DISTRICT 9 CLASS AA PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

Predications

(4) BROCKWAY AT (1) KARNS CITY

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Nov. 16: Karns City High School (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Brookville/Moniteau winner in D9 title game, Nov. 24 at Clarion University

GAME NOTES: Top-seeded Karns City cruises into the postseason with a perfect 10-0 record, good enough for the favorite label to win its first crown in six years. These teams have some history against each other and the winner will take a 3-2 edge in the head-to-head postseason series. Brockway beat Karns City in the Class AA final in 2002 and 2003 while Karns City topped the Rovers in the 2000 and 2001 title games. These teams have one common opponent this year: Keystone. Karns City topped Keystone, 42-14, in Week 4 while Brockway lost to Keystone in Week 10, 52-12.

ABOUT THE BROCKWAY ROVERS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Frank Varischetti Jr.

2007 RECORD: 5-5 (5-4 in AML South, 2^nd place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 49-51 (.490, 2^nd among Class AA playoff teams)

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-0

TOP PLAYERS: RB Dillon Park (120-789, 8 TDs rushing; 15-338, 3 TDs); RB Camdon Mackay (149-662, 5 TDs rushing; 7-130, 3 TDs); QB Matt Pentz (58-of-114, 1,109 yards, 13 TDs, 12 Ints.); WR Ben Kuhar (12-275, 4 TDs); WR Mark Shannon (10-223, 1 TD)

NOTABLE: The Rovers head into the postseason with a three-game losing streak and have lost four of their last six. The Rovers have given up 128 points in their last three games, including 51 to unbeaten Kane and 52 to Keystone two weeks ago. … The Rovers beat one playoff team (Curwensville) and all five of their loses came against playoff teams … QB Pentz threw for five touchdowns and 211 yards in Week 4 against Smethport. … RB Park leads the team in rushing and receiving yardage. … It’s the 10^th straight trip to the playoff for the Rovers, but the first under rookie head coach Frank Varischetti Jr., who replaced Ray Reckner this season.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 11/2006 — Class AA

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

ABOUT THE KARNS CITY GREMLINS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Ed Conto

2007 RECORD: 10-0 (7-0, KSAC champions)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 41-59 (.410, 4^th among Class AA playoff teams)

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 1-0

TOP PLAYERS: QB Anthony Stimac (56-of-126, 1,1159, 16 TDs, 7 Ints. passing; 62-338, 7 TDs rushing); RB Brett Green (55-513, 7 TDs); RB Markus LaVan (63-350, 4 TDs); RB Josh Stimac (36-321, 4 TDs); TE Cameron Turner (17-341, 5 TDs); WR Josh Callender (10-238, 3 TDs receiving; 22-132, 2 TDs); RB Stephon Conto (21-169, 2 TDs rushing; 11-199, 2 TDs receiving)

NOTABLE: It doesn’t seem that long, but it’s been six years since the Gremlins last grabbed district gold. The streak could very well end this year as most of last year’s district runner-up squad returned. Head coach Ed Conto’s team is deep and diverse and strong on both lines. Have the Gremlins been tested? Their biggest test was a road trip to Redbank Valley in Week 5 and the Gremlins blanked the Bulldogs 23-0. QB Anthony Stimac is the team’s top playmaker on offense, tossing 16 TD passes and running for seven TDs, tied for the best on the team. Four backs, including Stimac, have rushed for over 300 yards. TE Cameron Turner, at 6-2, 235 pounds, is a force on the line, which is why he has only 17 receptions. He’s a bruising blocker and big threat on the defensive side of the ball.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 12/2006 — Class AA

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

(3) MONITEAU AT (2) BROOKVILLE

WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m., Nov. 17, at Brookville High School  (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Karns City/Brockway winner in D9 title game, Nov. 24 at Clarion University

GAME NOTES: It’s the third postseason meeting between the Warriors and Raiders in the last four years and this one will be the rubber match since both teams won on the other’s home field. In 2004, the Raiders won a preliminary round matchup at West Sunbury, 20-13, on their way to the D9 title. Then in 2005, the Warriors returned the favor, beating the Raiders in Brookville, 35-25, for their first-ever postseason victory. The game features some of the top offensive performers in District 9 like Brookville’s Joe Galbraith, Alex Kerr and Shane Heschke and Moniteau’s Tyler Armagost, James Shope and Josh Loos.

ABOUT THE MONITEAU WARRIORS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Jeff Campbell

2007 RECORD: 5-5 (4-3 KSAC, 3^rd place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 56-46 (.549, 1^st among Class AA playoff teams)

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-1

TOP PLAYERS: RB James Shope (133-964, 12 TDs rushing; 6-119 1 TD receiving); QB Tyler Armagost (111-228, 1,705 yards, 21 TDs, 12 Ints. passing; 91-303, 6 TDs rushing); WR Josh Loos (32-533, 8 TDs); WR Clayton Casper (17-318, 3 TDs); WR Josh McFadden (19-226, 1 TD); WR Dakota Campbell (17-217, 6 TDs); WR Mitch Czech (15-216, 2 TDs)

NOTABLE: Can the Warriors shake off a four-game losing streak going into the playoffs? It’s a question that’s been asked the last three years. Counting this year, the Warriors have gone into the postseason on two straight 0-4 streaks. They were 0-3 entering the 2005 playoffs and 1-4 in 2004. Only in 2005 did the Warriors recover to reach the district finals ... QB Tyler Armagost has thrown for big numbers and he’ll certainly be a big factor in the Warriors’ playoff success. But sophomore RB James Shope has been a factor on the ground and could go over 1,000 yards for the year against the Raiders. … Moniteau has been a second-half team this year and it’s probably not a recipe for playoff success. In its five losses, the Warriors have trailed at halftime by an average score of 29.8-6.4. Moniteau has won after trailing at halftime once (Western Beaver) and made two other games very close (Redbank Valley, Clarion) even though it still lost and broke open a close game at the half (Keystone) with a strong second-half effort. Not counting two routs of Union and A-C Valley, the Warriors have scored over 72 percent of their points in the second half.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 5/2006

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: None

ABOUT THE BROOKVILLE RAIDERS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Chris Dworek

2007 RECORD: 7-3 (2-2 D9 League, 3^rd place)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: 48-54 (.471, 3^rd among Class AA playoff teams)

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-0

TOP PLAYERS: RB Joe Galbraith (167-1,379, 16 TDs rushing, 8-160 receiving); QB Shane Heschke (71-of-149, 1,298 yards, 14 TDs, 12 Ints. passing; 98-734, 6 TDs rushing); WR Alex Kerr (25-561, 9 TDs); WR Rocky Peace (16-297, 4 TDs)

NOTABLE: This is the 11^th time in 12 years that the Raiders have made the playoffs under Coach Dworek. But home cooking in the postseason hasn’t been so good. Under Dworek, the Raiders are 2-4 in home district playoff games and haven’t won in the postseason at home since a 21-10 win over Brockway in the 1999 Class AA semifinals ... To be fair, last year’s semifinal game against Brockway was moved to Clarion University because of poor field conditions and the Raiders won 39-20. On the road, the Raiders are 7-3 in district playoff games since Dworek took over the program in 1996. … RB Galbraith is the Raiders’ all-time leader rusher with over 3,000 yards. He leads D9 in rushing. QB Heschke is a double or maybe a triple threat with 734 yards rushing and 6 TDs to go along with his passing. He’s also caught three passes for 105 yards, two of them for touchdowns.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST:  15/2006 — Class AA

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 6/2006 — Class AA