A-K Valley high school look-ahead: Week of Sept. 10, 2018

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, September 9, 2018 | 5:33 PM

Monday

Girls soccer

• Two teams with Section 2-AA title hopes meet as Deer Lakes hosts No. 5 Burrell. The host Lancers returned nine starters from a team that qualified for the WPIAL playoffs a season ago, and the Bucs brought back plenty of talent from their own WPIAL quarterfinal appearance.

• Fresh off a thrilling win over Freeport in its Section 2-AA opener on Saturday, Apollo-Ridge visits Valley in an all-Vikings battle. Apollo-Ridge is a newcomer to Class AA after electing to play up a level this fall. Valley is looking to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, Apollo-Ridge for the third straight year.

Boys golf

• A potential Section 1-AA playoff spot could be on the line as Riverview hosts Freeport. The visiting Yellowjackets, who earned at least a share of the section title each of the last three seasons, lost a match to Burrell earlier in the season and will do what they can to avoid another defeat.

Tuesday

Boys soccer

• Springdale and Avonworth are making the strongest early bids for the Section 1-A championship, and they will meet for the first time this season. The Dynamos and Antelopes won their first two section games. Springdale, last season’s WPIAL runner-up, shut out its first three opponents.

• Highlands split its first two Section 1-AAA contests as it seeks its first WPIAL playoff appearance in 15 years, and the Golden Rams look for a key victory as they visit rival Knoch. The Knights won the section title last season but graduated a heavy load of seniors from that team.

• It will be an interesting Section 2-AA matchup as Deer Lakes hosts Burrell. Both teams have young rosters, but the Lancers have an edge in experience after qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs in 2017.

Girls volleyball

• Leechburg began the season with consecutive Section 4-A sweeps of Eden Christian and Springdale, but the Blue Devils will face a big test with a road match at No. 9 Vincentian.

Wednesday

Girls soccer

• Kiski Area and Franklin Regional have experience against each other from previous seasons, and now they’re together in Section 1-AAA. Both teams made the WPIAL quarterfinals last season, Kiski Area in Class 4A and Franklin Regional in AAA.

• New Section 3-AAA opponents Plum and Thomas Jefferson were WPIAL qualifiers last season, and they will meet for the first time this season. Plum dropped to Class AAA from 4A in the offseason.

Girls tennis

Section singles tournaments begin across the WPIAL.

Thursday

Girls volleyball

• A pair of local WPIAL playoff qualifiers meet for a Section 5-AA match as Burrell hosts Deer Lakes. The Bucs won a preliminary-round match last season, and the Lancers advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Boys golf

• The Westmoreland County Coaches Association boys championships will take place at Latrobe Elks Club, with individual and team titles up for grabs. Burrell, Kiski Area and Valley will be among the teams competing.

Boys soccer

• St. Joseph is hoping to return to the playoffs after a year’s absence, and the Spartans want to get off to a strong start in Section 2-A play to do so. They will take on Winchester Thurston, a perennial playoff team in Class A.

• Riverview was in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals last season and hopes to get further, even after the graduation of a large senior class. The Raiders will visit Avonworth, which began the week unbeaten in Section 2-A.

Friday

Football

• Kiski Area is coming off a hard-fought, seven-point loss to North Hills, its first of the season, but the Cavaliers look to get back on track with a home contest against Fox Chapel in Northern Conference play. The Foxes, aWPIAL playoff qualifier last season, are searching for their first win.

• Knoch and Highlands began the season with high hopes, but both are looking for their first victories after an 0-3 start as they renew their Northwest Eight rivalry. The Golden Rams, coached by former Knoch assistant Dom Girardi, beat the Knights, 24-16, last season.

• Fresh off a dominant win over Uniontown, Deer Lakes hosts its second consecutive Big East Conference game as Yough visits. The Cougars feature star running back Dustin Shoaf, one of the WPIAL’s top rushers a season ago.

• Burrell also is looking for its first victory of the season after an 0-3 start, including back-to-back blowouts in Big East Conference play. But the Bucs will get another opportunity against Uniontown, which is allowing 51 points per game.

Boys golf

• Freeport and Burrell square off for the second time this season, with the Yellowjackets hosting the Bucs at Buffalo Golf Course. Burrell won the first matchup, 229-233, at Hillcrest Country Club behind strong performances from Marcus Pinchok and Tiger Hubbard.

Saturday

Football

• Riverview will face a WPIAL title contender for the second consecutive Saturday as Clairton visits Riverside Park. The Raiders and first-year coach Todd Massack hope to get back on track in Eastern Conference play after losses to Greensburg Central Catholic and Charleroi.

• Valley, coming off back-to-back losses in Allegheny Conference play, will go out of conference with a road game against last season’s WPIAL Class A runner-up, Imani Christian. The Saints are coming off a loss to Jeannette but feature one of the most talented offenses in the WPIAL.

Girls volleyball

• Plum hosts its annual tournament, with Burrell, Deer Lakes, Kiski Area, Leechburg and St. Joseph among the teams scheduled to compete.

Girls soccer

Norwin and Kiski Area are familiar opponents from section play in recent years, but after realignment dropped the Cavaliers to Class AAA, they’ll meet in a nonsection game at Kiski Area. Norwin eliminated the Cavaliers in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals last season.

Boys soccer

• Kiski Area and Knoch are new opponents in Section 1-AAA, and they will square off for the first time at Knoch. The Knights won the section title last season, and the Cavaliers are seeking a return to the playoffs after missing out last season and dropping down to Class AAA in the offseason.

• Freeport faces a challenge in a Section 2-AA as the Yellowjackets host Shady Side Academy. The Indians won the WPIAL Class AA championship last season despite finishing fourth in the section, and Freeport lost in the first round the last two seasons.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski School, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, St. Joseph, Valley