What to watch for in high school sports for Sept. 25, 2025: City League powers to collide

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 11:47 PM

Week 5 of the high school football season begins with two games Thursday, including one of the biggest contests in the District 8 regular season.

It has been nearly 10 years since the last time a City League football championship game was played that did not include Westinghouse or Allderdice.

University Prep edged Brashear to win the 2016 City League crown.

Since then, the title game in D-8 has been drenched with Bulldogs and Dragons.

Westinghouse has won five City League titles in the last eight years while Allderdice has captured gold in the other three.

In fact, in five of those eight seasons, they met each other in the district championship game.

Allderdice beat Westinghouse in the 2018 finals, 18-8, and again three years later in 2021, 14-0.

The Bulldogs have defeated the Dragons in the championship in 2020, 36-20, in 2022, 40-8, and last fall, 40-12.

Thus it surprises nobody that the two will clash Thursday at Cupples Stadium at 7 p.m. with first place at stake in the City League.

Westinghouse is 2-0 in the district and 5-0 overall. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents in those five games, 220-39.

Allderdice is also 2-0 in the City League and 4-1 overall. The Dragons have won three straight since suffering their lone loss of the season in Week 1 to District 6 Hollidaysburg, 28-16.

While the winner goes to 3-0 with only two district games remaining. Both teams still have to play University Prep (1-0, 2-2). The Wildcats on Friday take on winless Brashear.

More Thursday football

A key matchup in the Class 2A Century Conference won’t be played under the Friday night lights.

Thursday night football makes a rare appearance in the WPIAL when Seton LaSalle battles Waynesburg at Dormont Stadium at 7 p.m.

Since getting whacked in its season opener by undefeated North Catholic, Seton LaSalle has been on a roll, winning four straight games, including its first two conference games by a combined score of 110-14.

The Rebels are tied for first place in the Century Conference with Keystone Oaks and Washington at 2-0.

Waynesburg is going the opposite way.

The Raiders began the season 2-1 but then lost their conference opener to Washington and were whitewashed in a nonconference game last week by Steel Valley, 34-0.

When the teams met last season in Week 5 in Greene County, the Rebels routed the Raiders, 55-0.

This is the 35th anniversary of the first meeting between the schools. Seton LaSalle defeated Waynesburg in the fall of 1990, 46-6.

Four for first

First place in four WPIAL boys soccer sections will be up for grabs on a busy night on the pitch Thursday.

• In Section 1-4A, first-place Plum (4-0-1, 9-1-1) visits Central Catholic (3-0-2, 7-1-2). The Mustangs have won six straight and the Vikings have been unbeaten in four straight matches since the teams played to a scoreless tie in early September.

• In Section 2-4A, undefeated Peters Township (5-0, 8-0) travels to Mt. Lebanon (4-1, 9-2-1). The Indians have scored 28 goals and allowed only five in winning all eight of their matches while the Blue Devils are 5-0-1 since losing to Peters Township in overtime, 2-1.

• First place is at stake in Section 2-3A when Thomas Jefferson (7-0-1, 10-0-1) hosts Bethel Park (7-0-1, 7-1-2). The Jaguars have won eight straight and allowed only two goals in that stretch while the Black Hawks are 6-0-1 since the teams played to a 1-1 tie in late August.

• The winner sits alone in first place in Section 2-2A when Avonworth (7-1, 9-1) welcomes Quaker Valley (8-1, 9-2). The Antelopes have been winners in eight straight and the Quakers have won seven in a row since Quaker Valley defeated Avonworth in late August, 4-2.