Three of the four county football teams hit speed bumps in week six.
Meanwhile, the Region 2-leading Eisenhower Knights kept on rolling with their fifth straight victory since a season-opening loss to Mercer.
All four teams venture out of the region this week; if you're looking for a local team in action Friday, you're going to have to put some miles on your tires.
On Friday, Warren visits Corry, Youngsville travels to Seneca, and Eisenhower plays in Conneautville.
The week's lone home game is set for Saturday when the undefeated Port Allegany Gators visit Wolverine Mountain.
Warren (5-1) at Corry (6-0), 7 p.m., Friday, Corry Area High School
Warren's schedule has been considerable harder the past couple of weeks.
After suffering its first defeat of the season a week ago at undefeated Slippery Rock, the Dragons venture out of the region to play 6-0 Corry this week. Waiting in week 8 are the currently unbeaten DuBois Beavers.
But first thing's first - Corry.
"Corry has proven to be a very balanced team. They have one of the best runners in the region and can be very effective in the passing game," said Warren coach Brad Wright. "In order to be more successful this week, we have to compete from the opening kickoff. We must be more disciplined and have to limit our mental mistakes."
Despite being a Class AA team this season, Corry has been flawless in 2012 and already holds one victory over a Class AAA opponent (Oil City).
Senior Matt Cragg is a workhorse on the ground, having chewed up 900 yards and 13 touchdowns for the unbeaten Beavers. Quarterback Nathaniel Smith is also solid in the pocket, completing 57 percent of his passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns to date.
Smith's top target is Tyler Engle (22 catches for 314 yards, 2 TD) and Patrick Brown has caught a team-high four touchdown passes for an offense that averages over 34 points per game.
Last meeting: November 4, 2011- at War Memorial Field- Corry 27, Warren 22
2012 Dragons Leaders: Passing- Austin Jerman 67 of 108 for 936, 15 TD, 3 INT; Rushing- Austin Jerman 53 for 467, 6 TD; Receiving- Mark Davis 19 for 250, 5 TD
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Eisenhower (5-1) at Conneaut (3-3), 7 p.m., Friday, Conneaut High School
Red-hot Eisenhower has lined up against Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley and Linesville during its storied football history.
On Friday, it will line up against Conneaut Area for the first time - a new school formed by the consolidation of the aforementioned schools.
While Friday's road game is not a Region 2 contest, the division-leading Knights and coach Jim Penley feel that it is important for Eisenhower to maintain the momentum it has built during a five-game winning streak.
"This week has been one of the most attentive weeks of practice we've had all season," said Penley. "This is a (Class A) South team we're playing this week. Right now, the South is playing better football than the North. If you want to compete in the playoffs, you need to be able to beat the South and we've got a chance to prove that we can do that this week. It's not going to be easy. Conneaut is coming off three outstanding games in a row and will be fired up for their Homecoming."
Conneaut's first season has had mixed results with a 3-3 record through six weeks. The Eagles have lost to Sharpsville, West Middlesex and Lakeview, but have victories over Girard, Conneaut (Ohio) and the same Mercer team that handed Ike its only loss of 2012.
Dual-threat quarterback Jon Onderko guides the offense and has 497 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He has also thrown for 319 yards and four touchdowns, but is prone to the big turnover with nine picks this season.
The team's top back is Elijah Anderton with his 686 yards while wideout Tyler Bartlett gives Onderko a potent weapon at wideout.
Last meeting: First meeting
2012 Knights Leaders: Passing- Aaron Lundmark 35 of 77 for 662, 9 TD, 3 INT; Rushing- John Pascuzzi 131 for 964, 9 TD; Receiving- Nathan O'Brien 15 for 403, 6 TD
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Youngsville (1-5) at Seneca (0-6), 7 p.m., Friday, Seneca High School
As tough as a season it has been for the defending Region 2 champion Youngsville Eagles, 2012 has been even harder on the 0-6 Seneca Bobcats.
Friday evening gives both teams an opportunity for a rare victory when the Eagles visit Wattsburg to entertain the Class AA Bobcats.
As the injuries have piled up for the Eagles, the losses have come as well. Youngsville coach Luke Alex knows how big a victory would be for his unit at this point in the year.
"A win would certainly help us right the ship a little bit, said Alex. "The kids are very hungry for a win. We've had a lot of bad luck with injuries, but have also created some bad luck with penalties and turnovers. This is still a talented group of kids. Even the guys that have been hurt for us are still coming to practice and showing that they support the other members of the team."
No matter how you look at Seneca's season, the numbers paint a dismal picture. The team's leading rusher - Luke Muye - has rushed for just 331 yards and found the end zone just once. The passing game, led by quarterback Garrett Duda, hasn't fared much better. Duda is just 9 of 37 for 114 yards through six games.
The Bobcats' average loss in 2012 is right around 34 points a contest and the team's closest games were identical 35-6 losses to Northwestern and Fort LeBoeuf. Seneca has managed just 38 points this year - an average of just over six points per outing.
Last meeting: September 2, 2011- at Seneca High School- Youngsville 19, Seneca 7
2012 Eagles Leaders: Passing- Jacob Lauffenburger 26 of 51 for 421, 4 TD, 4 INT; Rushing- Jacob Lauffenburger 75 for 344, 2 TD; Receiving- T.J. Hardy 9 for 192, 2 TD
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Port Allegany (6-0) at Sheffield (2-4), 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Sheffield High School
Sheffield will see one of the best quarterbacks in District 9 history on Saturday.
Fresh off a disappointing 52-38 loss to previously winless Otto-Eldred, the Wolverines will have to deal with Port Allegany quarterback Matt Bodamer and the 6-0 Gators in the county's lone home game of the weekend.
First-year Sheffield head coach Dave Fitch knows rebounding from last week's loss won't be easy. Especially with Bodamer lining up under center across from his defense.
The Gators average over 52 points a game and have outscored their competition by a 315-51 count this season. The team's high mark was a 70-point effort against Coudersport and it's "low" output was 42 points against Otto.
Bodamer's stats tell most of the story. The senior signal caller has 116 career passing touchdowns. This season, he is 106 of 138 for 1,897 yards with 31 touchdowns - and just one interception. On the ground, he has carried 44 times for 255 yards and six additional scores. He has completed at least two-thirds of his passes and thrown for at least 230 yards in each game in 2012. That includes a 413-yard, seven touchdown performance against Coudersport.
He needs just two more touchdown passes to eclipse the Pennsylvania state record and 106 yards to become just the third quarterback in state history to pass for at least 9,000 yards.
"He's not an easy guy to stop," said Fitch. "If I had the concrete answer, I'd look like a genius. We're just going to try to take away his two main weapons in (Tyce) Miller and (Nick) Conway and limit him to underneath stuff. We need to control the ball this week and do anything possible to limit his possessions. He's on the verge of some pretty big records and we'd like to keep him from earning those on our field."
Bodamer has three targets with at least 20 catches. Miller leads the team with 34 catches for 646 yards and 11 touchdowns, Conway has added 32 grabs for 663 yards and 12 touchdowns and Rickie Bova has 20 catches for 258 yards and four scores.
Last meeting: October 15, 2011- at Port Allegany High School- Port Allegany 19, Sheffield 6
2012 Wolverines Leaders: Passing- Shequan Wright 40 of 115 for 673, 4 TD, 8 INT; Rushing- Shequan Wright 84 for 141, 4 TD; Receiving- Shequan Wright 11 for 209, 3 TD