District 9 Class AAA Playoff Home

PUNXSUTAWNEY – The District 9 Class AAA playoffs get started Friday night when Bradford (5-4) travels to Punxsutawney (5-4) for the lone semifinal game in this year’s Class AAA tournament.

The winner of the game will face Clearfield at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at DuBois in the District 9 Class AAA title game. Clearfield (7-2) has a bye this week as only three teams entered the playoffs.

This is the second meeting of the season between Bradford and Punxsutawney with the Chucks coming away with a 20-0 decision Sept. 13 in Punxsutawney.

"I think Punxsutawney probably has the advantage this time as well," Bradford head coach Steve Ackerman said. "I think this for a number of reasons including home-field advantage, having already beaten us once and them having a great quarterback and skill people."

The teams have taken very different routes to the playoffs. Bradford started the year 0-4 but has rebounded nicely with five straight wins (four of them at home).

"The turnaround is due the senior leadership we have and the kids not quitting on themselves," Ackerman said. "They hung in there at 0-4 and stuck to what we were trying to do."

Punxsutawney’s season, meanwhile, has been more of a roller coaster ride. The Chucks started the year 3-0 but then lost two straight to put them at 3-2. Punxsutawney rebounded to win its next two games, but dropped its final two contests heading into the playoffs.

In terms of playoff experience, Bradford should have the advantage. The Owls are the two-time defending District 9 Class AAA champions, and they have been to the playoffs three years in a row. This is Punxsutawney’s first playoff appearance since the Chucks lost the 1995 District 9 Class AAAA title game to DuBois 22-15.

"I don’t think our success the last two years will have any bearing on this game," Ackerman said. "None of the kids that played regularly the last two years are still with us."

Bradford, the two-time defending District 9 champs, is a team that likes to keep the ball on the ground. The Owls have rushed for 2,112 yards this season (234.7 per game) while only passing for 420 (46.7 per game). Bradford’s offense is averaging 24.6 ppg.

"We seem to get a lot of our scoring on big plays," Ackerman said. "We need to sustain drives and keep Punxsutawney’s offense on the sideline."

Freshman quarterback Jake Long calls the signals for the Owls. Long is 25-for-53 (47.2 percent) passing this season for 420 yards and three touchdowns. He has also thrown five interceptions. On the ground, Long has rushed 56 times for 161 yards and two scores.

Running back Sean Hvizdzak leads the Owls rushing attack having toted the ball 89 times for 797 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Shawn Colligan is the second-leading rusher with 75 carries for 472 yards and seven scores. Colligan is also the leading receiver with nine catches for 175 yards, while Ryan Race has five grabs for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

The Punxsutawney defense that will be charged with slowing down the Owls is allowing 19.3 ppg but has surrendered 23.9 ppg since allowing just seven points in the first three weeks.

Punxsutawney’s offense, meanwhile, is averaging 27.7 ppg. The Chucks are much more balanced than Bradford is with an almost even 50-50 split between rushing and passing. They have passed for 1,407 yards and rushed for 1,390.

Senior Joe Martin is the quarterback for Punxsutawney. Martin has been a fairly accurate passer completing 54.4 percent (81-149) of his passes for 1,377 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. Martin has also been dangerous with his legs rushing 105 times for 272 yards and five touchdowns.

Martin is part of a balanced Punxsutawney ground attack that has four players all over 100 yards on the season.

Dustin Guidash is the leading rusher having toted the ball 101 times for 521 yards and five scored. Fullback Zach Bernat has 54 carries for 351 yards and three touchdowns. Kory Blose, who is now listed as the starting left tackle, has rushed 31 times for 117 yards.

The Chucks have also spread out their receiving corps with three players having caught 15 or more passes.

Guidash is the leading receiver with 29 grabs for 457 yards and four touchdowns, while Kyle Barilar has 24 catches for a team-high 473 yards and four touchdowns. Andy Snyder is adding 17 catches for 334 yards and three scores.

The Bradford defense charged with slowing down the Punxsy attack is allowing 22.7 ppg. The defense has gotten stiffer the last three weeks allowing just 22 points in the last third of the season (7.3 ppg) after surrendering 182 (30.3) in the first six weeks.

"We need to stop their passing game," Ackerman said. "Martin is very adept at buying time in the pocket and finding open receivers. We need to pressure him and make him throw before he wants to."