McGuffey finds Week 1 opponent
The McGuffey football team will not be idle in Week 1.
Instead, the Highlanders will host small-school football powerhouse Clairton in a non-conference game Aug. 30.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Both teams were in search of opponents. McGuffey was recently notified its original Week 1 opponent, Northgate, forfeited because of player safety. Clairton was looking for an opponent after Mapletown was taken off the Week 1 schedule to prevent another forfeit similar to last year.
“It didn’t seem like it was going to happen,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “Our Week Zero game is against Aliquippa and now McGuffey the following week. It’s two tough games for us. To have both those games back to back to start off our season, it will show us where we are at.”
Dalton said his recent scramble to find games resulted in a matchup against Newark Catholic High School near Columbus, Ohio, to fall through. There were two other options in Ohio but McGuffey reached out to Clairton.
“Our staff and I talked, to succeed at the highest level in Double-A we will have to face great speed,” Dalton said. “We haven’t had success with that. Clairton has a lot of explosive players.”
The newly scheduled game against Clairton will be sandwiched by two games for McGuffey – a Week Zero game against Ambridge then Frazier in Week 2 – that feature opponents with a new coach.
“It’s like we are starting in a new league,” Dalton said.