While tonight's game between the Hounds and Northwest Conference power Greenville pits a pair of 6-0 teams against each other, this contest doesn't have the implications the other did.

In that game, a 27-7 Wilmington victory, Sharon failed to make the playoffs being 8-1. Wilmington, meanwhile made a run at the state championship.

The playoffs are still a few weeks away and this game is just a meeting between top teams in their respective conferences, but it does provide a good test and the most difficult test to date for both.

Class AAA Greenville is an honorable mention in the state rankings, while Wilmington is ranked fourth in AA.

The Trojans lead the NWC in defense, allowing 133.2 yards and 5.5 points per game. Offensively, Greenville ranks behind Oil City in offense per game with 293.3 yards and 34.5 points.

Wilmington leads the MCAC in scoring with 36 points per game and scoring defense, allowing 4.3. The Hounds' 324.3 yards per game leads all area offenses, while their 130.7 yards defensively rank second.

Elsewhere this weekend several rivals meet with league implications being a key factor.

• Hickory (2-2, 3-3) at Sharon (3-0, 4-1) -- After struggling in a season-opening loss to WPIAL powerhouse Woodland Hills, the Tigers have rebounded in grand style. In its past three games, Sharon has outscored its opponents 144-8. Carmone Parchman has 54 points during that span and has led the Tigers' resurgence.

  Hickory needed all three of Guido Gurerra's field goals in last week's win over Franklin. He booted kicks of 24, 36 and 30 yards. The kicks made him at least the second kicker, and second Hornet, in county history to accomplish the feat. And Gurrera's field goals came nearly 30 years to the day from the last time it happened. Hickory's Dan Dougherty had kicks of 36, 30 and 31 yards in a 9-0 win over Sharpsville on Oct. 12, 1969.

  Sharon, ranked 10th in the state in AA, has had its way with AAA Hickory of late. The last Hornet win was a 14-13 affair in 1991. In seven games since then, the Tigers' defense has allowed just 37 points.

• Slippery Rock (2-2, 4-2) at Grove City (1-2, 2-4) -- This is a key game in the race for the MCAC-AAA title. A win by Slippery Rock coupled with a loss by Hickory would give the Rockets the league lead.

  But Slippery Rock still must face Sharon, while Hickory's lone remaining league game is against Mercer. A loss for Grove City would all but doom its title hopes.

  It doesn't help that Grove City is coming off a last-second 6-0 loss to Kennedy Christian. The Eagles' defense was strong, allowing just 64 yards until the final play of the game, a 47-yard TD pass from Ryan James to Nick Rapone.

  Slippery Rock has taken to the airwaves and ridden the arm of QB Greg Grupp. He has thrown for more than 100 yards four times and has hit the 200-yard mark twice.

  Grove City is looking for the decade sweep. The Eagles haven't lost to their biggest rival since a 21-9 setback in 1989. Since then, Grove City has won the games by an average score of 28-8.

• Western Beaver (3-2, 4-2) at Farrell (3-2, 3-2) -- For the Steelers to stay in the hunt for a WPIAL playoff spot, this game is virtually a must-win.

  Farrell has won its last three games and its offense has been a key factor. The Steelers have outscored their opponents 129-27 and outgained their foes 303-116.3 on average during those victories. However, those wins were against teams that are a combined 1-16.

  Farrell has won five straight against Western Beaver. The last time the Steelers came up short was 30-20 in 1994.

• Reynolds (0-3, 0-6) at Mercer (0-3, 1-5) -- Is this the week for Reynolds to snap its 16-game losing streak? Mercer hopes not.

  But this may be Reynolds' best chance. For the first time this year, the Raiders play a team with a losing record. And, Reynolds' last win was against Mercer, a 34-6 romp in the next-to-last game of 1997.

  Mercer hasn't been a whole lot better of late. The Mustangs have lost four consecutive games while being outscored 210-34 during that stretch, although they did show some signs of life last week. In the Mustangs' 45-20 loss to Slippery Rock, Miguel Maldonado had 127 yards on 21 carries and scored twice. He was just the second Mercer player to rush for over 100 yards in a game this year.

• Lakeview, Ohio (1-2, 3-4) at Hubbard (3-0, 6-1) -- The Eagles are in the thick of the Trumbull Athletic Conference race and also in contention for a postseason berth, after having won four straight games since a loss to Struthers.

  League games have been very good to the Eagles during that stretch. Hubbard is outscoring TAC-8 foes 73-20.

  Leading Lakeview is runner Kevin Rush, who is averaging 122 yards on the ground and has 52 points on the year.

• LaBrae (2-2, 4-3) at Brookfield (2-2, 4-3) -- The winner will stay in the hunt for the TAC-8 title, while the loser will all but be eliminated from contention.

  Brookfield's chances may rest on the legs and arm of quarterback Spike Bayus, who had 267 yards on 23 carries and completed 3-of-6 pass attempts for 132 yards a week ago. LaBrae has a solid rusher of its own in Sean Stephens. He has 774 yards on 122 carries.

• Saegertown (1-5) at West Middlesex (1-5) -- After having a solid year against the French Creek Valley Conference last year, the Big Reds have lost their last two games against FCVC opponents. However, their lone win was in the third week against Cochranton, 7-6.

  Offense has been a problem for the Big Reds, who haven't scored more than 12 points in a game so far, and have hit that mark just twice.

  Saegertown hasn't fared much better, posting 8.7 points per game, while giving up an average of 30.

• Linesville (4-1, 4-2) at Lakeview (1-4, 1-5) -- Linesville is regarded as one of the top three teams in the FCVC, so the going might be difficult for the Sailors. Senior fullback Pat Harakal had 221 yards on 16 carries and scored twice last week and also had 14 tackles on defense.

  Lakeview's Justin George scored the 20th touchdown of his career and gave the Sailors their only points in last week's 39-6 loss.

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  SATURDAY

• Kennedy Christian (0-0, 4-2) at Sharpsville (0-0, 5-1) -- Revenge has been a key term in describing this heated series over the last three years.

  It's Sharpsville's turn to exact, well ... revenge against the Golden Eagles. The last time the two rivals met, Kennedy Christian celebrated a 6-3 victory in last year's District 10 Class A title game. That snapped a three-game losing streak to the Blue Devils.

  Kennedy is coming in off of a poor offensive effort against Grove City, but it was a strong defensive outing and still a win. Sharpsville, meanwhile, traveled over five hours across the state to destroy seventh-ranked Mahanoy Area, 27-6. The win moved Sharpsville back into the state rankings. The Devils are 9th in Class A in the Harrisburg Patriot-News rankings, but third in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's.