INDIANA— What can be and what might have been.

Knoch and Indiana view their respective football seasons from different perspectives as they prepare to get together for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday.

The visiting Knights (6-1, 4-0) are looking for their seventh consecutive victory and clinching at least a share of the Greater Allegheny Conference championship, a title they haven't won since 1992.

"It's right in front of us now,"Knoch coach Mike King said of the section crown. "The kids can see it. And they want it."

The host Indians (4-3, 2-3) are trying to stay alive for a WPIALClass AAAplayoff berth. They need a win Friday and some help from other teams over the next two weeks.

Indiana has conference losses to Highlands (19-14), Pine-Richland (20-14) and Franklin Regional (31-27) by a combined margin of 15 points.

"We had shots to win all three of those games,"Indiana coach Mark Zilinskas said. "Franklin Regional stopped us on fourth down inside the 10, Pine-Richland scored and hit a two-point conversion to force overtime and Highlands stopped us at their 10-yard line.

"We know we're capable of winning this week, but Knoch has a very solid football team."

Indiana runs a productive option offense as tailback Andy Degory has 600 yards rushing, fullback Jason Snyder 700 and quarterback Ben Fiscus 500. Fiscus has thrown for more than 500 yards as well.

Tim McNerney has 1,200 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns for the Knights. Zach Gross has thrown for 528 yards, six TDs and no interceptions. Kyle Reiser has 13 catches for 260 yards and four TDs.

While Knoch has stayed relatively injury free this fall, depth has helped the Knights when needed. McNerney stepped in for the injured Alex Whisler, of course, and Mitchell Shaw played well at cornerback last week for the injured Brandon Flick.

Indiana is averaging 32 points per game this season, scoring more than 40 against Ringgold, Greensburg Salem and Hampton.

"This is a tough road game and, particularly, a challenge for our defense to contain that running game,"King said.

On Columbus Day, Knoch's football players got together and cleaned up trash along Victory Road, a three-mile stretch of roadway in Clinton Township.

"It took all morning on a day the kids could have slept in,"King said. "They wanted to do it. I brought up the Adopt A Highway program one day and they kept reminding me of it.

"This is a giving, unselfish group of kids. They're easy to root for."

Knoch has not lost to Indiana since 2003, defeating the Indians 18-0, 27-7 and 20-14 the past three years.

Meadville at Slippery Rock

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Last Year's Game: Slippery Rock 28, Meadville 12•

Current Record: Meadville (5-2, 3-1), Slippery Rock (3-4, 2-1)•

Coaches: Meadville: Mike Pendolino; Slippery Rock: Clyde Conti•

Game Notes: The Bulldogs went 0-10 last season. ... Meadville's two losses in 2007 have come against Harbor Creek (7-0) and Titusville (6-0). ... Jarrod Kilburn has thrown just one interception in 62 attempts this season for Meadville. ... Mike Prystaloski leads a balanced ground attack for the Bulldogs with 517 yards on 93 carries. ... Last year's leading rusher, Nick Fedorka, is healthy and back in the Meadville lineup. ... Zack Ejzak caught four passes for 99 yards last week against Titusville and leads the Rockets with 22 receptions fro 454 yards. He's only three yards shy of county leader Matt Plautz of Seneca Valley. ... The game is a rare Saturday night tilt. The matchup is on Saturday to help alleviate a shortage of officials in District 10. ... The winner will move into sole possession of second place in the region and get the inside track on a District 10 Class AAA playoff spot.Freeport at Union-New Castle•

Last Year's Game:Freeport 46, Union-New Castle 0•

Current Record: Freeport 4-3, Union-New Castle 2-5•

Coaches:Freeport: Bill Dillen, fourth season; Union-New Castle: Stacy Robinson, 11th year•

Game Notes: Freeport won its fourth consecutive game last Friday, a 21-0 victory over Deer Lakes. The Yellowjackets have outscored their opponents 103-20, including a pair of shutouts, in that span. ... Kirk Naedele rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown and Cameron Betush added 62 yards and another score. Quarterback Matt Lucas completed seven of 13 passes for 90 yards, including a 14-yard scoring pass to Tyler Collins. ... Union-New Castle upended Cornell 23-18 as quarterback Mike Pelto ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to Linnell Robinson.A-C Valley at Karns City•

Last Year's Game: Karns City 36, A-C Valley 6•

Current Record: A-C Valley 0-7, 0-5; Karns City 7-0, 5-0•

Coaches:A-C Valley: Gary Pinkerton, first year; Karns City: Ed Conto, eighth year•

Game Notes: The Falcons are coming off a 47-12 loss to Redbank Valley as quarterback Luke Walker rushed for one score and passed for another to Mike Orrvick. ... A-C Valley is averaging 132.3 yards of offense per contest. ... The Gremlins defeated Moniteau 39-19 to take control of the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference race. One win over A-C Valley or Union will guarantee at least a share of the title and wins over both will earn it outright. ... Quarterback Anthony Stimac powered last week's win as he threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another. He's now passed for 830 yards and eight TDs on the year. ... The Gremlins led 39-7 entering the fourth quarter.Mars at Summit Academy•

Last Year's Game:Mars 34, Summit Academy 6•

Current Record: Mars 6-1, 6-0; Summit Academy 4-3, 4-2,•

Coaches:Mars, Scott Heinauer, 16th season; Summit Academy: Steve Sherer, seventh year•

Game Notes: The Planets routed Neshannock 42-6 last Friday as Bill Bair rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 1,724 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. He is nine yards away from joining the 4,000-yard club. ... John Brake also passed for 97 yards and a touchdown and ran for another. ... The Knights dismantled Shenango 36-9 on Saturday as LaRon Green had another big day, passing for 185 yards on 9-of-15 passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He has completed 48 of 66 passes for 867 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. Green also rushed for 105 yards and Chris Pollard caught four passes for 110 yards.Clarion-Limestone at Union•

Last year's game: Clarion-Limestone 12, Union 7•

Current Record: Clarion-Limestone (1-6, 1-4), Union (1-6, 1-4)•

Coaches: Clarion-Limestone: Todd Smith; Union: Tom Kidder•

Game Notes: Both teams feature prominent young passers. C-L sophomore quarterback Dan Miller leads all of District 9 with 1,269 yards passing. Union sophomore QB Matt Gagliano has passed for 756 yards. ... C-L is coming off a 45-0 loss to Clarion while Union is trying to recover from a 33-7 setback against Lakeview.Grove City at Northwestern•

Last year's game: Grove City 30, Northwestern 12•

Current Record: Grove City (6-1, 3-1), Northwestern (0-7, 0-4)•

Coaches: Grove City: Jeff Bell; Northwestern: Jamie Cipalla•

Game Notes: The Wildcats are averaging a mere 105 yards of offense per game. ... Northwestern has lost 12 straight games, its last win coming Sept. 29, 2006, against Meadville. ... Grove City kicker Jason Ferderber hit a 31-yard field goal, the first of his career, to send the Eagles to overtime against Sharon last week. They eventually won 42-36. ... Chris Clark rushed for 223 yards on 22 carries last week. ... Grove City has turned the ball over 16 times in seven games this season ... Northwestern has recorded just 44 first downs this season. ... The Wildcats are averaging 3.1 yards per rush. ... Northwestern has been shut out three times and scored six points in three other losses.