5 things to watch in Week 3: Conference openers arrive for many WPIAL football teams

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, September 12, 2024 | 12:01 AM

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WPIAL schedule-makers gave everyone at least a couple of warm-ups to start the schedule. Now, the majority of WPIAL teams will jump into conference play.

Seventy-eight of the WPIAL’s 116 teams play a conference opener here in Week 3. That accounts for teams in 12 of the 17 conferences, including most schools in Class 6A, 2A and A. Two of the three sections in 5A and 3A also start conference play this week

The WPIAL realigned conferences since last season, so there are some new-look matchups this year. Among them, Norwin and Hempfield make their returns to Class 6A by hosting Seneca Valley and North Allegheny, respectively. Woodland Hills, a newcomer to the Big East, travels to Penn-Trafford. Central Valley, now in the Western Hills, visits McGuffey.

For the most part, teams are eager to get started.

“You like to play meaningful games that relate to your playoff hopes,” said North Hills coach Pat Carey, whose Indians (3-0) visit Pine-Richland (2-0) for a Northeast Conference opener Friday.

There are seven weeks remaining in the regular season. The WPIAL in recent years has scheduled the majority of nonconference games at the start of the schedule, leaving the more important matchups for later in the season.

Unexpected home game

Clairton has played football at the stadium along Miller Avenue since the venue opened in the 1930s, so there is a lot of tradition in that place.

The players, coaches and fans expected the stadium to be under construction and unavailable all season, but the Bears will get one last home game on the old grass field Friday night. Clairton hosts Greensburg Central Catholic in an Eastern Conference opener. As the only true home game, it’ll also be the Bears’ senior night.

“I had two of my seniors in tears tonight,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “We thought last year would be the last time (on the grass), but this is truly it. We won’t even practice at the stadium moving forward.”

A delay in permit approval held up construction, Wade said, allowing for Friday’s game. Three other home games this season will be played at Thomas Jefferson.

Clairton’s stadium — named in 1998 for former football coach and principal Neil C. Brown — will get artificial turf, modern lights, upgraded bleachers and a new scoreboard in the first phase of construction. There are later plans to tear down the concrete grandstand and build a new field house with locker rooms and a weight room.

“Clairton Stadium has always been a very nice stadium,” Wade said. “With the updates, to me, it’ll be one of the nicest stadiums around.”

Quips’ star sidelined?

Aliquippa could be without its Penn State-bound running back for Friday’s game against Mars.

Quips senior Tikey Hayes shared on social media that he would miss two weeks because of injury, without detailing his ailment. However, Aliquippa coach Vashawn Patrick said he considered Hayes a “game-time decision” after undergoing physical therapy and getting treatment Thursday.

No. 1-ranked Aliquippa (1-0) hosts No. 5 Mars (1-2) in a nonconference game that matches two of the top WPIAL teams in Class 4A. Hayes, the 2023 TribLive HSSN Player of the Year, surpassed 6,000 career rushing yards in last week’s 46-20 win over Avonworth.

If Hayes does sit out, Aliquippa can turn to sophomore Sa’Nir Brooks, another running back with Division I college offers. Against Avonworth, Brooks rushed for 100 yards on eight carries, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown run. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Brooks lists offers from West Virginia, Akron and Miami (Ohio).

He played last season at Central Catholic.

A favorable Friday forecast

Friday’s weather forecast says there is no chance of rain. After two weeks of thunderstorms, that’s good news for everyone, but West Allegheny might be most excited.

The Indians have yet to play a full game. They chose not to schedule a Week Zero game, and contests against Chartiers Valley and McGuffey were suspended, making their record 0-0.

West Allegheny visits Moon (1-1) for a nonconference game Friday.

Slowing down the Greyhounds

Monessen owns the highest-scoring offense in the WPIAL, averaging 59 points per game in three wins. Junior running back TyVaughn Kershaw is the WPIAL’s touchdown leader with 16.

At least on paper, that spells trouble for Serra Catholic, which has allowed a WPIAL-worst 51 points per game in three losses. The teams meet Friday for a Black Hills opener in Monessen.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.