One more game for the biggest prize.

The Port Allegany Gators battle the Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders (1 p.m. Thursday, Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg) for the Class 1A state championship.

It’s a position that District 9 has been in just three times before — Keystone in 1989, Smethport in 1992 and Redbank Valley in 2021.

In fact, that Redbank Valley team played BG in 2021, with the Marauders coming out on top, 21-14. BG won three consecutive state titles from 2014-16, beating Clairton twice and Farrell once.

As far as this battle goes, it features the Gators’ vaunted rushing attack against the Marauders’ (14-1) aerial assault.

Port Allegany (14-0) is coming off its best defensive performance of the season in a 46-8 win over Fort Cherry in the semifinals, and they come into the game with a ton of confidence.

“We paid a lot of attention to Redbank (in getting ready for BG),” Bienkowski saidi. “They are similar in their athleticism and some of their formations. Also, we’re focusing on No. 18 (Hamilton Gates. We’re focused on numbers, not names. They put him in the slot, split in the backfield, just trying to get him the ball. They have a quarterback (Chase Kissell) that can throw it around. We want to make sure they have to throw the ball and win and not be able to come at us.”

Kissell, who stands 6-3 and 219 pounds, has completed 71.8% of his passes this season (204-of-284) for 3,336 yards and a 38-9 touchdown to interception ratio for an offense that averages exactly 40 points per game.

The 6-0, 184-pound senior Gates has 92 receptions for 1,703 yards (18.5 yards per reception) and 19 touchdowns, and has also ran the ball 109 times for 763 yards (7.0 yards per carry) and 19 touchdowns.

Gates leads the state among teams that enter their stats in MaxPreps in receiving yards, while Kisell is second in passing yards.

They are far from the only weapons the Marauders have, however, as junior Taurean Consiglio (6-0, 188) has rushed for 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns, while senior Braden Reilly (6-1, 176) has 53 receptions for 761 yards (14.4 ypr) and 10 touchdowns.

BG’s postseason includes a 21-6 win over District 4 champion Muncy last week, as well as a convincing 56-15 quarterfinal win over a Westinghouse team that was in the Class 2A state title game a year ago.

Consiglio (176 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks), junior Jake Kissell (160 tackles, 34 TFL, 19 sacks), senior Nick McCloskey (117 tackles), Chase Kissell (101 tackles), Gates (7 interceptions) and junior Tyson Lestochi (6 interceptions) for a defense that yields just 13.1 ppg.

“They remind us a lot of Muncy, as well as Penn Cambria (a PIAA 3A semifinalist who handed the Marauders their only loss, 28-27 on Oct. 25),” said BG coach Justin Wheeler. “A team that can just pound the football and dominate the line and running game. You can’t not talk about a couple of kids that are just absolute stars. Carson Neely, the kid going to Clarion, Aiden Bliss is really, really good, their other back (Tristan Kiser) has over 1,000 yards. This is the biggest line and most dominating line that we have faced. It’s going to be a challenge.”

For Port Allegany, not a ton will change offensively.

Bliss’ 3,180 yards rushing and 53 touchdowns on the ground both lead the state, with yardage fifth and touchdowns second in the nation.

As Wheeler alluded to the line, Neely, Juuso Young, Tyler Fillhart, Brayden Babcock and Ethan Tarbox, have been dominant, while Kiser, who returned to play defense against Fort Cherry after missing the 38-20 quarterfinal win over Wilmington, has 1,226 yards and 20 touchdowns. Kellen Veilleux has turned in a strong effort the last two games for Kiser on the offensive side of the ball.

“You’re not trying to reinvent yourself this time of year,” Bienkowski said. “There will be a couple of changes here and there, but you’re going to see 3 (quarterback Brennan Fillhart) handing to 31 (Bliss), 31 from center, 3 (Fillhart) and 4 (Veilleux getting involved, 8 (Nick Wilfong) getting involved and the offensive line moving all over.”

Fillhart had thrown for 713 yards and nine touchdowns, while Veilleux has 419 yards rushing and Wilfong 218 yards receiving and 173 rushing.

Gavin Moses (pick six against Wilmington) and Kelvin Burgess (2 interceptions against Fort Cherry), have come up huge the last two weeks on defense for a Gator team that has allowing 17.8 ppg.

Bliss, Moses, Kiser and Neely are the top four on the team in tackles, while Wilfong has six of the Gators’ 28 interceptions on the season.

“We’re going to play aggressive, Port Allegany football,” Bienkowski said.

“If we show up, play our game and show everyone we can have a good time, we’re confident in the outcome.”

Wheeler’s nephew is the quarterback and his son (a freshman) is on the team as well, so it’s a true family affair.

“That loss, things just didn’t go our way,” Wheeler said. “We left it up to other people. That helped kind of focus us to take care of our business. In the playoffs, our guys have responded well.

“To win a state championship, you need a championship effort on every play and give everything everything you have on every play. When you’re playing a team like Port Allegany who knows exactly who they are and are great at it, you have to give that kind of effort. If we can do that, it will be a great game and we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”

Likewise, the Gators are focused on the task at hand.

“Young kids don’t see the distractions going on,” Bienkowski said. “I truly believe that’s how our kids are…they go about it in the most mature way.”