It all comes down to this. Friday night, the Allegany Mountain League will crown a champion in it’s southern division. Three teams are in contention for the title, but one game can decide the champion.
Riverside Stadium will be the site for that game as the Curwensville Golden Tide play host to the Kane Wolves.
Both Kane and Curwensville can win the AML South title on Friday night, but so can the Rovers of Brockway. In order for Curwensville to win the title, all they must do is beat Kane. With their win over Brockway earlier in the year, the Tide have the advantage and are in control of their own destiny.
In order for Kane to win the championship, other factors must play into its favor. The Wolves must first defeat the Tide, but at the same time must hope that Brockway falls to Ridgway.
Brockway will also need to rely on this game to win the title. If Kane defeats Curwensville, but Brockway defeats Ridgway, the Rovers will be the champions.
It will come down to the game played between Kane and Curwensville to decide the overall title. This is the same thing that happened last year when these two met in Kane. That night, Curwensville could not get any momentum against the Wolves as they fell 14-0, which gave Kane the AML South title for 2008. That moment still must be on the minds of head coach Andy Evanko and his squad.
They do not want a repeat of that game last year, and you can bet Evanko is preaching that to his team.
Look for the duo of Jed Greslick and Alex Holland to really hold the brunt of the offense for the Tide. Last week Greslick went over the 1000-yard mark for the season with his 196 yard performance against Johnsonburg. He averages 141 yards a game and nearly seven yards per cary.
Not to be outdone, Holland has put in a spectacular season as he has 619 yards on the year, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Both teams will have to be at their best, especially considering the trouble Curwensville has experienced with fumbles this season. The Wolves through their first eight games have not fumbled the ball while quarterback Alex Anderson has only thrown four interceptions in the same span. Curwensville has lost 8 of 19 fumbles this season, so the turnover margin may play a factor.
For the Wolves, look for their ground game to be their strong point as Arie Paup and Dylan Eckstrom have been the work horses for the team. I also would not be surprised if Anderson tries to pass the ball on the Tide defense.
This game will decide everything. Not just a winner and a loser, but also a champion. Kickoff for this game will be 7 p.m. at Riverside Stadium.