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MANSFIELD - Everything seems just a little off with this year's annual North-Mansfield clash.

Not just the last-minute schedule change, moving the game from Friday night to Saturday afternoon at 4:30 to accommodate for the funeral service of Marine Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen. But for the first time in a while, the game may not mean much in the grand scheme of the Hockomock League. North enters the game at 5-3 in the league and well outside of contention for the title. Mansfield, at 5-1 in the league, does not control its own destiny in regards to a league championship, needing Franklin to lose twice in three games to make it back to the playoffs.

"Usually at this point the winner clinches a share," Mansfield coach Mike Redding said. "At this point we're just kind of keeping our fingers crossed and taking care of business ourselves."

But none of that should affect the quality of football played at Alumni Field in Mansfield on Saturday.

"We haven't approached this week any different than we normally do against Mansfield," North coach Don Johnson said. "We approach it from the point that we think we're a good team that can beat anybody any week." North has three Hockomock League losses, all three close games that could have went either way. The Rocketeers could easily have a much better record, and the Hornets are well aware of that.

"I think the 5-3 record is definitely very deceptive, they're a handful of plays away from being an 8-0 team," Redding said. "I think our kids realize that after looking at them on field, that they're as good as anybody."

Mansfield is coming off a big victory over King Philip to keep their postseason hopes alive. But things don't get any easier this week, as the Hornets face yet another must-win game. Meanwhile, the Rocketeers enter Saturday with relatively little pressure, now relegated to the role of spoiler.

"I think the kids have really been anxious for this run of games," Redding said. "We played Franklin early and then we kind of had a run of games where we won pretty comfortably. I think both teams will be more than ready to go. As usual this will be a great, great football game."

North will be looking to limit the big play on defense, which has done in the Rocketeers in their three losses. But it will be no easy task to shut down a Mansfield offense featuring three solid backs, led by Shawn Doherty, and a potent passing attack.

"We can pick probably one play from each game, you take that play out and we're undefeated," Johnson said. "On offense we have to finish and make the big play ourselves and on defense we can't give up the big play.

"I think we have to control Doherty, we have to control the ground game first but they're balanced. You have to control him and not give up the big play on the pass."

But if any defense can contain the Hornet offense it may be the Rocketeers.

"They're a little smaller then they've been up front but the three linebackers are very active and the kids in the secondary fly to the ball," Redding said.

Emotions will be running high on Saturday as the Rocketeers will take the field after Van De Giesen's, (a former North quarterback) funeral the day before. Van De Giesen's brother, Ryan, is a coach on the North staff. "We've run the gamut of emotions here the last week or two," Johnson said. "We try to keep the team focused on the game, the whole thing is still at the forefront of our minds too. It's a very unusual week, the emotions are different."

"I think there is going to be a special atmosphere here on Saturday," Redding said. "I'm sure their kids are going to be ready to play their hearts out for Ryan."

Canton at Foxboro

The Warriors have two opponents this week, the Canton Bulldogs and a nasty case of the flu.

On Tuesday the Warriors were down 31 players at practice thanks to a particularly tough strain of the flu. Foxboro gave serious consideration into moving the game, but will play tonight at the Ahern Field.

"Right now we're fighting that flu," Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli said.

Foxboro will be going up against a deceptively tough Canton squad, a team that almost beat Hockomock League leader Franklin and features a talented rushing offense led by Jordan Guyton, a speedy, powerful back that can really hurt opposing defenses.

"They have some weapons besides him, but he's the head of the snake so to speak, he's the kid you have to stop," Martinelli said.

"He can be on the wing, he can be the tailback, I'm not sure he couldn't be a wildcat kid either."

The Bulldogs run a combination of offenses, featuring the Wing- T, I-formation and, like many teams, the spread. But just because Canton goes to the spread doesn't mean they'll be passing.

"I think anybody that employs the spread can run out of it," Martinelli said.

After Canton looms the Warriors of King Philip and the Hornets of Mansfield, two huge games for the Warriors if they hope to make a run at the Hockomock League title. But, knowing that his kids have seen the game tape of Canton nearly beating Franklin, Martinelli knows his Warriors won't overlook this week's opponent.

"I think everybody realized they're pretty good," Martinelli said. "They've played some pretty good teams they had some good games."

Stoughton at King Philip

Coming off last week's loss to Mansfield, King Philip still controls its own destiny.

If the Warriors win out against their remaining schedule they will be playoff-bound. But that pressure isn't wearing on the Warriors in preparation for the Black Knights, at least not any more than it was before the Mansfield loss.

"You never go into a game thinking it's OK if we lose this one," King Philip coach Brian Lee said. "Every game is a pressure game in the Hock because all the teams are so good."

This week the Warriors play host to Stoughton in their final home game. The Black Knights are just 1-7 overall, their lone win coming against winless Oliver Ames. But that doesn't mean they are an easy opponent.

"They have a lot of different formations on offense that you have to prepare for," Lee said. "And defensively they are always physical and well-coached."

One of the biggest games in King Philip history looms next week as the Warriors will travel to Foxboro. Assuming KP takes care of business against Stoughton, that game will decide whether the Thanksgiving day clash will Franklin will determine who goes to the playoffs.

But Lee and his staff are making sure that this doesn't turn into a trap game for KP with Foxboro on the horizon.

"We have stressed not to buy into their record," Lee said. "I think they are a lot like us two years ago, a good team who plays everyone tough but just haven't got the breaks they need. We also made sure they have seen (Stoughton) on film so they can see for themselves how good they are."