A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 4

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, September 21, 2022 | 7:58 PM

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Class 5A Big East Conference

Plum (3-1, 1-0) at 5-Gateway (3-1, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Antimarino Stadium, Monroeville

The rivalry game returns a two-year hiatus as the Mustangs dropped down to Class 4A. Gateway won the 2019 meeting, 44-0. Plum is 1-12-1 all-time against Gateway. Plum rolled to a 42-13 victory over Norwin last Friday. Eryck Moore recorded 213 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries. Junior Sean Franzi and sophomore Darian Nelson added rushing scores as Plum totaled 344 yards on the ground. … Gateway’s undefeated record came to a sudden end with a 16-7 loss to Franklin Regional last week. Gateway was held to 143 yards of total offense (112 rush, 31 pass) in 40 plays. The loss dropped the Gators from No. 1 to No. 5 in the Trib Class 5A rankings.

Class 5A Northeast Conference

Pine-Richland (1-3, 0-1) at Fox Chapel (0-4, 0-0)

7 p.m. Friday, at James Burk Complex, O’Hara Township

Pine-Richland is an uncharacteristic 1-3 overall, and the Rams managed just a field goal in a 13-3 loss to Seneca Valley last Friday. Senior Ryan Palmieri leads the team with three rushing touchdowns. Pine-Richland is the only school in WPIAL history to win titles in four classifications (2A, 3A, 4A and 5A). … Fox Chapel still is seeking its first win after a 49-7 loss to Upper St. Clair last Friday. The Foxes collected 183 yards of total offense. Senior Jack Visco leads the defense with 28 tackles. The Foxes are 1-8 all-time against Pine-Richland. Their only victory was the first win in school history, 7-6 in 1961.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference

4-Highlands (4-0, 1-0) at Indiana (2-2, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Andy Kuzienski Field, Indiana

The Golden Rams made a statement last Friday with their 17-7 victory over North Catholic. Highlands is 4-0 for the second straight season and moved into the Trib’s Class 4A rankings at No. 5. Daniel Long, a transfer from North Catholic, had multiple sacks. Offensively, Chandler Thimons threw for 133 yards and a touchdown, and Luke Bombalski added 110 rushing yards and a score. Defensively, Bombalski recorded 13 tackles and four sacks. … Indiana had a two-game win streak stopped last Friday with a 37-0 loss to Mars in its conference opener. Junior quarterback Trevor Smith has thrown for three touchdowns and run for two more.

Kiski Area (0-4, 0-1) at North Catholic (2-2, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, J.C. Stone Field, North Park

North Catholic hopes to bounce back this week from Friday’s 17-7 loss to Highlands that put a halt to its 25-game conference win streak. Quarterback Jason Siket threw for 120 yards but was sacked several times and intercepted twice. … Kiski Area has gone through a rugged early-season schedule. The Cavaliers have scored just 21 points in four games against Plum, Pine-Richland, Laurel Highlands and Hampton. The Talbots shut out Kiski Area, 38-0, last week. DeShawn McBryde ran 12 rushes for 31 yards in the loss. Kiski Area and North Catholic each have won three games in the series. They last played in 1989, with the Cavaliers winning 34-8.

Class 2A Allegheny Conference

Apollo-Ridge (2-2, 0-1) at Derry (0-4, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Trojan Stadium, Derry

Apollo-Ridge has dropped two in a row after a 2-0 start. The Vikings fell to Ligonier Valley, 28-14, last week. Dom Curci had two touchdowns, and Gage Johnston passed for 104 yards in the loss. … Derry had a 10-7 lead at Yough but could not hold back the Cougars in a 13-10 loss. The Trojans have scored just 41 points on the season.

Yough (2-2, 1-0) at Burrell (3-1, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Buccaneer Stadium, Lower Burrell

The Bucs hung with Serra Catholic through two quarters last Friday, but the Eagles scored 21 straight points in the third quarter to take control in a 38-20 win. Devin Beattie (19 carries, 142 yards) and Mason Jones (14-89) continued Burrell’s strength in the ground game with first-quarter rush scores. Burrell has 1,163 total rushing yards and just 38 yards passing. … Yough evened its overall record in its conference debut last Friday with a 13-10 victory over Derry. Burrell leads the all-time series 7-2. This is the first conference game between the schools since 1976.

Class A Eastern Conference

Greensburg C.C. (2-2, 0-0) at Springdale (0-4, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Field, Springdale

Springdale suffered a 77-0 loss to Leechburg last week. The young Dynamos were paced by sophomore Colton Gent, who rushed 14 times for 38 yards. … GCC lost 55-27 to Washington last Friday after scoring 57 the week before in a victory over West Greene. GCC quarterback Tyree Turner completed 16 of 26 passes for 219 yards, four touchdowns and one interception last week. Amari Mack caught five balls for 103 yards and two scores. GCC leads the all-time series 12-5.

Riverview (1-3, 0-1) at Frazier (0-4, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Commodore Field, Perryopolis

Riverview was stung last Saturday by Clairton, 54-0. The Raiders finished with 101 yards of total offense (47 passing, 54 rushing). Junior running back/linebacker Carlo Buzzato carried the ball seven times for 32 yards, caught two passes for 16 yards, completed a pass for 17 yards and recorded four tackles on defense. … Conference newcomer Frazier has lost its last 14 games dating back to the end of the 2020 season. They have surrendered an average of 54 points in their four losses this season, the most of any team in Class A.

Nonconference

3A-1-Elizabeth Forward (4-0) at Knoch (0-4)

7 p.m. Friday, Art Bernardi Stadium, Butler

Knoch challenged Southmoreland last Friday before falling, 33-24. Cody Mullen was 22 of 42 for 341 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jack Bauman caught six passes for 163 yards and two TDs. … Top-ranked EF has made playoffs five straight seasons under coach Mike Collodi, a Burrell graduate. It doubled up Shady Side Academy, 42-21, last week behind Zion White (7-of-12 passing, 227 yards, four TDs) and Zach Boyd (five receptions, 205 yards, four TDs). Despite being in the same classification for many years, this is the first time Knoch and Elizabeth Forward have ever met.

Mt. Pleasant (3-1) at Freeport (3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Freeport Athletic Stadium, Freeport

Mt. Pleasant has rushed for more than 350 yards per game, including 398 last week in a 40-13 win at Valley. Two-sport standout Robbie Labuda had 325 all-purpose yards, including 203 rushing, and scored twice. QB Cole Chatfield had three completions, all for touchdowns. … Freeport suffered its first loss of the year when it was thumped last week at Armstrong, 49-7. Freeport led 7-0 on a 69-yard touchdown run by Ben Lane, but then it was all River Hawks.

Southmoreland (2-2) at Deer Lakes (1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Lancer Stadium, West Deer

Southmoreland evened its record with a 33-24 win over visiting Knoch last week. Ty Keffer, a newcomer at receiver, pulled in a career-high nine receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns, and Kadin Keefer was 13 of 18 for 167 yards in the win. … Deer Lakes lost to Greensburg Salem, 28-14, last week. Derek Burk threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice.

Valley (0-4) at Uniontown (2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, at Bill Power Stadium, Uniontown

Valley dropped a 40-13 nonconference game to Mt. Pleasant last week. The Vikings came close to earning their first win two weeks ago but fell to Burrell on a last-second field goal. Tristan Goodwin collected 129 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-16 passing against Mt. Pleasant. … Uniontown owns a pair of WPIAL titles (1962 and 1965). These days, the Red Raiders are not part of the WPIAL, making the move to an independent schedule in January 2021. The teams are meeting for the first time since 2003.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Derry Area, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Frazier, Freeport, Gateway, Highlands, Indiana, Kiski Area, Knoch, North Catholic, Pine-Richland, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, Uniontown, Valley