CHERRY TWP — Physically, they couldn't appear more different.

One is a senior, the other a sophomore. One stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 212 pounds, the other stands 5-5 and weighs 155.

Yet Moniteau linebackers Clay Campbell and Kyle Mauthe share one very important trait.

"Attitude," coach Steve Wilson said. "That's what Clay brings on to the field and Kyle has picked that up from him.

"It's almost like a passing of the torch."

Campbell, the senior, leads the Warriors in tackles this season, including 60 solos. Mauthe, the sophomore, was second on the team with 43 solo stops entering last Friday's playoff victory over Karns City.

Only Matt Schandelmeier with 63 total tackles and Campbell have more overall tackles on the defensive unit than Mauthe.

"Kyle's made a huge difference to this defense," Campbell said. "He's missed a couple of halves of games this year. Otherwise, he might be leading the team in (solo) tackles instead of me."

"You never expect to have a sophomore step in and play like Kyle Mauthe has," Wilson said. "We have other sophomores and juniors waiting in the wings. It makes me excited about the future."

Right now, Moniteau is all about the present. The Warriors (6-5) travel to Clarion University for a 2 p.m. Saturday date with Brockway (7-3) in the District 9 Class AA championship game.

It is Moniteau's first-ever appearance in a football district title game.

"We're flying pretty high right now," Campbell said. "There's a lot of support for the team out there. This is new ground we're going over and it's fun."

Playing together has been fun as well — and something new that Mauthe noticed with the Clarion game.

"In our close losses earlier in the season, it seemed like we were all playing for ourselves," Mauthe said. "The team feeling wasn't there.

"I don't know what changed it, but I know when it changed. It was the Clarion game. We played together and we played well that night. We lost (7-3), but it felt like we won.

"Since then, I've had more fun playing football than I've ever had in my life. I can't wait for this next game and I can't wait for next year," he added.

Wilson admitted there's been a change in his team.

"It used to be that everybody was trying to make the tackle instead of handling his assignment," the coach said. "It's not that way now. Our defense comes off the field now and the guys don't say, 'good job, Matt,' or 'good job, Clay,' or 'good job, Ryan.' They say 'good job, defense.'"

Campbell and Mauthe arrived on the defensive scene this year from different backgrounds. Campbell is in his third year as middle linebacker and had 90 tackles last year.

"My goal this year was 100 tackles (combined solos and assists)," he said. "After the Karns City game, I think I have 104 now.

"I love playing in the middle. I can see everything and I love to run at people. Our defensive line ties up blockers so I can make tackles."

Mauthe saw action on varsity special teams last year, but primarily was a junior varsity player. He has been a linebacker since age 7, but started this year at cornerback.

Mauthe missed two weeks of preseason camp with a tailbone injury.

"Once he got to camp, we discovered we were thin at cornerback and Kyle was the logical candidate to fill in there," Wilson said.

"I've got some speed and I see the field pretty well, so they chose me," Mauthe said.

That decision didn't last long. By the second half of the St. Marys game in week 3, Mauthe returned to linebacker. Moniteau responded with four straight wins.

Travis Shaffer and Josh Loos man the corners now.

"He's a hard hitter who began filling holes," Campbell said of Mauthe. "His impact was felt right away."

And the Warriors began building their image as a defensive football team.

"I love it that way," Campbell said. "You have to stand up and fight. It's just a positive feeling."