The Karns City football team will be practicing on Thanksgiving Day.

A sure sign that you are having a good season is when you have a football in one hand and a drumstick in the other.

The Gremlins have made that a habit in recent seasons and here we are again.

Karns City vs. a WPIAL champion the day after Thanksgiving.

The Gremlins will get a rematch against South Fayette, the team that ended their season in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals last season.

It’s a sequel, right down to the location; Clarion University at 7 p.m. Friday.

So, who will win?

Here are some things to ponder:

Three reasons to pick Karns City

No. 1: The Gremlins are due.

Karns City is 0-4 against WPIAL champions in the state playoffs, including a 57-21 setback to South Fayette last season.

The Gremlins, I’m sure, are growing weary of going into these games against the powerful WPIAL foe with most seeing the outcome of this game as a forgone conclusion.

A win over a WPIAL team in the state playoffs would be a huge feather in the program’s cap.

Remember, a Karns City upset is not without precedent. The Gremlins went into Wilmington in 2008 and stunned the eventual state champion Greyhounds.

This Karns City team may be just as good as that one, perhaps, arguably, better.

No. 2: The WPIAL hangover.

It is so hard to win a WPIAL football title. It’s a grueling, four-week process that often saps the energy out of a team once they leave Heinz Field as champions.

The Lions could have a hard time recapturing the roar that helped it get this far and they may be overlooking a District 9 team.

No. 3: Why not?

Karns City has depth and speed to match-up with just about anyone. Why can’t they beat South Fayette?

Three reasons to pick South Fayette

No. 1: The Lions are battle-tested.

What could be a reason why Karns City could win is also a reason why South Fayette could win.

It is so hard to win a WPIAL title in football ... to win one means you truly are a great team.

And great teams win in the state playoffs.

No. 2: South Fayette’s passing game.

Lions’ quarterback Brett Brumbaugh is special. The senior carved up Aliquippa in the WPIAL title game for 352 yards. He is closing in on the state record for passing yards in a career and has a bevy of talented receivers to throw to.

No. 3: Recent history.

The Lions are on a 29-game winning streak. The last time they felt the sting of defeat was in 2012 in the WPIAL playoffs against Wash High.

I like Karns City to keep it close for awhile, but South Fayette just has too much firepower. South Fayette 38, Karns City 19.

Scoop is 105-23 this season.