A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 8

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Class 5A Big East

Hempfield (5-3, 1-2) at Plum (3-5, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum

The Spartans try to end a three-game losing streak to save their playoff hopes. Plum saw its playoffs hopes end with a 35-21 loss at Penn-Trafford. The Mustangs have dropped four consecutive games after starting the season 3-1. … Hempfield has played the past two games without quarterback Jake Phillips and center Logan Eisaman. Backup quarterback Keiran Lippman and wide receiver Daniel Katonka hooked up for two scores against Franklin Regional. Running back Gino Caesar rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown. The Mustangs like to run the ball behind Eryck Moore, who has rushed for 945 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Class 3A Allegheny 6

4-Freeport (7-1, 3-0) at Valley (1-7, 0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Valley High Memorial Stadium, New Kensington

Freeport can clinch at least a tie for the Allegheny 6 title and secure a home playoff game in the Class 3A first round with a win over the Vikings. The Yellowjackets blanked rival Knoch, 42-0, last week. It was their fourth win in a row since the loss to Class 4A Armstrong on Sept. 16. … Valley suffered a 30-0 loss to Shady Side Academy on Saturday as SSA celebrated homecoming. The Bulldogs held the Vikings to 31 net yards. Demetrius Ballard returned a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown, but the score was nullified on a penalty. Valley leads the all-time series 10-6. Nine of the 16 games have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

Knoch (0-8, 0-3) at East Allegheny (6-2, 2-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Churchman Stadium, North Versailles

East Allegheny can clinch a WPIAL playoff spot with a win over the Knights. The Wildcats bounced back from a loss to Freeport on Oct. 7 with last week’s 42-7 triumph over Deer Lakes. … Knoch wasn’t able to crack the scoreboard last Friday in a 42-0 loss at rival Freeport. Sophomore quarterback Codi Mullen has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year as a starter under center. The Knights hope to snap a 12-game losing streak dating to last year. Knoch and East Allegheny have never met on the football field.

Shady Side Academy (3-4, 2-1) at Deer Lakes (4-4, 2-1)

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

The Lancers clinched the program’s third WPIAL playoff berth Saturday without playing. Deer Lakes suffered a 42-7 loss to East Allegheny on Friday, but it picked up a spot in the postseason when Shady Side Academy defeated Valley on Saturday. The Lancers own tiebreaker victories over Valley (0-3) and Knoch (0-3). Wayne Love leads the Lancers’ receiving corps with 14 catches for 426 yards and four TDs. … Shady Side led Valley, 16-0, at halftime en route to a 30-0 homecoming victory. The Bulldogs have clinched a playoff spot with tiebreaker wins over Valley and Knoch the past two weeks. SSA quarterback Max Wickland completed 12 of 18 passes against Valley for 284 yards and a touchdown. He also tallied a 1-yard TD run. Joey Bellinotti caught six passes for 158 yards, and he scored on a 5-yard run. Shady Side leads the all-time series 14-8.

Class 2A Allegheny

Burrell (5-3, 2-3) at Derry (0-8, 0-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Trojans Stadium, Derry

The Bucs are in the mix for one of the final two playoff berths from the conference. Steel Valley (5-0), Serra Catholic (5-0) and Ligonier Valley (3-2) have clinched. Burrell is tied for fourth with Apollo-Ridge and Imani Christian. The Bucs close out conference play next week at Apollo-Ridge. … Derry is one of 10 WPIAL teams still searching for its first win of the season. The Trojans weren’t able to solve Imani Christian last week in a 44-17 loss. Senior Jordan Flack scored on a 1-yard run for Derry, and sophomore Damauri Robinson caught a 38-yard TD pass from fellow sophomore Blake Revoir, and senior Nate Gray booted a 31-yard field goal. Derry leads the all-time series, 4-3. The first time the schools played, in 1982, the Trojans won by the odd score of 11-0.

3-Serra Catholic (7-1, 5-0) at Apollo-Ridge (4-4, 2-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Owens Field, Apollo

Apollo-Ridge is tied for fourth in the conference standings with Burrell and Imani Christian, and the Vikings are battling for one of the final two berths. Steel Valley (5-0), Serra Catholic (5-0) and Ligonier Valley (3-2) have clinched. Apollo-Ridge takes on Burrell in the conference finale next week. The Vikings got back on track in conference play last Friday with a 26-13 win over Yough. … Serra Catholic continues to find success this season after winning the WPIAL Class 2A title and finishing as the PIAA runner-up last year. The Eagles have won seven straight after a loss to Class 4A North Catholic, 37-14, in Week Zero. Senior Elijah Ward scored two rushing touchdowns and added a receiving score in last Friday’s 27-18 victory over Ligonier Valley. Apollo-Ridge leads the all-time series, 4-2. Serra captured the two most recent matchups, including last year, 62-20.

Class A Eastern

Springdale (0-8, 0-4) at Jeannette (2-6, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette

Winless Springdale sustained its ninth straight loss, falling 25-12 to Frazier. The Dynamos have lost by double figures in seven games this season. They made the playoffs last season and advanced to the quarterfinals. … With a win, Jeannette clinches a playoff spot. Jeannette stayed with Greensburg Central Catholic for a quarter, using its running game to keep GCC off the field. But the Centurions made some big plays and pulled away for a 44-0 victory. Noah Sanders has been a bright spot for the Jayhawks. Last week, he ran for 142 yards on 32 carries. Three starters did not play last week, including Michael Mason, a key running back and linebacker.

3-Greensburg C.C. (6-2, 4-0) at Riverview (3-5, 1-3)

Noon Saturday, Riverside Park, Oakmont

Playoff-bound Greensburg Central Catholic is proving to be one of the most dangerous offensive teams in Class A. Last week, Jaydin Canady ran for 101 yards and scored four touchdowns, including a 90-yard pick-six and a 77-yard reception, in a 44-0 win over Jeannette. The Centurions are in position to win the conference. They have not won a conference title since 2010. … Riverview fell to 1-3 in conference play with a 57-12 loss to Leechburg and career 4,000-yard rusher Braylan Lovelace. The Raiders’ wins have come against Carlynton, Frazier and Summit Academy. Rocco Cecere and Carlo Buzzatto had touchdown runs last week for the Raiders. Buzzatto ran for 118 yards on 18 carries.

Nonconference

Fox Chapel (0-8) at Kiski Area (0-8)

7 p.m. Friday, Richard Dilts Stadium, Allegheny Township

Something has to give as one of these teams will earn its first victory of the season. Kiski Area wasn’t able to stop the powerful Highlands offense in last week’s 56-7 loss to the Golden Rams in Greater Allegheny Conference play. … Fox Chapel suffered a 43-14 loss to Woodland Hills last Friday. Senior Peter Tran and junior Tyrese Samuels caught a touchdown pass each from Foxes junior quarterback Ben DeMotte, who finished 15 of 30 for 150 yards against the Wolverines. Fox Chapel and Kiski Area first played in 1982. The Cavaliers lead the all-time series 14-11. Kiski Area is hoping to avoid its first winless season since 2014. Fox Chapel hasn’t had a winless season since 1968.

Shenango (2-6) at Class A No. 5 Leechburg (6-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Veterans Stadium, Leechburg

Leechburg has scored at least 56 points in all its wins this season, including last Friday’s 57-12 victory over rival Riverview. Senior Braylan Lovelace (279 yards) moved to No. 5 on the all-time career rushing list in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Lovelace needs 152 more yards to catch Valley’s Branon Williams for fourth. The Blue Devils want to keep the momentum going — they’ve won three in a row since a loss to Clairton — with the conference and regular-season finale at Greensburg Central Catholic (6-2, 4-0) looming next week. … Shenango steps away from Big 7 Conference play while hanging on to hopes for a WPIAL playoff spot. The Wildcats stayed alive last week with a 61-6 rout of Summit Academy, and they also have beaten Northgate in the conference. Shenango is predominantly a running team with 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground to 479 yards and five TDs through the air. Senior Hunter Lively leads the way with 647 yards and six touchdowns on 113 carries. He also leads the defense with 33 tackles, four sacks and an interception. The first time the two teams met, in 1996, the game ended in a brawl, and the 20-20 score stood as the final. Shenango won the 2008 and 2009 meetings.

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, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, Shenango, Springdale, Valley