BROOKVILLE-PUNXSUTAWNEY FIGHTING FOR D9 TITLE

Punxsutawney (5-2 overall, 3-1 D9 League) at Brookville (4-3, 3-1)

Week Eight - 7 p.m. Friday Oct. 18

By Chris Rossetti

BROOKVILLE – The race for the D9 League title heats up Friday night in an old-fashioned rivalry game for the Route 36 Trophy when Punxsutawney makes the 20-mile trip north to play Brookville. Both teams enter the game with 3-1 conference.

If Brookville wins they are the one of the more unlikely D9 League champions in a long time by virtue of their win over Clearfield.

If Punxsutawney wins it would need Clearfield to lose to either St. Marys or DuBois because the Chucks lost to Clearfield earlier in the season. So a Punxsutawney win would open the door for Clearfield to claim the D9 League title.

In addition to the D9 League title chase, the game also is important for both teams in the scope of the District 9 Class AA and Class AAA playoffs.

Brookville still has a chance to get secure the second seed and a home playoff game in Class AA, while Punxsutawney has already clinched at least the second seed and with it a home playoff game in Class AAA. If the Chucks win out and Clearfield loses once in the final two weeks, Punxsutawney can claim the top seed and with it a potential bye week.

Punxsutawney’s season has been like a roller coaster. The Chucks started the year with three straight wins but followed with two consecutive loses. They have now won two straight including a 43-14 win over St. Marys last week.

Brookville, meanwhile, rolled off four straight wins after starting the season 0-1 but have since dropped two in a row including a 22-13 decision to Oil City last week.

The game features two of the top quarterbacks in District 9 in Punxsutawney’s Joe Martin and Brookville’s Cole Cook.

Martin has the third highest quarterback rating in District 9, while Cook’s is fifth best. Cook is the district’s leading passer yards wise, and Martin is right behind him in second place. Both quarterbacks have also shown the ability to put yards and points up on the ground as well.

On the year, Martin is completing 52.7 percent of his passes (58-110) for 980 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has thrown five interceptions, and his NCAA quarterback rating is 148.47. Martin has also run the ball 80 times for 287 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.

Cook, meanwhile, is completing 55 percent of his passes (82-149) for 1,090 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown four interceptions, and his NCAA quarterback rating is 128.83. On the ground, Cook has toted the ball 59 times for 146 yards and three scores.

To go along with the good quarterbacks, each team has some talented players catching the football.

Punxsutawney’s receiving corps is spread out between wide receiver Andy Snyder and Kyle Barilar and running back Dustin Guidash.

Snyder has 11 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns, Barilar has 12 catches for 249 yards and two scores and Guidash is third in District 9 with 25 catches for 381 yards, the fifth highest total in District 9, and four touchdowns.

Cook has three main targets as well in Corey Santoriello, Brent Puller and Cliff Park.

Santoriello has a district-leading 33 catches for 482 yards and six scores. He is second in District 9 in yards receiving and third in touchdown catches.

Puller is adding 18 grabs for 184 yards, and Park has 13 catches for 175 yards.

Both teams have also been able to move the ball on the ground.

Punxsutawney has run for 1,180 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Brookville has rushed for 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Guidash (71 carries, 362 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Zach Bernat (44 carries, 312 yards, 3 touchdowns) pace the Chucks ground game.

Matt Gilbert (103 carries, 382 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Bill Morrison (74 carries, 330 yards, 6 touchdowns) lead the Raiders rushing attack.

Next week Punxsutawney hosts Tyrone while Brookville is at Meadville.