GROVE CITY - The Brookville High School football team started the season with seven suspended players, a 0-3 record and little hope.

Things weren't much brighter for Grove City. The Eagles began the season full of promise and aspirations 0-2 and with no margin for error.

A pretty bleak picture to be sure.

But both teams are now on top of the world. Both overcame that early adversity and are pitted against each other in the PIAA, Class AA quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock University.

"Well, we had hopes," said Grove City coach Jeff Bell when thinking about the aftermath of a 0-2 start. "We talked about that. I believed we could turn it around, that we could do it. But the most important thing is the kids believed we could do it.

"In high school, what the coaches believe doesn't really matter. If the kids believe it - that's what matters."

Things were much more dire in Brookville. The Raiders started 1-5, but won two of their next three - the only loss a 28-0 blanking by Grove City in Week 9.

In any other year, a 3-6 record was good for only a few pats on the helmets and a few see-you-next-years. But this year, District 9 opened up its football tournament to all comers.

The Raiders came.

Extenuating circumstances made for a strong case for Brookville to enter the postseason. It was without those seven suspended players for the first four weeks of the season.

"I said, 'Let's go,'" said Brookville coach Chris Dworek, who heard the scoffing at his team's entrance into the playoffs. "I thought we had a better team than our record."

It seems Dworek was right.

The Raiders beat Moniteau 20-13 in the first round, downed heavy favorite Brockway 21-20 the following week, and stunned Redbank Valley Saturday with a 42-15 whitewashing. The score was 29-0 at halftime.

Those outcomes didn't shock Bell.

"That's for sure," Bell said. "I said that before Week 9 when we played them that they were a good football team that just got off to a bad start. Now, they are playing very well."

Brookville avenged losses to Moniteau and Redbank Valley in the playoffs and are shooting at the revenge trifecta against Grove City.

"They're over there thinking, 'Hey, Moniteau crushed us the first time and we beat them. Hey, Redbank Valley crushed us the first time and we beat them,'" Bell said. "They're thinking we got crushed by Grove City three weeks ago, we can beat them, too."

It took some time for Brookville's seven suspended players to get back into form. They were allowed to practice with the team, but they still had to adjust to game speed.

The seven nearly packed their bags after the school followed up Dworek's one-game suspension with a stiffer penalty of its own.

Dworek, understandably, would not name names or give the reason for the suspensions.

"First I disciplined them, then the school stepped in and hit them hard again," Dworek said. "All seven of them were on the verge of quitting, but I told them when they came back, we would have a pretty good team."

The Raiders have become a pretty good team - and a scary one at that.

Bell is wary of Brookville and is imploring his team to be wary, too.

But Bell said he doesn't think overconfidence will be a problem. The Eagles saw Brookville just three weeks ago on a muddy track at Grove City and have watched the Raiders' three playoff wins with respect.

"The kids see them on film and we have some pretty smart kids," Bell said. "It won't be a hard sell to convince our kids they are good. You don't get this far if you are not.

"We're playing the District 9 champs."

And don't put the Cinderella moniker on the Raiders. They don't want it, despite all the adversity they crawled over to get here.

"We focus just on ourselves," Dworek said. "Some people say we're the underdog and we have nothing to lose. Well, from the first day, I thought we did have something to lose. Some teams like to play under that underdog role, but I don't feel we are."

Both teams have balanced attacks.

Grove City is equally adept at throwing or running the ball. Eagles quarterback Jim Jaskowak has thrown for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

Jesse Alfreno leads the team with 28 catches for 584 yards and five scores. The junior's streak of 28 straight games with a catch was snapped in the 33-7 win over Harbor Creek in the District 10 championship game.

"We didn't even think about that, and he doesn't care," Bell said.

Alfreno also has rushed for 510 yards and six scores.

Running back Jack Vallely leads the team with 694 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But with seven shutouts, the defense has led Grove City this season.

"Their defense is the No. 1 thing that concerns me," Dworek said. "They have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. We have to play - and it might be impossible - a perfect game against them."

Brookville has its own array of weapons. Perhaps the most dangerous is quarterback Nick Heschke, who has thrown for 891 yards and rushed for 663 more.

The Raiders also have a balanced rushing attack with Silas Wonderling (424 yards), Max Kutz (418), Matt Berfield (331) and Travis Diener (237).

Brookville also likes to throw in some trick plays as part of its offensive repertoire.

"They really do a good job of implementing that as part of their attack," Bell said.

"It will be a lot closer than the first time we played them, I can tell you that. But no matter what happens, we've had a great season."