When Line Mountain takes the field Saturday afternoon for its season opener, it will still be feeling the effects of its monumental victory over five-time defending Class A state champion Southern Columbia nine months earlier.

The fact that Eagles' supports will have to either ride a fan bus or drive some five hours to Erie for a Saturday afternoon game against a first-year program is proof of that.

With most area teams joining the new Heartland Athletic Conference, Line Mountain found itself with two open dates -- to replace Lewisburg in the opener and Shikellamy in week nine.

Unable to get games that would have resulted in easy trips for the players and fans, Line Mountain ended up with Harbor Creek Youth Services, a school for troubled youth in its first year of playing football, and St. Frances Academy, of Baltimore, Md. Saturday's game is at Iroquois High School and the latter contest is at home Oct. 25.

You see, schools which had open dates and could have scheduled Line Mountain wanted no part of the Eagles as a result of last year's District 4 Class A semifinals upset.

The first to turn Line Mountain down was Holy Cross, a Class A school in Dunmore.

The conversation between Line Mountain athletic director Lance Adams and his Holy Cross counterpart went something like this:

HC: "Did you make the playoffs last year?

Adams: "Yes."

HC: "What district are you in?"

Adams: "Four."

HC: "Oh. Did you play Southern Columbia?"

Adams: "Yes."

HC: "Oh. You are the team that beat Southern Columbia?"

Adams: "Yes."