A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 7

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 | 5:41 PM

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Class 5A Northeast

Kiski Area (5-2, 0-2) at Shaler (2-5, 0-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Lou Rettig Stadium, Shaler Township

Kiski Area will attempt to bounce back from a pair of losses after an 5-0 start. The Cavaliers came up short last Friday in a 35-21 setback to Fox Chapel. Cavaliers quarterback Logan Johnson again contributed with his arm and legs as he rushed 14 times for 107 yards and added TD passes to Lebryn Smith and Calvin Heinle. Brock Wilkins added a 2-yard scoring run. … Shaler was shut out for the second time this season with a 35-0 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Pine-Richland last Friday. The Titans won their first two games but have dropped five in a row. Keegan Smetanka has thrown for 775 yards and five touchdowns against 11 interceptions. His favorite target has been Dylan Schlagel (16 receptions, 220 yards). … Shaler won the 2019 meeting 23-6, but Kiski Area returned the favor last year with a 55-22 triumph at Richard Dilts Stadium.

Penn Hills (3-3, 1-1) at Fox Chapel (4-3, 2-0)

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

Fox Chapel and Pine-Richland are the only two teams still undefeated in Northeast Conference play. The Foxes knocked off Shaler and Kiski Area the past two weeks. Fox Chapel is 4-1 in its last five games with the only loss coming against Class 5A No. 1 Moon (42-28). Collin Dietz completed 10 of 15 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-21 win over Kiski Area last Friday. He has eclipsed 1,000 yards (1,014) for the season and owns 10 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Senior Khi’Lee Patterson was Dietz’s favorite target against the Cavaliers with five catches for 136 yards and two scores. Zidane Thomas’ interception return for a TD in the fourth quarter sealed the win. … Penn Hills outlasted North Hills, 35-29, last Friday in the battle of the Indians. The teams traded scores until Brenden Hill hauled in a 16-yard pass from Julian Dugger for the game-winner in the fourth quarter. Dugger rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns and added 104 yards (9 of 13) and two scores through the air.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny

Armstrong (5-2, 3-1) at Highlands (4-3, 1-3)

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

Highlands hopes to put an end to a three-game losing streak after a 4-0 start. The Golden Rams mounted a rally after falling behind Indiana, 22-0, last week, but the Indians prevailed 29-14. Chandler Thimons threw touchdown passes to Jrake Burford and Luke Bombalski. Those scores give Thimons 11 passing TDs this season. Burford now has four receiving scores, one off the team lead by Landan Signorella. It was Bombalski’s first TD catch this season. He has a team-best nine on the ground. … Armstrong kept pace at the top of the conference standings with a 33-16 win over Greensburg Salem last Friday. River Hawks quarterback Cadin Olsen threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns and added 19 carries for 86 yards. Isaiah Brown was Olsen’s favorite target with nine catches, 146 yards and two TDs. Alex Patton carried the ball 22 times for 137 yards and a score.

Knoch (2-5, 1-3) at Plum (2-5, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum Borough

Plum won last year’s game with Knoch, 35-7, in season debuts of both teams in the Greater Allegheny Conference. The Mustangs hope to make it two in a row as the teams hope to improve their standings in the conference playoff chase. Plum found it tough sledding last Friday in a 35-7 loss to undefeated and conference-leading Hampton. The loss ended a two-game win streak. The Mustangs’ lone touchdown came on a 2-yard TD hookup between sophomore quarterback Sean Franzi and fellow sophomore Dom Beyer in the second quarter. Eryck Moore rushed for 129 yards on 17 carries, giving him 499 yards on 88 carries through six games. … Knoch was not able to follow up on its conference win over Indiana two weeks ago as it fell to Mars, 14-13, last Friday. The difference in the game was a missed extra point kick after a 44-yard interception return from Codi Mullen in the third quarter. The Knights also got a 7-yard TD run from Carson Kosecki. Plum is tied with Greensburg Salem and Indiana for third in the conference standings, while Knoch, Highlands and Mars are one game behind at 1-3.

Class 3A Allegheny Seven

Deer Lakes (3-4, 3-1) at 2-North Catholic (7-0, 3-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Mars Athletic Complex, Adams Township

After a three-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents 64-7, the Lancers were edged by Burrell, 28-24, in conference play last Friday. Cody Scarantine carried the ball only seven times, but he tallied 192 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 677 yards and seven TDs through seven games. Derek Burk was an efficient 10 of 13 for 127 yards, and he added a 7-yard scoring run. … North Catholic kept rolling last Friday with a 41-0 nonconference victory at South Park. It was the Trojans’ fifth shutout this season and second straight. Their closest victory was an 18-17 triumph over Class 4A Blackhawk in Week 2. North Catholic held South Park to negative yardage and totaled 330 yards (257 pass, 73 rush). Senior Joey Prentice leads the charge for the Trojans offense. He was 8 of 12 for 257 yards and four touchdowns against the Eagles. This is the fourth meeting between North Catholic and Deer Lakes in the current conference series. The Trojans won the first three, including 56-6 last year.

Class 2A Allegheny

Serra Catholic (8-0, 2-0) at Apollo-Ridge (2-4, 1-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Owens Field, Apollo

Serra Catholic has the most wins in the WPIAL — eight — after seven weeks of regular-season play. The Eagles own two forfeit wins which count toward their overall record. They also picked up a replacement game against Freeport on Sept. 24 and won that game, 14-3. Serra is led by the arm of senior Max Rocco with 1,142 passing yards and 15 touchdowns through six games. Seniors Terrell Booth and Jayvon Holt have combined for 11 receiving TDs. … Apollo-Ridge suffered a 28-14 loss to Shady Side Academy last Friday which snapped a two-game win streak. The Vikings were led by Nick Curci with 151 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Quarterback Karter Schrock added a score on a 10-yard run. Curci, for the season, has 478 rush yards and six touchdowns. … Last year’s game between the teams was canceled because of covid issues with Serra Catholic.

Class A Eastern

Springdale (4-3, 1-3) at Imani Christian (2-4, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Graham Field, Wilkinsburg

After three straight losses, the Dynamos righted the ship last Friday with a 20-9 victory over Jeannette. Springdale, tied with Imani Christian, Riverview and Jeannette for fifth in the conference standings, hopes to get back in the playoff hunt against a Saints team whose lone conference victory also is against Jeannette. The WPIAL is taking the top five teams from each Class A conference. The Dynamos got a couple key players back from injury against the Jayhawks. Logan Dexter and Chris Savko each scored TD runs in the fourth quarter to rally the Dynamos from a 9-7 deficit. Savko led the way with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. … Imani has had to forfeit two games this season because of covid issues. The Saints also own a nonconference win over Monessen. Senior running back Raysaun Jackson and senior quarterback Malik Shannon are two to keep an eye on in the Imani offense. … The teams have played each of the past five years with Imani winning the first three and Springdale the last two.

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

Noon Saturday, Riverside Park, Oakmont

Leechburg needs a win to secure a winning season for the first time since 1991. If the Blue Devils defeat the Raiders and Springdale beats Imani Christian, they clinch a WPIAL playoff spot for the first time since 1988. Leechburg led No. 2 Bishop Canevin early last Friday, 3-0, on a 27-yard field goal from Jake Schuffert, but the Crusaders rolled from there in a 33-3 final. Leechburg’s other loss is to No. 1 Clairton. Thomas Burke threw for 108 yards against Bishop Canevin. … Riverview hoped to build on its win over Imani Christian on Oct. 1, but Greensburg Central Catholic had other ideas last Friday and toppled the Raiders, 66-0. Riverview continues to be led by the running of Dean Cecere, who has 687 yards and six touchdowns on 87 carries. Quarterback Ben Hower owns three passing TDs. Riverview leads the series with Leechburg, 29-12-2. The Blue Devils have won the past three matchups, including last year’s game, 76-25. It was the third-highest scoring game in Alle-Kiski Valley history.

Nonconference

Yough (0-7, 0-4) at Valley (1-6, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Valley High Memorial Stadium, New Kensington

Valley, which had scored 21 total points and was shut out three times over the first six weeks, broke into the win column last week with a 32-14 win over Derry. … Yough comes into the game averaging just 4.7 points per game and is giving up 36.1. The Cougars suffered a 35-7 loss to Southmoreland last Friday. Tristan Waldier got Yough on the scoreboard with an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 46 yards on 13 carries. … Valley has won all seven previous games against Yough, including last year’s matchup, 32-14. The teams first played in 1990.

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, Armstrong, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Highlands, Imani Christian, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, North Catholic, Penn Hills, Plum, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Shaler, Springdale, Valley