PENNSYLVANIA, USA — When High school football playoffs begin, communities like Catawissa in Columbia County turn into tiger territory.
All thanks to the winning ways of the southern Columbia Tigers.
"Get ready to watch the Tigers defeat Dunmore," said Alicia Hollingshead, the bar manager at Catawissa Cracker Barrel bar and grill.
It's a popular hangout for Tiger fans like Frank Seltzer. He expects a strong showing from the tigers Friday night as they take on the Dunmore Bucks in the 2A semifinals.
"Every game is a big game especially when you hit the playoffs...I'm not surprised year after year." said Seltzer. "The season starts they lose a lot of people a lot of kids and then at the end of the year they are their again. "
The two teams have meet before, Seltzer says in his daughters four years at Southern they only saw two losses.
One came from the Bucks back in 2012, and hopefully never again.
"They play their game, they don't make mistakes I feel they win...no one ever gets tired of winning," said Seltzer.
As the Southern Columbia Tigers look to win their 7th consecutive state championship, the Dunmore Bucks look to make it back to the big game and also avenge a loss handed to them by the Tigers back in 2017.
"I feel great because when I was in high school, we got beat up, but I think we got it this time," said Billy McDonough a2018 graduate of Dunmore Junior Senior High School.
Whether it was cheering from the stands as a member in the marching band back in High School or hanging a sign outside of Cara Mia's Delicatessen.
McDonough says the entire community rallies around a big game like this.
"Almost every time we have a big game...you'll go around to see different businesses around here and see small signs as you can tell we have a big sign here that says GO BUCKS."
As game time approaches lifelong Dunmoreans like JoAnn Martarano Rabel are anticipating a trip back to Hershey.
"Completely for the Bucks, completely for Dunmore, my hometown...very important that they win. Hoping, praying," said Rabel.
Kickoff for the semifinal matchup between Southern and Dunmore will be tomorrow night at 7:00pm.
The game will be played at Harman-Geist Memorial Field in Hazleton.