Countdown to Kickoff ’25: Saturday games not extinct just yet in WPIAL football

By: Don Rebel
Friday, August 15, 2025 | 5:34 PM

There was a time when Saturday afternoon marked a busy end to a high school football weekend around the WPIAL.

Twenty years ago, 11 district schools played their home football games on Saturdays, with Bishop Canevin, Duquesne, Geibel Catholic, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, Shenango, South Side, Summit Academy, Western Beaver and Wilkinsburg playing their 2005 home schedule on Saturday afternoons or as was the case with Bishop Canevin and Shenango, Saturday evenings.

However, those days are a distant memory.

With the news that Western Beaver will be playing under the new lights at Rich Niedbala Field in Industry this fall, only two schools now play their home games on Saturdays: Riverview and Summit Academy

Riverview does bring in the portable lights once a year for the school’s annual homecoming game, played on a Friday night, this year Oct. 4.

Speaking of homecomings, three district schools play their homes games Friday nights but continue the tradition of playing their annual homecoming games on Saturday afternoons: Shaler, Shady Side Academy and Burgettstown.

Three WPIAL private schools share their stadiums with the host district and will play some of their homes games on Saturdays when there are conflicts.

Bishop Canevin and Seton LaSalle share Dormont Stadium with Keystone Oaks while Our Lady of the Sacred Heart plays its home games at Moon Stadium, home of the Tigers.

Here is the complete Saturday WPIAL football schedule for 2025.

Week Zero — Aug. 23

Beth-Center at Riverview, noon

Delaware Valley vs. McKeesport at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, noon

Westinghouse vs. Steel Valley at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, 3:30 p.m.

Elizabeth Forward vs. West Mifflin, 7 p.m.

Week 1 — Aug. 30

Valley at Riverview, noon

Seton LaSalle vs. Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium, 7 p.m.

Westinghouse at Linsly School (WV), 7 p.m.

Week 2 — Sept. 6

Freedom at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Woodland Hills vs. Central Catholic at Canton, Ohio, 3:30 p.m.

Week 3 — Sept. 13

Leechburg at Riverview, noon

South Side at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Week 4 — Sept. 20

Chartiers-Houston at Burgettstown, 2 p.m.

Week 5 — Sept. 27

Greensburg Central Catholic at Riverview, noon

Rochester at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Penn Hills at Shaler, 1:30 p.m.

Apollo-Ridge vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Moon, 7 p.m.

Week 6 — Oct. 4

South Allegheny at Shady Side Academy, 2 p.m.

Ironton (Ohio) at Uniontown, 3:30 p.m.

Week 7 — Oct. 11

Shady Side Academy vs. Seton LaSalle at Dormont Stadium, 4 p.m.

Steel Valley vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Moon, 7 p.m.

Week 8 — Oct. 18

Clairton at Riverview, noon

Neshannock at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Week 9 — Oct. 25

Shenango at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Burgettstown vs. Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium, 7 p.m.