GROVE CITY — Most of the players don't remember the exact halftime score from the Grove City-Slippery Rock football game last season.

They do know it was close, however.

The Eagles led 22-16 after two quarters before rolling to a 51-16 win.

It was a prime example of what happens in these rivalry games.

Last year, that game meant little to the region standings.

This year, however, when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Forker Field, this game may very well determine the District 10 Region 5 championship.

“It's always a better rivalry when both teams are competing for a title,” said Grove City coach Jeff Bell. “We're playing for a region championship. Both teams have had a great season so far. I know our kids are looking forward to it.”

A lot of people figured Grove City (7-0, 4-0) would be unbeaten in the region heading into the game against Slippery Rock. Few, if any, believed the Rockets (5-2, 4-0) would share the same league record with the Eagles.

But they do, and they've done it with an offense that has given teams fits and a defense that has vastly improved over a season ago.

That makes this game even more special for Slippery Rock.

“I feel privileged to be a part of this game,” said Slippery Rock coach Brendan Hathaway. “Hey, we're six miles apart. Our kids know their kids and their kids know our kids. We know what Grove City has. They have a great team. We know what is at stake. That's why we are pumped up to play them.”

Grove City is coming off a 70-2 thumping of Oil City last week. It was the second time this season the Eagles scored 70 or more points.

Slippery Rock played Hickory tough for two quarters before Hornet running back DeShawn Coleman got loose for two 80-plus-yard touchdown runs in the third quarter on the way to 373 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-14 win over the Rockets.

“Hey, we played a pretty good team last week,” Hathaway said. “It wasn't a team breakdown. It was just we went up against a great football player. You can't give Coleman an inch. When we did, he made us pay. Grove City has four kids like that.”

Those four kids are Wes Phipps, Foster Reznor, Erik Record and Chad Williams. All four are averaging 10 yards per carry this season.

Throw in Harold Price, who is dangerous as both a runner and a receiver, and the Eagles have a plethora of playmakers Slippery Rock must contend with.

But Hathaway believes his team can give the Eagles trouble with his offense, which features wide splits from the offensive line and an option attack that revolves around improving junior quarterback Ryan Currie.

“We believe the offense we run, if we run it well, is a little bit of an equalizer,” Hathaway said.

Currie has been running it well. He rushed for 169 yards against Hickory a week after gaining 170 yards against Sharon.

Hathaway said Currie called “about 75 percent of the plays at the line.”

“(Currie) is really comfortable in the system now,” Hathaway added. “He's seeing things he didn't see last year.”

Bell also has noticed the change in Currie, even from the beginning of the season.

“There's some things we have put in for this week,” Bell said. “That's how much respect we have for their program and what they are doing.”