BUTLER TWP — Slippery Rock and Butler will get together on the football field after all.

Maybe.

Such is the great unknown of District 10.

The two teams were originally scheduled to meet to close the regular season in Slippery Rock. That game was taken away when District 10 revised its football schedule to a six-game season, with teams playing three opponents twice each.

While the District 10 playoffs are scheduled to start Oct. 23, Slippery Rock is now scheduled to play Butler at Art Bernardi Stadium at 7 p.m. that day.

“No offense to Butler, but we're hoping we don't play that game,” Slippery Rock coach Larry Wendereusz said. “That would mean either or both of us would be in the playoffs.”

Neither Wendereusz nor Butler coach Eric Christy is sure what the postseason format will be this year.

“Maybe there will be a bye week in there and we could play anyway,” Christy said. “I know the ninth week is supposed to start the state playoffs. It's confusing right now.”

Wendereusz said the district's Class 3A playoff scenario will likely be the top two teams in each region making postseason play. The Rockets are lumped in with Hickory. Sharon and Grove City.

The two qualifying teams from that region would play a qualifying opponent from the north. The two winners would then meet for the District 10 title.

“We know the challenge ahead of us,” Wendereusz said. “Hickory, Sharon and Grove City have all won District 10 championships in recent years and we figure we have to climb above at least two of them.”

Butler's situation is a little bit different.

The Golden Tornado join Erie and McDowell as the only Class 6A teams in the district.

“What I expect to happen is the best record out of the three of us getting a bye and the other two playing each other again (in the playoffs),” Christy said. “But nothing's been clarified.”

Wendereusz said the district didn't have to totally redo the schedules.

“They could have been tweaked, sure, but to do it this way? I just think there was a better way,” he said.

“Playing teams twice is a whole new dynamic. I know this. Every game is a big one.”

And he hopes his new additional seventh game won't be played.

“Nothing against Eric, but we don't want to see them,” Wendereusz said.

Teams are permitted to schedule additional games for Weeks 7 through 10 if they don't qualify for the playoffs, a situation similar to the old WPIAL “cross-over” games for non-playoff qualifiers at the end of the season.

“It would be just like that and that's difficult,” Christy said. “I imagine opponents will be hard to find.”

All District 10 football teams have a six-game regular season schedule, with some games slated for Saturdays.