Coach Tom Kidder would like nothing more than to end the season the way it began.

The Union HighSchool football team started the season with a win over Cambridge Springs, which now has five wins.

The Golden Knights will host Saltsburg at 7 p.m. today to try to finish with a bang.

"Well, it's another opportunity to play a team we are capable of beating," Kidder said.

Union has two wins this season. It also beat A-C Valley 14-6. Saltsburg is 0-9 and has been outscored 324-83.

For Kidder, there have been a lot of positives.

"We broke a losing streak," Kidder said of the season-opening victory that snapped a 30-game losing skid. "That was one of the big things we wanted to do. We won a conference game against A-C Valley and we got a victory at home."

But a loss to depleted Clarion-Limestone still sticks in Kidder's craw. A win over Saltsburg would certainly go a long way in making the offseason more pleasant.

That, combined with a 3-1-1 junior varsity team record, gives Kidder reason for optimism.

Union will enter tonight's game without one of its big playmakers inNate Boltz, who was lost for the season.

"He was a breakaway type ballplayer," Kidder said. "He was capable of scoring on every play."

Boltz had an interesting career. He broke his leg as a freshman, didn't play as a sophomore because of that injury and returned last year as a junior.

But Union will get Zach Himes back at quarterback after the junior missed the Karns City game with a concussion.

"Josh Holden filled in well at quarterback," Kidder said. "He'll do anything we ask him to do. He did well for us at Karns City."

Union has been competitive in the first two quarters of every game.

It trailed Moniteau 14-3 at the half and Karns City 7-0 midway through the second quarter before falling to both teams in relative routs.

"It's the second half that kills us," Kidder said. "It's just a numbers game."

Saltsburg runs a spread offense, but it has struggled to find consistency with its attack.

Its defense hasn't helped, coughing up five touchdowns per game.

"It's a team that can put some points on the board," Kidder said. "We haven't had much success defending against the shotgun."

A-C Valley (0-8) at Reynolds (0-9), 7 p.m. Friday — Something's got to give when the A-C Valley football team travels to Reynolds at 7 p.m. Friday to close out the 2006 season for both teams.Both the Falcons and the Raiders are winless this season.A-C Valley has been outscored 298-52 this year. The team's closest game was a 23-20 loss to Union on Oct. 6.Reynolds' resume doesn't look much better. The Raiders have given up 210 points while scoring just 43. Their closest outcome was a 14-12 setback to Hickory on Oct. 13.Nobody was laughing at Reynolds a season ago, when the Raiders reached the PIAA Class AA semifinals before losing to eventual state champion South Park.But the loss of many seniors from that team, including all-state tackle Brandon Shollenberger, has taken its toll on the Raiders.Junior quarterback Brandon Wolfe has completed 34 of 103 passes for 384 yards with two touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the Raiders.Third-year coach Tim Scarvel enters the game with a record of 15-18 with the Raiders.