District 5 champion North Star squares off against District 9 titleholder Karns City in the first round of the PIAA Class AA football playoffs tonight at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium.

The Cougars (10-1), winners of three straight, disposed of District 8 representative Langley, 62-14, last weekend in a PIAA subregional.

“They’re feeling good about themselves,” North Star coach Stacy Schmitt said. “It’s a senior group here. They’ve been together for a while, and we had a big year last year and it would be nice to top that this year for these guys.”

The Gremlins (11-1) are rated No. 5 in the Pennsylvania Football News poll and No. 7 in the Pa. scholastic rankings.

“Typically, we’re not a big team,” Karns City coach Ed Conto said. “We don’t have a lot of large players. We have small, tough kids. We have 22 seniors, so we’re a very experienced team.”

North Star’s only loss this season, a 42-35 setback to undefeated Portage, came in the WestPAC.

The Cougars, who are rated as honorable mention in both high school polls, topped Chestnut Ridge 37-19 for their first D5-AA championship in Week 11. North Star won the D5-A title in 2007, also its first.

A trio of North Star running backs – Mike Knisely, Josh Kuncher and Richie Meehleib – have amassed more than 2,000 rushing yards combined.

Knisely has racked up 761 yards on 110 carries and 11 touchdowns, Kuncher has gained 747 yards on 80 touches and scored 14 times while Meehleib has toted the ball 75 times for 530 yards.

Cougars quarterback Cory Kaltenbaugh is 56 of 108 passing for 1,118 yards.

Luke Zellem has 569 receiving yards on 28 catches while Alijah Petrilla has 22 catches for 418 yards.

“We have a pretty balanced attack,” said Schmitt, who is in his sixth season guiding North Star. “We have running backs that can get the job done. We have a veteran quarterback and some good receivers. And our offensive line, you can’t say enough about them guys. They give Cory, our quarterback, protection and they open up some nice holes for the backs. I think we can either run or throw, whatever the other team is giving us.”

Andrew Darr leads the Cougars’ defense with 111 tackles while Knisely has recorded 95 stops, including 11 sacks.

“We know they were in the playoffs last year,” Conto said. “They have a balanced offense. They run the ball and throw it pretty well.”

The defending District 9 champion Gremlins bested top-seeded Moniteau 42-9 in the title game at Clarion University, their third game at that site this season. Gremlins quarterback Anthony Stimac scored five touchdowns and had 173 yards of total offense in the win.

“We have to play disciplined,” Schmitt said. “That goes with any playoff game, you don’t have a second chance. A couple turnovers could end your season. With these guys, it’s going to be making sure their quarterback doesn’t make any big plays. Make sure we have him contained, both running and throwing the ball.”

The D9 title game was a rematch of a Week 8 Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference (KSAC) clash in which the Warriors halted Karns City’s 27-game conference win streak along with a string of 17 consecutive regular-season victories.

The Gremlins, winners of four straight, toppled Kane in the first round of the D9 playoffs at Clarion, and are 33-4 over the past three seasons.

Two-year starter Stimac is 52 of 113 passing for 857 yards with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. On the ground, Stimac has accounted for a team-high 825 yards on 88 touches, 9.38 yards per carry, and 14 touchdowns.

“Anthony is an all-around player,” Conto said. “He runs the ball well and he throws the ball pretty good. When you get the ball in his hands, you don’t know what you’re going to get.”

Running back Markus LaVan has added 590 yards on 85 carries.

Josh Callender is Stimac’s favorite target, hauling in 15 catches for 232 yards and scoring a combined 13 touchdowns.

Kicker J.J. Grenninger has made 44 point-after attempts.

“They like to do a number of different things,” Schmitt said. “It looks like they have a lot of team speed. Offensively, they try a little bit of single wing, a little bit of option and a little bit of pro (set). So in that respect, it’s a little tougher to get ready for them.”

On defense, Earl Everetts has 53 tackles and Callender has 51.

Levi Buck paces the Gremlins with nine sacks, and LaVan has five interceptions.

“You can’t turn the ball over and you’ve got to keep away from the penalties,” Conto said. “Just play your game and don’t worry about the other team.”

Tonight’s winner will face the District 7 (WPIAL)champion, either Clairton or Monaca, next week.