By Brad Spahr

A decade ago things were significantly different on the Avon Grove High School sports scene.

There was no football team. The school's main playing field was a grassy patch of land surrounded by a cinder track. The home side stands pretty much consisted of nothing more than a bank of grass for spectators to stand on.

Things have sure changed over the years.

When the Avon Grove High School varsity football program started seven years ago, this is what they envisioned, night's like Friday night.

On Friday, Nov. 6 the Avon Grove football team will host Coatesville under the lights at Avon Grove High in its 2009 regular season finale. Kickoff is 7 p.m. for the Ches-Mont League game.

The state-of-the-art stadium and the school itself will be alive.

Avon Grove is in the midst of, by far and away, its best season in school history. The Red Devils will enter Friday night's game sporting an 8-1 overall record.

If Avon Grove beats Coatesville it will lock up at least a share of a Ches-Mont League National Division title, which would certainly be a first for the program. Avon Grove will also be making its first appearance into the district playoffs the following week, regardless of whether it wins or loses on Friday against Coatesville. However, the Red Devils need to win to lock up a seed in the top-eight of the 16-team District 1 Class AAAA tournament and a first round home game that goes along with it.

This fall Avon Grove has clinched the first winning season in school history. The Red Devils have been the talk of the Ches-Mont League this season. Avon Grove's only loss came at the hands of Downingtown East (32-21) on Oct. 2. Two week's later they scored their most impressive win of the season, and in the history of its program for that matter, when it beat Downingtown West 35-21 on Oct. 16.

The Red Devils have been dominant throughout the majority of the season. They've outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 322-132 so far while averaging nearly 36 points a game and giving up an average of just 14 a game on defense.

Avon Grove currently sits in a tie for seventh place in the District 1 points standings. The top-16 teams make the playoffs. North Penn, the only undefeated 4A team in the district, is No. 1 in the standings. Garnet Valley (8-1) is No. 2. Downingtown West (8-1), Neshaminy (8-1) and Pennsbury (8-1) are tied for third. Ridley (8-1) is sixth. Avon Grove and Norristown, meanwhile, both 8-1, are tied for seventh.