5 things to watch: Conference titles, playoff spots to be won
It’s hard to imagine tonight is the final Friday of regular-season play in the high school football season.
Several area teams have the opportunity to clinch playoff berths in a win-or-go-home scenario. Other local squads will be playing to clinch conference titles or improve their position for seeding in the WPIAL playoffs, while some will be playing for pride.
Here are 5 things to know for tonight’s games:
1. Who’s in: Eleven local teams have already clinched playoffs berths.
Canon-McMillan (1-2, 5-4) has clinched one of four playoff spots in Class 6A. The Big Macs host Mt. Lebanon (1-2, 5-4) tonight in a battle for third place.
Peters Township (4-0, 9-0) is one of eight teams who have clinched in Class 5A. The Indians can win the Allegheny Six Conference title outright tonight against Bethel Park (3-1, 4-5).
Trinity (3-2, 5-4) has clinched in Class 4A and Belle Vernon (4-0, 7-1) has qualified in Class 3A.
McGuffey (5-0, 7-2) and Washington (4-1, 8-1) have clinched out of the Class 2A Century Conference and will meet tonight in Claysville.
Fort Cherry (6-0, 9-0), Burgettstown (4-2, 5-3), California (6-0, 8-1), West Greene (5-1, 7-2) and Jefferson-Morgan (4-2, 5-4) are five of the 16 teams in Class A that have clinched a spot in the postseason.
2. Still alive: Waynesburg (2-3, 6-3) remains alive for a berth in Class 2A and Beth-Center (3-3, 3-6), Monessen (2-4, 3-6) and Bentworth (2-4, 3-6) has a shot to clinch a spot in Class A.
The term must-win game is one of many cliches that are overused in sports, but for Waynesburg, tonight’s Class 2A Century Conference clash at Charleroi (0-5, 0-8) is such a game. A win puts Waynesburg in the playoffs. A loss likely ends the season for the Raiders.
On paper, the Raiders are a clear favorite, but last week’s 18-13 setback to Sto-Rox (2-4, 2-6) put Waynesburg in this position.
The Raiders have already exceeded expectations this year in assuring themselves a winning season after a winless campaign last year, but coach Aaron Giorgi’s team wants to finish the job.
3. Battle of the dogs: Tonight’s Beth-Center-Monessen is truly the battle of the dogs, as the Bulldogs and Greyhounds will do battle at Beth-Center Stadium in the heart of Fredericktown.
The home-field advantage gives Beth-Center a slight edge, but Monessen has been a scrappy team all year and it has a number of playmakers who could turn the tide.
If Bentworth pulls off the upset against conference champion California and Monessen wins, a three-team tie for fourth place would occur and the tiebreaker involves the Gardner Points System.
3. Century Conference title on the line: The expectation was for undefeated Washington to travel to Claysville to play undefeated McGuffey with the Class 2A Century Conference title on the line, but Keystone Oaks spoiled the scenario by upsetting the Prexies, 21-14, last week at Wash High Stadium.
The Highlanders remain undefeated in conference play, so the Prexies will try for a tie atop the standings, which would give Wash High the conference’s top seed in the playoffs. McGuffey isn’t looking to share, though, and expect an exciting contest that features an old-school team that runs the triple-option offense versus a squad that spreads it out and gets the ball to its playmakers.
4. Peters Township on cusp of conference title: The Indians host Bethel Park with an opportunity to finish the regular season undefeated while winning the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference championship.
Peters Township is averaging 37.4 points per game while yielding only 4.1 in conference play. Bethel Park puts up 30 points per game in Allegheny Six Conference action, but its defense allows 26.7.
Bethel Park’s lone loss in conference play was a 42-34 setback to Moon. The Indians beat the Tigers, 40-7.
5. Mon Valley showdown: Belle Vernon, the defending WPIAL and PIAA champion in Class 3A, seeks a second straight Interstate Conference title when it hosts Elizabeth Forward at James Weir Stadium.
The Leopards and Warriors (4-0, 9-0) are undefeated in conference play and Belle Vernon’s lone loss was to Class 4A Thomas Jefferson, 24-19, in a game that coach Matt Humbert’s team led until the final three minutes.
The Leopards defeated Class 4A McKeesport, 21-14, in overtime, and Class 5A Penn-Trafford, 21-0, in non-conference action. Belle Vernon dominated its four opponents in conference play, while Elizabeth Forward won by seven over Southmoreland and 14 at Mt. Pleasant.
The Leopards have plenty of star power with Penn State commit Quinton Martin leading the way, and Braden Laux, who is Eastern Michigan bound, starting at quarterback and defensive end.
Laux injured a finger on his throwing hand against Mt. Pleasant on Oct. 13 and sat out last week’s game, but Curty Wade filled in admirably. Laux will most likely start tonight.