Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2024 Week 9

By: Don Rebel
Friday, October 25, 2024 | 12:06 AM

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Welcome to Week 9 of the high school football season, the final Friday in October and the last regular season weekend of the 2024 campaign.

There are 65 WPIAL football playoff berths this season, with 49 spots guaranteed to be clinched by the end of Friday in the six classifications, with another 16 wild card spots to be determined by the WPIAL football steering committee Saturday.

Heading into Week 9, 35 of the 49 guaranteed postseason berths have been determined.

The 35 are:

Class 6A: Central Catholic and North Allegheny

Class 5A: Pine-Richland, Upper St. Clair, Peters Township, Bethel Park, Woodland Hills, Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional

Class 4A: Thomas Jefferson, McKeesport and Mars

Class 3A: Imani Christian, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Avonworth, Central Valley, Beaver and Elizabeth Forward

Class 2A: South Park, South Allegheny, Steel Valley, Ellwood City, Western Beaver, Seton LaSalle and Keystone Oaks

Class A: Fort Cherry, Bishop Canevin, Neshannock, Laurel, Clairton, Leechburg, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan and California

Here is a look at some of the top high school football matchups for Friday in Week 9.

Class 6A

No. 3 Seneca Valley (3-5, 3-2) at No. 2 North Allegheny (8-1, 4-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Newman Stadium at North Allegheny

Coaches: Ron Butschle, Seneca Valley; Art Walker, North Allegheny

On the air: Audio stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Central Catholic 61, Seneca Valley 7, North Allegheny 28, Pine-Richland 21

Players to watch: Andrew Loebig, Seneca Valley (Jr., 5-9, 160, QB); Brady Brinkley, North Allegheny (Soph., 6-3, 175, QB/FS)

Team notes

Seneca Valley: The Raiders’ hopes of winning out and taking the Class 6A regular season title came to an abrupt end on the turf at Carnegie Mellon when they yielded 40 points in the second quarter in what turned into a 54-point loss to first-place Central Catholic. The loss ended a two-game winning streak for Seneca Valley. Junior quarterback Niel Loebig actually put the Raiders up in the only score of the first quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Danny Drennan. Loebig has thrown for nearly 600 yards and six touchdowns this season.

North Allegheny: The Tigers took a break from their Class 6A schedule last week to pick up their most impressive win of the 2024 season. In a back-and-forth affair against rival and Class 5A top-ranked Pine-Richland, North Allegheny sophomore quarterback Brady Brinkley was fantastic, connecting on 11 of 21 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, two to senior wide receiver James Donaldson and the fourth-quarter game winner to senior tight end Dylan Langdon. He also scored on a 78-yard touchdown run as NA handed the Rams their first loss of the season.

Historic factoids

• North Allegheny has won eight of the last nine regular season meetings against Seneca Valley and leads the series 33-12-2.

• The Tigers and Raiders have met five times in the WPIAL postseason with NA holding the slight edge, 3-2. The most recent playoff game was four years ago when North Allegheny beat Seneca Valley in a Class 6A semifinal, 21-7. The first playoff battle between the two was in 2011 when NA beat SV in a 4A quarterfinal, 35-10.

• The first meeting between these schools was 60 years ago. Seneca Valley defeated North Allegheny in the fall of 1964, 6-0. A year later, the teams played to the first of their two ties, 13-13. The other tie came in 1990 with the same final score, 13-13.

Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference

No. 4 Bethel Park (8-1, 3-1) at Peters Township (8-1, 3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Confluence Financial Partners Stadium at Peters Township MS

Coaches: Phil Peckich, Bethel Park; T.J Plack, Peters Township

Last week: Bethel Park 35, South Fayette 14; Peters Township 49, Baldwin 8

Players to watch: Tanner Pfeuffer, Bethel Park (Sr., 6-4, 200, QB); Nolan DiLucia, Peters Township (Jr., 6-2, 190, QB/DB);

Team notes

Bethel Park: The bounce back following the Black Hawks’ first loss of the season in Week 7 to Upper St. Clair was quick and painful last week — painful for visiting South Fayette. Bethel Park led by two touchdowns after one quarter and added on in the second to claim a commanding 35-0 lead by halftime. A lot of damage was done for Bethel Park by senior quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer, who hit on 16 of his 28 passes for 261 yards and four touchdown tosses, two to senior wide receiver Ryan Petras (back from an injury) and one each to senior wide out Mitch Paschi and sophomore Brady Bruckner.

Peters Township: Like Bethel Park, the Indians’ only loss was to Upper St. Clair late last month, but since then, Peters Township has also regrouped and surged on with a three-game winning streak in which it has outscored Moon, South Fayette and Baldwin, 110-25. Last week against the Highlanders, junior quarterback Nolan DiLucia continued his strong campaign, connecting on 8 of 11 passes for 192 yards and four touchdowns, two to senior wide receiver Nick McCullough and one each to senior wideout Eli Prado and junior tight end Reston Lehman, all in the first quarter of a one-sided victory.

Historic factoids

• Bethel Park leads the all-time series against their neighbors to the south, 17-10. They have split their last two meetings with BP winning in 2022, 27-21, then Peters Township winning big last fall, 68-28.

• The Indians beat the Black Hawks three times in a row from 2018-2020 by a combined score of 110-14. Before that three-year Peters Township run, Bethel Park had won seven straight games between 2011-2017 with the Indians scoring double-digit points once in 2015, 35-12.

• The schools played three times between 1929-1931 with Peters Township beating Bethel Park in the first meeting 95 years ago, 27-6. The two didn’t play each other again until 1992.

Class 4A Parkway Conference

West Allegheny (3-3, 3-1) at No. 1 Montour (8-0, 4-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium at Montour

Coaches: Dave Schoppe, West Allegheny; Lou Cerro, Montour

Last week: West Allegheny 55, Blackhawk 7; Montour 36, Aliquippa 35

Players to watch: Brock Cornell, West Allegheny (Sr., 5-11, 178, ATH); Trey Hopper, Montour (Sr., 6-3, 175, QB)

Team notes

West Allegheny: Archie Bunker would have been proud of the Indians’ win last week over Blackhawk as West Allegheny kept it “All in the Family.” The Cornell family was front and center in running West A to a big victory at Blackhawk. Senior Brock Cornell led the way for the Indians with 156 yards on 14 carries and four touchdowns, plus he returned a punt 89 yards to the house. In only five games this season, the running back has rushed for a team high 780 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore running back Brodie Cornell cracked the century mark as well, gaining 101 yards on only eight carries.

Montour: Will there be anything left in the tank for the Spartans after an emotional victory last week at home against defending district and state champion Aliquippa? Senior quarterback Trey Hopper continued his big season for Montour, connecting on 19 of 32 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns, plus he hit senior wide receiver Andrew Alston with the game-winning 2-point conversion pass in the final moments of the one-point win. Alston and senior Daniel Batch were on the receiving end of those scoring passes.

Historic factoids

• This battle of West Hills rivals couldn’t be any closer. In 43 previous meetings, West Allegheny has won 21 times, Montour has 21 wins and there has been one tie.

• This has been a series of runs. The Spartans have won the last two meetings, including last year, 49-17. Between 2012-2021, the Indians won six straight. Montour won four of the five before that and West Allegheny had an eight-game winning streak in the series between 1997-2006.

• There was one WPIAL playoff game in this series that took place 12 years ago. In a Class 3A quarterfinal, West Allegheny defeated Montour, 14-2. The first meeting in the series was 75 years ago when the Indians beat the Spartans 6-0 in the fall of 1949. The lone tie came 60 years ago when they deadlocked 12-12 in 1954.

Class 3A Western Hills Conference

Hopewell (4-5, 2-3) at North Catholic (3-6, 2-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Lieutenant J.C. Stone Field in North Park

Coaches: Matt Mottes, Hopewell; Chris Rizzo, North Catholic

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Central Valley 44, Hopewell 20; Avonworth 48, North Catholic 28

Players to watch: James Armstrong, Hopewell (Fr., 6-2, 210, QB); Joe Felitsky, North Catholic (Jr., 6-0, 175, QB)

Team notes

Hopewell: Despite a second straight loss last week, the Vikings are still in a position where a win will give them a fourth-place finish in the Class 3AWestern Hills Conference and a likely wild card playoff berth, which would halt the second-longest current district playoff drought. Hopewell hasn’t reached the WPIAL postseason since 2012. Last week in a loss to Central Valley, Hopewell freshman quarterback James Armstrong threw for 122 yards and tossed a scoring pass to freshman running back Brody Rock, plus he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown.

North Catholic: A four-game losing streak has cost the Trojans any chance of finishing in the top three of the Western Hills Conference and earning a guaranteed playoff berth, but they will finish in fourth place with a win and have a good shot at a Class 3A wild card. In a 20-point loss last week at Avonworth, North Catholic junior quarterback Joey Felitsky hit on 23 of 35 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including two scoring passes of 56 and 34 yards to sophomore Jack White, who had four receptions for 146 yards. Felitsky has thrown for over 2,000 yards in 2024 while White is now tied for the team lead with 7 TDs.

Historic factoids

• This is only the second meeting between Hopewell and North Catholic. The first came three years ago. The teams were schedule to open the 2020 season as well, but the game was postponed due to the delay in the season caused by the covid-19 outbreak.

• The only previous meeting was in Week Zero of the 2021 season, with North Catholic crushing Hopewell, 62-0. The game was actually scoreless after one quarter before the Trojans scored 35 points in the second quarter and 21 more in the third. North Catholic’s Jack Fennell scored three touchdowns, one on a 10-yard run and the other two on punt returns of 59 and 60 yards.

• Both programs have won one WPIAL football championship. Hopewell won Class 3A gold in 2002 while North Catholic captured a Class A championship in 2013.

Class 2A Allegheny Conference

No. 4 South Allegheny (8-1, 4-1) at No. 5 Steel Valley (6-3, 4-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Campbell Field in Munhall

Coaches: Brian Hanson, South Allegheny; Ray Braszo, Steel Valley

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: South Allegheny 48, Sto-Rox 0; Steel Valley 53, Ligonier Valley 7

Players to watch: Ryan Cortes, South Allegheny (Sr., 6-0, 180, QB/SS); Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley (Sr., 5-10, 172, RB/CB)

Team notes

South Allegheny: The incredible turnaround story for the Gladiators continues this fall. South Allegheny won its opener last season, then lost the final nine games of the season. Following a 4-0 start and a loss to Class 2A Allegheny Conference champion South Park, SA has won four in a row again after blanking Sto-Rox a week ago. Senior quarterback Ryan Cortes was 12 of 15 passing for 80 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back Cameron Epps ran for 104 yards and a score.

Steel Valley: Following a sluggish start to the 2024 campaign in which they lost three of their first four games, the Ironmen have turned things around with five straight victories, including a rout of host Ligonier Valley a week ago. Senior running back Donald Barksdale averaged over 62 yards per carry when he gained 314 yards on only five attempts and scored three touchdowns while brother Da’Ron “only” averaged 20 yards per carry with 101 yards on the ground on five totes with two touchdowns.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between the schools since 2019 and is the 32nd all-time meeting. It has been one-sided, with the Ironmen holding a big lead, 27-4.

• The Ironmen have won their last seven meetings against the Gladiators, the second time they’ve won seven in a row in the series. However, the longest Steel Valley streak against South Allegheny is eight straight between 1994-2003. In the last seven meetings, the Ironmen have outscored the Gladiators, 317-73.

• The last time South Allegheny beat Steel Valley was 12 years ago in the 2012 season, 14-6. The three other Gladiators wins over the Ironmen came in 2004, 1993 and in the first meeting between the two in 1980, 17-0.

Class A Tri-County South Conference

Jefferson-Morgan (9-0, 6-0) at California (7-2, 6-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Trojan Stadium at California

Coaches: Shane Ziats, Jefferson-Morgan; Ed Woods, California

On the air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Jefferson-Morgan 54, Avella 20; California 56, Beth-Center 14

Players to watch: Houston Guseman, Jefferson-Morgan (Sr., 5-10, 180, QB/S); Lee Qualk, California (Sr., 5-9, 175, RB/LB)

Team notes

Jefferson-Morgan: The Rockets are hoping to make a little history with a victory on the road as they try to complete a perfect regular season. With a win, Jefferson-Morgan would claim its first Class A Tri-County Conference championship since 2006 when it shared the crown with California and Monessen. It would be the program’s first outright conference title since 1989. Senior quarterback Houston Guseman continues to lead the offense, passing for 104 yards and two touchdowns, plus rushing for 98 yards in last week’s victory at Avella.

California: The Trojans are hoping to win the Class A Tri-County South Conference for a second straight season. A year ago, they won the TCS with a perfect conference record and finished the regular season 9-1 overall. California has been riding senior running back Lee Qualk, who leads the WPIAL in rushing with 1,852 yards on 186 carries. He also leads the district in scoring with 32 touchdowns. Last week, Qualk ran for 257 yards on 21 carries and scored five touchdowns in the Trojans’ eighth triumph of the season in a win at Beth-Center.

Historic factoids

• This is the 49th all-time meeting between Jefferson-Morgan and California and the Trojans hold a 29-17-2 lead.

• California has won the last eight games against Jefferson-Morgan, including a 48-21 win in 2023. The recent series between the two has not been close, with the Trojans outscoring the Rockets in the last nine contests, 429-92.

• The Rockets’ last win in this series came in 2015, 13-8. Jefferson-Morgan also won the first meeting between the schools in the fall of 1941, 18-6. California then went 6-0-2 in the next eight meetings head-to-head.

Tags: Bethel Park, California, Hopewell, Jefferson-Morgan, Montour, North Allegheny, North Catholic, Peters Township, Seneca Valley, South Allegheny, Steel Valley, West Allegheny