Three area teams look to stay undefeated, three more looking
for first win
With two weeks already gone in the 2008 high school football season, a trio of area teams are looking to remain undefeated, while three others are searching for their first wins.

Curwensville makes the long trip to Coudersport in an Allegheny Mountain League showdown. Moshannon Valley travels to Inter-County Conference rival Juniata Valley, and Purchase Line makes the trip to Heritage Conference for Laurel Valley in a Saturday tilt.

Meanwhile, Glendale, Philipsburg-Osceola and West Branch hope to break trough in the win column. The Mounties visit Lewistown, while the Vikings and Warriors will battle it out at L.T. Drivas Memorial Field.

Clearfield finally gets to play at the Bison Sports Complex. The Bisons will defend their turf against Indian Valley in their home opener.

Here is a closer look at this week's matchups:

Indian Valley (1-1)

at Clearfield (1-1)

HYDE - Just two weeks into the season, the Clearfield football team has already experienced extreme highs and lows. The Bisons dropped a heartbreaker in Week 1 to rival DuBois, then were dominant in Week 2 in a shutout of Philipsburg-Osceola.

Bison head coach Tim Janocko says it's important to not put too much importance on one game and simply be ready for the opponent that is in front of you.

"As coaches, we try to stay pretty even, and we tell the kids not to get too high or too low after a game. It's early in the season. We needed to bounce back and fix some things after the DuBois game, and we did. And we have to remember that P-O is just one game. We have to be ready for Indian Valley this week."

Indian Valley, which is coming off a loss to Central, features a balanced offensive attack.

"They run a lot of the same offense they did when coach (Gawen) Stoker was there," Janocko said. "They throw with efficiency and like to run counters and options. They use a lot of different formations. They're a team to be reckoned with."

The Warriors like to get the ball in the hands of Cody Battista. In a Week 1 win over West Perry (39-10), Battista ran the ball 11 times for 60 yards and caught five passes for 73 yards. Quarterback Jacob Stroehecker completed 12 passes for 144 yards and three scores in the contest.

He's probably their feature player," Janocko said of Battista. "He returns kicks and punts, too. He is probably their biggest weapon. We just need to continue to do our job defensively and carry out our assignments."

On defense, Indian Valley likes to apply pressure to the quarterback.

"They blitz a little more than what we've seen so far this year," Janocko said. "But our offense will be pretty much the same. Execution is key. If we continue to catch the ball and make plays and if the offensive line does its job, we should continue to move the ball."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Curwensville (2-0)

at Coudersport (2-0)

COUDERSPORT - An early season battle of Allegheny Mountain League heavyweights take center stage when unbeaten Curwensville travels to undefeated Coudersport.

The Falcons lost their long-time head coach Russ Simcoe to retirement after the 2007 season, but still do many of the same things that have made them a perennial District 9 power.

"Like always, they are a well-balanced offense and a stingy, hard-hitting defense," Curwensville head coach Andy Evanko said. "Coudersport is always well-disciplined and fundamentally sound, They don't make any mistakes.

"They run pretty much the same offense with the Power-I, Twins and Aces. They have a different coach, but it's the same system."

That system produced 55 points in a 55-20 win last week at Brockway. And Coudersport did that without standout running back Dirk Cowburn, who may also miss this week's game.

Coudersport ran for over 350 yards, including 164 on 22 carries from Tim Thomas and 121 on nine carries from Zach Buckler. Thomas added two catches for 19 yards. Thomas, Buckler and Nate Minor each scored two touchdowns against the Rovers.

Quarterback Eric Babcock completed 7 of his 11 passes for 117 yards and two scores while running for 28 yards on three carries. Minor had three catches for 71 yards and the two scores.

"They have a good program and a good system," Evanko said. "The key is their offensive line. With the holes they create, anyone can run through them. And they have good backs, too.

"We have to play with a sense of urgency on defense. We need to put together a full 48 minutes of football."

Coudersport has played run first against Curwensville in the past, loading the box with eight and nine players. Evanko says if they do that again, he needs his passing game to come through as it has over the first two weeks of the season.

"Our guys have done a super job on the passing game," he said. "David (Kalgren), Jesse (Hoover), Andrew (Starr), Derek (Dixon) ... all the guys involved have stepped up and made plays. We anticipate seeing eight or nine guys in the box, and we will throw the football."

Evanko also says the Tide will have to be able to pick up the pressure the Falcons like to send on nearly every down.

"Their linebackers blitz on practically every play," he said. "That's a concern. We have a tough job ahead of us. Hopefully, we will dictate the play and not let them dictate it to us."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Philipsburg-Osceola (0-2)

at Lewistown (0-2)

LEWISTOWN - After two disappointing losses, the Mounties look to get back on track this week when they head to Lewistown to face the Panthers.

The Panthers were shut out by St. Marys, 36-0, in Week 2, while the Mounties fell 35-0 to Clearfield.

Lewistown is led by quarterback Connor Muir, who topped the team in passing and rushing last week. Muir was 16-of-26 for 118 yards in the air and ran for an additional 78 yards on 13 carries.

"Connor is definitely the engine that makes Lewistown run," P-O head coach Jeff Vroman said. "It will be important to contain him in the pocket and have tighter coverage this week due to the fact that they utilize the quick-pass game. We need to keep receivers in front of us, and not let a short pass turn into a catch and long run. Being physical on both sides of the ball is crucial - we must have that this week."

The Panthers didn't fare much better in Week 1, dropping a 58-7 decision to Juniata.

Running back Adam Peachey scored Lewistown's lone touchdown.

The Mounties also only have one touchdown this year, coming from quarterback Steven Rusnak in Week 1. P-O will need to get their offense going quickly this week if they want to come out with the win.

"We need to come out and play with more enthusiasm, aggressiveness and focus," Vroman said. "In the first two games, both opponents have gotten off the ball quicker and we have to be controlled on both sides of the line of scrimmage. We need to get off to a better start this week and maintain a high level of intensity and concentration for four quarters."

Last season Philipsburg-Osceola toppled Lewistown 31-6. This year marks the 30th meeting between the two teams. The Mounties lead the series, 20-8-1.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Mitchell Field in Lewistown.

Purchase Line (2-0)

at Laurel Valley (2-0)

NEW FLORENCE - Coming off a big overtime win at Blairsville, Purchase Line will face another stiff road test this week when it travels to Laurel Valley in a critical Heritage Conference matchup.

The Red Dragons will need to put the emotional win behind them and get ready for a solid team that will come at them with a tough running game and a strong defense.

"I told them we got a big win but we shouldn't have had to go into overtime, We didn't play well and we have to correct our mistakes to continue to get better," Purchase Line head coach Dave Small said. "We won the football game, but we can't have those mistakes. We have to correct those and come out ready to play Saturday against a 2-0 team."

Purchase Line knows it will see a lot of running backs Marcus Welshons and Bryan Saxton running behind a big offensive line. Welshons is averaging over 100 yards a game while Saxton is averaging 11.7 yards-per-carry. The two have combined for five touchdowns.

"They've got a very good running attack," Small said. "They have two very quick running backs we have to try to contain.

"We're trying to get some pressure up front with our d-line and linebackers to make sure they contain and don't overpursue, and just do their job. When they start to freelance, that's when we can get hurt. When (Welshons and Saxton) see one little hole, they have the ability to get a big gain. We have to stay within our gameplan and play disciplined."

The Red Dragons know they have to continue to get better as they continue to push towards the middle of the season.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Small said. "It's a challenge that we have to get better each and every week, and it's a game where we'll see how we stack up against a very good team."

Purchase Line won last year's matchup 35-6.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Glendale (0-2)

at West Branch (0-2)

ALLPORT - Something has got to give on Friday night when Glendale travels to L.T. Drivas Field to tangle with West Branch, as both teams are looking for their first win.

The Vikings have averaged just one offensive touchdown per game, while the Warriors have scored only once through the first two weeks of the season. Regardless of how the teams have played, each coach feels as if this is a game his team can win.

"I think for both teams there's a sense of urgency to get that first win," said West Branch head coach Rob Lazauskas. "I'm sure they've got this marked as a game they can win. We've got to approach it the same we approach it each week - this is another big game.

"They're a very well-coached team. They've got two quality backs and some skill position kids that can catch the football. Just watching on film, I think they're a lot better than their 0-2 record."

Glendale head coach Rick Kozak feels the same about the Warriors.

"It's one of these things that, despite the record, we're playing a good football team," Kozak said. "They're much improved over what they have been. They have some good weapons in the backfield and their QB, (Jeremy) Kanouff, is a three-year starter. They all run hard and are very tough runners.

"Their offensive line moves people off the ball and, defensively, they attack. They're aggressive. Everyone looks at records and everything, but that can be deceiving because they're a pretty good football team."

The Warriors have struggled to slow down the opposition's quarterback through the first two weeks, and Lazauskas knows the key to the game could come down to how his team handles sophomore quarterback Tyler Jenny.

Jenny averages more than 100 yards through the air, but has thrown five interceptions to one touchdown.

"This is the third week in a row we're facing a quality quarterback," Lazauskas said. "Jenny may be young but he certainly doesn't play young. We've been really impressed with him on film and it's going to be a challenge."

While Lazauskas and company are concerned with containing Jenny, Kozak knows his defense will have to slow down the wing-T look the Warriors possess.

Glendale stuggled in a 35-6 loss to Everett, which also uses the wing-T, in Week One.

"It's something that we've seen from a couple of different teams," said Kozak of the wing-T. "We have to be cautious against people trying to to do much, especially with how well West Branch hides the ball. If you do the wrong thing, you'll be out of place. We have to make sure everyone stays home and does their jobs."

The Vikings have won the last three games in the series, but the Warriors lead the all-time series, 26-15-2.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Moshannon Valley (2-0)

at Juniata Valley (1-1)

ALEXANDRIA - After a Week 1 win over Tussey Mountain, the Juniata Valley football team found the sledding tougher on the road in a 36-0 loss at Southern Huntingdon.

Moshannon Valley football coach Murray Fetzer has constantly reminded his team this week that the Green Hornets will be ready to play Friday night, especially considering each team has won in overtime over the course of the past two meetings.

"I told the guys all week the score isn't indicative of how good Juniata Valley is," said Fetzer. "(Southern) had two or three big plays that got (Juniata Valley) down early. Once you get up on someone, you can take a few more chances. They got up and the took advantage of their chances. We know how good (Juniata Valley is) and we want to make sure we come out and execute our gameplan."

After running through the Titan defense in the first week, Juniata Valley fullback Shawn McCrum struggled to get positive yards against the Rockets. McCrum, the team's leading returning rusher from 2007, ran for 125 yards in the win, but gained just 30 yards on 16 totes last week.

In all, the Hornets gained 135 of yards of offense in the defeat, including 15 passing yards from quarterback Zack Myers, who completed just two passes.

"I think he's a big part of the offense," Fetzer said of McCrum. "When you think about that Juniata Valley team, you think of McCrum. You can't let him get a big bursts off the line of scrimmage for 8, 10, 15 yards a pop."

Tussey Mountain and Southern Huntingdon each had some success through the air against the Hornets, who were able to make some adjustments in the first game.

Aaron Wagner was a big reason the Titans had trouble in the passing game, as he racked up four sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered another.

"It's a tough defensive scheme they play in," said Fetzer of the Hornet defense. "They're extremely disruptive. They're going to bring more guys than you can block. They have some experience back in key positions and they can make some plays."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at A.R. Simkins Field.