.

Expect plenty of running from Bradford, which averages 233 yards rushing per game out of its wing-T set. Leading the way is Jason Casey (72-359), Elliott George (37-172) and Mike Fair, who led the Owls with 93 yards in their 18-7 win over Brookville last week.

"We think we know what's coming, now we'll see if we can stop it," Hazlet said. "They're a very disciplined wing-T team and they're going to spread the ball around."

Last week, Bradford struggled to beat Brookville in sloppy conditions at Parkway Field. George's 80-yard kickoff return and Matt Grillo's 53-yard punt return for touchdowns in the first four minutes of the second half proved to be the difference.

DuBois beat Brookville earlier this season, 40-7, and is coming off a 34-13 win over St. Marys.

ST. MARYS - St. Marys will try to end a four-game losing streak to Punxsutawney and solidify its hold on fourth place in the District 9 League.

The Flying Dutchmen, 34-13 losers to DuBois last week, take on a struggling Punxsutawney team that finally found the win column for the first time last week.

The Chucks beat winless Grove City, 21-7, getting a season-high rushing effort from senior running back Paul Johnston, who rushed for 126 yards on 13 carries. That effort put Johnston as the team's leading rusher with 148 yards on 34 carries.

St. Marys may not have running backs Dustin Ruberto (89-434) or Bryan Babb (57-310) in the lineup because both sustained injuries last week. However, Dan Fox returned from an injury and rushed for 140 yards against the Beavers.

DUKE CENTER- Otto-Eldred will try again for its first win of the season and to climb out of the basement of the AML North when Sheffield comes to town.

The Terrors keep getting closer to victory, having lost their last two games by a total of nine points. Otto-Eldred nearly pulled off a major upset just two weeks ago when they fell to Kane 32-29. Last week, the Terrors fell to Eisenhower 12-6. Kyle Milliron scored the Terrors lone touchdown last week on a 12-yard run.

Sheffield lost to Coudersport 24-0 last week and will be trying to snap a four-game losing streak.

EISENHOWER (2-4) at COUDERSPORT (4-2), 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY

COUDERSPORT- The Falcons will be trying to extend its three-game winning streak when Eisenhower visits Coudersport.

Coudy defeated Sheffield 24-0 last week. Brandon Whitman gained 84 yards on 10 carries against Sheffield.

Eisenhower was a winner last week, defeating Otto-Eldred 12-6. Ryan Irwin caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Curtis with 3 1/2 minutes left in the game for the victory.

YOUNGSVILLE (1-5) at SMETHPORT (5-1), 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY

SMETHPORT- It is a game the Hubbers can't take lightly when Youngsville travels to Smethport.

Smethport is in the driver's seat for earning a playoff berth and can't afford to slip up to a 1-5 Youngsville squad.

It was only an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Royce Novosel-Johnson that has kept the Hubbers from a 6-0 record.

Smethport defeated Cameron County 20-0 last week to build its winning streak to five games. Jeff Shostak went 6-for-18 last week for 107 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns and passed for a score. Dan Mitchell led the Hubbers running attack with 111 yards on 10 carries.

Youngsville fell to AML-North power Port Allegany 33-0 last week. Youngsville could only muster 49 yards of offense against Port Allegany and lost the ball four times.

RIDGWAY - It's probably do or die for the loser of this game in their quest to make the District 9 Class A playoffs.

The loser could be left out of the competitive race for the four District 9 Class A playoff spots as it appears three losses may be too much to qualify.

Ridgway will try to shake off a 28-14 loss to Brockway last week. Kane rallied in the second half to beat Johnsonburg, 35-21.

In a 35-21 win over Johnsonburg last week, Kane used a balanced attack to rally from a 21-6 halftime deficit. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Smith came off the bench in the third quarter to lead that rally as he went 5-of-5 for 124 yards and threw three touchdowns.

Ridgway brings a pretty good passing game of its own into the game.

Junior quarterback Brandon Steger leads the area with 794 yards passing as he has completed 39 of 73, and has thrown nine TD passes and five interceptions.

Senior tight end Kalen Fitch is Steger's favorite target. Fitch has 15 receptions for 307 yards and has caught three TDs.

This will be the 96th meeting between Ridgway and Kane as the Elkers lead the all-time series, 50-38-7. Ridgway won last year, 14-0.

BROCKWAY (5-1) at JOHNSONBURG (4-2), 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY

JOHNSONBURG - Two teams heading in opposite directions meet Friday night when the Brockway Rovers visit the Johnsonburg Rams in an Allegheny Mountain League South Division football matchup.

Brockway (5-1) enters the game winners of four straight, while Johnsonburg (4-2) is looking to end its two-game losing streak.

Brockway rolled up 410 yards rushing in a 28-14 win over Ridgway last week.

Brockway senior wingback Aaron Cantafio leads District 9 with 945 yards rushing on 105 carries and has scored 12 touchdowns. Last week, Cantafio's season-high 240 yards now sits at 3,640 yards, well within striking distance of 4,000 yards with at least four games remaining.

The Rovers' defense has limited opponents to an average of eight points and 141 yards per game.

Johnsonburg, meanwhile, is just looking to get back on track after suffering consecutive losses to Kane (35-21) and Curwensville (43-14).

To beat the Rovers, the Rams will need a big game from senior fullback Joey Carnovale, who leads the team with 336 yards rushing on 59 carries.

While Brockway has all but clinched a playoff spot, Johnsonburg is in a must-win situation. Three losses will all but knock the Rams out of the competitive race for the four D-9 Class A playoff spots.

ST. MARYS - Something has to give as Cameron County tries to win its first game and Elk County Christian attempts to end a five-game losing streak.

It'll likely be a battle of running games as ECC's Craig Timm (105-538 and Cameron County's Scott Horning (50-333) are the main focus of each team's attack.

Elk County Christian leads the all-time series, 16-10, but Cameron won a 49-7 decision last year.

NON-LEAGUE

PORT ALLEGANY (5-1) at CURWENSVILLE (6-0), 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY

CURWENSVILLE - It's a possible preview for the Allegheny Mountain League Championship game when Curwensville hosts Port Allegany at Riverside Stadium Friday night.

The Gators come in with a 5-1 record, and regardless of what happens Friday, a win over Smethport on Oct. 21 would probably put Port in the Allegheny Mountain League Championship game against the Golden Tide on
Oct. 28.

"We could come around and face each other again if things work out for both of us," Curwensville head coach Andy Evanko told the Courier-Express of DuBois. "We still have to take care of business every week and Port's a good team. They have a lot of team speed and balance on offense."

Running back Travis Rankin, quarterback Tom Nasto and receiver Cliff Fillhart are the Gators' top players.

Last year against the Tide, Nasto ran for a touchdown threw for another, completing six passes to Fillhart, but Curwensville limited Port to four yards rushing in a 55-21 win.

Port Allegany's only loss this year was an 8-7 setback at Coudersport in the second week of the season. That came one week after  the Tide beat Coudersport, 32-0.

While the balanced running game of Curwensville has been the team's bread and butter - Joe Bennett (309 yards), Mark Harnish (306) and Brian Marino (305) - the quarterback-receiver combination of Matt Harnish and Adam Donahue has been a game-breaker.

Matt Harnish has completed 48 of 87 passes for 583 yards and nine touchdowns. Donahue has made 26 receptions for 411 yards and seven touchdowns.

Last week, Harnish and Donahue hooked up for three touchdowns in a 33-0 win over Elk County Christian.

 WEST SHAMOKIN (0-6) at CLEARFIELD (5-1), 7 p.m. FRIDAY

HYDE - Clearfield and West Shamokin hook up in what looks to be a lopsided non-league matchup
The Bisons routed West Shamokin, named Shannock Valley last year, 44-12, and it's doubtful that this year will be any different.

The winless Wolves have been outscored by an average of 33 points and have scored only 7.3 points per game.

Clearfield, meanwhile, will try to win its fourth straight game. Last week, the Bisons beat Philipsburg-Osceola, 22-8.

Leading the Bisons are running backs Matt Meckey (101-583) and DaveRichards (75-478).

BROOKVILLE - The Brookville Area High School football team picked a formidable opponent for this year's homecoming game.

Coming to town Friday are the 6-0 Wilmington Greyhounds, ranked ninth in the state in Class AAA by the Harrisburg Patriot-News. Wilmington was ranked sixth before squeaking by Karns City last week, 3-0.

Wilmington, averaging nearly 39 points per game, is led by tailback Brandon Whiting, who has rushed for over 600 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Brookville is coming off an 18-7 loss at Bradford last week where the special teams gave up two quick touchdowns in the second half, otherwise spoiling a good defensive effort.

Brookville's leading rusher, senior Ryan Kesterholt (74 carries, 386 yards) is questionable for the game.

Without him, the Raiders may have to rely on the passing game more, led by junior quarterback Matt Melillo (38-for-111, 525 yards, 5 TDs, 7 Ints.), who has passed for 258 yards and three TDs the last two games.

WEEK 8, OCT. 20-21