Heading into the final regular season game in the newly structured Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the Parkland football team is looking for a win in hopes of improving its seeding for the district playoffs.

Two losses in three weeks had put pressure on the Trojans to win out their final three games, and so far so good. Wins against Freedom and then Nazareth leaves Parkland (7-2 overall) with a road matchup against rival Emmaus to help with its playoff positioning.

The Trojans are sixth in the subregional rankings and could move up with a win this week, but moving up the two spots it would take in order to earn a home playoff game might be a bit much to ask.

Parkland is riding a lot of momentum and confidence after a big road win at Freedom two weeks ago and a blowout win against Nazareth at home last weekend.

"It was a great effort by all of our kids," said head coach Jim Morgans about the Nazareth game. "We were concentrating a lot on limiting turnovers and we did that. They have been doing a good job at practice as well. What we did against Nazareth, we know we can do that all the time and continue to do that."

Morgans also noted that the team captains really want to win, and are leading this team by example.

Preston Saylor and Jarey Elder each scored two touchdowns against the Blue Eagles, and Omar Haddad and Amir Wallace each tallied a sack and led the defense, which only gave up 19 points the last two weeks.

The defensive unit knows it will have its work cut out for them this weekend against a Green Hornets team that has averaged 30 points per game this season. They have been led primarily by senior running back Andrew Davidson.

Davidson alone has averaged nearly 30 carries a game and three touchdowns in their last four games, and will be an area of focus on Friday night. He's run for over 200 yards in each of Emmaus' last three games, including a 286-yard, five-touchdown effort last week against Whitehall.

"He's a heck of a runner," said Morgans. "And their quarterback [Logan Kober] is playing better. They are a running team but they come at you in different ways. There's no doubt their going to pound it at you."

Since losing their top two tailbacks, Emmaus has run its offense almost exclusively out of its rhino package, which has Davidson behind the quarterback and two other fullbacks lined up just behind the line. Against Whitehall last week, Emmaus let the play clock run before snapping the ball even early in the game, limiting the time Whitehall's offense had on the field. A similar strategy will likely be employed this week.

Parkland has spread around its offense this season, and will likely use Nolan Ridgway, Elder and Saylor on the ground, and Devante Cross has Elder, Kenny Yeboah and Gabe Clark as weapons threw the air.

It will be a battle in the trenches Friday night, and the stronger team will be the one to come out on top in this rivalry game.