RIDGWAY — Ridgway is enjoying a football renaissance.

Union is out to spoil the Elkers' party — again.

The Golden Knights (5-5) already ruined Ridgway's bid for an undefeated regular season, handing the Elkers a 32-7 defeat in Week 7. Now Union travels back here for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday to open the District 9 Class A playoffs.

“Maybe they took us lightly that first time,” Union coach Dave Louder said. “They know us better now. I'm sure they'll be more prepared.

“We're anticipating a pretty good football game.”

Ridgway (8-1) put together a six-win season three years ago. The football program now works as a co-op with Johnsonburg.

“Other than that 2011 season, neither Ridgway nor Johnsonburg had won more than three games in a season for a while,” Ridgway coach Mark Heindl said. “This season is totally new territory.

“It's been all about senior leadership. The 17 seniors on this team were determined to turn the program around and they've done it.”

Before this year, Heindl sported a 20-40 career record in six years at Ridgway.

The Elkers are led by third-year quarterback and senior Ben MacDonald, who has thrown for 583 yards and 10 touchdowns, run for 813 yards and 17 scores out of the wing-T.

Cole Myers has run for 680 yards and seven scores, JP Cerroni 555 yards and two scores.

“Their offense all starts with MacDonald,” Louder said. “He's the one we have to contain.”

The Golden Knights did a good job the first time. Union held Ridgway to seven points. The Elkers have scored at least 21 against everybody else and average 31.9 points per game.

“Union's a good football team,” Heindl said. “Coach Louder does an outstanding job with those kids. They have 21 guys on the team and they came to play that night they beat us.

“They took it to us, totally outplayed us. They deserved to win that game.”

Heindl doesn't hesitate to say he prefers to run the football. The Elkers average only nine passes per game. Cody Delhunty and Myers have split 18 catches and have a combined seven touchdown receptions.

Cerroni is the only Ridgway player with double-digits in receptions. He has 16 for 159 yards.

“We want to keep it on the ground ... But we know Union can wing it,” Heindl said.

Indeed it can.

Golden Knight passing records have been dropping like flies, in fact.

Lane Cicciarelli has thrown for 1,867 yards and 18 touchdowns, the yardage marking a singe-season school record. Cole Morris has 50 receptions for 845 yards, both school records. Chet Carmichael has 34 catches for 619 yards, his yardage total No. 2 on the all-time list behind Morris.

Dugan Gallagher has rushed for 667 yards and seven touchdowns to pace Union.

“Dugan coming back from injury has been big for us,” Louder said. “He balances our offense. And our tight end, Tony Wiser, would have more catches if Cole and Chet weren't around.”

Wiser has 5.5 sacks and 132 total tackles from his defensive end position as well. His 12 career sacks are another school record.

Carmichael has scored touchdowns five different ways in 2014: Seven receiving, one rushing, one interception return, three kickoff returns and a punt return.

“He's just a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands,” Louder said. “Most teams won't even kick it to him. Those who do wind up paying for it.”

Union won its final three regular season games, outscoring its foes 104-35, to earn this playoff berth and a rematch with Ridgway.

After not playing each other at all since 1940, the teams are meeting twice in four weeks.

“This is Union's fourth straight trip to the Class A playoffs,” Heindl said. “That's not an easy thing to do.

“Hopefully, we'll fare a little better against them this time.”