One by one, all four county high school football teams have busted into the win column.
In week one, Youngsville was a winner, Eisenhower broke the seal in week two, Warren came through in week three, and Sheffield emphatically won its first game last week.
Now, it's time to get greedy.
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Times Observer photo by Allen Seybert
Pep squad
Members of the Warren Area High School varsity cheerleading squad pumps up the crowd during the 2011 Warren Area High School Homecoming parade and bonfire Thursday at Beaty Field. The Dragons will host the Harbor Creek Huskies at 7 p.m. Friday at War Memorial Field.
Week 5 could be one to remember. It will be highlighted by Warren's 2011 Homecoming game and a virtual Region 2 championship game between Youngsville and Mercyhurst Prep.
Mercyhurst Prep (4-0) at Youngsville (4-0), Mike Shine Field, Friday, 7 p.m.
Youngsville is just hours away from perhaps the biggest football game in school history.
Not only are the Eagles and Mercyhurst Prep both 4-0. They are included in the latest Pennsylvania Football News state rankings (Mercyhurst, ninth; Youngsville, honorable mention) and this game equates to a virtual Region 2 championship game.
The Eagles are flying high off a 42-14 thumping of Iroquois last week. It was the second straight outing in which the Eagles' offense sprung to life. Quarterback Cory Craig threw for 178 yards and a score and also rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown. Youngsville's potent ground game put five different runners - Craig, Rocco Gatta, Jordan Gurdak, Sage Sivak and Sam Lucas - in the endzone during the win. Wideout Dalton Maze had another big night with three grabs for 86 yards.
Above all, Friday night gives Youngsville a chance to show that it has truly arrived on the District 10 Class A football scene.
"This is a chance to see what we're made of," said Eagles coach Luke Alex. "We've got some things to show offensively that we haven't shown yet. The guys are all excited to compete against this type of opponent. They've rocked us pretty good in the past and this is a chance to take the fight to them and show what we're made of."
Beating the Lakers won't be easy. The numbers alone speak volumes. Mercyhurst Prep beat Eisenhower 46-14 in week four, leaving only two unbeatens in all of Region 2. The team relies heavily on the ground game and features a fearsome 1-2-3 punch at tailback.
Cornelius Barclay has 562 yards and eight touchdowns this season, Thomas Higgins has 399 yards and six scores and Dwayne Canady has 349 yards and five touchdowns. The Lakers enter Friday's game, averaging nearly 370 yards per game on the ground as well as nearly 47 points per outing.
2011 Eagles Leaders: Passing- Cory Craig 18 of 40 for 401 yards, 5 TD, INT; Rushing- Cory Craig 49 carries for 260 yards, 2 TD; Receiving- Dalton Maze 8 catches for 239 yards, 3 TD
Last meeting: October 1, 2010- at Erie Veterans Stadium- Mercyhurst Prep 59, Youngsville 9
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Eisenhower (2-2) at Cambridge Springs (0-4), Cambridge Springs High School, Friday, 7 p.m.
Eisenhower saw its two-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 46-14 loss to District 10 power Mercyhurst Prep. The Knights have a solid shot to rebound this week when they visit the winless Cambridge Springs Blue Devils.
Since returning to the position, Aaron Lundmark has provided a boost at quarterback. Against Mercyhurst, Lundmark passed for a season-best 144 yards and two touchdowns - one to Robbie Wilston and another to Ryan Williams.
Despite the loss last week, Ike remains very much alive in the D-10 playoff picture. A win this week is vital to keeping that hope alive.
"For us, getting the third region win by the midway point of the season would be huge," said Ike coach Jim Penley. "If you can get to four or five region wins, you're usually looking good for a playoff spot."
The Knights will also look to benefit from the returns of John Pascuzzi and Alex Johnson to the starting lineup.
Cambridge Springs got off to a fast start against Saegertown a week ago when Weston Stafford returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. After that, the Panthers ripped off 34 straight points to earn a 34-14 win and keep the Blue Devils out of the win column this season.
Colton Noble provides an explosive runner for Cambridge Springs, however, 50 of his 54 yards against Saegertown came on a 50-yard touchdown run in the game's final quarter.
2011 Knights Leaders: Passing- Aaron Lundmark 11 of 24 for 174 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; Rushing- Robbie Wilston 61 carries for 230 yards; Receiving- Logan Head 4 catches for 76 yards
Last meeting: October 1, 2010- at Eisenhower High School- Cambridge Springs 34, Eisenhower 13
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Harbor Creek (2-2) at Warren (1-3), War Memorial Field, Friday, 7 p.m.
As good as Warren's offense was in week four, scoring 39 points and compiling 378 yards, the defense was equally - if not more - troubling. In a 56-39 loss to Strong Vincent, the Dragons allowed 702 total yards, including 539 on the ground.
If they want to beat Harbor Creek during Friday night's Homecoming game, the Dragons will need to shore up the defensive front.
"Harbor Creek is a good team that played tough against McLane and tough against North East up until halftime," said Warren coach Brad Wright. "We've been trying to focus on the positives despite the fact it's been an up and down season so far. There have been plenty of bright spots so far and I expect a strong performance (tonight)."
Austin Jerman earned his second straight county Athlete of the Week nod with a 342-yard, five-touchdown pass performance against Vincent. Jerman spread the ball around as Mark Davis (7 catches for 124 yards, 3 TD), Nathan Zigler (7 for 79, TD) and Brad Walters (3 for 61, TD) all had big nights.
Class AA Harbor Creek enters this week at 2-2 after a 35-7 thumping at the hands of North East. The Huskies managed only 186 yards of offense in the loss and their lone score came in the opening quarter.
Tailback Tyler Bretz led the way rushing with 49 yards, including a 17-yard score. Quarterback Austin Griffith aired it out 19 times and completed 10 of those passes. However, most of them failed to gain big yardage and Griffith ended with 81 yards and two picks.
2011 Dragons Leaders: Passing- Austin Jerman 53 of 93 for 783 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT; Rushing- Chris McNeal 28 carries for 124 yards, 2 TD; Receiving- Mark Davis 17 catches for 305 yards, 4 TD
Last meeting: October 1, 2010- at Harbor Creek High School- Warren 6, Harbor Creek 3
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Coudersport (4-0) at Sheffield (1-3), at Sheffield High School, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
After three tough weeks to start the year, Sheffield broke loose in week four with a 40-0 victory over Johnsonburg. The Wolverines defense forced seven fumbles and intercepted the Rams three times, setting the offense up with several short fields.
Nick Bonavita and Shequan Wright had two rushing touchdowns each, Wright added a touchdown pass to Dashawn Whitaker.. Kwante Johnson had a 70-yard kick return for a score in the win. Despite the breakthrough victory, Sheffield has plenty of room for improvement after turning the ball over six times against the Rams.
"I want the guys to come out this week and play with the same confidence as they did last week," said Sheffield coach Bryan Gould. "We have the talent and experience to play with anybody and coming into the division schedule, these are the games that matter most."
As has been the case in recent years, Coudersport is strong again in 2011 with a perfect 4-0 start to its credit. Its most recent win was a hard-fought 21-10 victory over Brockway - the same Rovers that dominated Sheffield 44-6 in the season opener.
The Falcons love to hand the ball to Caden Whitman, who has amassed 445 yards and five touchdowns this season. Spelling Whitman is Mitch Freeman, who has added 236 yards and five touchdowns of his own. Quarterback Tim McCusker doesnt throw often, but does have 232 yards and three scores to his credit in the four wins.
2011 Wolverines Leaders: Passing- Shequan Wright 23 of 60 for 319 yards, TD, 7 INT; Rushing- Nick Bonavita 34 carries for 182 yards, 2 TD; Receiving- Nick Bonavita 9 catches for 98 yards
Last meeting: October 1, 2010- at Coudersport High School- Coudersport 37, Sheffield 0