With wins in Week 3, Kane and Clarion are now the only undefeated teams left in the Large School Division of District 9.
Clarion topped previously-unbeaten Brookville, who had to play without star quarterback Jack Krug most of the night, 29-12, while Kane steamrolled winless Brockway 41-0.
The wins couldn’t have been more different, as Clarion fell behind 6-0 quickly and turned the ball over five times but overcame both of those to remain atop the standings. Kane, meanwhile, dominated from start to finish in its win.
Each team gets a favorable matchup in Week 4, as Kane visits winless Punxsutawney, and Clarion hosts 3-1 St. Marys, whose wins have all come against winless teams.
The Wolves and Bobcats face off on Sept. 27 in Kane. That matchup could very well determine who wins the Large School crown.
Fans hoping to start seeing parity in District 9 were largely left disappointed this week.
In the Large School Division, the bottom four teams — Bradford, Brockway, Moniteau and Punxsutawney — all lost and now sit at 0-4. The rest of the Large School Division’s teams are either 3-1 (Brookville, Karns City, Ridgway, St. Marys) or 4-0 (Clarion, Kane).
The scores in Week 3 reflected that difference, too. Ridgway thumped Bradford 55-0, Kane won 41-0 against Brockway and St. Marys thrashed Punxsutawney 60-21. The only game that featured a top team and a bottom team that was close was Karns City’s 21-6 win over Moniteau.
That trend is also largely true in the Small School Divisions. In the North, Smethport and Coudersport each sit at 3-0 overall, while Port Allegany and Otto-Eldred are both 1-3, and Sheffield and Cameron County are both still winless.
In the South Division, Redbank Valley is the last unbeaten team, but Union/A-C Valley and Keystone are both 3-1, while Elk County Catholic is hanging tough at 2-2. That leaves Curwensville, who is 1-3 on the year.
Score-wise, Keystone defeated Cameron County 49-12, Elk Catholic rolled past Port Allegany 35-7, Smethport shut out Curwensville 26-0, and Redbank Valley rolled by Sheffield 61-28. The only small school game that was competitive was Union/A-C Valley’s 32-26 win against Otto-Eldred.
While the gap between teams grows, though, we are beginning to get a more clear picture of what the 2019 postseason could look like.
In Class 1A, which amounts to the Small School Division, Coudersport, Smethport and Redbank Valley are all still unbeaten and in contention for the top seed, and 3-1 Union/A-C Valley is in the hunt, as well. Elk Catholic managed to stay in the picture with its win over Port A this week, but the Crusaders have a tough road ahead with such a small roster and games against Union/A-C Valley, Keystone and Smethport still on tap.
Coudy, meanwhile, faces Redbank Valley and Smethport in consecutive weeks in mid-October, while RV takes on Smethport Sept. 27 and then Coudy and Union/ACV in back-to-back weeks in October.
How those matchups go will determine seeding for this year’s District 9 Class 1A playoffs.
Most of Week 4’s District matchups feature teams from the top against teams in the bottom (Brockway at Ridgway, Kane at Punxsy, Port A at Coudy, Smethport at O-E, etc.)
There are, however, a few marquee matchups to keep an eye on. St. Marys will show just how good its 3-1 record really is against Clarion, while Union/A-C Valley and Elk Catholic will duke it out in a Small School South showdown. Brookville and Karns City, both 3-1, square off, as well.
Those handful of matchups should give locals the close games we’ve come to expect in the new District format.
