SMETHPORT — You can forgive the Coudersport football team for not spending too much time celebrating last Saturday’s stunning 56-0 victory over Redbank Valley.
Sure, it was the signature win of their season and cemented their place as the top Class A team in District 9 — but Coudersport also knows it has big business to attend to tonight.
The Falcons (7-0) head to Smethport to take on the 5-2 Hubbers at 7 o’clock in one of D9’s hottest rivalries in what will be Coudy’s final big regular season test.
The winner will be crowned the D9 Small School North champion.
“I know what it’s like to win a big game and then have another one the very next week,” Coudersport coach Tom Storey said. “But our kids will be ready to go, it’s a rivalry game and they are in the same boat as we were in last year. They have lost a couple and are hungry to come back and redeem themselves.”
Of course, these two teams have plenty of recent history.
The Falcons blew a two-touchdown lead in the final minutes of last season’s finale in a 21-20 loss that gave Smethport a perfect regular season record and the 2018 divisional title. But just four weeks later, the Falcons got their revenge in a 44-7 win in the District 9 Class A title game.
“They were going for an unbeaten season last year when we played and we are going for it this time around,” Storey said. “Our preparation has started since day one watching film this week and our heads are focused on (Smethport).”
After a 4-0 start to the season, the Hubbers have lost two of three — including a 52-24 defeat to Keystone last Friday and a 21-0 setback to RV.
Smethport allowed 402 rushing yards and six scores on the ground to the Panthers. It’ll be an area that will need to be corrected quickly, as the Falcons have one of the best rushing attacks in D9.
Over the last three games, featured back Travis Gleason has run for 541 yards and nine touchdowns.
His success is a credit to the five guys up front, according to Storey.
“We had two new 10th-graders up front and they have gotten confidence and built on that experience,” he said. They are playing next to two of our veterans — if you can call high school kids veterans — in Brandon Goss and Cale Ayers. Then we have Logan Rogers, a senior, who we converted over to center this year. He does his job.”
That line has watched plenty of Coudy purple run ahead of them, as the Falcons have averaged 48 points this year. Quarterback Hayden Keck has accounted for 527 yards and four scores through the air, as well as 550 yards and nine touchdowns with his legs.
The Hubbers, meanwhile, will have their work cut out for them offensively against the best statistical defense in District 9 this season.
The Falcons have allowed just four touchdowns — an incredible total of just 26 points — in seven games this year. Coudy has recovered 17 fumbles, picked off 14 passes and recorded 40 tackles for loss.
“(Dan Counts), my defensive coordinator, loves the sport of football and he does a great job,” Storey said. “The key is to put the kids in the right positions, and then it’s just letting them play football.
“I like playing a tough game of football. Guys hitting and most of that is Counts letting the kids go to do their thing.”
The Hubbers will be looking to break through that defense with a unit that picked up 15 first downs and 241 yards of offense last week against Keystone and has moved the ball successfully this year on the ground with quarterback Noah Lent and tailback Braedon Johnson.
“They are the team of brothers that you have to watch for with (Noah and Hunter) Lent and (Braedon and Bryent) Johnson,” Storey said. They have a good offense and the run leads to good throws. But just as Otto-Eldred helped us prep for Redbank, they helped us prepare for Smethport with what they do. We’ve been studying film and will be ready.”
