ProfessorBriggs.com

(Statistical Information Courtesy of Professor Briggs' archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News)

WEEK ELEVEN FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Seven District 10 playoff games involving eight Mercer County area teams will take place this weekend. The four Class 3A teams will begin their respective playoff journeys, as will Farrell and Greenville. Both Class 1A semifinals are rematches from the regular season, as is the Northwestern-Greenville Class 2A semifinal.

The 1A semifinals are Friday night while the other five games are scheduled for Saturday.

CLASS 1A SEMIFINAL
West Middlesex vs. Farrell, 7:00 p.m. at Hickory

For the sixth time in eight years, Farrell and West Middlesex will meet in the District 10 playoffs. West Middlesex advanced to the semifinals by earning a 28-6 victory over Union City in the quarterfinals. Farrell, meanwhile, received a forfeit from Cambridge Springs, essentially giving the Steelers a first-round bye.

Both West Middlesex and Farrell have relied on punishing, multi-back rushing attacks and explosive passing plays on offense this season. Last Friday against Union City, West Middlesex utilized that combination. West Middlesex amassed 317 rushing yards, led by a 192-yard effort from senior fullback Zeb Rubaker. Rubaker also scored twice while wingback Jason Davis added 75 yards and a score.

Junior split end Eddie Lowe opened the scoring in the first quarter when he caught a screen pass from junior Ty Tate and sprinted 27 yards to the end zone.

Meanwhile, the West Middlesex defense held Union City scoreless on its final seven drives of the game. Defensive tackle Noah Weiser helped anchor the front while linebackers Ian Smith, Chase Tomko and George Troyer held the Big Reds limit Union City to 3.5 yards per play and a 2-for-11 effort on third downs.

Rubaker leads West Middlesex with 817 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while Davis has 666 yards and nine scores. Rubaker ranks fifth in the area in rushing yards and Davis sits seventh. Lowe has emerged in recent weeks and now has a dozen catches for 190 yards and three touchdowns.

The Farrell backfield also features a pair of standouts in Anthony Stallworth and Jaden Harrison. Stallworth ranks fourth in the area with 928 rushing yards and averages 11.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Harrison's county-best 12.4 yards-per-carry average has helped him amass 594 rushing yards. Both men have nine rushing touchdowns. As a team, Farrell averages 10.0 yards per carry and 273.3 rushing yards per game for the season.

 Farrell quarterback Ray Raver continues to lead the county in passer rating (223.2) and yards per attempt (12.1). His 65.5 completion percentage ranks second in the area. His top target has been Brice Butler, who leads the county by averaging 23.8 yards per catch. His 405 receiving yards rank fifth in the area. Butler has 17 catches while Harrison (16) and Brian Hilton (13) rank second and third.

While the Farrell offense has been explosive, Farrell's defense has snuffed out opponents. The Steelers have recorded seven straight shutouts, which is the longest streak by a local team since the 1996 Wilmington squad whitewashed eight straight opponents.

Farrell has allowed a county-low 54 points in its nine games this year. The Steelers allow a county-low 3.18 yards per play. Farrell also ranks second in the area in total defense (138.0). Farrell shares the county lead with four non-offensive touchdowns this year.

The West Middlesex defense has also been stingy throughout 2019, allowing only 12.2 points and 202.5 yards per game. The Big Reds' defense and special teams have accounted for three touchdowns in 2019.

Passing touchdowns may be hard to come by. Farrell has allowed one touchdown pass this year and West Middlesex has yielded only three touchdown passes. One of those touchdown passes came in Week Four, however, when Raver threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Butler in the third quarter of Farrell's 33-0 home win over the Big Reds.

Farrell led 7-0 when Raver scrambled 16 yards for a touchdown on the final scrimmage play of the first half. His pass to Butler midway through the third quarter pushed the lead to 21-0 while A'Marion Odem's 81-yard fumble return to the end zone sealed the win.

Raver led Farrell with 127 rushing yards while Sayvion Thomas (74), Stallworth (72) and Harrison (63) also posted notable rushing totals. Defensively, Farrell held West Middlesex to one first down and 36 total yards. However, Rubaker missed the game due to injury and Tate missed the second half because of injury. Tomko had to move from right guard to quarterback for West Middlesex in the second half.

Lightning stopped the game with 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Farrell is 8-0 all-time in the District 10 playoffs when facing a team that it previously defeated during the regular season. In 2001, Farrell lost to Rochester in the District 7 playoffs, 19-8, after having defeated the Rams in the regular season, 12-9. West Middlesex is 1-7 in the playoffs when facing a team that it lost to during the regular season. The win came November 18, 2011 against Mercer, 44-34.

Farrell defeated West Middlesex, 50-6, in last year's District 10 title game. The Steelers have won 18 straight games against Class 1A foes.

The winner will play Reynolds or Maplewood in next week's title game.

The game can be heard on 790 WPIC. 

CLASS 1A SEMIFINAL
Reynolds vs. Maplewood, 7:00 p.m. at Meadville

In 2018, Reynolds lost to Maplewood during the regular season, 27-18, but rebounded to roll past the Tigers in the District 10 playoffs at Meadville, 36-0. This season, Reynolds dropped a 25-14 decision at Maplewood (9-0). Friday night, the Raiders (7-3) will hope that history repeats itself when the teams meet again at Meadville's Bender Field.

Reynolds closed the regular season with consecutive losses but the Raiders rebounded last Friday night with a 43-7 victory over Eisenhower in the quarterfinals at Wilmington. The Raiders accumulated 20 first downs and 370 offensive yards in the win.

Cole Toy reclaimed Mercer County's rushing lead as he ran for 103 yards and three scores. Toy now has 1,164 yards this season. Aidan Mull added a touchdown run and a touchdown reception while quarterback Bryce McCloskey completed 5 of 6 passes for 124 yards.

Clayton Rhoads added a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown, the fourth return touchdown this year for the Raiders. The Raiders are the only area team to have scored on a run, pass, kickoff return, punt return, interception return and fumble return this year.

Mull and Toy both have 11 receptions this season. Senior halfback Sean O'Hara leads the team with 16 receptions for 207 yards. He also ranks second on the team with 638 rushing yards. Toy leads the team with 92 points and O'Hara has 73 points. McCloskey has thrown for 857 yards and seven touchdowns while leading the county in completion percentage (66.3).

Maplewood features one of District 10's most explosive and balanced offensive attacks. The Tigers average 448.4 yards and 40.4 points per game. Senior quarterback J.D. McFadden, a four-year starter, has thrown for a Crawford County-record 5,492 yards and 57 touchdowns in his career.

This year, McFadden has thrown for 1,596 yards and 17 touchdowns. He closed the regular season by throwing for 208 yards and four touchdowns on 7-of-8 accuracy in a 56-0 win over Saegertown. He has not attempted more than 18 passes in a game this season, however, due to Maplewood's strong ground attack.

Jesse McFadden leads Maplewood with 30 receptions and 603 receiving yards. Clay Cox has 21 catches for 482 yards.

Junior running back Kaleb Donor ranks third in District 10 with 1,543 rushing yards this season. He has 22 rushing touchdowns and averages 11.4 yards per carry. He ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Saegertown. Two weeks earlier, he gashed Class 5A Franklin for a career-high 258 yards in Maplewood's 30-28 win. Donor has eight consecutive 100-yard games.

Donor ran for 194 yards, including a pair of 51-yard touchdown runs, in Maplewood's 25-14 home win over then-undefeated Reynolds in Week Five. J.D. McFadden scored on a pair of touchdown sneaks. He also completed 6 of 9 passes for 86 yards.

Toy led Reynolds with 108 rushing yards and O'Hara added 62 yards. O'Hara also caught four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Each team had three turnovers in the game. Maplewood held Reynolds to a 1-of-11 effort on third downs.

In last year's playoff meeting, O'Hara gave Reynolds a 7-0 lead with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Maplewood lost J.D. McFadden for the game due to a lower leg injury later in the quarter. Reynolds held Maplewood to minus-11 offensive yards after McFadden's departure. Meanwhile, Reynolds amassed 395 rushing yards and 416 total yards on 64 offensive plays.

The winner will face Farrell or West Middlesex in the District 10 title game. Maplewood's lone playoff win came November 6, 1993 in the Class A semifinals -- a 24-6 win over Kennedy Christian at Sharpsville's McCracken Field. The Tigers are 1-8 all-time in the postseason and have never won a playoff game on a Friday.

The game will be heard on Sports Radio 96.7. Live stats available here.

SATURDAY
CLASS 2A SEMIFINAL
Northwestern vs. Greenville, 7:00 p.m. at Edinboro

It's been 20 years since Greenville last won a District 10 title in football and 26 years since Northwestern won its only D-10 football crown. One of those lengthy droughts will be extended Saturday night when the teams meet in Edinboro.

Of the seven games on this week's card, this is the only game in which both teams played last week. Northwestern earned a 33-0 win in the quarterfinals over Lakeview. Meanwhile, Greenville fell to visiting Mercyhurst Prep, 28-22, in a regular season game.

Northwestern scored on a blocked punt and held Lakeview to seven first downs and 131 total yards in last week's playoff win. Northwestern only managed 232 offensive yards, led by a 64-yard rushing effort from Austin Swift.

Swift leads Northwestern with 682 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season. Head coach Mark Brooks has utilized an unconventional two-quarterback system this year as Derek Albert and Ryan Tewell have both played extensively. Albert has thrown for 354 yards and five touchdowns while Tewell has 286 yards and four passing scores. Seven different receivers have caught a touchdown pass this year for the Wildcats (7-3).

The Greenville-Mercyhurst Prep game represented a 180-degree difference from Northwestern-Lakeview -- a regular season game with plenty of offensive yardage and big plays. Greenville amassed a season-high 424 offensive yards, including a season-high 373 rushing yards.

Isaac Sasala ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Trojans' attack. Levi Swartz added a season-high 130 yards for the Trojans, who trailed 14-0 at halftime. Swartz leads Greenville's balanced ground game with 550 yards and Sasala has 462 yards.

While Greenville does not have anyone ranked among the county's top 10 in rushing, passing or receiving yardage, the Trojans have benefited from a county-best plus-10 turnover margin. Greenville's eight turnovers this year are the second fewest in the area.

Greenville opened the season with a 21-0 home win over Northwestern as the Trojans scored all 21 points in the second quarter. Quarterback Jon King completed 8 of 13 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a 47-yard touchdown. Swartz led Greenville with 92 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Greenville limited Northwestern to 102 total yards. Swift ran for a team-high 32 yards.

Greenville is 1-2 all-time in the District 10 playoffs when facing a team that it defeated in the regular season. That win came five years ago, when the Trojans defeated Sharon, 21-14, in the Class AA semifinals after earning a 22-20 win during the regular season. The next week, Greenville lost in the District 10 title game to Hickory, 12-7, after securing a 13-10 win in the regular season.

In 1991, Greenville defeated Hickory in the regular season, 32-7, but Hickory squeezed out a 21-20 win in the Class AA D-10 finals.

Saturday night's winner will play Wilmington in the District 10 championship game. Both teams lost to Wilmington during the regular season. 

CLASS 3A QUARTERFINAL
Sharon vs. Girard, 2:00 p.m. at Wilmington

Sharon (6-3) begins defense of its District 10 title with a Saturday matinee game against Girard (4-5) at Wilmington. Both teams rebounded from slow starts to the season to earn playoff berths. Sharon dropped its first two games while Girard started the season 0-3.

Both squads closed the regular season two weeks ago with home victories that featured gaudy offensive numbers. Sharon piled up a season-high 484 offensive yards in a 40-28 win over Class 4A Fort LeBoeuf in non-conference play. Girard, meanwhile, secured a playoff berth with a 39-0 home win over Region 6 rival Titusville. Girard ran for 337 yards as a team and finished with 362 offensive yards.

Girard has relied upon the ground game throughout the season as nearly 82 percent of the Yellow Jackets' offensive yards are rushing yards. Four backs have rushed for at least 367 yards but none has surpassed the 500-yard mark.

Christian Gibbons leads Girard with 458 yards and seven touchdowns while Todd Essman has 439 yards and seven scores. Quarterback Austin Barrett has 383 rushing yards and Dustin Roesch has contributed 367 yards. Gibbons ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Titusville.

Barrett has thrown for 403 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Essman leads Girard with eight receptions for 124 yards.

Conversely, Sharon is the only Mercer County area team to have more passing yardage than rushing yardage this season. The Tigers have 1,845 passing yards and 1,219 rushing yards on the season. Quarterback Lane Voytik leads the county with 1,825 yards and 20 touchdown passes. He owns county career records with 7,341 passing yards and 80 touchdown passes. Voytik also leads the county with 127 completions and 219 attempts.

Four Sharon receivers have caught at least 20 passes this year, led by Ty Eilam's county-high 39 catches. Eilam leads the county with nine touchdown catches and ranks second with 693 receiving yards. Marcel Smith-Austin (25 receptions), Trey Jones (22) and Jaon Phillips (20) are also favored targets of Voytik.

However, the Sharon rushing game stepped to the forefront two weeks ago against Fort LeBoeuf as two backs ran for over 100 yards. Brady Ortiz ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns while Tyvell Richardson added 126 yards and a score on only seven carries. Those two have combined for 1,060 yards and eight touchdowns this year. Ortiz leads the team with 651 yards and four scores.

Sharon ranks 11th out of 12 teams locally in rushing yardage, averaging 135.4 yards per game. But the Tigers' 6.2 yards-per-carry average ranks fourth locally.

Sharon is 42-15 all-time in the District 10 playoffs. Girard is 4-10 all-time in the D-10 playoffs. The Jackets' all-time playoff wins are against Erie Strong Vincent (2000), Wilmington (2003), Sharon (2013) and Greenville (2013).

The game is being played at 2 p.m. to accommodate Girard High School's annual "Fall Ball" dance Saturday night.

The winner will play either Harbor Creek or Slippery Rock in the semifinals.

CLASS 3A QUARTERFINAL
Grove City vs. Mercyhurst Prep, 7:00 p.m. at Fort LeBoeuf

Grove City (7-2) and Mercyhurst Prep (6-3) will meet for the third time all-time Saturday night when the two perennial playoff participants clash at Carm Bonito Field in Waterford. It is the first postseason meeting between the programs.

The game will feature two of District 10's most explosive and productive offenses. Grove City leads Mercer County in total offense, averaging 396.1 yards. The Eagles' no-huddle spread offense has executed a county-high 549 offensive plays, an average of 61 per game. Mercyhurst, meanwhile, averages 405.3 yards per game. The Lakers are averaging 51.3 points per game over the last four games.

Grove City features the Mercer County leader in both rushing yards per game and receiving yards per game. Senior running back Colby Nelson has 1,125 yards in nine games, averaging 125.0 yards per game. Senior wide receiver Jake Reddick has a county-best 722 receiving yards, an average of 80.2 per game. Reddick ranks second locally with 35 catches while Nelson has 20 catches for 178 yards.

Junior quarterback Logan Breese ranks second in the county with 1,580 passing yards. He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes and thrown 13 touchdowns. Nine of his attempts have been intercepted, though, as the Eagles have committed 17 turnovers in nine games.

The Eagles turned over the ball four times and also failed to recover a Meadville onside kick two weeks ago in the regular season finale, a 38-33 Grove City win at Forker Field. Nelson ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns on Senior Night while Kendel Hollen returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. It marked the second straight week that Hollen returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

Defensively, Grove City forced three turnovers, giving the Eagles a county-best 26 takeaways. Reddick intercepted a pass while Zack Martin and Landon Hedglin both had quarterback sacks.

Grove City held Meadville's Delaware Wing-T offense to 3.5 yards per carry on the Bulldogs' 62 attempts. Mercyhurst Prep utilizes a spread scheme that incorporates several Wing-T elements into the rushing game.

Junior fullback Steve Smith ranks second in District 10 with 1,755 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns this season. He ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 28-22 win at Greenville. Smith highlighted the season by rushing for 508 yards and eight touchdowns in a 60-36 win over Union City.

Iyan Baker (560 yards) and Gus Campbell (415) have been complementary performers in the backfield this season. Campbell ran for 236 yards and three touchdowns against North East in Week Nine. He has six touchdowns this year. Baker averages 10.4 yards per game.

Quarterback Matt Luce has thrown for 562 yards and six touchdowns on 53-of-78 (67.9 percent) accuracy this year. He has not been intercepted. Nate Helsley leads Mercyhurst with 18 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Lakers have yielded 381 yards and 28.5 points per game over the last four weeks.

The teams met in the 2002 and 2003 season openers, with Grove City winning by lopsided margins both years. Grove City won at Forker Field in 2002, 48-0. That year proved to be a major turning point for the Grove City program, as the Eagles went 7-3 and returned to the District 10 playoffs after going 3-16 the previous two seasons. The next year, Grove City intercepted six passes in a 61-0 win at Erie Veterans Stadium.

Grove City is 15-6 all-time against Erie County foes in the playoffs. Mercyhurst Prep is the 13th different Erie County program that Grove City has faced in the playoffs, joining Cathedral Prep, Central Tech, Corry, Erie East, Fairview, Fort LeBoeuf, Girard, Harbor Creek, North East, Northwestern, Seneca and Strong Vincent. The Eagles own at least one win over each of those schools.

Grove City had been scheduled to play the season opener at the newly-renovated Carm Bonito Field against Fort LeBoeuf. Construction delays forced the game to be moved to Edinboro University's Sox Harrison Stadium.

The winner will play Hickory or North East in next week's semifinals. 

CLASS 3A QUARTERFINAL
Harbor Creek vs. Slippery Rock, 7:00 p.m. at Erie Veterans Stadium

Undefeated and almost unscored upon. That's the quick description of Region 6 champion Harbor Creek (9-0), who looks to avenge consecutive playoff losses to Slippery Rock in Saturday night's District 10 quarterfinals.

Under second-year head coach Troy Budziszewski (17-3), the Huskies have blanked six opponents and allowed only 32 points all season. Harbor Creek leads District 10 in scoring defense. The Huskies highlighted their season with a 7-0 win over Mercyhurst, holding the Lakers' dynamic offense to 177 total yards in the teams' Week Five clash.

While the Harbor Creek defense has garnered most of the headlines in 2019, the team also features a punishing rushing attack and an efficient passing game. Senior running back Tyler East leads the Huskies with 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has seven 100-yard outings this season.

Junior quarterback Casey Smith, an All-Region selection in 2018, has thrown 19 touchdown passes and two interceptions this season. He has completed 52 of 71 passes for 981 yards. Twin brother Cody Smith, an All-Region wide receiver last year, leads Harbor Creek with 18 catches for 258 yards and eight scores. Ryan Whitman leads the team with 343 receiving yards. Seven of his 12 receptions have gone for touchdowns.

Not surprisingly, Slippery Rock is 4-0 when it outgains its opponent. Turnovers have been Slippery Rock's biggest downfall this year as the Rockets have committed an area-high 18 turnovers this year. Slippery Rock has not posted a positive turnover margin in any of its nine games this year.

Yet, the Rockets feature a dangerous veteran backfield comprised of senior quarterback Vito Pilosi and senior running backs David Duffalo and Nathan Hyatt. Pilosi has thrown for 957 yards and nine scores this year. He also has 595 rushing yards this year.

Pilosi has 2,262 career passing yards and 1,757 career rushing yards. According to available records, no area player has accumulated 2,000 career passing yards and 2,000 career rushing yards.

The Duffalo-Hyatt combo has combined for 1,623 total scrimmage yards, 19 total offensive touchdowns and 41 receptions. Hyatt leads Slippery Rock with 713 rushing yards and a dozen rushing touchdowns. He also has 18 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. Duffalo leads Slippery Rock with 23 receptions for 212 yards. He averages 7.0 yards per carry and has 519 rushing yards this year.

On the outside, Ethan Plesakov and Brendan Earl have emerged as key targets for Pilosi. Plesakov has 18 receptions for a team-leading 239 receiving yards. Earl leads Slippery Rock with three touchdown catches and a 24.9 yards-per-catch average.

The teams have one common opponent this season, Titusville. Slippery Rock earned a 42-13 home win over Titusville in Week Six. The following week, Harbor Creek secured a 41-6 victory at Titusville.

Last season, Slippery Rock ripped Harbor Creek, 44-3, in the District 10 quarterfinals at Veterans Stadium. Pilosi ran for 132 yards while Duffalo had 117 yards and two scores. Hyatt also ran for two touchdowns and Pilosi passed for a pair of touchdowns. Slippery Rock led 35-3 at halftime.

In 2017, Slippery Rock outscored Harbor Creek 31-0 in the second half on the way to a 38-14 win in the D-10 quarterfinals at Fairview. Hyatt caught a touchdown pass in the win and also recovered a fumble in the end zone to give Slippery Rock a 28-14 lead with 7:34 left in the game.

Slippery Rock is 9-12 all-time in the District 10 playoffs while Harbor Creek owns a 3-10 mark. The Huskies' last playoff win came November 16, 2007 -- a 14-10 win over Grove City in the D-10 Class AA semifinals. Harbor Creek also defeated Sharon in the quarterfinals that year, 37-0. The Huskies' other playoff win came in 2004, a 34-7 decision over Greenville in the D-10 semifinals.

The winner will face Sharon or Girard in the District 10 semifinals.

CLASS 3A QUARTERFINAL
Hickory vs. North East, 8:00 p.m. at Wilmington

Two teams that missed the District 10 playoffs last year will meet Saturday night in New Wilmington as Region 5 co-champion Hickory (6-3) faces Region 6 entrant North East (3-7). North East finished in a three-way for the final spot with Corry and Fairview but the Grape Pickers defeated both teams during the season. Hickory tied with Sharon atop Region 5 but the Hornets defeated Sharon in Week Two, 28-21, to earn the top seed from the conference.

Hickory returns to action after an open date in Week 10. Hickory closed the regular season with a 43-21 setback to undefeated Wilmington in Hermitage. Hickory's passing attack accumulated a season-high 244 yards as junior quarterback Michael Henwood completed 14 of 25 passes for the 244 yards and three touchdowns.

Ramarion Whitehead caught eight passes for a Hickory single-game record 206 yards and two touchdowns. Whitehead, according to the Erie Times-News, is the eighth Mercer County receiver to eclipse 200 receiving yards in a game.

Hickory's rushing attack sputtered as the "Hounds Hammer" defense held the Hornets to 18 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Henwood leads the county with 1,819 yards of total offense. He has rushed for a team-best 596 yards and has thrown for 1,223 yards. His 23 total touchdowns -- 16 passing and 7 rushing -- also lead Mercer County. Henwood is third locally in pass yardage. Whitehead now ranks third in the area with 26 catches for 612 yards. His 23.5 yards per catch average is second-highest in the area and he is tied for second with seven touchdown grabs.

First-year Hickory head coach Bill Dungee is the second Hickory head coach to lead the Hornets to the playoffs in his first season. Bill Brest, Dungee's predecessor, guided Hickory to the D-10 finals in 2010. Guy Gibbs (1988) and Jim Bell (2003) both took Hickory to the D-10 playoffs in their second season as head coach.

While Hickory had Week 10 off for rest and recovery, North East earned a 44-14 win over Iroquois in non-league action. Junior quarterback Keyen Skrekla threw for 182 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 6-of-11 accuracy. He has thrown for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Skrekla's 24 career passing touchdowns are second-most in North East history. He opened the season with a 298-yard outing against Franklin.

Skrekla has also rushed for 371 yards and four touchdowns this season. Carter Swabik leads North East with 547 yards and six touchdowns. Dylan Sayers has 38 receptions for 666 yards and five scores. Casey Burch has added 35 catches for 268 yards.

North East has scored 24 or more points in six games this year. The Pickers also scored 19 points against Harbor Creek, which held its other eight foes to 13 total points.

Hickory and North East have two common opponents this year, Conneaut and Mercyhurst Prep. Hickory fell to Conneaut, 38-12, while North East dropped a 52-12 decision at Conneaut. Hickory owns a 46-26 win over Mercyhurst while North East fell to the Lakers, 55-35.

Hickory is 27-6 all-time in the District 10 playoffs. North East's last playoff game resulted in a 41-8 loss to Hickory in the D-10 Class AA quarterfinals November 14, 2015.

The Hickory-North East winner will play Grove City or Mercyhurst Prep in the semifinals.