Last year, Slippery Rock and Hickory played one of the most exciting - and pivotal - games of the 2003 season.

The game featured more than 1,000 yards of offense as the Rockets rallied from a 14-0 deficit for a 34-31 win.

The game galvanized both teams. Slippery Rock went on to the PIAA Western Final. Hickory won its final five games.

When the two teams clash in Hermitage at 7 p.m. Friday in the rematch, the game will be just as pivotal.

"We're trying to win two games in a row," said Hickory coach Jim Bell.

So are the Rockets. Both teams enter the game 3-3 overall with an outside chance at a playoff berth if all the cosmic tumblers fall into place.

The Hornets have been an enigma this season, losing in the odd numbered weeks and winning in the even numbered ones.

Bad news for Hickory: It's week No. 7.

Slippery Rock is also looking for its first back-to-back wins of the season.

"We lost 11 seniors on offense," Bell said. "If someone told you you'd lose all five of your offensive linemen, you'd expect to have a down season. But we lost all 11."

One of those 11 was all-everything Dustin Kulka. But Nick Lumpp has taken over at quarterback and performed well.

Of course, the quarterback in Hickory's shotgun, single-wing-like attack is also a running back.

Lumpp came up big in the Hornets' 17-12 upset win over previously unbeaten Greenville last Friday.

"Hickory is probably playing as well right now as anyone in the league," said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti. "They beat Greenville, which didn't surprise me to be honest. They are talented and athletic."

And with a peculiar offense to prepare for, Conti is even more wracked with concern than usual.

Slippery Rock's defense has been vulnerable at times, and now it has to deal with an offense unlike any in high school football.

"What makes it very difficult is you have to adjust on the fly," Conti said.

Bell said he hopes his offense gives teams an extra thing to think about every week.

Of course, it also presents a problem for the Hornets as well as film study is next to worthless because teams rarely play their base defense against Hickory.

"We make defenses play something they are not used to playing," Bell said. "But each week we are in the dark about what defense we are going to face. Sometimes we start quickly, sometimes it takes us awhile to get going."

It took Slippery Rock awhile to get going against Mercer, trailing 6-0 at the half. But the Rockets scored on their first four possessions of the second half to win 28-6.

Trevor Gallo rolled for the Rockets in the second half. He finished with 187 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

But the Rockets moved the ball well in the first half, but couldn't find the scoreboard.

"We just didn't finish in the first half," Conti said. "We made some adjustments."

Conti is still juggling his lineup and tweaking his offense to try to find the best mix.

It's been an arduous task this season for the coach. The progress?

"We're still trying," Conti said. "The bottom line is you have to keep plugging away, keep trying to get better, evaluate and re-evaluate."