It’s rivalry week in District 9 as the season heads into the seventh week. Three teams – DuBois, Coudersport and Clarion-Limestone – remain unbeaten at 6-0 and two are hooked up in the games of the week.

The DuBois Beavers take their perfect record to the Bison Sports Complex in Hyde to take on the 4-2 Clearfield Bisons. It’s the 100^th meeting between the longtime rivals and the first in two years after a one-year hiatus due to Clearfield’s brief move out of the District 9 League.

After some political maneuvering, the Bisons are back and will play the Beavers again this year with the league title on the line, as is the case most years between these teams.

First-year head coach Jason Shilala of DuBois will look to his fearsome foursome of Ryan Liddle, Mark Malacarne, Rob Hanzely and Adam Lawrence to lead the way. Those four have had a hand in all but one of the Beavers’ touchdowns this year.

Clearfield head coach Tim Janocko, in his 21^st year, sports a respectable 10-11 career record against the Beavers and his teams have won the last three meetings, including a 40-21 win in their last game in 2003.

The Bisons are led by Janocko’s son, first-year starting quarterback Andrew Janocko, receivers Beau Ryan and Matt Morgan and running backs Lucas Aughenbaugh and Curtis Campman.

Overall, DuBois dominates the series, 66-28-5.

The unbeaten Clarion-Limestone Lions have found ways to win with big-play athletes Scott Davis and David "Tuffy" Brooks leading the way. Davis actually accounted for 103 percent of his team’s offensive yardage in last week’s 29-27 win over Keystone. In four of the Lions’ six wins, the combined margin of victory is 12 points.

The Lions will be tested this week as they clash with backyard rival Clarion (5-1) at Clarion University. The Bobcats are coming off an overtime loss at Karns City, a team that C-L beat in overtime earlier this year. Both teams have already qualified for the District 9 Class A playoffs.

Chris McSwain and Manny Carpin key a Bobcats offensive attack that will try to offset the Lions’ spread offensive set that has proved to be difficult to stop.

Unlike the DuBois-Clearfield series, the Clarion-C-L rivalry is closer on the scoreboard. The Lions lead the series, 17-16, but have dominated in recent years, winning the last four in a row and 14 of the last 18 against the Bobcats.

A Clarion-Limestone win would clear the way for the Lions to win their fourth straight Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference title while also assuring one of the top two seeds in the upcoming District 9 Class A Playoffs. They shared last year’s crown with Clarion. A Clarion win, however, would keep things up for grabs.

In other KSAC game with conference implications, Karns City (4-2) hosts Moniteau (4-2). Both teams have 3-1 conference records. Redbank Valley (3-3) hosts A-C Valley (1-4).

St. Marys (2-4) tries to get back in the win column against winless Punxsutawney (0-6). Bradford is off with a bye week.

The most interesting game of the week has Port Allegany (5-1) hosting Curwensville (5-1) Saturday afternoon. While the Gators probably won’t win the AML North, the Golden Tide are in the thick of the AML South race. The Tide hold a one-game edge over Johnsonburg and Elk County Catholic with two games remaining. The Tide visit the Crusaders next week.

Kane (3-3), coming off a big win at Brockway, visits Cameron County (2-4), Brockway (3-3) hosts Otto-Eldred (2-4), Coudersport (6-0) hosts winless Ridgway (0-6) and Johnsonburg (4-2) hosts Smethport (2-4). In Saturday’s other game, Elk County Catholic (4-2) visits Sheffield (0-6).

Two games on the schedule feature Brookville (2-4) visiting Keystone (1-5) for the first time since they were Little 11 rivals back in 1992. It’s also a homecoming of sorts for Brookville head coach Chris Dworek, who coached at Keystone before taking over the Raiders job before the 1996 season. Union (0-6) tries to end its 27-game losing streak at District 10’s Lakeview (1-5). The Golden Knights’ streak is tied with Otto-Eldred’s 27-game streak that ended in 2002.

With four teams already in the District 9 Class A Playoffs (Coudersport, Clarion, Port Allegany and Clarion-Limestone), three more can qualify this week.

Curwensville is in with a win, while Elk County Catholic and Johnsonburg are both in with wins and a loss by Otto-Eldred.