The Riverside football team has its sights set on a WPIAL Class AA playoff berth.

And the Mars Planets are standing in the way.

The two teams will square off with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday night at the Mars Athletic Complex.

The Panthers, under the direction of first-year head coach Jesse Rosenberger, are currently 3-2 in Tri-County North play (4-3 overall) and tied with Laurel for third place in the conference.

Riverside is approaching its last two games as must-wins.

"We definitely have to beat Mars," said Rosenberger. "I guess there's a way that we could beat Mars and then lose to Summit Academy next week and still get in (the playoffs), but we're not looking at it that way."

The Planets (4-3, 4-1) can clinch a playoff berth of their own with a win.

"I think (Rosenberger) has done a great job up there," said Mars coach Scott Heinauer. "They're a fundamentally sound football team. We better make sure we come to play because they sure will."

Riverside is in the playoff picture despite the fact that the team starts just three seniors - FB/LB Alex Vucelich, G/DE Jared Ninos and WR/CB Josh McCanna.

"Coming into this season, we had no real expectations," said Rosenberger, who spent nine previous seasons as an assistant with Riverside. "But we knew that we needed to have some inexperienced players step up. And we've gotten enough of that to be in the thick of things."

The Panthers' defense is the strength of the team.

Before losing a 27-6 decision to conference front-runner Mohawk last week, the Panthers had given up seven or fewer points in four of six contests.

"Entering the (Mohawk) game, we were third in WPIAL Class AA in points allowed per game," said Rosenberger. "Although I'm sure that has changed since we gave up 27 points."

Rosenberger also said that his team is surrendering just 75 yards rushing per contest. The Panthers will need that type of performance in facing a Mars team averaging 219 yards per game on the ground.

Planets' fullback Paul Ferrese led last week's 36-13 defeat of Shenango with a season-high 196 rushing yards.

"They've got a good defense, no doubt," said Heinauer of Riverside. "They're an aggressive football team."

Offensively, Riverside is a run-based team using multiple formations, though Rosenberger lets on that his offense isn't very strong.

"If our offense was as good as our defense, we'd be in great shape," he said.

The Panthers made it to the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal-round in 2003, but missed postseason play a season ago with a 3-4 conference record.

The Planets' march to the WPIAL title game in 2002 began with a 41-7 rout of Riverside in the first-round of the playoffs.