What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 10, 2024: Seton LaSalle kicks off football weekend

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | 11:42 PM

On the 10th day of the 10th month of the year, we have an early start to Week 7 of the high school football season with not one, not two, but three area games Thursday.

A busy slate of WPIAL games kicks off with a Class 2A nonconference contest as top-ranked and undefeated Seton LaSalle (6-0) visits Shady Side Academy (2-5).

The Rebels are on top in the Class 2A Century Conference with a 4-0 conference record, one game up on Keystone Oaks, Washington and Waynesburg.

Seton LaSalle has the highest-scoring offense in 2A, averaging nearly 41 points per game, while also owning the stingiest defense, allowing only 8 points per game.

The host Bulldogs may need to win out to have any wild card hopes out of the Allegheny Conference. SSA is 1-3 in conference play and sitting in sixth place in a seven-team conference.

The other two area football games Thursday are two City League nonconference contests.

District 8 playoff-bound Allderdice (2-2, 4-3) heads north to battle independent Butler (3-4).

The Dragons have lost two straight in the City League after winning three straight, while the Golden Tornado are coming off a loss and have dropped three of their last four games.

At George Cupples Stadium on Thursday, Perry (1-3, 1-5) takes on former City League rival and now independent Carrick (2-4).

The Commodores ended a five-game losing streak and clinched a City League playoff berth with a win last week against Brashear.

The Raiders shut out Brownsville last week and have won two of their last three games.

This is the final week of the City League regular season and the stage is set to crown a regular season champion on Friday at Cupples Stadium when Westinghouse (5-1) battles University Prep (3-3).

Both the Bulldogs and Panthers are 3-0 and tied for first place in District 8.

The winner will take the regular season title and play Perry in the City League semifinals while the loser will face Allderdice.

Also on Friday, Brashear (0-7) searches for its first win of the season when it visits District 9 Redbank Valley (5-2).

Teeing off for team titles

District gold is at stake Thursday when the top golf teams hit the links in the WPIAL boys and girls team golf championships.

All four team championships will take place at Cedarbrook Golf Course in Belle Vernon.

In the boys 3A field, defending WPIAL 3A champion Peters Township didn’t make the cut in the semifinals Tuesday, but 2023 Class 2A champion Belle Vernon did. The Leopards moved up to 3A this offseason.

The six teams in the finals are Belle Vernon, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, Plum, South Fayette and West Allegheny.

In boys 2A, a new champion will be crowned with North Catholic and Quaker Valley winning their semifinal brackets and joining four others in the finals.

Joining the Trojans and Quakers are Greensburg Central Catholic, Elizabeth Forward, McGuffey and Shady Side Academy.

Tee times for boys 3A and 2A teams will be at 10 a.m. on the Cedarbrook Gold course.

In girls 3A, two-time defending champion Peters Township is among the nine teams that will shoot for gold.

Joining the Indians are Armstrong, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Moon, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and Upper St. Clair.

The championship field is much smaller in girls 2A with only four teams taking part.

Greensburg Central Catholic is one of them as the Centurions search for a 10th consecutive district crown.

Challenging them will be Mt. Pleasant, North Catholic and Shady Side Academy.

Tee times for girls 3A and 2A teams will be at 10 a.m. on the Cedarbrook Red course.

Coming down the stretch

With less than a week left in the regular season, activity on the pitch will be busy in WPIAL boys soccer.

There are a possible 12 playoff berth still up for grabs, plus some unsettled section title chases.

In Section 1-4A, Plum (9-0, 12-0-3) visits Norwin (8-1, 10-4) on Thursday.

The Mustangs have clinched at least a share of the section crown and can win it outright with a victory or tie. The Knights need to win to share the section championship.

In Section 1-3A, three teams still have a shot at the section title.

Mars (7-1-2, 11-1-3), Hampton (6-1-3, 9-2-3) and Indiana (8-2, 13-2) all have two section matches remaining.

Hampton visits Indiana while Mars is at Knoch (4-6, 6-9).

In Section 4-A, Winchester Thurston (7-0-1, 10-2-1) can clinch the section crown outright with a win or a tie when it visits Springdale (7-2, 12-3).

2A team tennis quarterfinals

Six of the eight higher seeds advanced in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class 2A girls team tennis first round.

The two exceptions were No. 9 Winchester Thurston knocking off No. 8 Blackhawk and No. 10 Indiana ousting No. 7 Mt. Pleasant.

Now the quarterfinals are set in 2A on Thursday with these four matches.

• No. 9 Winchester Thurston at No. 1 North Catholic at Cranberry Township Park

• No. 5 Oakland Catholic at No. 4 Sewickley Academy at Nichols Courts in Sewickley

• No 10 Indiana at No. 2 Quaker Valley

• No. 6 Beaver at No. 3 Hampton at Hampton Community Park

All four matches begin at 3 p.m.

The winners advance to the 2A semifinals at a neutral site Monday.

The Class 3A girls team tennis playoffs semifinals are also set for Monday.