CLARION-LIMESTONE LOOKING TO WRAP-UP PLAYOFF SPOT; PART OFF KSAC TITLE

Redbank Valley (4-3 overall, 4-2 KSAC) at Clarion-Limestone (7-0, 6-0)

Week Seven - 7:30 p.m. Friday Oct. 17

STRATTANVILLE – A lot is at stake Friday night when Redbank Valley (4-3 overall, 4-2 KSAC) visits Clarion-Limestone (7-0, 6-0).

Clarion-Limestone, the defending District 9 Class A champions, can lock up its fourth straight District 9 playoff berth with a win. That win would also assure the Lions of no worse than a tie for the KSAC championship. C-L was the champions of the KSAC last season.

Redbank Valley’s playoff chances are a lot more difficult that C-L’s, but the Bulldogs still have a shot with a win. If Redbank beats C-L, the Bulldogs can still clinch the KSAC’s automatic berth if the Lions lose to Moniteau next week and Clarion loses either to Moniteau this week or A-C Valley next week. Two Redbank Valley wins, two Clarion wins and two Clarion-Limestone loses could create a three-way tie among Class A teams in the KSAC without a clear-cut solution. Redbank Valley could also claim a District 9 Class A wild card berth with two wins and a losses by Ridgway and Clarion or two wins, a losses by Clarion and Port Allegany and a couple of more complicated things.

Beating C-L won’t be an easy task for Redbank Valley. The Bulldogs haven’t knocked off the Lions since 1999 when beat them 33-14. Since then Redbank Valley has lost three straight games to the Lions by a combined score of 110-33 including 93-20 the last two seasons. Last year C-L rolled over the Bulldogs 45-7 at Redbank Valley.

Not only that, C-L is riding a District 9 best 24-game win streak, and the Lions have also won 12 straight regular-season home games. The last team to beat C-L in the regular-season was Karns City 25-7 Aug. 31, 2001. That was also the Lions last regular-season home loss.

C-L is coming off an easy 54-6 win over Union last week, and the Lions have outscored their opponents 238-38.

Redbank Valley, who has won two in a row after dropping three straight, is coming off a 23-16 upset win over Moniteau last week. The Bulldogs have had some tough losses losing their three games by a combined total of 20 points including two of the losses – Karns City 7-6 in overtime and Brookville 24-21 – by a combined total of four points. On the year, Redbank Valley is outscoring the opposition 197-109.

In addition the playoff ramifications, the game also features two of the top quarterbacks in District 9 in C-L’s Hayden Johnston and Redbank Valley’s Shane Reed.

Johnston, a junior, ranks sixth in District 9 in yards passed for having gone 46-for-82 for 726 yards. He has thrown 15 touchdowns, which is second in District 9, and just three interceptions. His quarterback rating of 183.52 is the highest among starters in the district. Johnston is also an accomplished runner who has rushed 59 times for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He has not been asked to run nearly as much this year as he was last year when he gained 799 yards on 159 carries and scored 11 touchdowns.

Reed, a senior, ranks fourth in the district in yards passes for having gone 80-for-155 for 985 yards and 12 touchdowns. The one sticking point might be his seven interceptions, but five of those came in Weeks Two and Three including three in a loss to a 22-6 loss at Clarion in Week Three. Because of sack yardage, Reed’s rushing total is small with 64 yards gained on 70 carries, but he has scored four rushing touchdowns.

With two top-notch quarterbacks comes two top-notch wide receivers.

For C-L senior Brad Beggs is Johnston’s main target having caught 24 passes for 348 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranks seventh in the district in catches, 12^th in yards received for and No. 1 in receiving touchdowns.

Senior Tyson Truitt is Reed’s main target having caught 29 passes for 397 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks fifth in the district in both catches and receiving touchdowns and ninth in receiving yards. Receiving isn’t the only way Truitt finds the end zone. He has returned an interception and a punt for touchdowns this year while having numerous other good kickoff and punt returns that have helped set up Redbank Valley touchdowns this season.

While both teams possess a strong passing game, C-L has a distinct advantage in the running games.

The Lions are averaging the fourth most yards per game in District 9 on the ground with 249.5, while Redbank Valley is mired in the back of the pack with 123.7 good for just 21^st in the district. In the Bulldogs three loses they have managed just 53 yards on the ground, and if you take away the 439 yards rushing Redbank Valley gained in Weeks One and Two the Bulldogs have just 85.4 yards per game on the ground in the last five weeks.

NOTES – If the Lions win, it will be their third KSAC championship since the league was formed in 1993 and their seventh as a member of the KSAC/Little 12 (the predecessor to the KSAC) … C-L won a four straight KSAC/Little 12 titles from 1990-93 with current head coach Todd Smith quarterbacking the 1990 team to a 9-0 KSAC record and a 10-1 overall record.