2009 DISTRICT 9 CLASS A PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

Predications

(8) Redbank Valley at (1) Curwensville

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, Riverside Stadium, Curwensville (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Keystone or Coudersport, Nov. 20 or 21, in semifinals at neutral site.

GAME NOTES: These teams meet for the first time since Curwensville beat the Bulldogs in the 2006 semifinals.

ABOUT THE REDBANK VALLEY BULLDOGS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Brandon Rapp

2009 RECORD:  3-6

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-2

TOP PLAYERS: Senior RB-LB Shiloh Buchleitner (53-307, 5 TDs rushing; 13-of-29, 256 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int. passing; 12 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD receiving; team-best 53 tackles), junior QB Brandon Bain (40-of-88, 668 yards, 8 TDs, 10 Ints.), senior RB-DL Pat Goheen (81-618, 9 TDs rushing; 5 sacks), senior WR Zach Dubia (15-328, 2 TDs), sophomore DL Braden Bowser (10 sacks).

NOTABLE: You could say that the Bulldogs’ season has been a disappointment with no wins against teams with winning records, but they have had some close calls in losses to Keystone (24-21) in Week 2 and Punxsutawney (6-0) in Week 7.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 12/Last year (19-0 loss to Clarion in first round).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 3/1996

ABOUT THE CURWENSVILLE GOLDEN TIDE

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Andy Evanko

2009 RECORD: 8-2

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 3-2

TOP PLAYERS: Senior RB Jed Greslick (236-1,398, 15 TDs rushing; 15-246, 2 TDs receiving), senior QB-DB Sam Gardner (34-of-70, 458 yards, 4 TDs, 5 Ints.; 68-326, 7 TDs rushing; second-best 62 tackles), sophomore RB-LB Alex Holland (134-727, 8 TDs rushing; team-best 74 tackles).

NOTABLE: The Golden Tide will try to get out of the first round for the first time since getting to the finals in 2006. They take a six-game winning streak into the postseason and are coming off a 6-0 win over Cameron County in last week’s Allegheny Mountain League Championship game. The Tide avenged a 19-18 loss at Cameron back in Week 4. Greslick ranks second in the district in rushing and third in rushing TDs.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 7/Last year (27-24 2 OT loss to Elk County Catholic in first round).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 2/2004

(7) Elk County Catholic at (2) Clarion

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium  (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Cameron County or Port Allegany, Nov. 20 or 21, in semifinals at neutral site.

GAME NOTES: These teams met a year ago in a memorable semifinal game at Brockway where the Bobcats outlasted the Crusaders, 18-12, in overtime … They also met in the first round of the 2005 D9 Class A Playoffs with second-seeded Clarion scoring a 20-16 win over seventh-seeded ECC at Memorial Stadium.

ABOUT THE ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC CRUSADERS

HEAD COACH: Travis Skrzypek

2009 RECORD: 4-5

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 0-3

TOP PLAYERS: Junior RB Ricky Pearsall (176-1,169, 12 TDs), senior QB Joe Jacob (39-of-74, 547 yards, 6 TDs, 6 Ints.), senior RB-LB Kyle Gerber (80-345, 3 TDs; team-best 117 tackles on defense), senior WR Robby Wortman (24-396, 4 TDs), junior TE-LB David Bojalad (third-best 58 tackles, 6 sacks; 39.7-yard punting average).

NOTABLE: The small-rostered Crusaders, 19 in all, started the season at 2-5 before needing to win two straight games at the end of the regular season to secure a playoff berth. Last year’s first-round win over Curwensville was the Crusaders’ first postseason win since 1995. RB Ricky Pearsall ranks third in the district in yards rushing per game and is fifth overall at 1,169 yards.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 6/Last year (Reached semifinals before losing to Clarion, 18-12, in overtime).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: None.

ABOUT THE CLARION BOBCATS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Larry Wiser

2009 RECORD: 7-3

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 2-0

TOP PLAYERS: Senior RB-LB Bubba Rue (139-883, 11 TDs; second-best 97 tackles), junior RB Kris Burkhart (76-605, 4 TDs), senior RB-LB Kevin Grejda (71-481, 8 TDs; team-best 108 tackles), senior WR-DB Cody Renninger (24-345, 5 TDs; 3 Ints. on defense), freshman DE T.J. Armstrong (third-best 80 tackles, 11 sacks), senior
DE Gavin Griffin (7 sacks).

NOTABLE: The Bobcats will try to duplicate last year’s playoff magic that got them to the championship game as the sixth seed. But they aren’t necessarily the “Cinderella” as they were last year as the top seed from the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference. The Bobcats’ lone two wins over teams with winning records came in the first two weeks of the season. The two-QB system of Brandon Heeter and Dan Walters has combined for over 800 yards with Walters getting most of yardage but Heeter throwing one more TD pass. Still, the power running game led by Bubba Rue is the key. Kris Burkhart gives the Bobcats a nice change-of-pace option out of the backfield. Sophomore lineman Ian Matson was the KSAC’s Lineman of the Year. This very well may be Wiser’s last season. He originally was going to retire before this year but came back for one more year. He has taken the Bobcats to six District 9 Class A title games winning the school’s only title in 1997.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 12/Last year (Lost in finals to Cameron County, 18-8).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 1/1997.

(6) Port Allegany at (3) Cameron County

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 at Cameron County H.S. (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Clarion or Elk County Catholic, Nov. 20 or 21, in semifinals at neutral site.

GAME NOTES: The Allegheny Mountain League’s North Division rivals are meeting for the first time in the postseason and the second time this year. The Red Raiders beat the Gators, 14-7, at home back in Week 7. Port Allegany led 7-6 going into the fourth quarter before Andy Lippert’s TD run and conversion put the Red Raiders up for good just five seconds into the fourth. Cameron outgained Port, 318-144, as Lippert rushed for 202 yards and the Red Raiders limited the Gators to 15 yards rushing.

ABOUT THE PORT ALLEGANY GATORS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Mike Bodamer

2009 RECORD: 6-3

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 1-3

TOP PLAYERS: Freshman QB Matt Bodamer (56-of-93, 1,010 yards, 12 TDs, 4 Ints.), junior RB Seth Lowery (141-749, 6 TDs; second-best 67 tackles), senior RB-DB Ryan Bodamer (91-373, 2 TDs; 18-202, 4 TDs receiving; team-best 104 tackles), senior WR Lucas Kline (19-463, 6 TDs), junior WR Camrin Stuckey (16-337, 3 TDs).

NOTABLE: The Gators, who missed the postseason last year with a 3-6 record, are trying to win a playoff game for the first time since reaching the 2003 championship game in the last year of the four-team playoff format. The Gators had a chance to win the AML-North, but lost back-to-back games to Cameron County and Coudersport in weeks 7 and 8. The Gators are about as balanced statistically as anyone with 1,000-yard QB Matt Bodamer and a running game that’s gained 1,415 yards this year.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 8/2007.

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: None.

ABOUT THE CAMERON COUNTY RED RAIDERS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: John Fragale

2009 RECORD: 9-1

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 3-1

TOP PLAYERS: Junior QB-DB Jason Blose (28-of-66, 437 yards,  7 TDs, 2 Ints.; 83-483, 5 TDs rushing; 52 tackles), senior RB-LB Andy Lippert (159-1,223, 16 TDs; 7-108, 1 TD receiving; second-best 63 tackles, 3 sacks), junior LB Andrew Fragale (77 tackles, 4 sacks).

NOTABLE: The defending district champions were knocked off in last week’s Allegheny Mountain League Championship game by Curwensville, 6-0, after beating the Golden Tide 19-18 back in Week 4. But last year’s season was patterned the same way after the Red Raiders lost to Kane in the AML title game only to go on and win the district title. As is usually the case in Emporium when the teams are good, it’s all about the running game and tough defense. The Red Raiders pass only seven times per game and they’ve given up more than 10 points in a game just three times all season. Lippert ranks second in the district in yards rushing per game and fourth overall in total yardage. While he’s only thrown 66 passes, quarterback Jason Blose is a playmaker as well with 483 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 4/Last year (Won District title).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 2/Last year.

(5) Keystone at (4) Coudersport

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, CARP Field, Coudersport  (Directions)

WINNER PLAYS: Curwensville or Redbank Valley, Nov. 20 or 21, in semifinals at neutral site.

GAME NOTES: It’s the first meeting between these two teams since the 1988 District 9 Class AA title game won by Keystone 18-14.

ABOUT THE KEYSTONE PANTHERS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Jason Nellis

2009 RECORD: 7-3

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 1-1

TOP PLAYERS: Senior QB-DB Dan Reed (114-of-221, 2,029 yards, 23 TDs, 12 Ints.; 114-402, 9 TDs rushing; 4 Ints.), senior RB Zach Smith (131-746, 8 TDs), senior WR-DB Brett Zuck (45-897, 12 TDs; team-high 75 tackles), senior WR Ben Marchand (32-547, 8 TDs), senior LB Zach Baughman (third-best 64 tackles), sophomore LB Matt Hergenroeder (second-best 71 tackles), senior DB Lexan Montana (6 Ints.).

NOTABLE: The Panthers are still looking for their first playoff win since winning their last district title and going on to reach the state championship game in 1989. This is the highest seed they’ve earned in the expanded Class A playoff era. An improved defense has been a huge key to the Panthers’ success since they’ve proved to be a more than capable offensive team.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 7/Last year (57-22 loss to Cameron County in first round).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 2/1989         

ABOUT THE COUDERSPORT FALCONS

Roster; Stats; Schedule

HEAD COACH: Brendan Hathaway

2009 RECORD: 7-2

RECORD VS. PLAYOFF FIELD: 3-1

TOP PLAYERS: Sophomore QB Tim McCusker (34-of-60, 525 yards, 6 TDs, 7 Ints.; 77-375, 5 TDs rushing), freshman RB Mitch Freeman  (76-354, 5 TDs), junior RB Kevin Wolfinger (58-324, 1 TD), senior RB Jordan Barnett (24-133, 1 TD rushing; 16-293, 2 TDs receiving), senior LB Chris Symans (team-best 47 tackles).

NOTABLE: The Falcons head to the postseason on a four-game winning streak with their only losses coming to Cameron County and Brockway with a 23-6 win over top-seeded Curwensville in Week 3. The Falcons are the opposite of their wide-open opponent Keystone with  nearly 80 percent of their offense coming from the running game. Six players have rushed for 200 or more yards, led by quarterback Tim McCusker’s 375 yards.

PREVIOUS DISTRICT 9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES/LAST: 13/Last year (Reached semifinals before losing to Cameron County, 21-7).

DISTRICT TITLES/LAST TITLE: 4/2006.