Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2025 Week 3

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, September 11, 2025 | 5:58 PM

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Week 3 of the regular season will feature the opening of conference play for 12 of the 17 WPIAL conferences.

So in that dozen of sections that kick off conference play this weekend, how did their collective teams fare in three tune-up weeks filled with nonconference action?

Class 6A was a combined 12-9, much better than the 7-13 record the seven teams in the highest classification had a year ago.

The numbers weren’t good for two of the three conferences in Class 5A. The Big East Conference was 7-14 while the Northeast Conference was 6-12.

The Allegheny 6 in 5A has to wait two more weeks before conference play begins, but their combined records thus far are 12-6.

In 3A, the Western Hills Conference is a combined 12-9 while the Allegheny Seven Conference was 9-12 in the first three weeks.

In 2A, the Allegheny Conference topped the other two conferences with a combined record 11-9. The Midwestern Athletic Conference was 11-12 and the Century Conference teams struggled at 7-14.

Class A was much better. The Black Hills Conference was 12-8, the Eastern Conference was 12-10, and the Tri-County South Conference was 12-11. The Big 7 Conference struggled at 8-13.

Here is a look at some of the top high school football matchups for Friday in Week 3.

Class 6A

No. 1 Central Catholic (2-1) at Mt. Lebanon (0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Blue Devils Stadium at Mt. Lebanon

Coaches: Ryan Lehmeier, Central Catholic; Greg Perry, Mt. Lebanon

Last week: Central Catholic 58, Woodland Hills 20; Peters Township 35, Mt. Lebanon 0

Players to watch: Owen Herrick, Central Catholic (Soph., 6-2, 185, QB); Patrick Smith, Mt. Lebanon (Sr., 6-3, 220, QB/LB)

Team notes

Central Catholic: The Vikings are used to playing on the road, but last Saturday, they really had to travel to beat nearby Woodland Hills as the game was played in Canton, Ohio. Central Catholic sophomore quarterback Owen Herrick enjoyed a big game with three touchdown passes to Maceo Watkins, Max Roman and Aiden Nasiadka and had a scoring run. Vikings running back Roman Thompson had three touchdown runs of 35, 3 and 2 yards.

Mt. Lebanon: For the second straight year, the Blue Devils have been hammered by a brutal schedule and enter mid-September winless. Mt. Lebanon senior quarterback Patrick Smith accounted for nearly 100 yards with 70 yards passing and 22 yards on the ground in a shutout loss at Peters Township. In losses to Class 5A ranked teams Upper St. Clair, Penn-Trafford and Peters Township, the Blue Devils have been outscored, 96-32. Remember, this team started 0-5 last year and rallied to make the district playoffs.

Historic factoids

• Central Catholic leads the all-time series against Mt. Lebanon, 13-9. Since the state expanded to six classes in 2016, these teams have met 11 times, including five playoff games.

• In the Week 3 Class 6A opener last year, Central Catholic pounded Mt. Lebanon, 59-7. Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls and running back Elijah Faulkner each ran for two touchdowns. Roman returned a blocked kick for a TD and Thompson had an 85-yard punt return for a score. Smith connected with Noah Schaeli on a 49-yard scoring strike for the lone Lebo Score.

• In the postseason, the Vikings are 5-2 with wins in 2011, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. The Blue Devils’ two wins in the playoffs over Central were in 1997 and in the 2021 Class 6A championship game, 47-7.

Class 3A vs. 5A nonconference

Class 3A No. 4 Elizabeth Forward (3-0) at South Fayette (2-1)

7 p.m. Friday, South Fayette Stadium

Coaches: John DeMarco, Elizabeth Forward; Marty Spieler, South Fayette

Last week: Elizabeth Forward 53, East Allegheny 13; Canon-McMillan 37, South Fayette 28

Players to watch: Ryan Messina, Elizabeth Forward (Sr., 6-4, 220, QB); Drew Welhorsky, South Fayette (Jr., 6-1, 185, QB/FS)

Team notes

Elizabeth Forward: The Warriors appear to be a major player in the Class 3A district landscape with a 3-0 start and an average margin of victory of 27 points. That margin grew a lot last week with a 40-point triumph over East Allegheny in which senior quarterback Ryan Messina connected on 12 of his 14 passes for 200 yards and touchdown tosses to Brayden Kollar, Aaron Ulmer and Anthony St. Angelo, plus a 23-yard scoring run. EF also scored four defensive touchdowns in the victory over EA.

South Fayette: The Lions suffered their first loss of the season last week in a game delayed by weather, falling to Class 6A Canon-McMillan. South Fayette senior quarterback Drew Welhorsky led the team in passing and rushing, connecting on 14 of 20 aerials for 185 yards and three touchdown tosses, two to Daniel Speca and one to Jacob Bostian. Welhorsky rushed for 52 yards and scored on a 7-yard second quarter run that gave South Fayette its only lead of the night at 14-10.

Historic factoids

• This is the fifth all-time meeting between the schools with South Fayette holding a slight edge in the series over Elizabeth Forward, 2-1-1.

• When the teams met in Week 3 last year, it was the first time the schools had squared off on the gridiron in 84 years. Both starting quarterbacks had big nights as Welhorsky threw for 279 yards five touchdowns while Messina threw for 180 yards and three scoring passes as South Fayette won at Elizabeth Forward, 38-19.

• The first three meetings between SF and EF all ended in shutouts. The Lions won in 1930, 12-0, the Warriors won in 1939, 19-0, and South Fayette and Elizabeth Forward played to a scoreless tie in 1940.

Class 5A vs. 4A nonconference

Moon (2-1) at West Allegheny (1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Joe P. DeMichela Stadium at West Allegheny

Coaches: Ryan Linn, Moon; Dave Schoppe, West Allegheny

On air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: Penn-Trafford 25, Moon 24; West Allegheny 65, McGuffey 7

Players to watch: Andrew Cross, Moon (Sr., 5-11, 182, QB/P); Brodie Cornell, West Allegheny (Jr., 5-8, 180, RB/S)

Team notes

Moon: The Tigers’ sweet start through two games hit a road block last week in a heartbreaking one-point loss at home to Penn-Trafford. Moon led by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter before the Warriors rallied to win by one point. Tigers senior quarterback Andrew Cross only completed three passes, but one went for a touchdown to Sevi Vandetti. Cross rushed for 72 yards and Braeden Stuart scored on a 1-yard run and a 25-yard blocked punt return for Moon.

West Allegheny: Following no game in Week Zero and a heartbreaking loss to Chartiers Valley in Week 1, the Indians did a great job of bouncing back last week in trouncing McGuffey. West Allegheny junior Brodie Cornell did it all, scoring on a 48-yard run, a 66-yard touchdown pass from Donovan O’Connor and on a 33-yard punt return. Teagan Tomei scored two touchdowns on a 6-yard pass from O’Connor and a 76-yard punt return, and Roman Perella had two TD runs for West A.

Historic factoids

• These rivals in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh have met every year since 2008 with West Allegheny leading the all-time series, 29-20-1. However, the meetings have been more balanced in the last eight years with Moon holding the edge, 5-3.

• In last year’s matchup, Moon rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat West Allegheny, 32-24. Trailing 24-6 in the third quarter, the Tigers scored the game’s final 26 points to pull out the win. Paul Bronaugh scored twice and Andrew Cross had a touchdown pass for Moon. Brodie Cornell scored twice for West Allegheny.

• From 1997-2016, West Allegheny dominated the series with 18 victories while Moon only won twice in that time frame, in 2003 and 2006. The Indians won the first meeting, beating Moon in the fall of 1949, 25-6.

Class 4A vs. 3A nonconference

Class 4A No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (3-0) at Class 3A No. 1 Avonworth (3-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Lenzner Field at Avonworth

Coaches: Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson; Duke Johncour, Avonworth

Last week: Avonworth 23, Aliquippa 7; Thomas Jefferson 16, McKeesport 7

Players to watch: Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson (Jr., 5-11, 182, RB/LB); Dimitri Velisaris, Avonworth (Jr., 5-7, 175, RB/DB)

Team notes

Thomas Jefferson: For the second straight year, the Jaguars needed a big comeback to remain undefeated and knock off McKeesport, 16-7. Trailing 7-3 with less than a minute remaining, Harrison Kolling plunged over from 1 yard to give TJ the lead, then the Jags iced the contest when Emmett Forte returned a pick-six 42 yards to seal a nine-point victory. Kolling threw for 85 yards for Thomas Jefferson while leading rushed Tyler Eber was limited to 37 yards on 19 carries.

Avonworth: What a difference a year made for the defending Class 3A champions. In Week 2 last season, the Antelopes fell at home to Aliquippa, 46-20. In the rematch last week, the ‘Lopes got sweet revenge with a 16-point triumph over the Quips. Junior running back Dimitri Velisaris rushed for 168 yards on 32 carries with touchdown runs of 15 and 7 yards. Avonworth quarterback Carson Bellinger hit on 7 of 15 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown toss of 53 yards to Luca Neal.

Historic factoids

• This is the second meeting between Avonworth and Thomas Jefferson.

• The first meeting between these 2024 district champions took place last fall. After one quarter, the Jaguars led the Antelopes 9-7, then TJ took control, scoring the final 35 points to win going away, 44-7. Luke Kosko threw three touchdown passes and Eber scored twice for Thomas Jefferson while Nate Kashaba scored on a 78-yard run for the lone Avonworth score.

• These teams have twice won WPIAL championships in the same year. Last fall, Thomas Jefferson finished the regular season undefeated before beating West Allegheny, Aliquippa and McKeesport to win the program’s 11th WPIAL crown. The Jaguars lost to Lampeter-Strasburg in the PIAA semifinals. Following the loss to TJ in Week 3, Avonworth won five straight before falling to Beaver in Week 9. The Antelopes knocked off Greensburg Salem, Beaver and Imani Christian before shutting out Central Valley to win a third district championship. Avonworth reached the PIAA 3A finals, where it lost to Northwestern Lehigh. Six years ago, both of these programs also raised gold. Thomas Jefferson completed a perfect 16-0 season with a rout of Belle Vernon in the WPIAL finals, 41-7, and destruction of Dallas in the PIAA title game, 46-7, to sweep district and state gold in Class 4A. Meanwhile, Avonworth was nearly perfect. The Antelopes claimed their second WPIAL championship with a win over Washington, 28-6, but eventually fell in the PIAA 2A finals to Southern Columbia, 74-7.

Class 2A Allegheny Conference

No. 1 South Park (3-0) at No. 5 Steel Valley (1-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Campbell Field in Munhall

Coaches: Brian Abbey, South Park; Ray Braszo, Steel Valley

On air: Video stream on Trib HSSN

Last week: South Park 27, Keystone Oaks 14; Bishop Canevin 21, Steel Valley 6

Players to watch: Quintin Napper, South Park (Jr., 6-0, 175, RB/S); Da’Ron Barksdale, Steel Valley (Sr., 5-11, 185, QB/WR/CB)

Team notes

South Park: The Eagles are off to a good start in defending their Class 2A title, having defeated their opponents by an average score of 31-18. The latest win was a two-TD victory in the battle of the Eagles at Keystone Oaks. South Park junior running back Quintin Napper rushed for 140 yards on 16 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 32 and 12 yards. Eagles quarterback Robert Lenzi completed seven passes for 72 yards, including a 5-yard scoring strike to Brody Dellarose.

Steel Valley: It has been a rough start for the team that was preseason ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. However, despite losses to Westinghouse and Bishop Canevin, the Ironmen remain ranked, now at No. 5. Last week, in their final pre-conference tuneup, Steel Valley senior quarterback Da’ron Barskdale did what he could on the ground, rushing for 109 yards on 19 carries and scoring the lone Steel Valley touchdown on a 2-yard fourth-quarter run in a 15-point loss to the Crusaders.

Historic factoids

• This is the 22nd all-time meeting between these schools, and the series has been tight. Steel Valley has 11 wins and South Park has 10 victories.

• From 1998-2015, these programs played each other 16 times in an 18-year window. Since class expansion in 2016, this is only the second clash of maroon and gold against blue and white. Last year in Week 3, Robert Lenzi scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter for the only score as South Park blanked Steel Valley, 7-0.

• The first meeting between Steel Valley and South Park was nearly 40 years ago in 1987. The Ironmen won that game and both meetings in 1988 and ’89 by a combined score of 111-0. The Eagles’ first victory was also a shutout, 14-0 in 1990.

Class A nonconference

No. 4 Laurel (3-0) at No. 3 Bishop Canevin (1-2)

7 p.m. Saturday at Dormont Stadium

Coaches: Brian Cooper, Laurel; Rod Steele, Bishop Canevin

Last week: Laurel 43, Riverside 0; Bishop Canevin 21, Steel Valley 6

Players to watch: Luca Santini, Laurel (Sr., 5-11, 164, QB/DB); Myontae Mott, Bishop Canevin (Jr., 5-7, 168, RB/CB)

Team notes

Laurel: There was not a lot of talk about the Spartans coming into the season, but their play in the first three weeks has created quite the buzz as they are 3-0 and have outscored Ellwood City, Mohawk and Riverside by a combined score of 122-20. Senior quarterback Luca Santini has led the way for Laurel, last week hitting on 10 of his 15 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns to Kolton Carlson, who also scored on a 23-yard run. Nathan Hill and Anthony Geiwitz each had TD runs for the Spartans.

Bishop Canevin: Things were not lining up properly for the Crusaders, who were off to a 0-2 start and had to visit Steel Valley last week. But Bishop Canevin responded with an impressive road win over the preseason Class 2A top-ranked Ironmen. BC junior back Myontae Mott rushed for 148 yards on only eight carries while scoring on a 65-yard run and on a 13-yard TD pass from Brady Wagner. Wagner threw for 97 yards and also tossed a scoring pass of 18 yards to Damar Olds in the first win for Rod Steele at BC.

Historic factoids

• This is only the fifth meeting between Laurel and Bishop Canevin. The winning team Saturday will take the lead as the series is currently even at 2-2.

• In Week 3 a year ago, Mott rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard kickoff return, and Kole Olszewski threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns as Bishop Canevin won big at Laurel, 48-23. Santini threw a TD pass to Jack Miles and Carlson scored in the loss for the Spartans.

• Laurel won both of its games in this series in 2018 and 2019 when it outscored Bishop Canevin 101-7. The Crusaders won last year and in the first meeting between the two schools in 1990, 7-0.

Tags: Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Central Catholic, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel, Moon, Mt. lebanon, South Fayette, South Park, Steel Valley, Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny