Shaler hosts Mars in homecoming game part of 3 things to watch Saturday in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 28, 2018 | 9:19 PM

On Oct. 8, 2011, Shaler defeated McDowell, 41-28, on a Saturday afternoon homecoming game to improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the Northern Seven Conference.

Then the bottom fell out for the Titans.

Shaler lost its final four games that season, including a 52-13 thumping at the hands of Gateway in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs.

Since that victory at Titans Stadium, Shaler went 2-59 through the 2017 season.

But the winds of change may be blowing through Glenshaw as the Titans have won twice in the first five weeks of this 2018 campaign under first-year coach and former Titans player Jim Ryan.

The traditional afternoon homecoming game on Saturday pits Shaler against Mars (4-1).

While there is a two-game disparity in the teams’ overall records, both the Fightin’ Planets and Titans are 1-1 in the Class 5A Northern Conference, trailing both Penn Hills and North Hills.

Listen to the game on the TribLive High School Sports Network at 1 p.m.

More Saturday homecoming action

Two more schools that have the tradition of playing their homecoming game on Saturdays are Beaver and Shady Side Academy.

Beaver plays Saturday night in a Class 4A nonconference contest against winless Ringgold.

That game is a homecoming of sorts for first-year Rams coach Mike Zmijanic, as the former Aliquippa coach returns to Beaver County.

Shady Side Academy welcomes Apollo-Ridge for a Class 2A Allegheny Conference fray at 2:30 p.m. The Indians are a perfect 2-0 atop the conference and 4-0 overall.

Even more Saturday WPIAL football

It is the busiest Saturday of the WPIAL football season for a reason.

Not only are there three homecoming contests, but five other afternoon and evening games make for a Super Saturday.

Avonworth visits winless Summit Academy in a Class 2A Allegheny Conference game, while Western Beaver hosts Ellwood City in Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference play.

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Beaver, Ellwood City, Mars, Ringgold, Shady Side Academy, Shaler, Summit Academy