A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 9

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 5:49 PM

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Class 5A Northeast

Fox Chapel (0-9, 0-4) at Shaler (4-5, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Louis C. Martig Field at Titans Stadium, Glenshaw

Fox Chapel is hoping to avoid a winless season for the first time since 1968. The Foxes suffered a 50-13 loss to Kiski Area last Friday as the Cavaliers picked up their first victory of the season. Ben DeMotte threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns against Kiski Area, but he also threw four interceptions. He went over 1,000 passing yards for the season and owns six touchdown tosses. … Shaler has lost three straight conference games (Penn Hills, North Hills, Pine-Richland) and has been eliminated from playoff contention. Luke Cignetti scored on a 33-yard run for the Titans’ lone score in a 37-7 loss to North Hills last week. Cignetti has rushed for 993 yards and has 13 total touchdowns. … Fox Chapel has won the last two meetings, including last year’s 28-14 triumph.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny

5-Highlands (8-1, 4-1) at Hampton (5-4, 3-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Fridley Field, Allison Park

Highlands is in the WPIAL playoffs for the 23rd time. The Golden Rams, hoping to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week, a 56-35 setback to Armstrong, need a victory to secure second place in the conference and a likely home game to start the playoffs. A loss would put Hampton in second place. Hampton, with a loss, would be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs under tiebreaker points. … Highlands’ Chandler Thimons threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns — both to Rondeal Hewlett — and added a rushing score in the loss to Armstrong. He became the Alle-Kiski Valley’s all-time leading passer, getting by Deer Lakes’ Aris Hasley’s mark set three years ago. Aaron Randolph added 130 yards and a pair of scores on 14 carries. … Hampton averaged 45.5 points in wins the past two weeks against Indiana (42-7) and Mars (49-42). The Talbots put up big numbers last week against the Planets. Brock Borgo rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries, Joey Mayer threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, and Benny Haselrig caught seven passes for 225 and three scores.

Kiski Area (1-8, 0-5) at Armstrong (8-1, 5-0)

7 p.m. Friday, NexTier Bank Athletic Complex, Kittanning

Armstrong won a share of its second conference title in school history with its 56-35 victory over Highlands last Friday. The River Hawks can win it outright with a win this week. Senior Penn commit Cadin Olsen now is 10th all-time in WPIAL passing yardage with 7,101 career yards. He completed 17 of 21 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns against the Golden Rams. Three receivers — Isaiah Brown (6-157, 3 TDs), Ian Olsen (5-147, TD) and Kyan Kline (5-127) — finished with more than 100 yards. The River Hawks’ lone loss came against Aliquippa, 28-14, in Week 1. … Kiski Area tasted victory for the first time this season with a 50-13 win over Fox Chapel last Friday. Senior Dom Dininno returned to the lineup and had a big game with 12 receptions from sophomore Carson Heinle for 163 yards and four touchdowns He also intercepted two passes, taking one back for a score, and forced a fumble. Heinle finished 19 of 23 for 219 yards and the four TDs. He added 49 rushing yards and a score. Connor Flemm led the run game with 93 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. … The River Hawks lead the series, 3-1.

Class 3A Allegheny 6

Deer Lakes (4-5, 2-2) at 4-Freeport (8-1, 4-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Freeport Area Athletic Stadium, Buffalo Township

Freeport owns a share of its 13th conference title, but it can win the championship outright with a victory Friday. The Yellowjackets are in the WPIAL playoffs for the 32nd time, an Alle-Kiski Valley record. Deer Lakes is locked into fourth place in the conference and is in the playoffs for the third time (2010, 2015). The Lancers own tiebreakers over both Valley and Knoch. … Freeport has won five in a row since a loss to Class 4A No. 4 Armstrong. Senior Ben Lane ran for three touchdowns and threw another against Valley, while Gavin Croney, Brady Sivenson and Parker Lucas recorded TD receptions. Lane now has 15 rushing TDs on the season. Cyp Sellinger picked off a pass and returned it 27 yards for a score. … Deer Lakes hopes to get back on track offensively. The Lancers have scored a total of just 14 points the past three weeks. Deer Lakes suffered a 20-0 loss to Shady Side Academy last Friday. Quarterback Derek Burk has thrown for 1,231 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Burk also leads the run game in scoring with six TDs. … Freeport owns a lopsided 44-6 lead in the all-time series.

Valley (1-8, 0-4) vs. Knoch (0-9, 0-4)

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

Something has to give Friday as both Valley and Knoch each seek their first win in conference play. The Vikings, whose lone win this season came against Uniontown in Week 4, was not able to solve conference leader Freeport in a 62-19 loss last Friday. The Vikings got the first score as Zayaan Ferron caught a touchdown pass which covered 39 yards. Valley added touchdowns on a 56-yard run from Dallas Price and a 6-yard run from Xavier Wilson. … Knoch’s bid for an upset of East Allegheny last Friday fell by the wayside as the Wildcats outscored the Knights, 14-0, in the fourth quarter to set the 31-21 final. Knoch has had two other close calls in its attempt to get in the win column: a 32-31 loss to Indiana in Week 1 and a 37-36 setback to Deer Lakes in Week 5. The Knights have scored 14.4 points a game and have given up 37.7. … Valley leads the all-time series, 14-12. The teams last played in 2011 when Knoch scored a 44-7 victory en route to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the WPIAL Class AAA title game against Montour.

Class 2A Allegheny

Apollo-Ridge (5-4, 3-3) at Burrell (6-3, 3-3)

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

Burrell clinched a spot in the WPIAL playoffs for the 20th time with a 30-8 victory over Derry on Friday. The Bucs own the necessary tiebreakers should they be needed. Apollo-Ridge controls its own destiny for its 17th WPIAL playoff berth. The Vikings still will qualify with a loss, provided Imani Christian (2-4) loses to Yough. … Burrell bounced back from consecutive losses (Ligonier Valley and Steel Valley) as Devin Beattie rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. Mason Jones and Chase Fennder added TD runs, and Ryan Croushore booted a 26-yard field goal. … Apollo-Ridge provided one of the bigger upsets of Week 8 with a 43-36 overtime victory over Serra Catholic (7-2, 5-1). The Eagles had won seven straight. Nick Curci was the true definition of a workhorse with 51 rushes totaling 338 yards and five touchdowns. Jake Mull added three catches for 95 yards and a score. … Burrell leads the all-time series, 18-15.

Class A Eastern

Riverview (3-6, 1-4) at Springdale (0-9, 0-5)

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

Riverview and Springdale will meet for the 38th time. The Raiders lead the series, 20-17. … Springdale is trying to avoid its first winless season since 1992. The Dynamos suffered a 35-7 loss to Jeannette last Friday. Springdale avoided the shutout as Chase Weihrauch found Garrett Myers for a 3-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Weihrauch finished 7 of 14 passing or 107 yards and added nine carries for 49 yards. Colton Gent hauled in two passes for 67 yards for the Dynamos. … Riverview is going after its first four-win season since 2015. The Raiders found tough sledding the past two weeks in losses to conference leaders Leechburg and Greensburg Central Catholic. Carlo Buzzatto was a bright spot for the Raiders in last week’s 49-0 loss to the Centurions with 19 carries for 110 yards. He leads the team with 796 yards and seven scores on 107 carries.

Nonconference

Plum (4-5) at Indiana (3-6)

7 p.m. Friday, Andy Kuzniecki Field, White Township

Plum hopes to end the season on a high note and finish at .500 after being eliminated from the WPIAL playoff chase. The Mustangs snapped a four-game losing streak with last Friday’s 34-21 Big East Conference victory over Hempfield. Plum finished conference play 2-3. Mustangs senior running back Eryck Moore-Watkins needs 151 yards to surpass 1998 Plum graduate Dave Pucka as the program’s all-time leading rusher. He went over 3,000 career yards against Hempfield as he carried the ball 29 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns. The Mustangs ran the ball 42 times overall for 299 yards. Junior quarterback Sean Franzi added a rushing score in addition to completing 13 of 22 passes for 124 yards and a TD pass to senior Kaden Thomas, who had a monster defensive game with a team-leading 18 tackles. … Indiana hopes to snap a three-game losing streak. The Indians completed a challenging three-game gauntlet against Armstrong, Hampton and North Catholic. Indiana was held off the scoreboard last week in a 41-0 loss to North Catholic and was limited to 92 yards of total offense. Junior Trevor Smith is a dual-threat quarterback for the Indians. … Plum leads the all-time series, 8-6.

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, Armstrong, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Hampton, Highlands, Indiana, Kiski Area, Knoch, Plum, Riverview, Shaler, Springdale, Valley