Jeannette coach Tommy Paulone Jr. said his mom hosted the team for pasta and meatballs on Thursday night before the Jayhawks took on rivals Greensburg Central Catholic. Both teams could use a pick-me-up. The Jayhawks and Centurions are in a four-way tie for forth place in the Eastern Conference.

GCC (3-3, 1-2) lost a brutal game with Riverview last week, being beaten up on the ground in a 26-7 win for the Raiders. The Centurions' offense wasn't quite the same without Samir Crosby last week. Crosby is questionable to play this week, according to Bill Beckner of the Tribune Review.

The Jayhawks (3-3, 1-2) will return wide receiver/defensive back Jayce Powell. Jeannette has taken consecutive losses to Clairton and Leechburg. The Bears and Blue Devils are the top two teams in the conference. Jeanette and GCC met in the playoffs last season and both have designs on getting back there this year.

The two sides will play Friday night at McKee Stadium in Jeannette.

Plum and North Hills have much grander ambitions than their current spots in the Northeast Conference standings would indicate. The Mustangs have dropped three straight games and have yet to pick up a win in conference.

Plum's struggles have come despite quarterback John Nonnenberg showing flashes of ability to put up big numbers. Nonnenberg has passed for 1,002 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. However, Plum's offense took a nosedive in the face of strong competition the past two weeks.

Nonnenberg, who has topped 200 yards passing three times this season, was limited to 37 passing yards in a 56-14 loss to defending WPIAL 5A champion Pine-Richland two weeks ago. He also had a hard time against Penn-Trafford, being limited to 73 passing yards in a 33-14 defeat.

The Indians (1-5, 1-1) put itself in the playoff race with a 56-7 win over Fox Chapel. North Hills is led by quarterback Kelly McCarthy, who has thrown for 660 yards and nine touchdowns. Johnell Edison leads the Indians in rushing, piling up 297 yards on 48 carries.

Can Central Valley scare North Catholic?
The Warriors have had their share of issues going into a Western Hills Conference battle with North Catholic Friday at Stone Field. Central Valley (2-4, 2-1) has taken on its fair share of difficult opponents. The Warriors lost a rematch of the Class 3A WPIAL title game to Avonworth, 34-6.

Central Valley has also taken losses against Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon. North Catholic has been beating up all of its opponents so far season. Before losing 36-16 to Imani Christian last week, the Trojans had scored 47 points or more in every game this season.

The Warriors (2-4) have a balanced offensive attack. Central Valley is led by dynamic back Ethan Shearer on the ground. He has 455 yards on 55 carries this season. Warriors quarterback Braddock Ambrose has struggled with interceptions, but has thrown for 737 yards and six touchdowns.

North Catholic quarterback Joey Felitsky has thrown for 1,329 yards and 22 touchdowns. Logan Schade has been his top target, catching 45 passes for 657 yards.

Westmoreland County rivals seek good health
Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette could both use a shot in the arm. The Centurions played without their top offensive weapon, Samir Crosby, and were outmuscled in a 26-7 Eastern Conference loss to Riverview. Jeannette is struggling with health issues and took its second consecutive loss against Clairton.

The Jayhawks are seeking to avoid a three-game skid that plagued them in playoff seeding last season. However, things worked out for Jeannette, as the Jayhawks made a run to the WPIAL Class 1A semifinals. Jeannette and GCC are both 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference. The teams are in a four-way tie for fourth place with Frazier and Brentwood. A win does a long way toward solidifying a spot in the postseason.

Can Franklin Regional collect first win?
The Panthers hung tough with Kiski last week. But Franklin Regional (0-6) fell short, 14-7, in Big East Conference action. The Panthers will welcome a team that had a tough weekend in the press.

Fox Chapel has two wins this season, but the Foxes' request to have their game with Pine-Richland be played with shortened quarters drew a mixed reaction. The Foxes received a lot of criticism for the request from a vocal segment of the local sports community. Some of the players agreed with the decision.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

The Penn Hills Indians were five seconds away from picking up their second consecutive win Friday night at Heinz Field. But Aliquippa found some magic late to pull out a 21-16 non-conference win in what was a difficult day in its community. Raymond Miller caught the game-winning touchdown for Aliquippa, which had to go 89 yards on its last drive to win the game.

Marques Council Jr. threw the game-winning touchdown pass for the Quips (3-1). Aliquippa played following the news that an 18-year-old student had been killed after firing a gun at an ATF agent, according to state police. Penn Hills, which only scored seven points in its first three games, built a 10-0 lead on the Quips.

Aliquippa responded with 15 unanswered points before the Indians (1-4) took the lead again.

Not No. 3 Anymore
Leechburg football coach Randy Walters made it pretty plain at Veterans Memorial Field. The Blue Devils boss told his team following the team they won because they kept pounding and pounding and pounding away at Jeanette. It was true, Leechburg (4-1) didn't run anything fancy against the Jayhawks.

The Blue Devils mostly ran the ball up the middle and found their success by moving four or five yards at a time. Leechburg did enough to earn a 36-27 win over Jeannette. The Blue Devils will now be in position to try and challenge powerful Clairton for the Eastern Conference crown.

Walters was impressed with how Leechburg handled the challenge.

"That was the No. 3 team in the WPIAL," Walters said to his team after the game. "Not anymore."

Norwin keeps things interesting
Class 6A in the WPIAL could use some fresh faces. North Allegheny and Central Catholic have controlled the district for the past five years. Norwin was hoping to crash the party against the Tigers.

While the Knights fell 20-17, it its a good sign for Norwin. The Knights are cutting down the gap between them and their competition. Norwin had a 17-7 lead after Zach Pawling scored on a 30-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. North Allegheny, however, was able to rally and extend its all-time record against Norwin to 16-0.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

The WPIAL was in a bad spot when the PIAA chose to expand to six classes in football about a decade ago. Compared to the Philadelphia area, Pittsburgh didn't have enough big schools to form a competitive league. Since Pine-Richland dropped to Class 5A, North Allegheny and Central Catholic have run away with the largest classification.

The Norwin Knights would like to enter the conversation. After losing a controversial game on a late fumble to Penn-Trafford in Week Zero, the Knights have rebounded with three consecutive wins. Norwin's offense has been excellent all season. The Knights (3-1, 1-0) have scored 30 or more points in all four of their games.

Norwin won their Quad County Conference opener with Seneca Valley, 56-13, last Friday. The Raiders couldn't slow down Norwin quarterback Tristyn Tavares, who threw three touchdown passes and scored twice on the ground. North Allegheny (4-0, 1-0) thumped another hopeful Westmoreland County program, Hempfield, last weekend.

North Allegheny never allowed the Spartans to get in the game, putting up 56 points in a dominant win. The Tigers were tested in the season-opened against Woodland Hills, but have rolled since. North Allegheny leaned on a balanced rushing attack last week.

Quarterback Brady Brinkley piled up 85 rushing yards and scored twice. Luke Rohan finished with 88 yards on the ground and scored.

Leechburg, Jeannette search for leg up in Eastern Conference
The Blue Devils and Jayhawks both opened the season with disappointing results. Leechburg dropped a difficult 20-16 decision to regional rival Apollo-Ridge, while Jeannette saw a 20-point lead slip away in a loss to Mt. Pleasant. Since then, both teams have followed similar paths.

The Jayhawks and Blue Devils are each on three-game winning streaks. Both are hoping to position themselves for a first-place showdown down the line with Clairton. Leechburg knocked off Jeanette in a game that sent the Jayhawks into a mini three-game tailspin. Expect Jeannette quarterback Kymon'e Brown to be locked in for this contest.

Can Kiski push Penn-Trafford?
The Cavaliers' offense has a pair of dangerous receiving options in Teegan Shirley and Aven Shirley. Kiski is coming off a difficult loss to Gateway last Friday. The Cavaliers nearly overcame a 15-point deficit to topple Gateway. Kiski (1-4, 0-1) will be desperate to get a conference win as it heads to Harrison City to take on Penn-Trafford.

The Warriors (3-1, 0-1) took a difficult loss last week to Woodland Hills. Penn-Trafford didn't have the firepower to match a talented Wolverines' offense. Penn-Trafford is a consistent, physical team. Expect this game to be a close one in a Big East Conference where the playoff race will be tight.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

​MURRYSVILLE - Semaj Robinson took what Plum football coach Matt Morgan said to heart. Before what turned out to be Franklin Regional's final drive of the first half, Robinson was challenged to do better.

The way Robinson responded -- and how Plum handed adversity during a 42-13 road win over Franklin Regional Friday night -- may be an indicator for which direction the Mustangs are headed. Plum finished last season 2-8 and weren't a major player in the WPIAL Class 5A playoff picture. 

Robinson intercepted Franklin Regional sophomore quarterback Dom Devola in the endzone before halftime to slam the Panthers' momentum to a halt. Plum was ahead 21-0 and Robinson made sure it stayed that way with a leaping grab.

​"Last drive, I got in trouble because I wasn't trying my hardest," Robinson said. "In practice, I know I can be better. That gave me more motivation to get the pick."

Plum (1-0) took risks throughout the first half. The Mustangs saw the good and bad sides of taking chances. Plum's first gamble, on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line on the game's opening possession, ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Nonnenberg to Brendan Marsten.

"We wanted to get the ball early and score early," Morgan said. "We wanted to control the game from the start. That's how we wanted to approach this whole night. I thought we gave it to them on both sides of the ball."

The second time Plum went for it on fourth down, running back Elijah Jackson was stacked up an inch short on fourth and one. The Mustangs' offense was effective at pulling them out of the hole.

The Mustangs' first-half success allowed Plum to survive a second-half swoon. The Panthers cut the lead to 21-13 toward the end of the third quarter, but Plum responded with 21 unanswered points to pull away.
​
"We had to respond on offense," Morgan said. "We had a guy miss a line on the kickoff. That's why they got the ball back. We knew they were going there to and the guy didn't shift. We bounced back and finished the game."

Clairton has special night spoiled

Tyler Boyd made the trek back to hometown to see his alma mater, Clairton, open the stadium that now bears his name with an interesting matchup with Imani Christian. The Bears scored the opening touchdown before allowing 19 consecutive points in a 19-12 loss to Imani Christian. The Saints (1-0) are viewed as the top contender for the WPIAL Class 3A crown.

Taris Wooding earned the honor of becoming the first player to score in the refurbished stadium, catching a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Thompson. David Davis and Gabe Jenkins -- both Penn State recruits -- scored touchdowns for the Saints.

Vikings return favor, stun Jeannette
The Jeannette Jayhawks snapped out of a midseason 3-game losing streak to make the WPIAL Class 1A semifinals this season. After a few years in the wilderness, people were thinking Jeannette had turned a corner. The Jayhawks, however, built a 23-0 lead before seeing it slip away against Mount Pleasant.

The Vikings had blown a lead against Jeannette last season, allowing a late touchdown pass in a loss. Mount Pleasant returned the favor by not allowing Jeanette to score in the final two quarters.

North Allegheny holds off Wolverines
Woodland Hills made it known that the Wolverines want to be serious players on the WPIAL stage during the preseason. North Allegheny had to score on fourth-and-goal with 50 seconds left to escape the Wolvarena with a 28-26 win.

Luke Rohan scored the game-winning touchdown for the Tigers. The game featured several lead changes and was a good choice for first game of the KDKA Kickoff Classic. Pittsburgh Central Catholic played in the night cap at the Wolvarena, dropping a 23-6 decision to La Salle College.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

 Clairton's football team appeared set to return to the WPIAL Class A summit last season. But the Bears had an injury to quarterback Jeffrey Thompson in the postseason. He wasn't able to throw the ball in the WPIAL Championship game, which played a key role in Clairton's loss to a talented Fort Cherry team.

The Bears will christen Tyler Boyd Stadium this Friday at 7 p.m. against Imani Christian. Clairton coach Wayne Wade said the new turf should make the Bears faster. Imani Christian, which also has its eyes set on WPIAL and PIAA gold, will be an excellent first test for both sides.

The Saints won their first 11 games last season before falling to eventual WPIAL champion Avonworth in the Class 3A finals. Imani brings back plenty of Division I talent in junior defensive back Gabe Jenkins, who is a four-star recruit and defensive back. Senior athlete David Davis has committed to Penn State.

Clairton, which finished 13-1 last season, shut out 10 of its 14 opponents last season. Sophomore linebacker Brandon Murphy has already drawn plenty of Division I interest. The Bears also return Thompson under center.

Here's a look at a few other games worth keeping an eye on for Week Zero:

Vikings Ready for Tough Test
La Salle College is seen as one of the handful of teams with a chance to knock St. Joseph's Prep off its perch as the PIAA's top team in Class 6A. Pittsburgh Central Catholic would like to throw its hat in that ring. The Vikings reached the 6A final before falling to St. Joseph's Prep last season.

The Vikings have plenty of beef returning up front. Matt Bowers, who is 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Jimmy Kalis (6-7, 280) and Jon Sassic (6-6, 280) will provide protection up front. The Vikings have won a state title since 2015 when they beat St. Joseph's Prep in a Class 4A game to claim their fourth crown.

The Explorers turned heads last season by beating St. Joe's in the regular season. However, St. Joe's upended La Salle in the district playoffs. Explorers quarterback Gavin Sidwar will test Central Catholic's resolve. The Mizzou commit passed for 2,747 yards and 31 touchdowns last season.

Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant ready for rematch
The Jayhawks fought off a three-game slide toward the end of the regular season to reach the WPIAL Class A semifinals. Jeannette started last season with a bang. The Jayhawks erased a late deficit to stun Mt. Pleasant, 28-27, on a 74-yard touchdown catch by Jayce Powell with 3 minutes,15 seconds remaining.

Jeanette will bring back quarterback Kymone Brown and running back Eli Jones. Mt. Pleasant saw its roster swell to 60 players and is hoping to make a splash in Class 3A. The Vikings saw a major exodus in the backfield. Quarterback Cole Chatfield graduated and the Vikings lost three players from the program.

The two Westmoreland County rivals should produce another interesting contest.

Can Gateway get its groove back?
The Gators missed the playoffs last season, which was the first time in Don Holl's nine seasons leading the program. Gateway finished 3-7, but the Gators also were able to get freshman Elvis Koutsakis a year of experience under center. Koutsakis threw for 1,587 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Gators will hit the road to take on State College, which won District 6 and reached the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals. The Little Lions are getting a boost this season as running back D'Ante Sheffey, who spent the last two seasons with Harrisburg returns to the program. Sheffey ran for 1,725 yards and scored 24 touchdowns as a freshman for the Little Lions.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshrizzo.