A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for Week 7

By: Michael Love
Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 5:55 PM

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Class 5A northeast

North Hills (2-4, 2-2) at Fox Chapel (2-4, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Fox Chapel Stadium, Fox Chapel

North Hills lost to Pine-Richland last week, 59-13, and Fox Chapel suffered a 27-7 loss at Penn Hills. … Zidane Thomas scored the Foxes’ lone touchdown, his first rushing score of the season. For North Hills, Chase Foskey had a 69-yard touchdown reception and Robert Dickerson a 93-yard kickoff return. … North Hills has won eight straight over Fox Chapel in the current series that began in 2012.

No. 1 Pine-Richland (5-0, 4-0) at Kiski Area (2-3, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Richard J. Dilts Field, Allegheny Township

Kiski Area snapped a three-game losing streak last week with a 55-22 home win over Shaler. Brock Wilkins, who ran for four first-half touchdowns before leaving the game because of injury, is not expected to play. Sophomore Lebryn Smith threw for 175 yards and a touchdown. … Pine-Richland has averaged 50 points through five games. Pine-Richland clinched the Northeast Conference with a 59-13 win over North Hills. Cole Spencer threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Jochem had eight catches for 219 yards and two scores.

Class 4A greater allegheny

Armstrong (3-3, 3-3) at No. 3 Plum (6-0, 6-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum

Plum captured its first conference title since 1983 with a 35-7 victory over Knoch last Friday. The Mustangs will go after their first undefeated regular season since 1977 (8-0-2). … Ryan Hubner threw for 171 yards and two scores against Knoch, putting him over 1,000 yards for the season. … Armstrong sophomore Cadin Olsen leads the WPIAL in passing with 1,637 yards and 16 touchdowns against only one interception. He threw for 280 yards and four scores in a loss to Highlands last Friday.

Greensburg Salem (1-5, 1-5) vs. Highlands (3-3, 3-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Golden Rams Stadium, Natrona Heights

Greensburg Salem has dropped its past four games. Highlands has won two in a row after losing three straight. Neither team qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. … The Golden Lions are dealing with injuries, including one to starting quarterback Hayden Testa. Greensburg Salem scored 21 points at Mars last week thanks to the running of Alex Briggs and Rashad Canady. … Highlands rallied from a 27-6 deficit in the third quarter to defeat Armstrong, 34-27. Brock White, who scored the winning touchdown, rushed for 203 yards and three scores. Quarterback Chandler Thimons has thrown for 1,104 yards.

Knoch (0-6, 0-6) at Hampton (4-2, 4-2)

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

The Knights were limited to 111 yards of total offense (41 passing, 70 rushing) in a 35-7 loss to Plum last Friday. Keagan Fraser led the Knights with 18 carries for 55 yards and the team’s lone score. … Hampton quarterback Matt DeMatteo ran for a touchdown and threw for another in a win over Indiana last week. Jacob Premick leads the rushing attack with 366 yards and four touchdowns.

Class 3A allegheny seven

Valley (2-3, 1-3) at East Allegheny (4-1, 2-1)

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

Valley returned to the win column last week, 32-14 at Yough. Justin Hooper scored on a 29-yard run and 55-yard interception return. Cayden Quinn threw for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Xavier Wilson had three carries for 81 yards and a score. … East Allegheny hopes to keep its playoff hopes alive after sitting out last week when Derry canceled. The Wildcats’ most recent game was a 22-8 victory over Steel Valley on Oct. 9. Junior quarterback/wideout Michael Smith has accounted for a team-best five touchdowns.

Nonconference

Burrell (2-4) at No. 1 Central Valley (6-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Sarge Alberts Stadium, Monaca

The matchup came about after covid-19 issues canceled the Bucs’ Allegheny Seven game with Derry and Central Valley’s Northwestern Six contest against Avonworth. … Burrell hopes to rebound from last Friday’s 38-18 loss to conference rival Freeport. Burrell’s Alex Arledge has 923 passing yards with five touchdowns. … No. 1 Central Valley’s Myles Walker had a 66-yard punt return, a 23-yard reception and a 44-yard run for touchdowns in last week’s 41-6 win over Ambridge. Landon Alexander has 699 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

South Allegheny (3-3) at Deer Lakes (0-6)

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

Deer Lakes is one of four teams winless in Class 3A (Brownsville, Quaker Valley, Ambridge) after a 56-6 loss to North Catholic last week. Freshman Derek Burk threw a TD pass to sophomore Brandon Colledge for the Lancers’ score. Junior Colton Bach had 90 yards on 17 carries. … South Allegheny has won three of four. Antonio Epps ran for 208 yards on 32 carries and two scores in last Friday’s 14-7 win over South Park.

Class 2A allegheny

Apollo-Ridge (4-0, 4-0) at Steel Valley (1-4, 0-2)

7 p.m. Friday, William V. Campbell Athletic Field, Munhall

Apollo-Ridge is shooting for its first undefeated regular season since 2000 (10-0). Last Friday’s game was canceled because of Serra Catholic’s covid-19 issues. Apollo-Ridge has averaged 47.5 points over four games. Klay Fitzroy is among the WPIAL leaders in receiving with 24 catches for 494 yards (123.5 ypg.) and six touchdowns. A win would put Apollo-Ridge’s John Skiba alone in first place on the all-time coaching wins list at the school with 57. … Steel Valley is a run-first team. Nijhay Burt leads the way with 611 yards and eight TDs.

Class A eastern

Bishop Canevin (3-3, 2-3) at Riverview (0-6, 0-6)

Noon Saturday, Riverside Park, Oakmont

Riverview’s Dean Cecere ran 15 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 76-25 loss to Leechburg. He has 607 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Ryan Aber added 117 passing yards and a touchdown to James Williams (six catches, 77 yards). … Bishop Canevin has lost to Leechburg and Jeannette after a 3-1 start. Multi-threat quarterback Willie Banks-Hicks has nine total touchdowns.

Leechburg (3-3, 3-3) at Imani Christian (1-5, 1-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Graham Field, Wilkinsburg

Leechburg’s point total last Friday in a 76-25 win over Riverview is a school record, surpassing the mark set in a 62-37 victory over Blairsville in 1950. The total of 101 points between the teams was the third most in a game in A-K Valley history. … Braylon Lovelace had 392 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries. That gives him 891 rushing yards and 11 scores for the season. … Imani Christian lost to Clairton and Springdale the past two weeks by a combined score of 119-8. Freshman quarterback Steven Jenkins paces the Imani offense. He threw a touchdown to junior Malik Shannon against Springdale.

Springdale (5-1, 5-1) at No. 1 Clairton (5-0, 5-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Neil C. Brown Stadium, Clairton

Springdale is 3-29 all-time against the Bears, including last year’s 43-7 loss. The last win for Springdale in the series came in the 2007 WPIAL semifinals (22-21). … Legend Ausk has completed 51 of 72 passes for 800 yards this season. Demitri Fritch, Logan Dexter and Cavin Kindler recorded two touchdowns each in last week’s 55-8 win over Imani Christian. … The Bears are led by quarterback Jonte Sanders, who has thrown for 764 yards and 13 touchdowns against only one interception. Dontae Sanders owns 972 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

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, Bishop Canevin, Burrell, Central Valley, Clairton, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Greensburg Salem, Highlands, Imani Christian, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Plum, Riverview, South Allegheny, Springdale, Steel Valley