Pasquerilla East's matchup against Farley tonight at 7 p.m. at Riehle Field is an important game for both teams in their hunt for a playoff spot.
Farley is 1-3 and P.E. is 1-2. Both are looking for a win to secure a berth in postseason play.
Both teams also have momentum coming off their first wins. P.E. notched its first victory by shutting out Breen-Phillips last week, 18-0, and Farley's first win also came against B.P. in a 19-6 drubbing of the Babes Tuesday night.
Farley's offense needs senior quarterback Katie Popik to once again connect with the team's strong receiving corps, led by juniors Diane Duran and Annie Parrett. Duran and Parrett each caught one of Popik's three touchdown passes against the Babes.
P.E. also comes into the game confident in its offense, which boasts a strong fleet of receivers, captain Megan Wysocki said.
P.E. also believes it has the defense to stand up to Farley's high-powered passing attack. It came up with many big plays last week, most notably when Courtney Chen returned an interception for a touchdown.
The team's leaders were pleased with the Pyros' performance.
"Last game we really played as a team," Wysocki said. "Both the offense and defense played well, and we were very happy with the game. We're working hard on keeping it up."
Farley's defense played well last week also, stopping the B.P. offense on most of its drives, including its final two of the game. After surrendering a touchdown to a B.P. receiver early in the second half, the defense was able to hold the lead for its team and quickly put an end to the Babes' comeback bid.
While Farley is still excited about its first win, and will most certainly enter this game just two days later full of confidence, the P.E. team has not played in a week.
Wysocki does not think this will be a problem, and her team is eager to build on its first victory.
"Our game got cancelled Thursday, so we're pumped to play after the long wait," she said.
Pasquerilla West vs. Breen-Phillips
Pasquerilla West and Breen-Phillips enter tonight's game with different goals. P.W. heads into the contest after several cancelled games and a tough loss last week. Despite the recent setbacks, however, the players are looking forward to the season's stretch run.
"We know that we'll have to win a few more games to make the playoffs," receiver Maureen Spring said. "But we feel like we're up to the challenge."
Breen-Phillips, on the other hand, stands at 0-3 and is simply trying to finish the season on a positive note.
Babes captain Shannon Swanigan feels her squad's record is not indicative of the huge improvement they have shown as the season has progressed.
"Things are finally starting to come together for us," she said. "So we have to build a foundation for next year."
The Babes hope to nab their first win of the season tonight and play the role of spoiler.
Each team is optimistic as one makes a postseason push and the other attempts to salvage the final game of its season.
Pangborn vs. Welsh Family
After a 14-7 victory over Farley on Sunday, the Pangborn Phoxes will take on the Welsh Family Whirlwinds tonight at 8 p.m. at Riehle West Field looking to start a win streak.
"We were very happy with our offense against Farley," Pangborn captain Katie Murray said. "It was really great to see them come in and take charge of the game."
The Whirlwinds are coming off a 16-12 win against Pasquerilla East that came down to the final minute, but they were unable to play last week's scheduled game against McGlinn due to rain.
Though the Welsh Family squad has not played in over a week, sophomore wide receiver Kelly Bushelle said her team is anxious to face the Phoxes.
"We're really excited to get back on the field," Bushelle said. "We've been preparing really well at every practice, and we just want to go out and prove we're one of the best teams in the league."
Both teams come into the contest with winning records, playoff hopes and a continuing desire to show their ability on the football field. The Phoxes also look to prove themselves against a key rival from last season.
"This is definitely a game we noted at the beginning of the year as a tough, key game for us," Murray said. "Everyone really wants this win."
The Phoxes come into the contest with a balanced offense and a solid defense, which has continually put Pangborn in position to win its games.
"We have eight quality players on the field at all times and they're all very versatile," Murray said. "We can also run the ball just as good as any team out there."
The Whirlwinds meanwhile can boast of a solid football team themselves. This was especially evident in their last game against Pasquerilla East.
"The offense was really solid and so was the defense," Bushelle said.
"The offense was able to just move the ball down the field and the defense was able to shut them down."
