WPIAL WEek 2 Football games to watch: Shady Side academy's offense will get ultimate test again clairton

Shady Side Academy quarterback Javon Johnston, left, threw for four touchdowns and ran for four during the Bulldogs' 56-26 win over Burrell last Friday at Michael J. Farrell Stadium. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges

The Clairton Bears bounced back from their Week Zero disappointment of losing to Imani Christian by beating up Serra Catholic last week.

The Bears will have another opportunity to flex their defensive muscles this weekend against Shady Side Academy. The status of Bulldogs running back Maddox Harvey is unknown. He was helped off the field with a leg injury during the second quarter of a 30-point win over Burrell last week.

The Bulldogs have plenty of weapons in the passing game to test Clairton’s stout defense. Sophomore quarterback Javon Johnston has a pair of capable targets in BJ Mallory and Cam Mallory.

Cam Mallory committed to Youngstown State last week.

​Scoring against the Bears is a different challenge altogether. Clairton recorded 10 shutouts last season and held both their opponents under 20 so far this year. The Bears should win this one, but it is an interesting challenge for Shady Side Academy under first-year coach Andrew Geisler.

Mon Valley battle set to determine top team in Class 4A
Kemon Spell missed out on a high-profile matchup with Peters Township last Friday. The McKeesport star running back and Penn State recruit was out with an ankle injury. The Tigers’ offense wasn’t the same without him and several lineman, who were out with injuries.

Will playing rival Thomas Jefferson reenergize the Tigers? The Jaguars swept McKeesport enroute to the WPIAL Class 4A crown last season. The regular season meeting a memorable one where Thomas Jefferson has to rally from a three-score deficit to grab a win.

Tyler Eber has carried the Jaguars’ ground game this season, piling up more than 200 yards last season. This is a non-conference matchup, but should provide an insight to where both teams are at.

Central Catholic and Woodland Hills head to Canton
The Vikings and Wolverines will meet at the Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Dan Marino is the lone Pro Football Hall of Famer between the two schools, but both programs will enjoy getting a change of pace for a non-conference game.

Woodland Hills is coming off a 41-7 win over Penn Hills. The Wolverines are hoping to build off the performance in Week Zero, where they only lost to North Allegheny by two points. Central Catholic has been more than battle tested already.

The Vikings lost to the No. 1 ranked team in Class 6A, La Salle College, in Week Zero. Central Catholic then bounced back with a 34-20 win over Pine-Richland where the Vikings shut out the Rams in the second half.

Roman Thompson scored three times for the Vikings last week.

Where are your heads at?
Plum opened the season with an impressive manhandling of Franklin Regional. The Mustangs, however, fell victim to their emotions. Plum and Franklin Regional got into a skirmish that saw players ejected on both sides.

The Mustangs’ offense was excellent last week against Latrobe, but couldn’t close the game out in a loss to Latrobe. Gateway has been struggling to get on its feet. The Gators opened the season with a pair of 6A opponents -- State College and North Allegheny -- and lost handily both times. 

This is a non-conference game, but the Gators will be desperate to get on the board.

​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.