Welcome back to the state playoffs, Shamokin Area. Now you get to take a three-hour bus ride to DuBois.
That's a small price to pay for the Indians, who play Clearfield tonight at 7 in the PIAA Class AAA state playoffs.
Shamokin head coach Dan Foor insists the bus ride won't be a problem.
"We went to Athens in the preseason," Foor said, "and we had to travel to Jersey Shore in week two, which because of the flooding, turned out to be a long bus ride. I have an itinerary for the kids. We'll be fine."
With that taken care of, the Indians can focus all of their attention on the Battlin' Bison.
At 11-1, Clearfield has the record of a state-qualifying team, but a closer look at that record shows some struggles. A signature
come-from-behind win over Johnstown in the previous round of the playoffs has probably done just as much for the Bison as Shamokin's come-from-behind win over Milton has done for the Indians.
"Clearfield is 11-1 for a reason," Foor said. "The win over Johnstown was huge. No one was really giving them a chance, and they did what they needed to win."
The Bison are led by running back Beau Swales.
His size doesn't scare anyone; he's just 5-feet, 11-inches and 179 pounds, and according to Foor, he doesn't have track-star speed, but he puts everything together to make a really effective runner.
The senior has run for 1,838 yards and 23 touchdowns on 258 carries.
Swales isn't alone as an offensive threat in the backfield. Wing back Christian Lezzer has 666 yards and 11 touchdowns, while quarterback Curtis Frye has been nearly as dangerous with his feet as his arm. The three-year starter has 427 yards rushing and 734 yards passing.
"It all starts with Swales," Foor said. "He hits the hole hard and has good cut-back ability. He's not a burner, but his speed is good enough.
"Their quarterback is in his third year as a starter, and in past years they threw a lot more than they have this year. His percentage isn't that great, but he's one of three really good athletes in the backfield.
"The third guy, Lezzer, is a game-breaker. He can take it all the way on any play."
For all the stats, Clearfield doesn't do anything fancy, Foor said, reminiscent of Milton's straight-ahead attack.
And on defense, the Bison remind Foor of another regular-season opponent.
"They have seven or eight guys going both ways, including playing on special teams," Foor said. "There aren't a lot of big kids on defense, but they're athletic and can flat out run to the football. I compare them to Mount Carmel. Nice size, tough kids."
Clearfield has also seen Shamokin's style of offense, although defended it with mixed results. Philipsburg-Osceola runs a similar offense and beat the Bison, 40-33, while the next week the Bison were able to adjust and beat Hamburg, 34-28.
"They saw the wing-T in consecutive weeks," Foor said. "They aren't going to line up and be shocked by what they see. They are, on the other hand, a lot like Milton, and that win gave our kids some confidence. It all really comes down to execution."