A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 7

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 | 5:12 PM

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Class 5A Big East

Plum (3-4, 1-2) at Penn-Trafford (4-3, 1-2)

7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Stadium, Harrison City

Plum dropped its third straight game, falling 20-6 at South Fayette. The Mustangs scored first on a short touchdown pass from Sean Franzi to Jerome Brazell but gave up 20 unanswered points. Franzi was 15 of 28 for 145 yards in the loss. Eryck Moore has been a key running back for the Mustangs with more than 800 yards and nine touchdowns. … Penn-Trafford fell a game below .500 in the all-time series against rival Gateway as the Gators won 21-10. Carmen Metcalf caught an 11-yard scoring pass from Conlan Green in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late for a comeback. Logan Swartz kicked a 25-yard field goal in the loss, the Warriors’ second in three weeks. Greene threw for 176 yards and a touchdown but had an interception returned 60 yards by Remy Bose for a TD.

Class 5A Northeast

Woodland Hills (3-4, 1-1) at Fox Chapel (0-7, 0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, James Burk Complex, O’Hara Township

Fox Chapel needs to win this game, or it will be eliminated from playoff contention in the conference. The Foxes are one of 12 WPIAL teams still winless after seven weeks. Fox Chapel was unable to find the end zone in last week’s 29-0 loss to Penn Hills, and the Foxes have averaged just 7.6 points. Junior Ben DeMotte threw for 175 yards on 16 of 29 passing against the Indians. … Woodland Hills owns a 14-0 conference win over North Hills. The Wolverines fell behind 24-7 at halftime to Highlands last week en route to a 38-23 nonconference loss. Brandon Jones ran for a pair of touchdowns for Woodland Hills. Cam Walter has thrown for more than 700 yards this year. Woodland Hills and Fox Chapel most recently were in the same conference in 2017. The Foxes edged the Wolverines, 22-21, in 2017 en route to a 6-5 overall record and a trip to the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny

4-Highlands (7-0, 3-0) at Kiski Area (0-7, 0-4)

7 p.m. Friday, Richard Dilts Stadium, Allegheny Township

Kiski Area leads the all-time series 10-7. The Cavaliers and Golden Rams last played in 2009 with Kiski winning 20-0. Highlands won in 2008, 48-31, en route to an 11-1 overall record and a trip to the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. The Golden Rams continued to roll last Friday with a 38-23 victory over Class 5A Woodland Hills. Senior quarterback Chandler Thimons accounted for four touchdowns — three rushing and one receiving — and senior Rondeal Hewlett recorded his first receiving TD of the season. The Highlands defense recorded 11 sacks against the Wolverines. … Kiski Area scored 27 points for the second straight week, but the Cavaliers were not able to get past Mars in a 48-27 setback. Sophomore Carson Heinle threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score. Senior Connor Flemm tallied 123 yards rushing on 17 carries, and Isaiah Gonzalez hauled in 15 passes for 197 yards and two scores. All three were career bests.

Class 3A Allegheny 6

Knoch (0-7, 0-2) at 4-Freeport (6-1, 2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Freeport Area Athletic Stadium, Buffalo Township

The neighboring schools continue their football rivalry as conference foes. Freeport has won three in a row after a 49-7 loss to Armstrong in Week 3. Last week, in a battle for first place in the Allegheny 6, the Yellowjackets topped East Allegheny, 35-13. Ben Lane led the way with 263 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries as Freeport totaled 414 yards on the ground. Lane has 646 rushing yards and nine scores this season. Colton Otterman and Jacksen Reiser paced the defense with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively. Fellow linebacker Parker Lucas made his return from an ankle injury and recorded eight stops. … Knoch is looking to pull the upset and get into the win column for the first time this season. The Knights weren’t able to solve Shady Side Academy in a 30-12 loss last Friday during homecoming. Quarterback Codi Mullen, injured against Deer Lakes two weeks ago, returned and made an impact with a 46-yard touchdown run. Exavier Johnson also caught a 17-yard TD pass. Freeport won last year’s meeting 28-14 and scored a close 34-31 triumph in 2019. Knoch got the better of the Yellowjackets, 26-7, in the 2018 regular-season finale. The teams didn’t play in 2020 as covid rescheduling affected both schedules.

Valley (1-6, 0-2) at Shady Side Academy (2-4, 1-1)

2 p.m. Saturday, Michael J. Farrell Stadium, Fox Chapel Borough

Valley led 2-0 at halftime of its home conference matchup with Deer Lakes last Friday. The Vikings hoped to add on, but the Lancers scored in the third quarter and held on for a 7-2 win. Seniors Jeremy Hughley and Xavier Wilson combined to sack Deer Lakes quarterback Derek Burk in the end zone for the safety. Valley’s lone win this season came against WPIAL independent Uniontown in Week 4. The Vikings have scored 14.6 points a game and surrendered 29.1 a contest. … Shady Side Academy defeated Knoch, 30-12, to put a dent in the Knights’ homecoming festivities. The Bulldogs hope to defend their home turf Saturday as they celebrate homecoming. SSA runners Darren Haynes and Joey Bellinotti collected 176 yards and two touchdowns on 38 attempts against Knoch. Quarterback Max Wickland threw for 105 yards and a touchdown to Bellinotti. Special teams added 10 points with a field goal and a blocked punt for a score. SSA has won two of three after an 0-3 start. The Bulldogs have won five straight in the series, including last year’s 36-9 victory. Valley defeated SSA by six points in 2015 and 2016.

Class 2A Allegheny

Apollo-Ridge (3-4, 1-3) at Yough (2-5, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Cougar Mountain Stadium, Herminie

Despite scoring 20 points in the first quarter, Apollo-Ridge fell short in a shootout against Imani Christian, 38-34. Dom Curci ran for 117 yards and scored two touchdowns, one on a 65-yard kick return, in the setback, the Vikings’ fourth loss in five weeks. Gage Johnston threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns, but the Vikings gave up a pair of 50-plus-yard scoring plays through the air and more than 350 passing yards. … Yough stayed with No. 2 Serra Catholic for more than two quarters, taking a 14-7 deficit into halftime before falling 28-14. Cole Keller hauled in a 48-yard TD pass from Gavin Roebuck, and JJ Waller had a short TD run for the Cougars, who have not topped 14 points in a game all season. They have dropped three straight after winning two in a row.

1-Steel Valley (6-0, 4-0) at Burrell (5-2, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Buccaneers Stadium, Lower Burrell

Steel Valley and Burrell have met three times, with the Ironmen winning two of those games. In Steel Valley’s first season in 1971, the Ironmen defeated the Bucs, 22-13. Steel Valley also topped Burrell, 14-0, in the 1982 WPIAL Class 3A semifinals at Gateway. The Bucs got the better of the Ironmen, 13-7, in overtime in the 1987 Class 2A first round. The top-ranked Ironmen have given up just 20 points in the last six games after surrendering 24 in a three-point Week Zero win at Class 2A No. 4 Sto-Rox. Steel Valley rolled past Derry, 49-0, last week. Three players — running backs Donald Barksdale and Quaron Pierce and quarterback Cruce Brookins — have rushed for more than 450 yards this season. Brookins has accounted for a team-best 14 total touchdowns. … Burrell led Ligonier Valley, 15-14, in last Friday’s conference matchup, but the Rams outscored the Bucs, 15-0, in the second half. Burrell fell to fourth in the conference behind Steel Valley, Serra Catholic (4-0) and Ligonier Valley (3-1). Bucs quarterback Chase Fenner and running back Devin Beattie each scored a rushing touchdown. Beattie led the way with 112 yards on 22 carries.

Class A Eastern

Frazier (0-7, 0-4) at Springdale (0-7, 0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Field, Springdale

Something has to give as the Commodores and Dynamos are looking for their first wins of the season. Springdale was overwhelmed last Friday in a 67-0 loss to Clairton. The youthful Dynamos were shut out for the third time of the season. Springdale was limited to 75 yards of total offense, 67 on the ground, by the quick and opportunistic Bears defense. … Frazier was not able to get anything going in a 47-0 loss to Greensburg Central Catholic last Friday. It was the Commodores’ second straight shutout loss. Frazier has lost 17 games in a row dating to the final game of the 2020 season. Frazier and Springdale are two of 12 teams in the WPIAL still winless on the 2022 season, joining Moon, Fox Chapel, Ringgold, Kiski Area, Knoch, Seton LaSalle, Derry, Waynesburg, New Brighton and Carlynton. Frazier and Springdale never have met.

Riverview (3-4, 1-2) at 5-Leechburg (5-2, 3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Leechburg Veterans Stadium, Leechburg

The Blue Devils have dominated recent meetings, winning the past four, including the last two by a combined 147-32. Riverview last won in 2017, taking that year’s season opener 16-0. Leechburg bounced back from a Sept. 23 loss to Clairton with wins over Frazier, 56-0, and Jeannette, 58-21. Senior Braylan Lovelace rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries against the Jayhawks. He is just 217 yards away from 4,000 for his career. He would be the fifth Alle-Kiski Valley running back to accomplish that milestone. Senior Logan Kline caught three touchdowns from Jayden Floyd and added a kickoff fumble return for another score. … Riverview racked up more than 400 rushing yards in last Friday’s homecoming victory over Summit Academy under the lights at Riverside Park. Landon Johnson and Carlo Buzzatto combined for 363 yards and six touchdowns on 32 carries. The Raiders scored at least once in every quarter as they won for the second time in three games.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Frazier, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, Springdale, Steel Valley, Valley, Woodland Hills