By Rich Rhoades

A couple of key 2-0 matchups in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference and Allegheny Mountain League highlight this week’s 15-game schedule in District 9 football.

Probably the most compelling is the Allegheny Mountain League’s North-South matchup between Cameron County and Brockway. The defending AML-North champion Red Raiders land in Brockway Friday night. In the KSAC battle of unbeatens, Clarion travels to Keystone.

Cameron County hasn’t given up a point yet this season and has allowed just 172 yards of offense. Conversely, Brockway has scored 91 points in its two wins, piling up 1,030 yards of offense.

Leading the way for the Rovers is junior quarterback Derek Buganza, last week’s RRR Roadhouse D9Sports.Com District 9 Player of the Week. Buganza put up 276 yards passing and five touchdowns against Coudersport last week. For the year, he’s passed for 639 yards and seven scores. Running back Ryan Terwilliger has rushed for four touchdowns.

Andy Lippert paces the ground-oriented Cameron County offense. He’s rushed for 280 yards and four touchdowns.

In the other Friday night AML crossover games, Curwensville (2-0) hosts Coudersport (1-1). The Golden Tide and Falcons will meet for the eighth time in a little over four years. Last year, Curwensville won at Coudersport. The Falcons have one 10 of 13 matchups since Curwensville entered the AML in 1999.

Also Friday, Ridgway (1-1) hosts Otto-Eldred and Elk County Catholic (0-2), led by running back Ricky Pearsall (317 yards, 4 TDs), travels to Smethport (0-2). In two Saturday AML games, Port Allegany (1-1) hosts Johnsonburg (1-1) and Sheffield (1-1) hosts Kane (1-1).

At Knox Friday night, two of the KSAC’s three 2-0 teams face each other as Panthers entertain the Bobcats. How much the Panthers entertain the Bobcats will be the question as the Bobcats have certainly staked their claim to perhaps the favorite to win the conference.

Clarion has had it easy in its first two wins, a somewhat surprising rout of defending champion Moniteau and a predictable rout of A-C Valley last week. The Bobcats scored 43 points in the second quarter alone against the Falcons. Running back Bubba Rue has rushed for 140 yards while quarterback Dan Walters has passed for 219 yards as Larry Wiser’s Bobcats have shown offensive balance so far in the early going.

In other Friday KSAC games, Clarion travels to A-C Valley in a matchup of 0-2 teams. Brookville (0-2) heads to Karns City. Although their 54-34 win over Union is officially wiped off the standings and the scoring totals, no team in District 9 has been involved in higher scoring games to start the year. Last week, the Raiders lost a double-overtime decision to Bellefonte, 40-34. Punxsutawney (0-2) hosts Moniteau (1-1). 

Bradford (2-0) is off to a strong start and the Owls host Erie Central Tech Friday night in a District 10 Region 6 game. Central has scored just one touchdown in two games while the Owls are coming off a 52-21 pasting of Olean. Pat Pascarella had a big game for the Owls, rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns, returning a kickoff for a score and blocking a punt.        

In the Mountain Athletic Conference-Nittany Division, St. Marys (2-0) will try to make it three straight to start the year when it hosts Bald Eagle Area (0-2). In a non-conference game involving two MAC teams in different divisions, Clearfield (1-1) travels to Indian Valley (1-1).           

Saturday’s non-conference matchup has 2-0 DuBois trekking to Erie to take on Cathedral Prep. The Beavers are led by quarterback Josh Means, who has passed for 246 yards and rushed for 142 yards, and running back Cameron Kelly, who has 179 yards rushing.          

Prep is coming off a 68-28 rout of St. Joseph’s of Buffalo, N.Y. The Ramblers lost their season-opener to arch-rival McDowell, 14-7.