The Wolfpack want to get back to that high level of play, when they beat the Titans 21-6 in Franklinville on Sept. 27.

The teams will meet again at 3 p.m. Thursday at Highmark Stadium with a Section VI Class D championship on the line.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama enters the game with a 7-2 record, including a 5-0 record in Class D that earned them the No. 1 seed for the postseason.

But the Wolfpack, admittedly, haven’t played their best recently, starting with a 15-7 victory over Wilson in Week 7 during which they didn’t score the winning touchdown against the Lakemen until just over five minutes remained in the game.

Franklinville/Ellicottville running back Billy Slavinski led the Titans with eight rushing touchdowns this season and added another two through the air. File photo by Mike Frame

“We definitely have room to grow. In a lot of these games we’ve been making a lot of stupid, silly mistakes. We don’t do that,” Wolfpack senior wide receiver Carter Brink said Tuesday morning at Section VI media day. “We’re trying to clean everything up at practice to come out of here with a win.”

Even this past weekend, Clymer/Sherman/Panama trailed No. 4 Gowanda/Pine Valley 24-22 at halftime before shutting out the Panthers 29-0 in the second half.

“They are a program that is playing in this game with regularity … the past 10 or 12 years,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Ty Harper said of the Titans. “We have to play a lot better than we did on Saturday. If we don’t come ready to play in the first half, I don’t see this going very well for us.”

No. 3 Franklinville/Ellicottville enters Thursday’s game at the home of the Buffalo Bills on a five-game winning streak during which they’ve outscored opponents 179-63.

Included in that run is a 32-6 semifinal win over No. 2 Randolph last Friday night. Earlier this season, the Cardinals dominated the Titans 54-17 during a stretch that saw Franklinville/Ellicottville lose three out of four games.

“We have to play a lot better than we did Saturday.” Ty Harper C/S/P head coach

“We’ve been steadily improving. We were at a point with those early losses … where we had to come together,” first-year Franklinville/Ellicottville head coach Justin Tatlow said. “The boys really bought into fixing what we were seeing on film as our weaknesses and our deficiencies. I think the last five weeks have shown that willingness and their commitment to getting better weekly.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s offense is based around a “Core 4” group of seniors that account for 92% of the team’s passing game.

Quarterback Tate Catanese has completed 119 of 198 attempts for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. Bryce Hinsdale has 39 catches for 490 yards and three touchdowns; Brink has 35 catches for 678 yards and 12 touchdowns; and Alex Barmore has 31 catches for 375 yards and five touchdowns.

“The speed that they have and the way that they are able to find the openings in defenses puts a lot of pressure on the defense,” Tatlow said of the Wolfpack.

Senior Travis Owens leads the Wolfpack in rushing with 392 yards and six touchdowns, while Catanese is second with 375 yards and seven touchdowns.

Franklinville/Ellicottville similarly spreads the ball around to no less than five options on offense, keyed by its senior quarterback Isaac Towne.

Towne has completed 84 of 169 passes for 1,560 yards and 21 touchdowns, while rushing for 498 yards and seven touchdowns.

Bretton Blecha leads the team with 36 catches for 828 yards and 14 touchdowns; Matthew Spittler has 20 catches for 386 yards and four touchdowns; and both Gannon Callahan and Billy Slavinski each have 11 catches on the season.

“I think every coach is different. Schematically, everybody has strengths that they try to play to,” Harper said. “Historically, I think F/E and our program have kind of mirrored each other. These are two programs that want to be physical at the line of scrimmage, want to establish the run and want to be balanced with the pass.”

Slavinski is the Titans’ leading rusher with 60 carries for 608 yards and eight touchdowns.

“Billy is a very powerful runner,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama senior linebacker Collin Ryan said. “He’s big and tough to bring down. We really have to wrap him up.”

Defensively, Ryan leads the Wolfpack with 101 tackles, including 17 for a loss, while Hinsdale has five interceptions. Barmore has nine tackles for a loss and three sacks, while Matthew Redlecki leads the team with four sacks.

“Collin Ryan is one of the best players that I’ve ever coached. Defensively, he is our all-time leading tackler. He’s gone over 100 tackles each of the last two seasons,” Harper said. “We’re going to need him to play Collin Ryan Football on Thursday.”

For Franklinville/Ellicottville, Collin Mooney has 75 tackles, Blecha has four interceptions and Slavinski has three sacks.

“We are working on our assignments and getting to where we need to be,” Towne said. “We’ve been physical lately, so that has helped us out. If we continue to do that, we should be good.”

The winner of Thursday’s game will take on Section V’s champion at 5 p.m. next Friday at SUNY Brockport in the Far West Regional.

“I respect Coach Harper and his staff. I know 100% they’ll come ready to go,” Tatlow said. “My job is to get our guys to match that. It’ll be a battle. I’ve told our guys that they need to be prepared to go 48 minutes.”

Avon and Alexander will play for the Rochester area’s title Saturday.

“Anytime you come into a season with high expectations, it’s important to be consistent and take things one day at a time,” Harper said. “I know it sounds cliche, but as soon as you start looking too far into the future, that’s generally when you get beat.”