GROVE CITY — The key to the District 10 Class AAA championship game?

Two words: Shyquawn Pullium.

The Erie Cathedral Prep quarterback has thrown for 984 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,218 yards and 18 scores.

The Grove City High football team is well aware of Pullium's skills. He ran for 157 yards and threw for 136 more in a 45-21 win in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs over the Eagles last season.

For the Eagles to win the district crown this year when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Erie Veterans Stadium, they'll have to find a way to contain No. 5.

"That's easier said than done," said Grove City coach Jeff Bell.

Few have been able to slow Pullium in 2009.

Cathedral Prep (9-2) has outscored its opponents 486-108. The only two loses suffered by the Ramblers came to quad-A Erie McDowell and perennial Ohio power Cleveland St. Edwards.

In the last five games, Cathedral Prep is averaging 55 points per contest.

"We're definitely going to have our work cut out for us," Bell said. "They've lost two games, but the rest have been blowout city. This is a complete football team we are playing."

But Grove City (8-3) has been adept at rising to challenges this season.

The Eagles played defending Class AA state champion Wilmington tough for three quarters. Last week, they stunned Erie Strong Vincent 19-13 to earn the right to play the Ramblers.

But Grove City will be a huge underdog again this week, which is just how Bell and the Eagles prefer it.

"We've always liked the underdog role," Bell said. "Like we said to our kids last week, 'No one expects you to win. No one thinks you can win.'"

Unlike Strong Vincent, which had players talking about a rematch with Cathedral Prep in the week leading up to the game against the Eagles, the Ramblers are engaging in no such discussions.

"That's the unfortunate thing about it," Bell said, chuckling. "They are talking about how great we are. They aren't going to take us lightly."

Grove City's plan will be simple: keep the ball on offense as long as possible.

With a plethora of backs, the Eagles might have the grind-it-out offense to do just that.

Jamarr Patterson leads the team with 873 yards and nine touchdowns, and Marty Phipps has 642 yards

The Eagles expect the return of Nick Reddick, who has picked up 420 yards on the ground, after an ankle injury limited him to one carry against Strong Vincent.

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Dagres has completed more than 50 percent of his passes for 438 yards to give Grove City a passing wrinkle to its run-heavy attack.

Pullium, though, isn't the only weapon in Cathedral Prep's arsenal.

Tailback Justin Wiley has rolled up 948 yards rushing on 96 carries and scored 19 touchdowns.

As a team, the Ramblers have, well, rambled for rushing yardage at an 8.7 yard-per-carry clip.

Ultimately, Bell is looking at this game as a can't-lose proposition. Win and the Eagles will capture their first Class AAA district title. Lose and, well, no one expected them to win anyway.

"It's definitely going to be a tough one for us. But you know what? There are things I think we can do against them," Bell said.

"We're playing for a district championship, and you don't get many opportunities to do that," he added.