With most teams in District 9 having closed out their regular seasons last week, it should come as no surprise that almost everyone’s attention will be on the Allegheny Mountain League championship game in Kane tonight.
The unbeaten Wolves (9-0) are heavy favorites to win the contest, but the scrappy Otto-Eldred Terrors (6-3) have come on strong down the stretch and won’t be an easy 10th win.
Putting all else aside, there is one thing that both teams have in common and that is the fact that this will be the final AML title game. They will close the book on that chapter of District 9 football history.
Last week’s announcement that the AML and KSAC leagues have agreed to a merger plan eliminates the AML title game. The KSAC does not play a championship game.
Under the merger agreement there will only be one District 9 Football League. It will have a large school division and a small school division. The small schools will be divided into North and South groups, but there is no information at this time on whether or not in the future the division winners could meet in a championship game.
The Allegheny Mountain League was formed in 1986 and it began with East and West divisions. In 1999 as more teams from the southern portion of the district were added and others were lost, the league changed its division designations to North and South.
Playing their final AML schedules this season, along with Otto-Eldred and Kane, were Cameron County, Coudersport, Port Allegany, Smethport and Sheffield in the North, and Bradford, Brockway, Curwensville, Elk Catholic and Ridgway in the South. This was only the second season Bradford was a member of the league.
Smethport holds the record for the most AML titles with seven, which Kane can tie tonight. The Wolves have a two-game win streak going, have won three of the last four and are a perfect 6-0 in AML title games.
Otto-Eldred, meanwhile, is making its second straight appearance in the game where it is 0-1. The Terrors lost to Kane last year.
If you’re interested, the largest margin of victory in the history of the title game came in 2012 when Port Allegany defeated Brockway 54-7 for a 47-point difference.
THANK YOU: The come-from-behind wins by Bradford and Cameron County last Friday night paved the way to a perfect night for the old ‘Crystal Ball.’ I went 11-0 which is rare indeed. This season was not quite as difficult as in the past when I was also picking games involving other Big 30 All-Star Classic teams, especially across the border in New York. Tonight’s picks close out the season for me. My overall record right now stands at 75-20.
TONIGHT’S GAMES
(AML championship)
Otto-Eldred at Kane
I’m going to step out of the box for a minute. No, I’m not going to predict an Otto-Eldred victory, but I do think the Terrors can make it a game. The way they finished out the season, I think they can stay within two touchdowns … call it a moral victory. KANE by 16
Union/A-C Valley at Ridgway
This is an easy one, but don’t be surprised if the Elkers’ coaching staff pulls some people after getting a comfortable lead. RIDGWAY by 24
THE OTHER GAMES
Clarion-Limestone at Punxsutawney, CLARION-LIMESTONE by 18
Brookville at Keystone, BROOKVILLE by 21
Redbank Valley at Moniteau, REDBANK VALLEY by 14
Clarion at St. Marys, CLARION by 20
Clearfield at Karns City, CLEARFIELD by 12
