Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2024 Week 4

By: Don Rebel
Friday, September 20, 2024 | 12:08 AM

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Welcome to Week 4 of the 2024 WPIAL football regular season and another Friday night of storm-free football.

Conference play continues for 12 of the 17 WPIAL conferences. Teams from all three Class 4A conferences along with the 5A Allegheny Six Conference and the 3A Interstate Conference have one more week of tuneups before they finally begin conference play next week.

Through the first four weeks of the season, 25 WPIAL football teams have yet to lose and 18 district teams are still searching for that first victory of the season.

The list of undefeated teams with four wins includes North Allegheny, Bethel Park, Peters Township, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair, Thomas Jefferson, Deer Lakes, Imani Christian, Greensburg Salem, South Allegheny, Cornell, Fort Cherry, Monessen, Clairton, Jeannette, Leechburg and Jefferson-Morgan.

That list will be cut by at least two since Fort Cherry faces Monessen and Leechburg battles Jeannette on Friday.

Mt. Lebanon, Baldwin, East Allegheny, Valley, Charleroi, Beaver Falls, Laurel, Serra Catholic are the winless teams with four decisions, hoping to not make it five this weekend.

Here is a look at some of the top high school football matchups for Friday in Week 4.

Class 6A

No. 5 Canon-McMillan (1-3, 0-0) at Mt. Lebanon (0-4, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Mt. Lebanon HS Stadium

Coaches: Mike Evans, Canon-McMillan; Greg Perry, Mt. Lebanon

Last week: Canon-McMillan 45, Armstrong 35; Central Catholic 59, Mt. Lebanon 7

Players to watch: Evan Morris, Canon-McMillan (Sr., 6-0, 190, RB/DB); Patrick Smith, Mt. Lebanon (Jr., 6-3, 215, QB/LB)

Team notes

Canon-McMillan: Following three straight losses to undefeated Class 5A powers Peters Township, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair, the Big Macs picked up their first win prior to the start of 6A play with a road victory at Armstrong last week. Senior running back Evan Morris rushed for 214 yards and scored four touchdowns while sophomore quarterback Ty Jansma threw for 238 yards and a touchdown as Canon-McMillan scored more points last week (45) than it had in its first three games combined (33).

Mt. Lebanon: The early season woes continued for the Blue Devils last week in their Class 6A opener against Central Catholic. Mt. Lebanon junior quarterback Pat Smith connected on 15 of 23 passes for 154 yards against the Vikings and hit senior wide receiver Noah Schaerli on a 49-yard scoring pass for Lebo’s only points. In losing their 6A opener, the Blue Devils fell to 0-4 overall and have been outscored in their first four games, 157-36.

Historic factoids

• Mt. Lebanon leads the all-time series 46-8, including 14 wins in the last 16 meetings. Prior to last year, the Big Macs last beat the Blue Devils in 2020, 24-17. That ended a 12-game skid against Lebo that dated to 2008.

• Last year in Week 9, Canon-McMillan defeated Mt. Lebanon, 41-28. Michael Evens threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns while Zachary Welsh ran for 133 yards and two scores as the Big Macs clinched third place with the win while the Blue Devils finished in fourth place. Both lost in the semifinals to North Allegheny and Central Catholic two weeks later.

• The Blue Devils won the first meeting between the schools in 1940, 28-0. That was one of 15 shutout wins the Blue Devils have over the Big Macs. These teams have met once in the WPIAL playoffs with Mt. Lebanon eliminating Canon-McMillan, 38-31, in the 2018 6A quarterfinals. These schools have met for 18 consecutive seasons.

Class 5A vs. 4A nonconference

Class 5A No. 3 Upper St. Clair (4-0) at Class 4A No. 4 McKeesport (1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, George Smith Field at Weigle-Schaeffer Stadium at McKeesport

Coaches: Mike Junko, Upper St. Clair; Matt Miller, McKeesport

Last week: Upper St. Clair 62, Hampton 7; McKeesport 28, Belle Vernon 7

Players to watch: Dante Coury, Upper St. Clair (Jr., 5-8, 175, RB/DB); Kemon Spell, McKeesport (Soph., 5-11, 195, RB)

Team notes

Upper St. Clair: The Panthers won eight games a year ago but missed out on a wild card and remained home for the postseason. Bent on keeping control of its postseason aspirations this fall, USC is flying out of the gates with four impressive wins. The latest victory came last week when it rolled past Hampton thanks to 49 first-half points. The combination of junior Dante Coury, sophomore John Banbury and freshman Josh Snyder rushed for 371 yards and six touchdowns for Upper St. Clair.

McKeesport: Following three tough losses against elite teams, the Tigers finally put one in the win column last week with an impressive performance against defending WPIAL and PIAA 3A champion Belle Vernon. Sophomore running back Kemon Spell rushed for 151 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 17, 71 and 20 yards. Senior Anthony Cromerdie rushed for 92 yards for McKeesport and scored on an 8-yard run.

Historic factoids

• This is the 16th all-time meeting between the schools. McKeesport has won 10 times, including the last five meetings, while Upper St. Clair has five victories.

• This is the first meeting since McKeesport edged Upper St. Clair in the 2018 Class 5A first round, 13-7. The last time the Panthers beat the Tigers was 17 years ago, when USC pitched a shutout, 31-0, in the fall of 2007.

• More than half of the previous 15 games between McKeesport and Upper St. Clair have been played in the WPIAL playoffs. These two cats have met nine times in the district postseason with the Tigers holding the edge over the Panthers, 6-3. McKeesport won in the 1994, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2016 and 2018 postseasons while Upper St. Clair has earned wins in the 1991, 1993 and 2004 playoffs. The 1994 clash was for the WPIAL Class 4A championship as the Tigers defeated the Panthers, 21-14.

Class 4A nonconference

No. 3 Thomas Jefferson (4-0) at West Mifflin (2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Titan Stadium at West Mifflin

Coaches: Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson; Rod Steele, West Mifflin

Last week: Thomas Jefferson 44, Avonworth 7; Bethel Park 62, West Mifflin 14

Players to watch: Luke Kosko, Thomas Jefferson (Sr., 6-4, 205, QB); Armand Hill, West Mifflin (Soph., 5-8, 170, RB)

Team notes

Thomas Jefferson: After close wins over Class 3A power Central Valley and 4A contender McKeesport, the Jaguars pulled away for a comfortable victory over another 3A top team in visiting Avonworth. Leading by only two points after one quarter, Thomas Jefferson scored the final 35 points. Senior quarterback Luke Kosko enjoyed a big night, hitting on 19 of 29 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns while sophomore running back Tyler Eber had 103 yards rushing and two scores.

West Mifflin: The Titans played up in class last week and struggled mightily at undefeated Bethel Park. West Mifflin was kept off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Armand Hill rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown and freshman running back Jarelle Mason had 49 yards on the ground and a score. Through three games, Hill leads the Titans in rushing with 382 yards on 56 carries and has scored nine touchdowns.

Historic factoids

• This is the 58th meeting between these Lebanon Church Road neighbors with Thomas Jefferson holding a commanding lead over West Mifflin, 43-13-1. The Jaguars have won 13 games in a row in this rivalry, which has taken place each year since 1973.

• Last year, Thomas Jefferson defeated West Mifflin, 28-14. Brody Evans threw for 141 yards and a touchdown, Michael Banda rushed for 101 yards and Aidan Whalen had 95 yards on the ground and a score. The 14 points scored by the Titans ended a drought against TJ in which they hadn’t scored a point in this series since 2018. In that span of four wins, the Jaguars outscored the Titans, 192-0.

• The first game in the series was in 1960 when Thomas Jefferson blanked West Mifflin, 6-0. The Titans won the next three games in the series, their longest winning streak against the Jaguars. These teams have played three times in the WPIAL playoffs with Thomas Jefferson winning in 2004 and 2016 and West Mifflin picking up a postseason victory in 2000.

Class 3A Western Hills Conference

Beaver (3-1, 1-0) at Central Valley (1-3, 1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Sarge Alberts Stadium at Central Valley

Coaches: Curt Rowse, Beaver, Mark Lyons, Central Valley

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Beaver 49, Hopewell 17; Central Valley 49, McGuffey 0

Players to watch: Travis Clear, Beaver (Jr., 6-0, 175, QB); Braddock Ambrose, Central Valley (Soph., 6-0, 160, QB)

Team notes

Beaver: It was bounce-back mode for the Bobcats last week after losing their first game in Week 2 to Imani Christian. Beaver scored 28 second-quarter points to take a 35-point lead at the half on their way to a 32-point win. Junior quarterback Travis Clear was a perfect 4 for 4 passing for 125 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to senior wide receiver Amari Jackson of 45 and 32 yards. Jackson also returned a kickoff 88 yards for a score.

Central Valley: Following close losses to Class 4A powers Montour, Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon, it didn’t take long for the preseason 3A No. 1 team to take control on its path to win No. 1 as the Warriors scored 42 first-half points on their way to a blowout win at McGuffey. Sophomore quarterback Braddock Ambrose connected on 13 of 15 passes for 224 yards and five touchdowns, with two of the scoring aerials going to senior Mason Dixon on plays covering 68 and 2 yards. Dixon rushed for 112 yards and two scores as well.

Historic factoids

• This is only the third meeting between the schools with Beaver and Central Valley splitting the first two games. Both contests were tight, with the Warriors winning in 2016, 42-35, and the Bobcats picking up the victory in 2017, 24-22.

• Beaver and Central Valley were supposed to play each other in nonconference games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but both games were postponed. The 2020 game was canceled because of the pushback of the season due to covid-19, and the 2021 game was wiped away when several Bobcats players came down with the virus days before, forcing the postponement of the contest.

• The two schools that merged in 2010 to create Central Valley were Center and Monaca. In 34 meeting against Center, the Bobcats and Trojans split with each winning 17 times. In 53 games against Monaca, the Bobcats held a slim edge, winning 27 while the Indians won 22 with 4 ties.

Class 2A Allegheny Conference

No. 3 South Park (3-1, 1-0) at No. 4 South Allegheny (4-0, 1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Gladiator Stadium at South Allegheny

Coaches: Brian Abbey, South Park; Brian Hanson, South Allegheny

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: South Allegheny 23, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 7; South Park 7, Steel Valley 0

Players to watch: Eric Doerue, South Park (Sr., 6-1, 200, RB/OLB); Ryan Cortes, South Allegheny (Sr., 6-0, 180, QB/SS)

Team notes

South Park: The Eagles have become very stingy since suffering their first loss of the season to Deer Lakes in Week 1. Since then, South Park has given up a total of six points, six in Week 2 to Keystone Oaks in a 36-point victory and last week pitching a shutout of Class 2A’s preseason top-ranked team in Steel Valley. Senior running back Erie Doerue rushed for 160 yards on 33 carries while junior quarterback Robert Lenzi provided the game’s only points with a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

South Allegheny: Jimmy Carter was president the last time South Allegheny was 4-0 on the gridiron. SA capped of the dream season with the school’s only WPIAL football championship when it knocked off Laurel to win the 1977 Class 2A championship. South Allegheny did not win a conference game a year ago but won its conference opener last week thanks to senior quarterback Ryan Cortes, who connected on 9 of 15 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a 16-point win over OLSH.

Historic factoids

• This is the 27th all-time meeting between these two schools. South Park has won 19 times while South Allegheny has seven victories.

• While the Eagles hold a sizeable advantage head to head, the Gladiators have won the last two meetings. SA beat SP in 2020, 14-7, and again the following year in 2021, 26-7.

• South Park beat South Allegheny 12 straight times from 1997-2011 before the Gladiators knocked off the Eagles, 28-7, in 2012. The first meeting was 42 years ago when South Park blanked South Allegheny, 12-0, in the fall of 1982.

Class A Black Hills Conference

No. 4 Bishop Canevin (0-0, 2-1) at Cornell (1-0. 4-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Frank Letteri Stadium at Cornell

Coaches: Richard Johnson, Bishop Canevin; Ed Dawson, Cornell

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Bishop Canevin 48, Laurel 23; Cornell 42, Burgettstown 0

Players to watch: Kole Olszewski, Bishop Canevin (Sr., 5-11, 190, QB); Walter Clarit, Cornell (Sr., 5-8, 190, RB/LB)

Team notes

Bishop Canevin: The Crusaders lost their season opener to Class 2A top-ranked Seton LaSalle but have since won two straight as they prepare to open up Black Hills Conference play this week. Bishop Canevin pulled away from host Laurel last week with a big second quarter. Senior quarterback Kole Olszewski completed 17 of 30 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns while sophomore Myontae Mott rushed for 184 yards and scored twice for the Crusaders.

Cornell: The Raiders are proving last year’s eight wins were no fluke as they are 4-0 and have outscored their four opponents, 165-12. In their Black Hills Conference lid lifter last week, senior running back Walter Clarit rushed for 115 yards on 11 carries and scored on a 1-yard run while junior quarterback M.J. Stuckey completed 9 of 13 passes for 155 yards and two touchdown tosses and junior Khylil Johnson caught a 70-yard TD pass, ran for a 60-yard score and returned a punt 85 yards to paydirt for Cornell.

Historic factoids

• This will be the fourth straight season and the 11th time overall that Bishop Canevin and Cornell have squared off. BC leads the all-time series, 7-3.

• These teams squared off for the first time 28 years ago when the Crusaders defeated the Raiders, 38-26, in the fall of 1996. The three Cornell wins in the series came in 2001, 2018 and 2019. Bishop Canevin has won the last three times they played, including a Week 6 game last year, 21-13.

• The Crusaders and Raiders have battled once in the postseason. In the 2021 Class A semifinals, Bishop Canevin eliminated Cornell, 24-7. In that game, the Raiders scored first, but the Crusaders responded with 24 unanswered points to secure a spot in the 2021 finals. Bishop Canevin defeated OLSH in the title game to win the school’s second district football crown.

Tags: Beaver, Bishop Canevin, Canon-McMillan, Central Valley, Cornell, McKeesport, Mt. lebanon, South Allegheny, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair, West Mifflin