The first few games of Bradford’s season were characterised by inconsistency.

The Owls opened the season with a 69-60 shootout loss to Brookville, then followed it up with an ugly but effective 14-2 victory over St. Marys.

After routing Kane 43-14, the Owls dropped two in a row to Ridgway and Moniteau, scoring only seven points in both contests.

But during its current three game winning streak, Bradford has been a model of consistency. Look no further than the final scores: 34-13 over Brockway; 34-14 over Punxsutawney; and most recently 34-14 over Clarion.

The Owls (5-3) have been playing as well as anybody in District 9 in the last few weeks, and the confidence surrounding the team is palpable.

“We’re riding pretty high right now,” Owls coach Jeff Puglio said. “We’ve got some self-confidence and that belief in ourselves is really important.”

Tonight, Bradford will try to make it four in a row as the Owls hit the road to take on Karns City (3-5) for their last regular season road game of the year.

The Owls have had mixed results on the road this year, defeating Kane and Punxsy but falling to Brookville and Moniteau. As the season has gone on, however, Bradford has been better prepared to come out aggressive and set the tone for the rest of the game.

“We know what to expect,” Puglio said. “We’re going on another long trip and it’s another mental test for us. At this point, it’s about getting off the bus and getting off to a fast start. We’ve been able to do that in our last couple games.”

Good starts have been a common theme for the Owls in each of their past three victories. Strong opening drives by the offense and defense alike have helped stake Bradford to early leads that they haven’t relinquished.

The Owls will need a similar performance against a Gremlins team that is fighting tooth and nail for better positioning in the Class AA playoff race. Despite its 3-5 record, Karns City has actually scored more points than it’s allowed this season, with the offense averaging 27.1 points per game and the defense allowing 21.8 points per contest.

Much like the Owls, Karns City relies on a powerful running game spearheaded by tailback Hunter Jones who comes in to tonight with 825 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns.

“It’s the same as always,” Puglio said about his team’s strategy on defense, “It’s about paying attention to detail, being aware of their formations and aware of what they’re going to be throwing at us.”

While Bradford is already assured of a place in the Class AAAA playoffs, the Owls still have an outside shot at earning a home playoff game. Wins against the Gremlins tonight and against Oil City next week — a game that had been called off until recent developments in Class AAAAA — plus some outside help would give Bradford a chance at playing at Parkway Field one more time in 2018.

For now, though, Puglio’s focus is on finishing the regular season strong.

“All we can control is winning these next two games,” he said. “It puts is in a good spot. We’ve been saying that the playoffs started for us last week. We have that mindset of we’ve got to win to advance.”

Regardless of where it ends up playing its first playoff game, Bradford will have plenty to draw on having returned most of the squad that fell to Johnstown 35-13 in last year’s postseason contest.

“Last year we kind of turned it on towards the end of the year,” Puglio said. “We played some good football on the road. We’re doing that again this year. Our defense has been strong, our offense has exploded these last couple games. We’re firing on all cylinders and we hope to keep it going.”

On to the picks for Week 8:

Bradford (5-3) at Karns City (3-5)

This has the makings of a trap game for the Owls. But Bradford’s defense has been playing great in recent weeks, so make it four in a row for BHS. OWLS by 9.

Smethport (8-0) at Coudersport (5-3)

The winner takes the first ever Small School North Division crown. No one has yet to crack Smethport’s suffocating defense. SMETHPORT by 10.

Brockway (6-2) at Clarion (6-2)

The Bobcats are reeling after consecutive poor showings against Ridgway and Bradford. Brockway, meanwhile, is looking for its third straight win. This might be the closest game of the week. CLARION by 4.

Ridgway (8-0) at Brookville (5-3)

Strength meets strength: the Raiders’ high-flying offense meets the Elkers’ pulvering defense. Even if that matchup is a wash, Brookville’s shoddy defense will likely end up proving costly. RIDGWAY by 12.

Kane (1-7) at St. Marys (0-8)

Kane’s offense flashed some excitement last week, scoring 38 points in a losing effort against Brookville. The Wolves will look to hand the Dutch their 20th straight loss. KANE by 8.

Cameron (1-7) County at Port Allegany (1-7)

It’s been a long season for both these North Tier rivals. But two wins still looks a lot better than one. Port A figures to have enough offense to make a difference. PORT A by 13.

Clarion-Limestone (6-2) at Curwensville (6-2)

A game with huge seeding implications in the Class A playoff race. C-L boasts the highest-scoring offense among the small schools (42.5 points per game) and has just enough defense to hold off the Golden Tide. C-L by 9.

Moniteau (4-4) at Punxsutawney (2-6)

The Warriors will lean on the ground duo of Cody Wise and Chance Nagy to help get them back above .500 against a struggling Punxsy squad. MONITEAU by 13.

Elk County Catholic (6-2) at Keystone (3-5)

A win for the Crusaders clinches the Small School South title. Running back Stephen Bobby — who as 17 touchdowns on the ground this year — should also eclipse 1,000 yards for the season. ECC by 23.

Redbank Valley (5-3) at Union/A-C Valley (4-4)

Both teams sorely need a win to boost their chances of getting a better opponent in the Class A playoffs. It’s a close matchup on paper, but Redbank seems to have a little more firepower on offense. REDBANK by 6.

Otto-Eldred (3-5) at Sheffield (0-8)

Perhaps no one needs a win more than O-E, who have lost four in a row after starting 3-1. Defense has been the issue for the Terrors, as they’ve given up an average of 48 points per game during the losing streak. Don’t expect nearly as many against the Wolverines. OTTO by 27.