With roughly two weeks until the high school football season kicks off, programs are hard at work preparing for their opening matchups and 2019 seasons.
Here is the most intriguing game of each week for the first half of the 2019 campaign:
Week 0 (Aug. 23) — Kane at Moniteau
This game features a Kane Wolves team that struggled to a 2-7 mark last season, and a Moniteau team that went 7-3 in the regular season and made the D9 semi-finals a year ago.
Despite the vast difference in records, these two teams opened the 2018 campaign with a narrow game that saw the Warriors leave Kane with a 14-13 win.
This year, Kane is out to prove that the 2018 campaign was just an aberration, and with nine starters returning on offense and eight on defense, the Wolves are a bit more experienced this year and could take a step forward.
The Warriors, meanwhile, lost both their starting quarterback (Chance Nagy) and leading rusher (Cody Wise) to graduation, and will be in search of playmakers going into Week 0.
This game could also figure into District playoff qualification and seeding later on, and would be a significant boost to the winning team.
Week 1 (Aug. 30) — Bradford at St. Marys
This game will feature two teams that are, in their own ways, hitting the reset button.
St. Marys hired in new coach Chris Dworek over the offseason, and player turnout amongst the Flying Dutchmen is high, as their roster features roughly 60 players.
Bradford, meanwhile, graduated 24 seniors from last year’s squad, including leading rushers Donny Pattison and Jaron Ambrose and some key players along the line.
This early matchup will be a pivotal moment for each team, as St. Marys can gauge how far its come under Dworek early on, while Bradford will look at how well its new faces are fitting into varsity action two weeks into the season.
Each team will be coming off challenging Week 0 tests, as St. Marys is tasked with Ridgway while Bradford takes on Brookville. Ridgway and Brookville were ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the preseason District 9 coaches poll for large schools.
Bradford took last year’s matchup, 14-2.
Week 2 (Sept. 6) — Smethport at Port Allegany
This game will potentially be a litmus test for each team, though in different ways.
Smethport is out to prove this year’s group of Hubbers can adequately fill the shoes of last year’s stellar team that finished the regular season undefeated, and a resounding win in the Hubbers’ first road game would go a long way in proving that.
The Hubbers will come in well-rested, as they begin the season with a game against Sheffield and then have their bye week before visiting Port Allegany.
Port A, on the other hand, is once again under the direction of Justin Bienkowski after he took a brief stint away from the program. The Gators would like to improve on last year’s 2-7 mark, and a win in a competitive game with Smethport could give them a huge spark in that quest.
The Gators will be coming off of a road trip at Keystone.
Week 3 (Sept. 13) — Otto-Eldred at Union/Allegheny-Clarion Valley
This game will feature two teams that snuck into the District 9 playoffs a season ago, as Otto-Eldred entered as the 7-seed and Union/ACV as the eighth and final team.
The Terrors went 5-5 in the regular season in 2018, but bring back six starters on each side of the ball. Perhaps most importantly, O-E returns starting quarterback Cole Sebastian, who led the Small Schools Division in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage a season ago.
Union/ACV, meanwhile, is coming off of a 4-6 regular season, but brings back plenty of experience at skill positions.
This game could go a long way in determining the pecking order of playoff seeding once the postseason comes around. O-E took last year’s matchup, 47-25.
Week 4 (Sept. 20) — Ridgway at Brockway
These two teams met for the District 9 Class 2A title a year ago, and Ridgway narrowly escaped with a 14-7 victory. The rematch could prove vital to each team’s goals this season.
Ridgway’s staunch defense carried the Elkers in 2018, but the offense managed to do just enough on a weekly basis to get Ridgway to an 11-2 final record.
But with just one offensive lineman returning from last year’s starting unit, the Elkers are retooling quite a bit. The good news for them is the skill positions will feature plenty of experience, and the Elkers can always count on a stout defense.
Brockway finished 10-3 last season, but loses its starting quarterback and leading rusher. However, Jon Wood returns and is experienced as both a running back and wide receiver, and that versatility could prove vital for the Rovers this season.
Will the 2019 rematch of last year’s 2A title game be just as close? How each team performs at filling in gaps from last year’s roster will determine that.
