Category: Western Beaver

1/12/2026 0 Comments

Riverview football will play under the lights next season

Riverview wide receiver Rio Stotts looks for space during a game at Riverside Park in Oakmont last season. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges

s
The news out of Oakmont is that there will be lights added to Riverside Park before the start of next football season. That means the Raiders will now join every other public school in the WPIAL in playing their home football games on Friday nights. After Western Beaver got lights before the start of the 2025 season, Riverview was the last public school in the Pittsburgh area to play on Saturday afternoons.

It's a disappointing change, but one that the parents wanted badly, so it was destined to happen. The Raiders' home atmosphere, being close to the Allegheny River and the Oakmont Bakery, provided a festive environment.

The only school still playing all of its home games on Saturdays is Summit Academy, a school for at-risk youth in Butler County. It doesn't guarantee that all games will be on Fridays in the Pittsburgh area. Due to a lack of officials, many districts around the state have been forced to move games to Thursday or Saturday nights.

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

Western Beaver won its first-ever home playoff game on Friday night in 2025 by knocking off Apollo-Ridge in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges

0 Comments

11/8/2025 0 Comments

WPIAL football quarterfinal/semifinal playoff roundup

Western Beaver's Jeremiah Pratt intercepts a pass during a WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal Friday in Industry, Pa. Pratt, is a Lincoln Park student who plays for the Golden Beavers through a co-op, transferred in from Aliquippa. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges

There will be no stranger result around the WPIAL than North Allegheny’s loss to Seneca Valley in the final week of the regular season. There was some thought maybe this would be a year the door would be open for another team to break open the monotony of having Central Catholic and the Tigers play for the WPIAL Class 6A title every year.

But North Allegheny showed it was not ready to give way to the Norwins and Canon-McMillans of the world Friday night. The Tigers blew by the Knights 35-17 at Newman Stadium to advance to the championship game against Central Catholic next Saturday at Pine-Richland High School.

The Tigers ended the regular season with a surprising pair of losses, a 67-0 destruction at the hands of rival Pine-Richland a 21-18 defeat to the 4-6 Raiders.

Norwin did score first, surging ahead 3-0 on a 41-yard field goal. North Allegheny (8-3) went ahead for good when Cameron Kushner caught a touchdown pass from Brady Brinkley. The Tigers went on to score 28 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for the win.

Jeannette shows they are tough enough
Jayhawks coach Tommy Paulone Jr. posted a letter on X this Saturday thanking seniors for their efforts this season following a 38-33 loss in the WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinals to Clairton. In the message, he mentioned that no one in the media or outside their facility thought they could win.

He was right. When the teams met on Sept. 26 at McKee Stadium, the Bears handed Jeanette a 57-0 beatdown. When the Jayhawks (8-4) had their rematch in the second round of the playoffs, everyone expected more the same.

Clairton (11-1) hadn’t allowed a point to a Class A opponent all season, never scoring fewer than 48 points. But the Jayhawks pressed Clairton hard. The Jayhawks fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter, but cut the deficit to 21-20 at the half.

A 70-yard kick return for a touchdown by Rheyjon Williams helped Clairton turn the momentum after Jeannette surged ahead 20-14 after the Jayhawks strung together three consecutive scores. Clairton extended the lead by scoring first after halftime on a 2-yard run by Jeff Thompson III.

Western Beaver rolls on
The Golden Beavers have plenty to celebrate this season. Western Beaver has lights for the first time in its history. Given the chance to shine on a Friday night in the playoffs for the first time at home, the Golden Beavers delivered against Apollo-Ridge.

Western Beaver was able to lean on its strong rushing game in a game marked by physical play. Many of the plays throughout this contest ended with wrestling matches post-whistle from both teams.

Jeremiah Pratt, who transferred to Lincoln Park, which has a co-op with Western Beaver for football, from Aliquippa, made several big plays for the Golden Beavers. Wyatt Sparbanie and Amari Marshall provided plenty of balance on offense for Western Beaver, which won 41-14.

Winning has consequences
Aliquippa was in a funny position. The Quips’ classification for the next two seasons would be determined by how they performed against New Castle. Win and the Quips would remain in Class 4A.

Lose and head back to 3A, where Aliquippa always intended to be. But the Quips can’t help themselves. Aliquippa suffocated New Castle in a 14-0 win to earn a spot back in the WPIAL Class 4A championship after falling just short last season.

The Quips won’t mind wherever they land. Aliquippa first played in Class 4A in 2020. The Quips lost to Thomas Jefferson in overtime in the WPIAL title game that season before running off a string of three straight championships, knocking off Belle Vernon, Central Valley and McKeesport.

Spell breaks record
McKeesport junior running back Kemon Spell ran for 331 yards against Thomas Jefferson to help the Tigers qualify for a spot in the WPIAL Class 4A title game. Spell broke McKeesport's rushing record, which was set by 2006 McKeesport graduate Travis McBride.

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.

0 Comments

11/7/2025 0 Comments

Photos: western beaver 41, apollo-Ridge 14

Western Beaver's Wyatt Sparbanie attempts to break free from a tackle during the Golden Beavers' 41-14 win over Apollo-Ridge in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges.

Western Beaver played its first season under the lights. The Golden Beavers were able to give their fans a memorable moment by winning their first-ever Friday night football game in the playoffs against Apollo-Ridge, 41-14.

0 Comments

YOUR CART

Riverview football will play under the lights next season

WPIAL football quarterfinal/semifinal playoff roundup

Photos: western beaver 41, apollo-Ridge 14

Author

Archives

Categories