Falcons repeat as District 9 champs, make state's 'Elite 8'

Seniors (from left) Sam Decker, Kyle McCurdy, Drew Levavasseur, Kody Frederick, Chris Cavallari, Logan Hathaway, Isaac Cary and Sean Goodnoe hoist the PIAA District 9 championship plaque after Saturday's win. Now comes a state playoff game Friday night (7:00) are Clarion University against West Middlesex, with the winner advancing to the PIAA Class A "Final Four."

Coudersport was clicking on all cylinders Saturday night, rolling to a 48-21 victory over Curwensville to leave no doubt which football team rules PIAA District 9.

Now comes the Falcons' biggest challenge of the year -- a Friday night showdown with District 10 champion West Middlesex (13-0), back on the artificial surface at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium (7:00). Coach Paul Simcoe and staff injected some new wrinkles into the Falcons' game plan Saturday, and their boys responded.

"That says a lot about these kids," said long-time assistant coach Tom Russell. "They had to learn some new offensive formations and we also changed our defensive alignment. These kids are special and I know that wasn't easy for them. But they just went out and got it done."

Defensively, the Falcons (13- 0) made the Golden Tide pay a heavy price for three pass interceptions, converting each of them into touchdowns.

Offensively, Coudersport kept the hard-hitting Curwensville guessing with an effective blend of running and passing.

In the head-to-head battle between featured running backs, Coudy's Chris Cavallari took another pounding, but still tallied 124 yards and three touchdowns on 25 rushes. Curwensville's Nick Sipes closed out his career with 84 hard-earned yards on 21 carries.

Cavallari also broke the school's single-season school rushing record with 1,746 yards, and counting. The previous mark of 1,662 was set by David Babcock last year.

With Cavallari nicked up on a couple of trips to the red zone, junior Kyle Gee chipped in with a pair of short touchdown runs. The Falcons also scored on an electrifying 55-yard interception return by sophomore

Brett Whitman and a pictureperfect 21-yard touchdown pass from Justen Kinder to Sam Decker.

Decker's TD and Whitman's heroics helped the Falcons shoot out to a 12-0 lead. Sipes' nine-yard touchdown run capped a 68-yard drive to make it 12-6.

Back came the Falcons. Kinder's pass to Blair Heimel carried 20 yards to the Tide 44. Four plays later, Cavallari took a direct snap in punt formation and fired to Colton Corey for a 22-yard gain and a first down at the 19. Soon, Gee wedged into the end zone. Boomer Wetzel, alternating with Kinder at quarterback, then swept right end for the conversion and a 20-6 lead.

Karin Knight intercepted another Sopic pass before the break. Wetzel hit Decker on a 20-yard pass and Cavallari cashed in from one yard away, giving Coudy a 26-6 advantage.

Just after the intermission, Cavallari broke off a 16-yard gain and sealed the deal with a five-yard TD run through a gaping hole on the right side.

Down 32-6, Curwensville had no choice but to go to the air. Logan Hathaway came up with Coudersport's third interception. Gee dashed in for the touchdown from one yard away. Kinder's pass to a diving Heimel for the PAT made it 40-6.

The Golden Tide went down fighting. Brandon Hess's 80- yard kickoff return set up Sopic's four-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Hoover. Coudersport responded with an efficient 42-yard drive culminated by Cavallari's five-yard TD scamper. Kinder ran for the PAT. Curwensville tacked on a meaningless touchdown midway through the fourth quarter when Matt Holland broke loose for a 51-yard sprint.

"We're going to enjoy this one tonight," Simcoe said as his team emerged from the Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department's late-night escort into town, sirens blaring and lights flashing. "Then we're getting back to work. We've got an awfully tough test next week."

Winner of Friday's Coudersport vs. West Middlesex game advances to the Class A Final Four on Dec. 8 or Dec. 9 against either Clairton or Meyersdale. That winner heads to Hershey the following weekend to play for the state championship. Coudersport reached the Final Four last season before bowing to Duquesne on a snow- and ice-covered Clarion gridiron.

"I think the thing we learned last year, and the thing we have to remember now, is that we are good enough to be there," Simcoe said. "So don't be afraid to go out and play. If we can keep playing with good balance and not make mistakes, we'll take a shot at it."