Chris Heater had nothing against the Kiski Area wrestling team participating in the Trinity Duals again this season. The Cavaliers' opened last season there and enjoyed the event. But Heater chose to take his team to the Sheetz Kickoff Classic in Greenville instead.

The Cavaliers wanted a fresh batch of opponents. Eight of the teams in the event were from District 9 or 10. The only other WPIAL team to participate beside Kiski was Armstrong.

Kiski (6-0) won all five of its duals at the event. Mario Hutcherson, Cooper Roscosky, Gavin Murphy, Bear Joseph and Jackson Pollick all went 5-0 for the Cavaliers.

"We went to Trinity last year and we wrestled three teams that we saw again later in the season," Heater said. "I just wanted to go somewhere where we wouldn't see anybody and give our guys the chance to wrestle five matches and see where their endurance and conditioning was. It was a good opener for us."

Kiski will host another intense dual event this weekend. The Cavaliers will have a number of strong WPIAL programs -- Canon-McMillan, Hempfield, North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township and Waynesburg Central -- along with District 9's DuBois and District 10's Fort LeBoeuf.

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 Pittsburgh Central Catholic football team opened up the season by testing itself against La Salle College at the Wolvarena. Thanks to a 32-14 win over Harrisburg in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals Saturday night, the Vikings will end their season against the Explorers, but at a different venue.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic (12-1) hasn't lost since La Salle College handed them a 23-6 defeat in the season opener. The Explorers are led by Mizzou commit Gavin Sidwar at quarterback. This will be the third time that Central Catholic has reached the final since the PIAA expanded to six classes in 2016.

The Vikings previously lost to St. Joseph's Prep in 2016 and 2024. Central Catholic has four state championship wins, including the first-ever Class 4A title in 1989. The Vikings last brought home the crown in 2015, when it knocked off Parkland, 21-18.

Farrell rolls over Seton LaSalle
The District 10 champion Steelers flexed their offensive muscles in a 40-19 win over Seton LaSalle. Farrell leaned on Juelz Johnson, who rushed for more than 200 yards.

The Rebels (12-2) fell behind 24-0.

Bishop McDevitt breaks Peters Township's heart
Crusaders kicker Aidan Greall made a 24-yard field goal as time expired to help District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt beat Peters Township, 31-28. The Indians nearly had another wild comeback win. Peters Township trailed 14-0 and 21-10.

The Indians took their only lead, 25-21, when quarterback Nolan DiLucia threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to P.J. Luke.

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.

Jack Miles first role with the Laurel football program was as an eager observer. Jack's grandfather, George, led the Spartans from 1982 to 2003 and compiled a record of 201-128-4.

George led Laurel to its only WPIAL title in 1980. Jack used to go and sit and watch practice when he was 3-years-old.

"I have been around football my entire life," said Jack, who rushed for 109 yards in the Spartans' upset win over Fort Cherry last Friday. "I have always been passionate about football, so there wasn't really a time or age I wasn't interested. I would always talk to my dad and grandfather about how I wanted to be as big or as good as the football players."

Jack and his Laurel teammates will have an opportunity to leave a new chapter in the program's legacy when it takes on No. 2 seed Clairton at 11 a.m. Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. George and Jack's dad, Ryan, are assistant coaches for the Spartans.

Making trips to Pittsburgh's North Shore to play for titles has been a tradition for his family.

In 1989, Laurel and Clairton met at Three Rivers Stadium for the Class A crown. Ryan, played for George in that game. The Bears came away with a 27-20 win. Clairton was quarterbacked that day by Wayne Wade, who is now the Bears long-time head coach.

George's lone WPIAL title win also came against Clairton in 1980, but the Spartans' 14-12 win was played at Mt. Lebanon High School. 

"It's was a blessing to be able to have my family as coaches," Jack said. "Not just for them to see my become successful, but also for them to push me even farther to be this successful."

The Spartans earned their spot with a balanced offensive effort in a 24-14 semifinal win over the two-time defending WPIAL champion Rangers. Laurel didn't have any negative plays and used all of their backs to move the ball methodically down the field.

​Jack, who recovered a fumble in addition to scoring on a 33-yard rush in the third quarter, said Laurel didn't go overboard in celebrating an upset win. Fort Cherry had won 40 consecutive games against WPIAL opponents.

"I didn't do anything special after the game because the job is not done," Jack said. "Our goal was to win the WPIAL championship and Fort Cherry was a boulder we had to climb. I look forward to the community coming and watching such a big game."

Clairton (12-1) is another boulder in a similar size to Fort Cherry. The Bears made the WPIAL final last year and lost a one-point heartbreaker. Clairton has the second-most championships in the district's history with 14, but haven't raised a trophy since 2019.

The Bears' defense is led by sophomore linebacker Brandon Murphy, who has drawn Division I interest. Clairton (12-1) lost its season opener to Imani Christian before shutting out its next nine opponents. The Bears' defense hasn't looked quite so invincible in the WPIAL playoffs.

In the quarterfinals and semifinals, the Bears allowed 33 and 22 points, respectively. Clairton only conceded 19 points in the regular season.

Jack is excited for the challenge ahead. There is still work left to be done.

"When it comes to playing for Laurel, I think of it like repaying the people that helped me throughout my life," Miles said.

Seton La Salle, Steel Valley eager to get back on top
The Rebels had one of the most difficult offseasons in recent memory. Seton LaSalle thought Southmoreland transfer Anthony Smith may start at quarterback. Then his eligibility was denied.

The Rebels were set to have Khalil Taylor and Trey Littlejohn return at wide receiver. They transferred to Pine-Richland and Penn Hills, respectively. After losing its season opener to North Catholic, the Rebels haven't lost since, displaying an explosive offense.

Steel Valley is led by Pitt recruit Da'Ron Barksdale. Read about the game in my preview for the Tribune Review.

Can the Avonworth train be derailed?
The Antelopes have a strong argument to be in the top five pound-for-pound teams in the WPIAL. There is a thought that Avonworth, which came close to winning the state title last season, may be capable of making another run to Mechanicsburg.

The Antelopes (12-0) have been outscoring opponents by an average margin of 42-10. Avonworth went on the road and beat WPIAL Class 4A champion Aliquippa and has another win over perennial power Thomas Jefferson. Antelopes quarterback Carson Bellinger threw for 1,934 yards and and 26 touchdowns.

Dimitri Velisaris has been the Antelopes' top running back, picking up 1,449 yards on the ground. The Antelopes will seek their fourth WPIAL crown and to go back-to-back for the first time in program history against Imani Christian.

The Saints (12-0) were undefeated last season when Avonworth knocked them out in the WPIAL semifinals. Imani should be a worth challenger. The Saints have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 49-7. Gabe Jenkins, who decommitted from Penn State after James Franklin was let go, has passed for 1,646 yards and thrown for 29 touchdowns against five interceptions.

Jenkins has also rushed for 1,357 yards. David Davis, another player who has drawn Division I interest, has 515 receiving yards.

Pine-Richland, Peters Township set to square off again
There is a real argument to be made that Class 5A has been the most balanced division in the WPIAL since the PIAA chose to expand to six classes in 2016. But Pine-Richland and Peters Township have risen to the top of the heap. This will be the third consecutive year the two programs meet in the finals and the fourth time overall.

Pine-Richland won last year's matchup 20-9. The Rams also beat the Indians in 2020 and 2022. Peters Township is 1-3 in in the 5A title games, with their lone win coming in a 43-17 win over Pine-Richland in 2023.

The Rams are 11-1 this season, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of 6A state title contender Pittsburgh Central Catholic. The Indians (12-0) are undefeated. Pine-Richland is loaded with stars, including Jay Timmons, the son of former Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who recently committed to Ohio State.

Taylor is one of the top-recruited juniors in the country. Pine-Richland quarterback Aaron "Oobi" Strader has also put up good numbers.

Peters Township is led by quarterback Nolan DiLucia, who has passed for 2,449 yards and 22 touchdowns. Cole Neupaver has rushed for 1,314 yards. The Indians defense is led by Pitt commit Reston Lehman. This should be a worthy nightcap for the four-game Saturday slate.

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

​

Peters Township graduate Donovan McMillon will get an opportunity to play on an NFL opening day roster with the Cleveland Browns. McMillon, who played collegiately at Florida and Pitt, earned a spot at safety. McMillon played his first two seasons at Florida before moving closer to home to play at Pitt.

McMillon finished with 115 tackles and an interception during his senior season with the Panthers. During the preseason with the Browns, McMillon broke up two passes and made seven tackles. Penn Hills graduate Daquan Hardy is still hanging onto his dream with the Buffalo Bills.

Hardy wasn't chosen for the opening day roster, but was brought back to the Bills practice squad. Hardy played collegiately at Penn State.

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.

 Kemon Spell scored every way you could imagine last Saturday at the Wolvarena. The McKeesport star junior tailback piled up 292 yards on the ground and got into the end zone five times during a beatdown of Delaware Valley.

The Tigers, who figure to play a large role in the WPIAL Class 4A title picture, will welcome 5A contender Peters Township this Friday. The Indians also opened with a big win over Canon-McMillan. Nolan DiLucia led the Indians with three touchdown passes. Cole Neupaver ran for 109 yards for Peters Township.

Peters Township beat McKeesport 42-7 last season at home. The Tigers are a proud program and will want to put on a better showing than they did last season. This should be a good contest.

Vikings want to right their ship
Central Catholic couldn't have opened with a tougher opponent than it did last week at the Wolvarena. The Vikings took on La Salle College, who has Mizzou commit Gavin Sidwar under center. Central Catholic, despite its massive size on the offensive line, couldn't get the ball moving against the Explorers.

The Vikings only put up six points and will have another tough challenge against Pine-Richlands. The Rams are the defending Class 5A champions and are loaded with talent. Aaron "Oobi" Strader plays quarterback, while Florida State commit Jay Timmons and Penn State commit Khalil Taylor give him strong options in the passing game.

The Rams will have to figure out how to handle Central Catholic's line, which includes Jimmy Kalis, Jon Sassic, Cole Bayer and James Halter. All of those players weight 270 pounds or more.

Pine-Richland won the matchup, 22-17, last season.

Deer Lakes looks for measuring stick
The Lancers picked up what ended up being their most impressive win of the season during the meeting between the teams last season. Deer Lakes beat the eventual WPIAL Class 2A champions by 13 points on the road. The Lancers would start the season 6-0 for the first time in school history before finishing 8-3 and losing in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Deer Lakes (1-0) opened the season by smothering Keystone Oaks 23-7. South Park (1-0) knocked off East Allegheny, 33-26.

Woodland Hills looks for second consecutive win over rival
The Woodland Hills and Penn Hills game didn't finish last season after a shooting down the street forced a stoppage in the game with 10 minutes remaining. The Wolverines were on their way to a win with a 26-6 lead over their rivals in the "King of the Hills" rivalry game. The matchup this season is a meaningful one for both sides, despite not being a conference game.

The Indians were shut out of for the first time in five seasons when they lost to New Castle, 12-0, in Week Zero. Woodland Hills gave North Allegheny all it could handle, but ended up losing to the Tigers 28-26 on a late touchdown. Scoop Smith and Ziggy Moore, who committed to Miami (Ohio) and N.C. State, respectively, both looked good in Week Zero.

The Indians are hoping to get their offense moving in the right direction, as highly-touted receiver Carter Bonner provides Penn Hills with a strong target in the passing game.

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.

Peters Township graduate Jack Natili is making a splash in the Cape Cod League with the Cotuit Kettleers. Natili ranks second in the prestigious summer league with five home runs and has driven in 15 runs.

According to an article by Abby Halpin on the Cape Cod Summer League's website, Natili has impressed Cotuit coach Loren Hibbs with his ability to be coached. Through the first two weeks of the season, Natili was only batting .188. But Natili's bat has heated up since he came through with his first extra-base hit on June 29.

Natili transferred to Cincinnati this past season after playing his freshman season at Rutgers. After hitting .230 with the Scarlet Knights as a freshman, the catching prospect made a big leap with the Bearcats. Natili hit .338 and smashed nine home runs and drove in 53 runs for Cincinnati.

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