5 things to watch in Week 7: Undefeated conference foes battle in 7 key WPIAL matchups

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, October 11, 2024 | 7:00 AM

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Call them the “Super 7” of Week 7.

The WPIAL schedule includes seven matchups Friday night between teams with undefeated conference records. With only three weeks left in the regular season, these are games that can catapult or crush a team’s conference title hopes.

The list includes:

• Upper St. Clair (2-0) at Bethel Park (2-0) in the Allegheny Six

• McKeesport (2-0) at Mars (2-0) in the Greater Allegheny

• Deer Lakes (3-0) at Imani Christian (3-0) in the Allegheny 7

• Southmoreland (2-0) at Mt. Pleasant (2-0) in the Interstate

• Neshannock (3-0) at South Side (3-0) in the Big 7

• Fort Cherry (4-0) at Bishop Canevin (3-0) in the Black Hills

• Clairton (4-0) at Leechburg (4-0) in the Eastern

In all, there were 29 WPIAL teams holding onto undefeated conference records entering Week 7. Nearly half of them will meet in head-to-head matchups.

“I would expect that there’s not going to be much seating,” said Bethel Park coach Phil Peckich, whose Black Hawks hosts rival Upper St. Clair on Friday.

Going back in time

It’s no exaggeration to say Ellwood City is off to a historic start.

With a win this week, the Wolverines would match their best start to a season since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. They haven’t started 7-0 since 1944.

Ellwood City (6-0, 4-0) and third-year coach Dan Bradley visit Riverside (4-3, 3-1) on Friday night. The schools are only about three miles apart. Ellwood City won this matchup 41-0 last season, ending a streak of seven straight losses to its rival.

The team improved to 6-0 last week for the first time in 38 years with a 26-20 win over Western Beaver. Not since 1986 had the Wolverines started a season with six consecutive wins.

Running back Elijah Palmer-McCane rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win.

‘House with strong foundation

Westinghouse hasn’t lost a regular season game to a City League opponent in five years — a winning streak that has reached 22.

The team to accomplish the feat most recently will try to stop the streak Friday night. Westinghouse (5-1, 3-0) faces University Prep (3-3, 3-0) in the regular season finale at Cupples Stadium.

In recent years, the Bulldogs haven’t lost often. University Prep won 33-22 on Sept. 5, 2019. No City League team has celebrated a regular season win over Westinghouse since.

Better than 50/50?

How many times will Burrell sophomore Trey Coury carry the football Friday?

Rarely does a running back approach the WPIAL record for carries in a game, but Coury was in the neighborhood in two consecutive weeks. He had 53 carries last week and 54 two weeks ago. Burrell (2-5, 2-1) won both games, defeating Valley and East Allegheny for Allegheny 7 wins. That upped Coury’s season total to 220 carries. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Coury has rushed for 1,047 yards.

Burrell has a conference matchup Friday at Highlands (2-4, 1-3).

Pine-Richland’s Ethan Pillar was credited with the WPIAL single-game record when he carried 56 times last season.

Something’s gotta give

Nine WPIAL offenses entered the week averaging more than 40 points per game: Bethel Park (51), Clairton (49), Leechburg (43.2), Imani Christian (42.5), California (42.4), Beaver (41.2), Seton LaSalle (40.8) and Bishop Canevin (40.8). Two defenses are holding opponents to less than a touchdown: Clairton (1 ppg) and Fort Cherry (5.7).

So, something’s got to give Friday when Leechburg hosts Clairton and Fort Cherry visits Bishop Canevin.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Beaver, Bethel Park, Bishop Canevin, Burrell, California, Clairton, Deer Lakes, Ellwood City, Fort Cherry, Imani Christian, Leechburg, Mars, McKeesport, Mt. Pleasant, Neshannock, Riverside, Seton La Salle, South Side, Southmoreland, University Prep, Upper St. Clair, Westinghouse