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10/27/2009 3:31 AM

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The Steelers don't play again until Nov. 9 but that doesn't mean the local football menu will be void of meaningful games this weekend.

The high school regular season concludes Friday with several teams facing must-win situations to keep their postseason hopes alive. The marquee local game is a Class AA Interstate showdown between McGuffey (6-2) and Washington (6-2) in Claysville. McGuffey has clinched a playoff berth and can host a first-round game by beating the Prexies. If Washington wins and gets some help from Jeannette, the Prexies can finish second. If Wash High loses, the Prexies will need a lot of help to make the playoffs.

Trinity (2-3, 3-5) and Ringgold (1-4, 3-5) meet at Hiller Field with the winner likely securing a spot in the Class AAA playoffs out of the Big Seven. Three weeks ago, you couldn't find anyone willing to go all-in on their playoff bets with the Hillers or Rams, but each has turned their season around.

Six area teams - South Fayette, McGuffey, Fort Cherry, Monessen, Beth-Center and Jefferson-Morgan - have clinched playoff berths. Eight others - Canon-McMillan, Trinity, Ringgold, Washington, Chartiers-Houston, Burgettstown, Carmichaels and California - are clinging to postseason hopes.

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• Saturday afternoon at Cameron Stadium, Washington & Jefferson (3-0, 7-0) hosts Thomas More (5-0, 7-0) in a game that will decide the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship. Both teams are ranked in NCAA Division III, W&J at No. 7 and Thomas More No. 15. Thomas More won its first PAC championship last year by defeating W&J 35-29 in Kentucky.

• Keyaron Fox's scintillating 82-yard interception return for a touchdown Sunday secured the Steelers' 27-17 victory over the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings. It was the biggest play of Fox's young career. In hindsight, it wasn't a smart one. It was a dangerous play that, for a few fleeting seconds, kept alive the Vikings' hopes for a comeback.

Fox's interception came with 80 seconds remaining and the Steelers clinging to a three-point lead. Minnesota was down to two timeouts. Had Fox simply stepped out of bounds or fallen to the ground after intercepting the pass thrown by Brett Favre, the Steelers could have won the game by taking a knee on three consecutive snaps.

Instead, Fox opted to continue running, risking being caught from behind and fumbling. Those things can and do happen. The San Diego Chargers, then coached by Marty Schottenheimer, lost a playoff game several years ago because of a fumble by Marlon McCree on what could have been a game-clinching interception.

"I thought about running out of bounds and just giving our offense a chance to run out the clock," Fox told reporters.

But the linebacker was thinking about more than "Just win, baby."

"I can't turn down this opportunity to be the hero," he said.

A fumble and Fox could have gone from hero to goat in an instant.

• Have the baseball playoffs ended yet?

• The best thing to happen to fantasy football since the Internet is the NFL Red Zone channel, which is part of Comcast's digital sports tier, Dish Network and Verizon FIOS.

If you play fantasy football - or just love football - this high-energy channel is for you. It's basically an around-the-league highlights show happening while games are in progress. With live cut-ins, every touchdown from each Sunday afternoon NFL game is shown.

If you're like me, after five minutes of watching NFL Red Zone you'll wonder why nobody thought of this years ago.

Sports Editor Chris Dugan can be reached at dugan@observer-reporter.com

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