It seems hard to believe that the high school football season is already three weeks old in Pennsylvania, which means most teams are already a third of the way through their campaigns.
Still, there is much that needs to be determined with regards to the pecking order in both the Large and Small School Divisions in the District 9 Football League: there are still six teams who remain unbeaten, with three large schools (Brockway, Clarion, Ridgway) and three small schools (Coudersport, Smethport, Redbank Valley) that have yet to lose a game.
After a less-than-inspiring slate of games in Week 2, the coming week provides some more intriguing matchups, with the highlight being a showdown between the aforementioned Elkers and Bradford at Parkway Field on Friday night.
Here are a few thoughts on some storylines in D-9 football:
Bradford ball security
One of the biggest positives of Bradford’s 2-1 start this year has been the Owls’ dominant run game.
The three-headed attack of Donny Pattison (490 yards, seven touchdowns), Derek Sunafrank (284 yards, three TDs), and Jaron Ambrose (195 yards, three TDs) has gashed opposing defenses this year to the tune of over 320 yards per game on the ground.
For perspective, Bradford’s worst offensive performance so far came in a 14-2 Week 1 victory over St. Marys when the Owls only rushed for 229 yards.
What’s even more remarkable about Bradford’s success on offense is that it’s dominated despite some serious issues with holding on to the football.
The Owls have already fumbled the ball a whopping 14 times in three games, with eight of those miscues resulting in turnovers. The ball security issues were especially bad in Saturday’s 43-14 victory over Kane when Bradford coughed up the ball eight times and lost it five times.
Fortunately for the Owls these fumbling issues haven’t been all that costly so far. But that could change as soon as this Friday when they host the reigning two-time District Champion Ridgway Elkers, a team that prides itself on its terrific defense.
Fumbles at the high school level are far from uncommon, especially early in the season. But if Bradford can do just a little bit better job of holding on to the ball, its offense could reach even greater heights of dominance.
Elkers hardly miss a beat
Speaking of Ridgway, the Elkers have been one of the more surprising early stories of 2018. Or maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising considering the program’s recent success.
After losing a number of impact of players that won two straight District 9 Class A titles, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise if the Elkers took a step back this year.
But through three games, head coach Mark Heindl’s team has looked as good as ever. The Elkers have opened the season with three convincing victories, defeating St. Marys 42-0, Kane 34-6, and Moniteau 36-14.
The stifling defense shouldn’t come as a shock: it was Ridgway’s calling card in both of its championship seasons, and the Elkers are allowing less than seven points per game so far. Returning All-State linebacker Evan Furlong leads the team with 26 tackles, while junior Damon Kelley already has three sacks.
But the Ridgway offense has been equally impressive. Junior quarterback Paul Gresco has five touchdowns and no interceptions, while Gabe Watts (218 rushing yards), Jake Wickett (170), Cole Secco (158), and Furlong (141) have all made contributions in the ground game.
They might not have come into the season with as much hype as the past couple years, but the 2018 Elkers look plenty imposing.
Coudy, Smethport finally challenged?
It’s been a fairly stress-free start to the season for Coudersport and Smethport, as the two North Tier rivals both sit at 2-0 in the Small School North Division and 3-0 overall.
Both teams have sandwiched a relatively close game between a pair of blowouts: the Falcons routed Cameron County 71-0 and Sheffield 61-6 while also handily dispatching Elk County Catholic 28-6; the Hubbers, meanwhile, have trounced Sheffield 54-6 and Port Allegany 40-0 while holding off Clarion-Limestone 28-18.
But as we approach the middle third of the season, both Coudy and Smethport will face perhaps their sternest tests to date in Week 3.
Coudersport will have to travel to Clarion-Limestone to face a Lions team (2-1) coming off a dominating 50-6 victory over Keystone. The Lions are led by do-it-all star Austin Newcomb, who earned D9sports.com Week 2 Player of the Week honors. Newcomb scored four touchdowns against Keystone while amassing over 330 yards from scrimmage as well as notching nine tackles and a blocked field goal.
Smethport will also be on the road Friday when the Hubbers visit Curwensville.
The D-9 Class A runner-up from a year ago, Curwensville also stands at 2-1 after edging Union/A-C Valley 14-13. The Golden Tide have relied on a balanced attack on offense, with players like Blake Passarelli, Noah Von Gunden, Jake McCracken, and Avery Francisco all coming up with big moments early in the season.
While neither crossover game will impact Coudy or Smethport’s place in the North standings, they represent crucial tests to determine whether or not both teams are for real.
(Statistics retrieved from maxpreps.com).
