DISTRICT 9 CLASS AA PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

1. Brookville (9-1)

2. Karns City (9-1)

3. Moniteau (6-4)

4. Brockway (6-4)

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at Clarion University - Directions

WINNER PLAYS: Winner of Moniteau/Karns City game Nov. 24 or 25

GAME NOTES: This is the sixth time in the past nine seasons that Brookville and Brockway have met in the District 9 Class AA Playoffs. Brookville holds a slim 3-2 lead in the series with wins in 2004, 1999 and 1998 including the 1998 D9 title game. Brockway wins have come in 2002 and 2000 … This is the third playoff meeting between the teams at Brookville with Brookville winning 21-10 in 1999 and Brockway upsetting the Raiders 41-12 in 2002 on its way to the D9 Title. Brookville returned the favor beating Brockway 21-20 in 2004 at Brockway, and the Raiders went on to win the championship … Brockway is the defending District 9 Class AA champion, and the Rovers have won three of the past four titles with Brookville’s title win in 2004 the only interruption … A loss by Brockway would end the great career of head coach Ray Reckner, who is 131-89-3 (.573) in his 22^nd year at Brockway. Reckner has led the Rovers to four District 9 titles … A win, and Reckner would get to coach his 225^th game at the Jefferson County school in the title game next week. This is game 224 for Reckner.

HEAD COACH: Ray Reckner

2006 RECORD: 6-4 overall, 5-4 AML South (4^th place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 45-49 (.479); 2^nd among D9 Class AA playoff teams

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-0

TOP PLAYERS: Anthony Varischetti (101 carries, 362 yards, 5 TDs; 35-for-94 passing, 484 yards, 5 TDs, 5 Ints; 8 catches, 204 yards; 62 tackles, 1 interception on defense); Dillon Park (142 carries, 804 yards, 7 TDs), 7 catches, 90 yards), Armando Fortunato (59 carries, 333 yards, 6 TDs; 9 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs; 52 tackles); Andy Linden (43 carries, 215 yards, 3 TDs; 30 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception on defense); Matt Pentz (12-for-25 passing, 266 yards, 2 TDs, 2 Ints); Jesse Ward (31 tackles, 7 sacks).

NOTABLE: Brockway could be peaking at the right time. After starting the season 2-4, the Rovers have won four straight including a 24-21 victory last week against Clearfield, which entered the game with just one loss … This is Brockway’s ninth straight appearance in the D9 Class AA Playoffs, and the Rovers are 8-5 in the previous eight years with the three titles … Varischetti started the season at quarterback but has been moved around to a number of different positions and lined up at quarterback, running back and in the slot in the win over Clearfield … Brockway is 2-3 against teams who have made the District 9 playoffs this season including 1-3 vs. teams in the Class A postseason … The Rovers have just two wins over teams with a winning record beating Clearfield last week and Ridgway (6-3) 12-0 in Week Two. Overall, Brockway is 2-4 with teams who are .500 or better this season.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 10/2005 – Class AA

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 4/2005 – Class AA

HEAD COACH: Chris Dworek

2006 RECORD: 9-1 overall, 4-1 D9 League (Tie for 1^st place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 46-43 (.517); 1^st among D9 Class AA Playoff Teams

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-0

TOP PLAYERS: Max Kutz (130 carries, 1,114 yards, 11 TDs; 37 tackles, 4 sacks on defense); Joe Galbraith (122 carries, 922 yards, 9 TDs; 38 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions on defense); Shane Heschke (56-for-100, 936 yards, 10 TDs, 4 Ints; 75 carries, 402 yards, 7 TDs); Tyler Ross (33 catches, 541 yards, 7 TDs; 2-for-4 passing, 61 yards, 2 TDs; 9 carries, 36 yards; 38 tackles, 5 interceptions on defense); Alex Kerr (9 catches, 213 yards, 2 TDs; 59 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 interceptions on defense); Levi Singleton (87 tackles, 2 sacks); Eli Morres (50 tackles, 7 sacks), Justin Smith (43 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 interception).

NOTABLE: The Raiders are riding an 8-game winning streak into the game with their only loss coming 39-35 in Week Two at home to Clearfield. It was a game Brookville believes it should have won especially considering the Raiders led by 11 with under seven minutes to play … Brookville is looking for its first home playoff win since it beat Brockway in 1999. Since then the Raiders have gone 0-3 at home in the postseason losing to Brockway in 2002, Karns City 21-13 in 2003 and Moniteau 35-25 last season … Kutz became the first Raider to go over 1,000 yards rushing since Doug Miller did it in 1995 … Joe Galbraith could give Brookville two 1,000-yard rushers, as he needs 78 yards to top the century mark … The nine wins are the most ever in the regular season for Brookville and ties the school record for most wins in a season set in 1994 … Morress is considered to be one of the top linemen in District 9 and has had some NCAA Division I teams looking at him … This is Brookville’s 15^th District 9 playoff appearance in the 20 years there has been a postseason tournament (two of the Raiders appearances were played in conjunction with another district) and its 15^th in the past 16 years … 2001 was the lone season between 1991 and this year that the Raiders didn’t go to the postseason. The 15 playoff trips are tops in District 9, although it should be noted that it has been a lot easier to enter the Class AA Tournament – Brookville has been a Class AA team for 12 of the 15 trips – than it is to enter in Class A because there are fewer teams (In fact the Class AA Tournament is now an open tournament while the Class A tournament is not) … Brookville is 10-9 in postseason play at the district level with five titles (1 Class AAA, 4 Class AA).

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 14/2005 – Class AA

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 5/2004 – Class AA

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Nov. 18/Karns City High School - Directions

WINNER PLAYS: Winner of Brockway/Brookville game Nov. 24 or 25

GAME NOTES: This is a rematch an Oct. 13 game that was one of the best in District 9 this season. Karns City won the game 20-18 despite being outgained 415 yards to 168. The Gremlins rallied from a 12-0 deficit to take a 20-12 lead and then stopped a 2-point conversion attempt by Moniteau with just over a minute to go to get the win. It was a coming-out game for Moniteau sophomore quarterback Tyler Armagost, who threw for 332 yards in the game … This is a rematch of last year’s D9 Class AA semifinal game won by Moniteau 10-7 at Karns City, and this is the third time the teams have met in the postseason. The Gremlins beat Moniteau 69-23 in the 2002 semifinals.

HEAD COACH: Steve Wilson

2006 RECORD: 6-4 overall, 4-3 KSAC (Tied for 3^rd place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 46-52 (.469); 3^rd Among D9 Class AA Playoff teams

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-1

TOP PLAYERS: Tyler Armagost (56-for-119, 1,036 yards, 7 TDs, 3 Ints; 98 yards rushing, 1 TD); Adam Cousins (83 carries, 513 yards, 11 TDs; 4 catches, 145 yards); Josh Loos (37 carries, 195 yards, 2 TDs; 8 catches, 192 yards, 1 TD; 8-for-33 passing, 167 yards, 1 TD, 3 Ints); Cruz Eshenbaugh (15 catches, 278 yards, 1 TD); Adam Pry (15 catches, 271 yards, 2 TDs); Clayton Drnek (47 carries, 175 yards, 2 TDs), Ricky Best (56 carries, 168 yards, 1 TD); Aaron Randall (75 tackles, 7 sacks); Travis Shaffer (61 tackles, 2 sacks); Justin Castello (42 tackles, 6 sacks), Justin Sanderson (18 tackles, 7 sacks).

NOTABLE: The Warriors went to the District 9 Class AA title game for the first time last season losing 22-20 to Brockway … This is Moniteau fifth straight trip to the District 9 playoffs, the first five trips in school history. The win over Karns City in last year’s semifinals was the first postseason win for the Warriors, who are 1-4 in postseason play … Moniteau started the season with six straight wins but have dropped four straight starting with the loss to Karns City … The status of Cousins for this game is in question. The senior, who is the leading rusher for Moniteau, hasn’t played since the Karns City game Oct. 13. The Warriors have missed him. In the seven games Cousins played, Moniteau averaged 161.9 yards per game on the ground. Since he has been out, the Warriors are averaging just 77.3 yards per game … Loos started the season at quarterback but was replaced by Armagost, the son of Moniteau’s boys’ basketball coach Randy Armagost, in Week Three. Armagost got off to a fast start as the starter going 43-for-84 (52 percent) for 889 yards with seven TDS and two interceptions in his first five games as a starter. But in the final three games, he is just 13-for-72 (18.1 percent) for 147 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 4/2005 – Class AA

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 0/N/A

HEAD COACH: Ed Conto

2006 RECORD: 9-1 overall, 7-0 KSAC (1^st place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 42-55 (.433); 4^th Among D9 Class AA Playoff teams.

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 1-0

TOP PLAYERS: Matt Endlish (68-for-135 passing, 966 yards, 6 TDs, 11 Ints); Anthony Stimac (23 carries, 127 yards, 2 TDs; 6-for-10 passing, 164 yards, 2 TDs); Roy Beham (94 carries, 494 yards, 9 TDs); Cameron Turner (9 catches, 230 yards, 2 TDs); Josh Callender (10 catches, 189 yards, 2 TDs), Justin Switzer (10 catches, 137 yards; 103 tackles); Markus LaVan (58 carries, 250 yards, 4 TDs); Brett Green (36 carries, 203 yards, 1 TD); Mike McConnell (4 catches, 153 yards; 4 interceptions on defense).

NOTABLE: The Gremlins started the year with nine straight wins before losing to traditional D6 power Forest Hills in Week 10 … Karns City is averaging 150 yards per game on the ground despite not having any one running back break 500 yards. What the Gremlins do have are five backs with at least 100 yards rushing … Beham, the leading rusher, hasn’t played since the Moniteau game … The Gremlins have won the close ones this season going 4-0 in games decided by five points or less … Part of the reason Karns City has been able to win close games is defense and special teams. The Gremlins have six defensive touchdowns and two special teams touchdowns this year while also scoring a defensive safety and kicking four field goals – all off the foot of Matt McConnell. Those scores account for over 21 percent of Karns City’s total scoring output this year, and that doesn’t include the number of times the defense or special teams set up the offense with short fields … Karns City is making it 10^th straight appearance in the Class AA playoffs, and the Gremlins have won four D9 crowns during that span with the last coming in 2001 … Karns City is looking for its first trip to the D9 Class AA title game since 2003 when it lost to Brockway 33-5.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 12/2005 – Class AA

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 5/2001 – Class AA