Breaking down the PIAA District 9 Playoffs
Tagged under: District 9, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Phil Myers | November 4, 2021
Breaking down the PIAA District 9 Playoffs
Class 1A (seeds in parenthesis)
(5) Port Allegany 5-4 @ (4) Keystone 7-2 – Port lost a heartbreaker to Keystone 36-30 during the regular season when the Panthers hit an 82-yard TD pass with a little over two minutes remaining. Keystone also intercepted 4 passes in that game. Keystone has relied on their ball-hawking defense all year to keep them in games and then win. The Panthers had 17 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries to their credit for the regular season. Keystone’s special teams play have been really good too as they have returned at least 3 kicks for TDs. The Gators couldn’t have a more balanced attack on offense as they have 1,617 yards passing and 1,627 yards rushing. Look for turnovers to be a key factor in this game again. If Port does not turn the ball over or forces more turnovers than Keystone does, they have a legitimate chance to pull out the victory.
(1) Redbank Valley 9-1 has a bye and will play the winner of Port Allegany and Keystone next week. The Panthers gave Redbank their only loss of the year.
(7) Cameron County 5-4 @ (2) Union/AC Valley 7-2 – Union defeated Cameron County 20-6 in the regular season. The game was tied at halftime, but the Falcon Knights used a second half push to win by a couple of touchdowns. Union likes to run more than throw. But their defense is the key. The Falcon Knight ‘D’ has 17 sacks and 18 interceptions to date. The Cameron County Red Raiders have not made the playoffs in over 10 years, so this may be a big motivator to make an impression and upset Union/AC Valley. Cameron County runs about 70% of the time offensively and will need to do so successfully to have a chance. Their defense has forced 22 turnovers, including 13 INTs.
(6) Curwensville 6-4 @ (3) Smethport 7-2 – These two teams did not play during the season as Curwensville is in a different league, made up of District 6 teams. This game will come down to quarterback play, although Curwensville does not depend as much on their quarterback as does Smethport. The Golden Tide’s quarterback, Dan McGarry, has accounted for over 2,300 yards with 2,003 of them coming through the air. He has accounted for 21 of his team’s 31 touchdowns with 16 of them passing. His counterpart, Noah Lent, has accounted for 37 of the Hubbers’ 38 touchdowns, 15 passing and 22 rushing. He has accounted for over 2,100 total yards with the majority coming on the ground. If the Golden Tide can contain Lent and move the ball on the Hubber defense, they will win. If not, they will lose. The other factor is Lent himself. He did not play the last regular season game. If he isn’t healthy, it may be a long night for Smethport.
Class 2A (seeds in parenthesis)
(4) Central Clarion 4-5 @ (1) Karns City 9-1 – to be played November 12th.
(3) Brookville 7-3 @ (2) Ridgway 7-3 – to be played November 12th.
Class 3A Championship Game
(2) St. Marys 8-2 vs. (1) Clearfield @ Brockway – Clearfield is ranked 7th in the state and St. Marys is Honorable Mention. The Bison of Clearfield beat the Flying Dutch in last year’s championship game 41-30. Clearfield’s coach, Tim Janocko is two wins shy of 300 for his career. Clearfield has scored over 400 points to date. Clearfield’s quarterback, the 6’5” 250-pound Oliver Billotte, has accounted for 31 touchdowns and almost 2,000 total yards. He will play defense for Kent State in college. Speaking of defense, the Bison have only given up 47 points all year and have recorded 39 sacks. The Flying Dutch signal caller, Christian Coudriet has passed for 2,634 yards and 23 TDs. The defense of St. Marys has garnered 35 sacks and 15 interceptions. If St. Marys’ offense can figure out Clearfield’s defense and their ‘D’ can force Clearfield into third and long situations consistently they have an excellent chance of winning.
Class 4A (Districts 6-8-9)
University Prep 2-6 @ DuBois 5-5 – One of the Prep Panther wins was against Sharon, a solid program in District 10. DuBois lost their first three games, then won five in a row, but finished the year with two losses. The Beavers play mostly 2A schools and that could be a factor in the district playoffs, but they have a strong defense and a balanced offense in that their opponent cannot key on one guy. Prep has been shut out three times, but their defense only gives up 22 points a game, which is pretty good considering they only have two wins. The winner of this game plays the winner of the Juniata-Bellefonte game next week.
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