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

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, August 22, 2024 | 11:47 PM

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Welcome to the kickoff of the 2024 WPIAL football season — the eighth time we begin a district football season with Week Zero.

The season begins for six teams wearing the mantle of defending champions: North Allegheny in 6A, Peters Township in 5A, Aliquippa in 4A, Belle Vernon in 3A, Beaver Falls in 2A and Fort Cherry in A.

This is also a realignment year as several teams have changed classifications, either moving on up or slipping down. That includes Belle Vernon, which is back up in 4A.

This just in … Aliquippa is also still in 4A as the Quips’ fate in avoiding a move to 5A was settled by two courts.

Join us every Friday as we take a look at six of the top matchups around the WPIAL.

Here is a look at some of those matchups for Friday and Saturday in Week Zero.

Teams are listed with final 2023 records.

Class 5A vs. 6A nonconference

Class 5A No. 1 Peters Township (15-1) at 6A No. 3 Canon-McMillan (6-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Big Mac Stadium in Canonsburg

Coaches: T.J. Plack, Peters Township; Mike Evans, Canon-McMillan

Last game: Imhotep Charter 38, Peters Township 13 in 5A PIAA final; North Allegheny 49, Canon-McMillan 7 in 6A WPIAL semifinals

Players to watch: Nolan DiLucia, Peters Township (Jr., 6-2, 190, QB/DB); Troy Stimpson, Canon-McMillan (Soph., 5-10, 180, RB/DB)

Team notes

Peters Township: The Indians are coming off the most successful football season in school history after winning their first WPIAL championship and finishing runner-up to Imhotep Charter in the PIAA 5A playoffs. Quarterback Nolan DiLucia enjoyed a standout sophomore campaign as he hit on 229 of 379 passes for 3,131 yards and 30 touchdown passes to lead the district in yards tossed. Senior linebacker Mickey Vaccarello is a stud on defense for Peters Township.

Canon-McMillan: The Big Macs once again enjoyed success last fall with a third-place finish in 6A and another trip to the postseason. However, Canon-McMillan lost again to eventual champion North Allegheny in the district semifinals. The loss ended the brilliant career of four-year starting QB Michael Evans. The Big Macs will lean on experienced beef up front with senior center/defensive end Matt McMahon and senior guard /defensive end Jayden Boeltz while sophomore Troy Stimpson leads the ground game.

Historic factoids

• These Washington County rivals met in Week 8 last season with the Indians defeating the Big Macs, 23-10, as Vinny Scarsone scored twice on the ground to help Peters Township remain undefeated.

• Peters Township and Canon-McMillan have squared off each year for the last 17 years with the exception of the 2020 covid-19 season. The Indians lead the all-time series 14-10, which includes a seven-game winning streak between 2009-2015.

• This season marks the 45th anniversary of the first meeting on the gridiron between the Indians and Big Macs. Peters Township blanked Canon-McMillan, 14-0, in the fall of 1979.

Class 4A vs. 5A nonconference

Trinity (7-5) at Moon (6-6)

7 p.m. Friday, Tigers Stadium at Moon

Coaches: Dan Knause, Trinity; Ryan Linn, Moon

On the air: You can watch via pay stream on Trib HSSN

Last game: McKeesport 28, Trinity 14 in 4A quarterfinals; Peters Township 41, Moon 18 in 5A semifinals

Players to watch: Jonah Williamson, Trinity (Jr., 6-2, 205, QB/LB); Nazir Brookins, Moon (Sr., 6-0, 225, RB/LB)

Team notes

Trinity: The Hillers are expected to contend in the 4A Big Six Conference thanks to the return of junior quarterback Jonah Williamson. The dual-threat quarterback threw and rushed for over 1,000 yards. He was 127 of 212 passing for 1,860 yards and 13 touchdowns, plus he led Trinity on the ground with 1,012 yards rushing on 164 carries and 12 scores. Senior Nico Mauro joins Williamson in the offensive backfield and also at linebacker on defense.

Moon: The Tigers are hoping to avoid another slow start out of the gates this season. Moon started 0-3 with close losses to West Allegheny, Montour and Mt. Lebanon before winning five of its last seven regular season games. The Tigers will lean heavily on the running of senior back Nazir Brookins. He was the team’s second-leading rusher behind Josh Bladel last season with 807 yards on 147 carries and seven touchdowns.

Historic factoids

• This is the first meeting between the Hillers and Tigers in nearly four decades. Trinity rolled past Moon in the fall of 1985, 34-7.

• Moon leads the all-time series between the teams 4-2 with all six matchups coming between 1980-1985.

• None of the meetings between the two have been decided by less than 12 points. In the four Tigers wins over the Hillers, Moon scored a combined 77 points while Trinity tallied only 17 total points. However, in the two Hillers victories, they outscored the Tigers, 61-13.

Class 3A vs. 4A nonconference

Class 3A No. 4 Elizabeth Forward (10-2) at West Mifflin (7-5)

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

Coaches: John DeMarco, Elizabeth Forward; Rod Steele, West Mifflin

On the air: Video stream on TribHSSN.TribLive.com

Last game: Avonworth 21, Elizabeth Forward 10 in 3A semifinals; Elizabeth Forward 42, West Mifflin 21 in 3A quarterfinals

Players to watch: Ryan Messina, Elizabeth Forward (Jr., 6-2, 190, QB); Armand Hill, West Mifflin (Soph., 5-8, 170, RB)

Team notes

Elizabeth Forward: The Warriors shined bright last fall under new coach John DeMarco, losing only to eventual champion Belle Vernon in the regular season and Avonworth in the district semifinals. EF returns its top passer from last year in junior Ryan Messina, who hit on 98 of 172 passes for 1,649 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with leading rusher in senior Charlie Nigut, who ran for 859 yards and led the team in scoring with 23 touchdowns.

West Mifflin: Following a couple of successful playoff seasons in Class 3A, the Titans make the climb back up to the familiar confines of the Big Six Conference in Class 4A. West Mifflin welcomed freshman Armand Hill to varsity football last fall and he left a big mark. The now-sophomore running back ran for 1,526 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in limited action his rookie season. Hill ran for 495 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Hopewell, the second-most rushing yards ever in a WPIAL game.

Historic factoids

• These rivals met twice in 2023 with the Warriors beating the Titans both times. In a Week 1 matchup at West Mifflin, the Warriors won, 24-7, thanks to a pair of scoring runs by Jace Brown. Then in a Class 3A quarterfinal playoff game at EF, the Warriors eliminated the Titans, 42-21. Charlie Nigut scored two touchdowns for Elizabeth Forward, which also scored twice on defense and once on special teams.

• While Elizabeth Forward has won the last three meetings, the Warriors’ win in 2022 ended a run of eight straight victories in the series for the Titans between 2009-2021.

• West Mifflin leads the all-time series against Elizabeth Forward, 30-20. The first game between the two was 63 years ago when the Titans crushed the Warriors, 56-12, in 1961. The only other WPIAL playoff game between the two was nearly a quarter-century ago when West Mifflin blanked Elizabeth Forward in the 2000 3A playoffs, 14-0.

Class 3A vs. Class 2A nonconference

Class 3A No. 5 North Catholic (5-6) at 2A No. 5 Seton LaSalle (5-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Dormont Stadium

Coaches: Chris Rizzo, North Catholic; Tim Storino, Seton LaSalle

Last game: Trinity 49, North Catholic 0 in 4A first round; Seton LaSalle 40, Sto-Rox 36

Players to watch: Brady O’Hara, North Catholic (Sr., 6-5, 235, TE/DE); Michael Pastirik, Seton LaSalle (Sr., 5-9, 161, QB/LB)

Team notes

North Catholic: The Trojans finished in second place in the 4A Greater Allegheny Conference last season before dropping to the 3A Western Hills Conference this year. North Catholic lost its leading rusher and scorer with the graduation of Jack Fennell; however, the Trojans do have their leading receiver from a year ago in senior Brady O’Hara back. The hulking tight end averaged nearly 20 yards a reception as a junior.

Seton LaSalle: There is optimism for the Rebels for the first time in several seasons as the program hopes to return to the postseason for the first time since 2018. Seton LaSalle returns senior quarterback Michael Pastirik and his top target from a year ago, sophomore Khalil Taylor. Pastirik threw for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns while Taylor averaged over 14 yards per catch and was second in scoring with 10 touchdowns.

Historic factoids:

• This is the 25th all-time meeting between North Catholic and Seton LaSalle, formerly known as South Hills Catholic; however, the is the first time the programs have locked horns since 2001. The Trojans have the better of the series against the Rebels with 12 wins, 10 losses and two ties.

• The first clash between the schools took place 65 years ago. North Catholic blanked Seton LaSalle, 14-0, in 1959. The lone playoff game in the series was a wild win for the Trojans, as they edged the Rebels in the 2000 playoffs, 31-28.

• This season marks the 20th anniversary of the most recent WPIAL football championship for Seton LaSalle. The Rebels shut out Aliquippa, 13-0, to capture the 2004 Class 2A district crown, the fifth in school history. The most recent gridiron title for North Catholic was 11 years ago when it blanked Sto-Rox, 14-0, to win the Class A championship in 2013.

Class 2A vs A nonconference

Mohawk (10-3) at Class A No. 4 Neshannock (9-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Bob Bleggi Stadium at Neshannock

Coaches: Tim McCutcheon, Mohawk; Mike Bongivengo, Neshannock

On the air: Video stream on TribHSSN.TribLive.com

Last game: Steel Valley 34, Mohawk 21 in the 2A semifinals; Beaver Falls 14, Neshannock 13 in 2A quarterfinals

Players to watch: Bobby Fadden, Mohawk (Jr., 6-1, 165, WR/DB); Jino Mozzocio, Neshannock (Jr., 5-10, 175, QB/CB)

Team notes

Mohawk: Last year was a season of near misses for the Warriors. They finished second in the 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference behind Neshannock and reached the 2A final four before falling to Steel Valley in the semifinals. While some key players have graduated, enough talent returns for Mohawk to be a contender again. One of those returning players is three-sport star Bobby Fadden. The junior led the Warriors in receiving with 675 yards and scoring with 17 TDs.

Neshannock: It was a bittersweet 2023 for the Lancers as they captured the 2A MAC title and won their final nine regular season games before being stunned by Beaver Falls in a home playoff game. Change was plentiful this offseason as Neshannock dropped to the Class A Big 7 Conference and they have a new coach in Michael Bongivengo. Junior quarterback Jino Mozzocio led the Lancers in passing with 993 yards, was second in rushing with 735 yards and tied for second in scoring with nine touchdowns.

Historic factoids

• In Week 9 a year ago, Neshannock edged Mohawk, 13-7, to win the 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference championship. Lancers quarterback Jino Mozzocio threw for 108 yards, rushed for 90 and scored the only two touchdowns for Neshannock. Mohawk was limited to 126 total yards of offense.

• This is the ninth straight year these Lawrence County rivals have met with Neshannock winning seven of the eight games since 2016. Mohawk’s lone victory in that span was in 2021, 15-7. The overall series is deadlocked at 20-20-3.

• This is the 20th anniversary of one of the highest-scoring games in this series. In 2004\, Mohawk defeated Neshannock in a shootout, 36-30.

Class 2A vs. A nonconference

Class 2A No. 1 Steel Valley (10-2) vs. Class A No. 2 Clairton (10-3)

Noon Saturday at The Wolvarena in Turtle Creek

Coaches: Ray Braszo, Steel Valley; Wayne Wade, Clairton

Last game: Beaver Falls 14, Steel Valley 12 in the 2A championship; South Side 28, Clairton 12 in the A semifinals

Players to watch: Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley (Sr., 5-10, 172, RB/CB); Drahcir Jones, Clairton (Sr., 5-10, 162, RB/LB)

Team notes

Steel Valley: The Ironmen came within three points of a second straight WPIAL championship last fall, losing to Beaver Falls in the 2A title game, 14-12. There are high expectations again as Steel Valley begins this season ranked No. 1 in 2A in the preseason Trib HSSN rankings thanks in large part to the return of Donald Barksdale. The senior running back was fourth in the WPIAL with 2,061 yards and 37 touchdowns. Younger brother Da’Ron Barksdale is still recovering from an injury that sidelined him last season.

Clairton: The Bears were back on top of the Class A Eastern Conference in 2023, winning all of their conference games to finish one game ahead of Greensburg Central Catholic. Clairton was one win away from a return to the title game for the first time in four years but lost to South Side in the semifinals. Senior Drahcir Jones led the Bears in rushing last season with 1,489 yards and he was tops on the team in scoring with 15 touchdowns.

Historic factoids

• These tradition-rich programs have met only once. In a Week Zero game to open up the 2021 season, Steel Valley edged host Clairton, 14-12, with two missed extra points the difference in the outcome. Nijhay Burt and Cruce Brookins scored fourth quarter touchdowns for the Ironmen.

• While Clairton has only played Steel Valley once, the black and orange did face two schools that would later merge with West Homestead to form Steel Valley in 1969. The Bears were 10-11-2 against Homestead and 13-10 against Munhall.

• Thirty-five years ago, both of these programs were raising district gold. In 1989, Steel Valley repeated as 2A champions after defeating Freeport at Three Rivers Stadium, 20-14. In the preceding game, Clairton knocked off Laurel, 27-20, to win the WPIAL Class A title. It was championship No. 4 of 14 for the Bears and No. 3 of six crowns for the Ironmen.

Tags: Canon-McMillan, Clairton, Elizabeth Forward, Mohawk, Moon, Neshannock, North Catholic, Peters Township, Seton La Salle, Steel Valley, Trinity, West Mifflin