A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2023 Week 2

By: Bill Hartlep
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 | 6:36 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Nonconference

Chartiers Valley (0-2) at Highlands (2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Golden Rams Stadium, Natrona Heights

Last week: Highlands 33, Blackhawk 20; Trinity 38, Chartiers Valley 0

Last year’s meeting: Highlands 28, Chartiers Valley 20

Highlands carries plenty of momentum into its home-opener after dominant wins over Ambridge and Blackhawk. … Last year was the first meeting between the schools, and the Golden Rams rolled to victory behind Luke Bombalski’s 170 rushing yards and two TDs. Bombalski has piled up 189 yards and four touchdowns this season. … Austin Efthimiades provides a weapon in the Chartiers Valley backfield. He had two scores last season against Highlands and has run for nearly 100 yards in each of CV’s two blowout losses.

Deer Lakes (1-1) at Apollo-Ridge (1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Owens Field, Apollo

Last week: Deer Lakes 33, Burrell 0; Valley 18, Apollo-Ridge 7

Last year’s meeting: Deer Lakes 43, Apollo-Ridge 7

Apollo-Ridge will try to get back on the winning track ahead of its Allegheny Conference opener next week, while Deer Lakes is working to maintain its momentum after a convincing win over Burrell. … Deer Lakes’ balance was on full display last week as Derek Burk threw for 111 yards and three touchdowns and Zier Williams ran for 121 yards and a score. A defense that limited Burrell RB Devin Beattie to just 66 yards will be tested by Apollo-Ridge dual-threat QB Karter Schrock. … Schrock ran for 98 yards and a score last week and has 251 yards on the ground this season. He also had an interception on defense last week. Deer Lakes leads the all-time series 18-14.

Freeport (1-1) at Quaker Valley (0-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Chuck Knox Stadium, Leetsdale

Last week: Freeport 47, South Allegheny 0; Mohawk 42, Quaker Valley 8

Last year’s meeting: Freeport 61, Quaker Valley 7

Freeport showed big-play potential in a blowout win last week and will try to show its explosiveness again vs. Quaker Valley. … Cyp Selinger had a 36-yard punt return and Madden Wisniewski caught a 20-yard TD pass and returned a kickoff 73 yards for a score for the Yellowjackets last week. That was on top of Colton Otterman’s touchdown runs of 23 and 13 yards. Freeport has won all three meetings between the schools. … Despite being outscored 67-15, the Quakers’ have shown some bursts, mainly from running back Jack Diemert, who had 142 rushing yards and a TD last week and 173 yards and a score in Week Zero.

Knoch (2-0) at Class 2A No. 3 Beaver Falls (1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Reeves Field at Geneva College

Last week: Knoch 30, Indiana 24; Beaver 31, Beaver Falls 28

Last year’s meeting: Beaver Falls 44, Knoch 6

Knoch is out to prove its 2-0 start is no fluke but will be tested against a perennial Class 2A power. … Knoch is averaging 37.5 points behind a versatile offense. A week after Codi Mullen threw for 370 yards and four scores, running back Tony Nicolazzo stepped into the spotlight with 109 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. … Beaver Falls will lean on its running game behind Datalian Beauford, Da’Sean Anderson and Brixx Rawl, who combined for 38 carries, 276 yards and three TDs last week. Their ball-hawk defense also will challenge Mullen after picking off three passes last week.

Laurel Highlands (1-1) at Kiski Area (0-2)

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

Last week: Belle Vernon 40, Laurel Highlands 0; Pine-Richland 48, Kiski Area 0

Last year’s meeting: Laurel Highlands 37, Kiski Area 7

Both teams are hoping to bounce back from lopsided defeats against defending state champions. … Parker Hoff has proven to be a versatile weapon for the Mustangs. He ran 11 times for 42 yards and also had two catches for 27 yards last week. … Landon Kucic provided a spark for the Cavaliers last week, rushing for 88 yards on 24 carries. Kiski is trying to work out some offensive kinks ahead of the Greater Allegheny Conference opener at Hampton next week.

Leechburg (1-1) at Bentworth (1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Bentworth Stadium, Bentleyville

Last week: Leechburg 59, Summit Academy 20; Avella 22, Bentworth 15

Last year’s meeting: Leechburg 56, Bentworth 0

Leechburg’s offense appears to be firing on all cylinders, averaging 37.5 points per game, though the Bearcats’ defense has allowed just 14.0 ppg. … Bentworth QB Vitali Daniels is off to a strong start, throwing for 190 yards and two scores last week and 268 yards and three TDs in Week Zero. … Leechburg, which has won all three meetings between the schools, will rely on a balanced rushing attack that features Jayden Floyd, Jake Cummings and Tim Andrasy, who combined for 339 rushing yards and five touchdowns last week.

Norwin (0-2) at Fox Chapel (0-2)

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

Last week: Penn Hills 27, Norwin 0; Plum 34, Fox Chapel 10

Last year’s meeting: Norwin 27, Fox Chapel 13

Someone will get their first win, but with little momentum on each side, who will it be? … Norwin was plucky in its opener against Upper St. Clair, but sputtered against top-ranked Penn Hills. The running game continues its search for consistency, but this could be the week it awakens. … Plum had its way with the Fox Chapel defense as the Mustangs ran the ball with command. The Foxes have surrendered 69 points in two games.

Plum (2-0) at Shaler (2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Titan Stadium, Glenshaw

Last week: Plum 34, Fox Chapel 10; Shaler 43, Hampton 8

Last year’s meeting: Shaler 47, Plum 14

Plum’s defense will face its stiffest test thus far in a nonconference showdown of unbeaten teams. … Shaler’s Luke Cignetti ran for 283 yards and five touchdowns a year ago against Plum, but the Titans will ride the arm of QB Keegan Smetanka this season. He is among the top passers in the WPIAL, with 457 yards and four TDs through two games. … Plum, which leads the all-time series 5-4, will turn to Nick Odom to carry the load. He ran for 174 yards and three TDs last week and 149 yards and a score in Week Zero.

Riverview (2-0) at Northgate (1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Northgate Alumni Stadium, Bellevue

Last week: Riverview 42, Carlynton 0; Northgate 35, Springdale 21;

Last year’s meeting: Northgate 32, Riverview 26

Riverview is trying to go to 3-0 for the first time since 2010 when the Raiders beat Wilkinsburg, Leechburg and California. The Raiders were 2-0 in 2011 but lost to California in overtime the following week. … The running Raiders used five ball-carriers last week, including Carlo Buzzato and Landon Johnson, who combined for more than 300 rushing yards and three touchdowns. … Northgate, which holds a 5-4 edge in the all-time series after beating the Raiders in 2022, will rely on dual-threat QB Austin Mitchell.

Springdale (0-2) at Summit Academy (0-2)

12:30 p.m. Saturday, Steve Sherer Field, Herman

Last week: Northgate 35, Springdale 21; Leechburg 59, Summit Academy 20

Last year’s meeting: Summit Academy 18, Springdale 14

Both teams are eager to get in the win column before starting conference play next week. … Chase Weihrauch shined for the Dynamos last week, throwing for 166 yards and three TDs while also running for 65 yards. Springdale also will look to Colton Gent, Noah Bradley and Brayden Layhew in the ground game. … Summit Academy has been gashed on defense, allowing 114 points through two games. A win over the Dynamos was the lone victory for Summit Academy last season.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.