Curwensville, Moshannon Valley and Purchase Line each finish off their regular season slates on the road all looking for wins to solidify their playoff seeding.

The Golden Tide travel to Kane with the Allegheny Mountain League South title and a berth in the AML Championship on the line, the Red Dragons hope to conclude a perfect regular season at Saltsburg, and the Black Knights look to improve on their playoff positioning at Southern Huntingdon.

Once-beaten Clearfield continues its pursuit of a Mountain Athletic Conference Seven Mountains Division title and march toward the District 9 playoffs as it visits Huntingdon before finishing off the regular season next week against St. Marys.

Philipsburg-Osceola, looking for its third win if the season, plays host to Chestnut Ridge, while West Branch travels to Northern Bedford still in search of its first victory of the year. Glendale ends its season at Tussey Mountain.

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

Clearfield (7-1)

at Huntingdon (5-3)

HUNTINGDON - The Clearfield football team looks to keep its Mountain Athletic Conference title hopes alive and its drive to the District 9 Class AAA playoffs going Friday as it does battle with a traditionally tough opponent on its home field.

Huntingdon comes into its battle with the Bisons with a 5-3 record. The Bearcats have wins over Mount Union (7-6), Penns Valley (24-2), Indian Valley (21-18), Lewistown (34-0) and Bald Eagle Area (17-6), while losing to Tyrone (21-0), St. Marys (21-9) and Central (34-14).

"They're 5-3. They lost to three good teams," Clearfield head coach Tim Janocko said. "We have to continue taking them one game at a time. We can't have a letdown any week because anyone on our schedule can beat you.

"This has been a heated contest since we got in same league. I think they are looking forward to playing us."

Huntingdon is primarily a running team, so stopping the ground game is key for the Bisons to have success.

"They are a power running team, and they'll throw in a little play action" Janocko said.

"Their tailback (Scott Minor) is their go-to guy. They have a couple good receivers they like to put in motion, and their quarterback makes plays. He's able to run the ball some, too."

Janocko says the Bearcats usually keep their two safeties in the middle of the field and like to blitz a lot, and his offense will simply adjust to what style they are playing.

"It comes down to what the defense wants to try to do," he said.

Tailback Isiah Morgan enters the game with 1,289 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jarrin Campman is only 15 yards away from 1,000 through the air and has nearly 800 on the ground.

The Bisons defeated Huntingdon, 49-26, in last year's meeting. The Bearcats lead the all-time series, 7-4-1.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at War-Vets Field.

Curwensville (7-1)

at Kane (6-2)

KANE - It seems the Curwensville football team has been involved in a big game every week this season - but none bigger than Friday's tilt with Kane.

The once-beaten Golden Tide can win the AML South and earn a berth in the AML title game with a win. But it won't be easy against a Wolves team that has beaten its last three opponents (Brockway, Ridgway and Johnsonburg) by a combined 116-21.

"We're just thrilled to be in this position," Curwensville head coach Andy Evanko said. "We are excited and feel very fortunate to be in a game like this."

Kane features a balanced offensive attack with quarterback Kenny Kane throwing for 640 yards and nine touchdowns and running backs Shane Todd and Ross Nicholson combining for over 1,100 yards and 14 scores.

"They can run, they can pass and they have a very good offensive line," Evanko said. "It's just a matter of us doing our job on defense.

"They're balanced. We can't key on Kenny Kane, and we can't key on either back. We have to try to stop them from doing what they want to do, and that's running the ball outside. We need to dictate the game to them."

As good as the Kane offense has been, it's the defense that is the calling card. The Wolves have given up just 62 points since a Week 1 loss to Cameron County.

"Their defense is impressive," Evanko said. "We have to balance our offense and keep Kane guessing on defense. They are very disciplined and never out of position."

Nicholson is a disruptive force for the Wolves, as he has amassed 78 tackles and 11 sacks on the season.

The Golden Tide can still clinch the AML South with a loss, provided Elk County Catholic defeats Johnsonburg.

"We control our own destiny, and we would like to take care of business on the field," Evanko said. "But even if we win the South with some help, it's still a credit to our kids. They have played one heck of a schedule and battled hard every week."

Curwensville lost to Kane twice last season by identical 32-0 scores. The Golden Tide lead the series, 7-3.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Glendale (3-5)

at Tussey Mountain (3-5)

SAXTON - After having its playoff hopes dashed last week at the hands of Claysburg-Kimmel, Glendale will look to end its season on a positive note on Friday when it travels to Saxton to tangle with Tussey Mountain.

The Vikings lost a 14-13 heartbreaker at the hands of the Bulldogs last week, but head coach Rick Kozak is optimistic that his squad can end the season on a positive note.

"It's one of the things where now you're playing for pride," said Kozak. "We didn't reach the goal we wanted, but we still have a shot to end with a decent record and on a good note going into the offseason. It's the last game for the seniors, and they get a chance to end their careers here at Glendale on a positive note."

Despite having only a 3-5 record, the Titans will present a test to Glendale, as they have lost four of their five games by eight points or less.

Tussey Mountain has also put together consecutive wins, including rallying from a 21-7 deficit against Southern Huntingdon last week.

"They stick to their game plan and execute their offense and defense," Kozak said. "They have a good offensive line up front, and defensively they come after you. They have some pretty good defensive tackles, and we're going to have to be sharp."

The Tussey Mountain offense revolves around fullback Levi Neuder, who carried 31 times for 185 yards in last week's win. Wingbacks Dave McMurtrie (37 carries, 212 yards) and Dane Diehl (32-163) will keep the Viking defense honest on sweeps to the outside.

"They have a couple of kids that can carry the ball," said Kozak. "They get the ball in the hands of the wingbacks as well. While we've got to shut Neuder down, we've got to shut their entire offense down. We're going to have to play disciplined."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Moshannon Valley (7-1)

at Southern Huntingdon (3-5)

THREE SPRINGS - Mo Valley will look to improve upon its standing in the District 6 Class A playoff picture, as the Black Knights take to the road to face Southern Huntingdon, a team they haven't beaten since 2004.

The Rockets began the season on fire with three straight wins where they outscored their opponents, 88-6, but an injury to starting quarterback Zack Crull began Southern's five-game slide.

"They've lost five in a row, but they were in the lead the last two games," said Knight head coach Murray Fetzer. "For one reason or another, the ball hasn't bounced their way. To me, it's not a 3-5 team we're facing. If they can eliminate their mistakes, they're capable of winning games."

After their fourth straight loss, the Rockets changed their offense around for last week's game against Tussey Mountain.

Southern went to a spread offense to try to utilize quarterback Daniel Goshorn and create some mismatches with running backs Kyle Hill and Rusty Garlock.

Goshorn ran for 90 yards in last week's loss, and completed four of seven passes for 29 yards.

"They're not throwing a lot out of (the spread), they're just running out of it," Fetzer said. "They're huge on the line, and our linebackers can't get caught up in the traffic in the middle. It'll be the biggest test for our line this year making sure we contain their quarterback and fullback."

While the Southern offense will look for big plays on the ground, Mo Valley will look to utilize its grind-it-out style and keep the Rocket offense off the field as much as possible.

"They're going to play tough and they're going to play strong," said Fetzer of Southern. "We have to come out and not turn the ball over and execute well. They're a big line, so we're going to have to keep our feet moving. We have to control the line of scrimmage and control the time of possession."

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

West Branch (0-8)

at Northern Bedford (6-2)

LOYSBURG - The Warriors go into Friday night looking to do one thing against Northern Bedford.

"We've got to re-establish the run on Friday night," West Branch head coach Rob Lazauskas said.

After the rushing attacking virtually vanished - 37 yards on 25 carries - in a 39-6 loss to rival Moshannon Valley last week, West Branch will need to get back to its bread-and-butter run offense if it hopes to have success against the Panthers.

"We've got to get back to running the football," Lazauskas said. "Last week we didn't run the ball effectively. We didn't move their people up front, and we've got to get back to the basics on that.

"Our success has come on the ground, and we've got to get back to establishing a running game."

The Warriors will have to do that against a Northern Bedford team that has won five games in a row with fundamentally sound football.

"Northern Bedford has gotten better every week," Lazauskas said. "That's a sign of a good team.

"They don't do a lot of fancy stuff, but what they do they do extremely well. They come hard defensively. They don't get caught out of position too often. Offensively and defensively we're going to have to execute very well."

Northern Bedford is led on offense by running back Bronson Bowser and quarterback Joe Risbon, who isn't afraid to throw the ball with over 800 yards on the season and seven passing touchdowns.

"Especially based on our recent history, we expect them to throw the ball," Lazauskas said. "They mix it up real well. The quarterback does throw the ball pretty well, and they've got some nice receivers that can catch the ball."

Northern Bedford is coming off a 16-14 win over Mount Union. The Panthers defeated West Branch 27-12 the last time the two teams met, in 2006.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Purchase Line (8-0)

at Saltsburg (0-8)

SALTSBURG - On paper the matchup hardly seems fair - undefeated Purchase Line should have little trouble with winless Saltsburg. But football games aren't played on paper.

"I told the kids, just like I said last week after the game, we've been in this position before and you can't take any team lightly," Purchase Line head coach Dave Small said.

"We have to play good football for 48 minutes. It would make their season to beat us in the last game of the season."

On senior night and with little to lose, Saltsburg will look to erase Purchase Line's quest for perfection with offensive leader Logan Grguric at quarterback. Grguric is a threat to pass and throw, and containing him will go a long way in stopping the Trojans.

"(Grguric's) a very good athlete," Small said. "We've got to be able to keep him under wraps. They're fullback is good, too, and they run a nice quick trap play. We've got to make sure we keep that under wraps.

"Hopefully, we have our linebackers in position to make the plays they need to make. Just contain them and do what our regular details are and what we do every week."

Meanwhile, the Red Dragon offense will look to feast upon a Saltsburg defense that has struggled against the run, allowing over 237 yards per game on the ground. That should play right into the hands of Purchase Line's hard-charging ground game, led by Mitch Masoner, Damian Fry and a host of other capable backs.

"We try to (attack with the run) and if we're successful it's because of the guys up front," Small said. "We try to establish the running game and try to do what we can to win the football game."

Saltsburg is coming off a 35-14 loss to Northern Cambria. The Trojans fell to the Red Dragons in last year's meeting, 43-6.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Chestnut Ridge (4-4)

at Philipsburg-Osceola (2-6)

PHILIPSBURG - With the season winding down, the Mounties are looking to try and finish the remainder of their schedule on a high note.

To do that, P-O will have to defeat Chestnut Ridge, which is 4-4 and coming off a win over Northern Garrett, Md.

The Lions are led by fullback Josh McDannell, who has rushed for 768 yards on 99 carries this season. McDannell is also the team's leading scorer, racking up nine touchdowns and one 2-point conversion for the Lions.

"He is a huge part of the Chestnut Ridge offense," said Mounties head coach Jeff Vroman. "He is big and he runs hard. We cannot arm tackle or tackle him high because he will run over people.

"They have a number of other position players that pose problems with their athletic ability, but it all starts with the fullback. We cannot let them control the line of scrimmage. That, along with turnovers will be the key factors in the game."

Chestnut Ridge loves to run the ball. The Lions have rushed for a total of 1,240 yards this season and thrown for only 485.

When they do throw the ball, quarterback Jase Deffibaugh has completed 36 of 89 passes for 465 yards and one score. He has also thrown two interceptions.

McDannell has also thrown a pass for a touchdown.

The Lions leading receiver is Andy Tomovich. Tomovich has caught nine passes for 169 yards and one touchdown.

The Chestnut Ridge defense has given up 1,655 yards rushing so far this season and another 508 in the air.

"Early momentum in high school football can be the difference in the game, if you take advantage of it," Vroman said. "A great start would definitely help us on Friday night. We need to set the tone early and build from there."

P-O has played the Lions twice in the playoffs and defeated them both times.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.