The District 9 League Region 2 title chase starts a three-week swing that’ll determine the champion as defending champion Port Allegany hosts Union/A-C Valley Saturday afternoon.
That is part of a 13-game schedule in Week 7 for District 9 with 11 games on Friday night. It’ll be interesting to see how the changing weather and likely rain will affect either night or day.
The Union/ACV (3-3, 3-1 D9 R2) at Port Allegany (5-1, 4-0) matchup starts a stretch where we’ll find out the champion as Port heads to Redbank Valley (6-0, 4-0) next week and Redbank Valley travels to Brockway (4-2, 2-2) in Week 9.
Meanwhile, the Region 3 championship race will also get sorted out over the next three weeks. With Coudersport (3-3 overall, 2-0 region) visiting Otto-Eldred (5-1, 3-0) in the two region unbeatens so far on Friday night.
In other games in Region 2, it’s unbeaten Redbank Valley hosting winless Kane (0-6), Smethport (1-5) visiting Ridgway (1-5) and Brockway traveling to Keystone (2-4).
The other game in Region 3 has Sheffield (0-5) hosting Cameron County (4-2) Saturday afternoon while Friday night, Elk County Catholic (1-5) hosts Bucktail (4-2) in a rematch of an earlier game that counted in the standings.
The Region 1 schedule has unbeaten Central Clarion (6-0, 4-0) at Moniteau (1-5), Brookville (4-2, 3-1) visiting Bradford (3-3), DuBois (2-4, 2-2) hosting St. Marys (3-3) and Karns City (3-3, 2-2) traveling to Punxsutawney (4-2, 3-1).
The two District 9 teams in District 6 territory have road games. Clearfield (6-1) has a key Laurel Highlands East matchup with unbeaten Bald Eagle Area (6-0) while Curwensville (1-5) visits Moshannon Valley (3-3) in an Inter-County Conference North Division game.
Back to Saturday’s game in Port Allegany with Gators hosting the Falcon Knights looking to keep pace with the first-place Bulldogs in Region 2. The Gators have won four straight games since their lone loss to Central Clarion (57-6) in Week 2. Aside from that loss, the Gators have allowed just 14 points, or two touchdowns, one each in their last two games in wins over Brockway and Kane (41-7 last week).
Leading the Gators are quarterback Nick Wilfong (31-for-50, 618 yards, 8 TDs, 2 Ints.), and running backs Peyton Stiles (87-604, 7 TDs; 13-237, 2 TDs receiving) and Aiden Bliss (68-530, 9 TDs; 10-227, 2 TDs).
The Falcon Knights, who beat Kane 40-0 two weeks ago, look to rebound from their 50-6 loss to Redbank Valley last week. Quarterback Brody Dittman (66-for-116, 735 yards, 3 TDs, 7 Ints.), running backs Owen Bish (37-373, 4 TDs) and Logan Skibinski (38-275, 2 TDs), and receiver Trey Fleming (26-287, 2 TDs) lead the Union/ACV offense.
At Duke Center Friday, the Falcons travel to the Terrors in their key Region 3 matchup and are back to .500 after winning their last two games, including a 43-0 rout of Elk County Catholic. Meanwhile, the Terrors own a three-game winning streak. Of their five wins, four of them, two each, have come against winless Sheffield and one-win Elk County Catholic.
In last week’s win over ECC, Falcons quarterback Gavyn Ayers threw for two touchdowns and ran for two while John Wright rushed for 162 yards on 13 carries.
The Terrors are led by quarterback Shane Magee (122-for-122, 1,139 yards, 19 TDs, 3 Ints.), running back Hunter App (83-660, 10 TDs) and receiver Manning Splain (25-408, 8 TDs).
In other games:
Region 2
Kane (0-6) at Redbank Valley (6-0)
The Bulldogs rank No. 3 in the state in scoring at 52.1 points per game, only behind D9 rival Central Clarion (59.1) and District 10’s Mercyhurst Prep (56.8) according to easternpafootball.com.
Quarterback Braylon Wagner (88-for-116, 1,519 yards, 21 TDs, 2 Ints.), receivers Mason Clouse (31-604, 10 TDs), Ashton Kahle (22-424, 3 TDs), Ashton George (16-300, 6 TDs) and Rylan Rupp (13-166, 2 TDs), and running back Drew Byers (71-498, 6 TDs) head the Bulldogs offense.
The Wolves have been outscored, 260-34, giving up 40 or more points in five of their six losses, including Union/ACV (40-0), which the Bulldogs beat 50-6 last week. Kane lost 26-14 to Ridgway, which fell 65-6 to the Bulldogs in Week 5.
No Kane statistics are available on www.maxpreps.com.
Smethport (1-5) at Ridgway (1-5)
In a battle of one-win teams, it’s the Elkers hosting the Hubbers. Their common foes are Keystone (35-20 loss for Ridgway, 67-15 loss Smethport), Redbank Valley (65-6 loss Ridgway, 71-7 loss for Smethport) and Port Allegany (40-0 loss for Ridgway, 55-0 loss for Smethport).
The Elkers are led by quarterback Cam Larkin (412 yards pasing, 210 yards rushing prior to last week’s loss to Keystone) and running back Rocco Delhunty (219 yards, 2 TDs).
Smethport statistics aren’t available on www.maxpreps.com.
Brockway (4-2) at Keystone (2-4)
The Rovers ended their two-game losing streak with a 47-0 rout of Smethport. Freshman quarterback Aiden Patton made his varsity starting debut for the Rovers, completing 10 of 18 passes for 238 with a touchdown and interception. Whether it will be Patton or junior Brayden Fox (77 of 123, 887 yards, 6 TDs, 8 Ints) behind center Friday is a mystery outside the Rover locker room. The last we saw Fox he was throwing four interceptions in a loss to Port Allegany two weeks ago, and head coach Jake Heigel was mum on why the lefty didn’t play a week ago.
Rovers senior running back Jendy Cuello (124-724, 5 TDs) and receiver Blake Pisarcik (46-641, 5 TDs) also help lead the Brockway offense that’s averaging 351 yards per game.
Keystone averages 313 yards per game with a pair of freshmen in quarterback Dom Corcetti (29-for-52, 557 yards, 4 TDs, 7 Ints.) and running back Eli Nellis (60-436, 8 TDs; 12-220, 1 TD receiving) leading the way. Rayce Weaver (86-397, 2 TDs) is also pivotal to the Panthers offense.
Region 1
Central Clarion (6-0) at Moniteau (1-5)
As noted above, the Wildcats average a still state-best 59.1 points per game while piling up 453 yards per game.
Quarterback Jase Ferguson (67-for-97, 1,327 yards, 20 TDs, 2 Ints.; 47-378, 3 TDs rushing), running backs Noah Naser (38-303, 5 TDs) and Noah Harrison (33-239, 3 TDs), and receivers Dawson Smail (18-408, 7 TDs), Mason Burford (18-380, 7 TDs) and Brady Quinn (12-247, 3 TDs) also help lead the Wildcats offense.
Statistics aren’t up-to-date for the Warriors on www.maxpreps.com. Moniteau is coming off a 40-21 loss to Bradford, which the Wildcats beat 86-0 two weeks ago.
Brookville (4-2) at Bradford (3-3)
The Raiders head north to Bradford with a four-game winning streak after starting the season 0-2. They’ve beaten the Owls four straight times by a combined margin of 197-66 with 60 of those Owls points coming in the Raiders’ 66-60 season-opening win in 2018.
Quarterback Charlie Krug (63-for-107, 829 yards, 11 TDs, 2 Ints.; 47-204, 3 TDs rushing), running backs Tony Ceriani (67-320, 3 TDs) and Kolton Griffin (25-184, 2 TDs), and receivers Jack Pete (25-503, 6 TDs), Sam Krug (16-303, 4 TDs) and Hayden Freeman (16-190, 2 TDs) are Brookville’s top offensive players.
Bradford quarterback Talan Reese (94-for-143, 1,075 yards, 11 TDs, 1 Int.) runs the offense with his top receiving targets Jake Franz (24-417, 8 TDs) and Adam Ward (17-247, 1 TD).
St. Marys (3-3) at DuBois (2-4)
The Dutch, after winning three straight games, have dropped three in a row to Karns City, Punxsutawney (49-7) and Brookville (49-13) last week, as they travel south on route 255 to Mansell Stadium to face a DuBois squad that’s lost two in a row, including a 25-24 loss last week at home to the Chucks.
Running back Matthew Davis (117-1,001, 13 TDs) paces the Dutch offense that also has quarterback Cameron Coudriet (40-for-76, 508 yards, 3 TDs, 3 Ints.) and receiver Lucas Bauer (12-138, 1 TDs).
DuBois running back Garret Nissel (92-532, 6 TDs), quarterback Landon Schrock (41-for-77, 351 yards, 4 Ints.; 32-97, 4 TDs rushing), running back Danny Dixon (42-218, 1 TD), and receivers Kaden Clark (20-226, 1 TD) and Nathan Kougher (12-172, 2 TDs) lead the offense.
Karns City (3-3) at Punxsutawney (4-2)
The Gremlins head to LaMarca Stadium coming off a 50-15 loss to unbeaten Central Clarion, which ended Karns City’s three-game winning streak. The Chucks edged DuBois, 25-24, a team that the Gremlins lost to in their season-opener, 41-36.
Quarterback Cole Johnston (19-for-44, 239 yards, 2 TDs, 3 Ints.), running backs Hunter Scherer (62-397, 6 TDs) and Luke Cramer (70-362, 8 TDs), and receiver Taite Beighley (16-227) lead the Gremlins’ offense.
The Chucks’ Landon Martz (125-833, 12 TDs) nears the 1,000-yard rushing milestone while quarterback Maddox Hetrick (63-for-94, 1,097, 9 TDs, 3 Ints.), and receivers Beau Thomas (26-408, 3 TDs), Noah Weaver (16-392, 4 TDs) and Zach Presloid (15-296, 2 TDs) lead the passing game.
Region 3
Cameron County (4-2) at Sheffield (0-5), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
The Red Raiders, who squeezed out a 30-28 win over Bucktail last week to end a two-game losing streak, travel to Warren County to take on the winless Wolverines who lost 74-42 two weeks ago to the Bucks.
Quarterback Maddox Baughman (55-for-108, 786 yards, 5 TDs, 2 Ints.; 55-272, 3 TDs) leads the Red Raiders offense along with running back Malakai Zucal (93-347, 4 TDs; 19-371, 2 TDs receiving).
Sheffield does not have statistics available on www.maxpreps.com
Non-Region
Bucktail (4-2) at Elk Co. Catholic (1-5)
The first time these teams met in Week 3, it was the Bucks who won 42-16 at home as Brody Pentz ran for 257 yards on 18 carries and four touchdowns. The Bucks didn’t attempt a pass. Frankie Smith scored two touchdowns for the Crusaders.
Neither team has up-to-date statistics on www.maxpreps.com.
Other
Laurel Highlands
Clearfield (5-1) at Bald Eagle Area (6-0)
The Bison match up against the unbeaten Eagles, who share three common foes so far. The Eagles beat Penns Valley (28-23) in Week 3, Philipsburg-Osceola (42-20) in Week 5 and Bellefonte (55-7) last week while the Bison have wins as well against those teams — 35-7 over Penns Valley last week, 26-7 over Bellefonte in Week 4 and 44-7 over Philipsburg-Osceola in Week 3.
The Eagles feature quarterback Carson Nagle (114-for-161, 1,694 yards, 20 TDs, 1 Int.), receivers Kahale Burns (38-551, 7 TDs), Camron Watkins (27-432, 5 TDs) and Gavin Burns (27-354, 2 TDs), and running back Cameron Dubbs (91-511, 8 TDs).
Clearfield, which beat BEA 7-3 last year, goes into the game averaging 387 yards per game — 206 rushing and 181 passing — with quarterback Will Domico (62-for-111, 1,086 yards, 10 TDs, 3 Ints.; 34-286, 7 TDs), running backs Carter Chamberlain (57-380, 7 TDs) and Brady Collins (46-328), and receiver Carter Freeland (28-655, 6 TDs) leading the way.
Inter-County North
Curwensville (1-5) at Moshannon Valley (3-3)
Both the Golden Tide and Black Knights sport two-game losing streaks. The Tide share common foes Mount Union and Southern Huntingdon with the Knights, both losing to Mount Union (42-0 Knights, 36-15 Tide) and beating Southern Huntingdon (54-0 Knights, 55-13 Tide).
Quarterback Tyler Dunn (63-for-135, 905 yards, 7 TDs, 8 Ints.; 66-356, 5 TDs rushing), Braden Holland (73-380, 4 TDs; 10-228, 1 TD receiving) and Hunter Tkacik (14-184, 2 TDs) lead the Golden Tide.
Moshannon Valley’s top players are quarterback Jalen Kurten (36-for-67, 640 yards, 2 TDs, 3 Ints.) and running back Tanner Kephart (73-662, 8 TDs).
