GROVE CITY - Quarterback Jim Jaskowak shakes his head and smiles when thinking about the first two games of Grove City High's football season.

He isn't smiling because it was good - a 0-2 beginning is never favorable. But he is smiling because of what happened after the inauspicious first act of the Eagles' storybook year.

"After those first two weeks, everybody was down," Jaskowak said. "The team was bickering back and forth at each other. But after (the first two weeks), we just picked it up and started playing together. We've been playing together for all these years, and we couldn't let our senior season go to waste."

What transpired in the next 10 weeks has left an indelible mark on the players and the program: 10 straight wins, a defense that pitched six shutouts, and stretch of more than two months that will go down in Grove City lore.

The Eagles (10-2) hope that run continues when they face Tyrone (12-1) in the PIAA, Class AA semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Field in State College.

Tyrone beat previously unbeaten WPIAL champion Seton LaSalle last week to advance.

"Coming off the first two games losing, it was like, 'Oh, no. What's going to happen?'" Jaskowak said. "But reeling off 10 wins - this team is resilient.

Grove City coach Jeff Bell also has been resilient.

It wasn't long ago when Bell, now in his eighth season with a 41-40 career record, contemplated walking away.

The low point came after the 2001 season when the Eagles sputtered to a 1-8 record. The year before, the team won just two games.

"When these kids were freshmen, we had a really bad season," Bell said. "It was them who got me to come back. As bad as we played on Friday nights, those kids went out and won every JV game on Saturday. I knew they were a special group of kids and I wanted to see what we could do."

The next year, Grove City advanced to the playoffs and lost in the first round. Last year, with high expectations, the team regressed a bit and went 5-4.

"Last year was going to be a good year, we thought," Jaskowak said. "We just looked at last year and said we can't let that happen again."

Senior fullback Jack Vallely, who is writing a comeback story of his own after recovering from severe burns on his lower leg two years ago to lead the team in rushing this year with 809 yards, said bouncing back from the disappointments was no accident.

"We worked hard," he said. "I think we deserved it. We've become a family."

Even after winning seven straight contests to end the regular season - and with each game taking on playoff-like importance - the Eagles almost were shut out of the postseason because of a change in the District 10 selection process.

The decision came down to Grove City and Fort LeBeouf. Both had the same record and similar results, but the committee chose the Eagles.

That has made the players savor the playoff run - wins over North East, Harbor Creek and Brookville - even more.

"Hopefully, this will be a lesson to District 10," Bell said. "It would have been a shame for these kids not to have this experience. These kids are in the state semifinal game and they almost didn't even get in the playoffs. That shouldn't happen to anyone."

Now the Eagles' task will be to topple Tyrone, a team that has experience in this situations.

Tyrone is in the state semifinals for the fourth time under coach John Franco, who has a 112-25 record in 11 years at the school.

But Grove City has an offense that is diverse with Jaskowak throwing for 1,526 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Tyrone's defense might be susceptible. It has given up more yards passing (1,031) than rushing (934) this season.

Receiver Jesse Alfreno, who tweaked his troublesome twisted ankle again last week against Brookville but will be ready to go Saturday, has caught 31 passes for 652 yards and six scores.

Despite the lofty passing numbers, Bell thinks the game will be won on the ground.

"We have to be able to run the football," Bell said. "If they know we have to throw the football, they can tee off on us."

Grove City will also need to control the clock to play keep-away from Tyrone's own diverse attack.

Then there is the magnitude of the game, which is bigger than any game Grove City has ever played.

The Eagles won their first district title since 1961 two weeks ago, recorded their first 10-win season last week and have advanced further than any team in school history.

Franco isn't fooled by Grove City's inexperience in games of this magnitude. From watching the Eagles on film, Franco said they are one of the most dynamic and talented teams in the state.

Franco is particularly impressed with the Eagles' defense, which has given up just 180 yards per game and has had a penchant for forcing turnovers.

"Grove City is definitely much tougher than any WPIAL defense I have seen," Franco said. "They are solid all the way around."

"It will be an intense and an emotional game," Bell said. "We have to play smart. If you get past this game, you can say, ''Hey, let's go to Hershey and play, have fun and see what happens.

"I can't say enough about these kids. They'll come out and play a heck of a game."