A potential game between a pair of state Quad-A football powers for the 2010 season opener has fallen through.

Gateway head coach Terry Smith said the Gator football program had reached a tentative agreement to play North Penn from District 1 at Gateway in 2010 and at North Penn in 2011.

Smith said he spoke with the North Penn head coach, and the two had worked out the agreement.

At the same time, Smith said, the North Penn athletic director revived a stalled agreement for North Penn to face 2009 Quad-A state champion LaSalle College from District 12 and formerly of the Philadelphia Catholic League.

"The head coach and athletic director weren't on the same page," Smith said.

When the coach and AD got on the same page, Smith said, they realized they had double-scheduled the season opener.

Smith said a choice was made, and North Penn opted to go with LaSalle College for its opener.

That leaves Gateway still without an opening game for the 2010 season.

Smith said he has been in communication the past several weeks with officials who run the Friends of Coal Prep Football Classic at Wheeling Island Stadium about the Gators' participation in the event.

Woodland Hills and McKeesport played in the 2009 event.

The Wolverines lost to Steubenville, Ohio, 13-0, and it was their only loss until a season-ending defeat to State College in the state playoffs.

Gateway also will play exhibition games against Penn Hills and Pittsburgh Central Catholic.