Final night features matchups for conference titles, playoff spots
Whoever makes the WPIAL football schedule might be asking for a pay raise.
That’s because across the district there are many games in Week 10 that will decide conference titles and playoff spots.
Plenty of local teams are involved. Titles in the Class A Black Hills Conference (Fort Cherry/Washington), Tri-County South (California/Beth-Center), Class 3A Interstate Conference (Belle Vernon/Elizabeth Forward) and Class 4A Big Six Conference (South Fayette/Ringgold) will be decided tonight.
Here’s a look at each of those games:
Fort Cherry at Washington
Ever since the WPIAL released the football schedule in March, there has been a lot of anticipation for this matchup.
Well, it’s finally here and it will indeed be for the Black Hills Conference title.
Fort Cherry (4-1, 8-1) lost to Monessen, but the winner of tonight’s game will be the top seed out of the conference since everyone else in the conference has two or more losses.
Wash High (5-0, 8-1) has blitzed through conference opponents to this point, outscoring them 251-51. Quarterback Travon Moye has passed for 978 yards, 10 touchdowns and has not thrown an interception. He’s paired well with the rushing attack led by Jamarie Walker, who has 905 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s been over 100 yards each of the last four weeks.
Ameer Nelson has been Moye’s top target with 17 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns.
Fort Cherry’s top threat is senior running back Eli Salvini, who leads all local running backs with 1,284 yards and 21 touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Colin Sieg has filled in well for older brother Matt. Sieg has 968 yards passing with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. His top targets are Landon Trnavsky, who has 23 receptions and three touchdowns and Nate Wolfe, who has 19 catches and two touchdowns.
California at Beth-Center
This is a game between the defending conference champion (California) and one of the feel-good stories across the WPIAL (Beth-Center).
The Bulldogs (6-0, 9-0) have gone from missing the playoffs every season since 2018 to not only clinching a playoff spot, but also looking to finish off an unbeaten regular season.
California’s only two losses are to Fort Cherry and Washington.
It’s the third year in a row California (6-0, 7-2) is playing for the Tri-County South title on the final night of the regular season. Two years ago, the Trojans lost to Jefferson-Morgan, but beat the Rockets last year.
They’ll look to go back-to-back led by standout sophomore quarterback Brandon Meier.
Meier has thrown for 1,287 yards and 16 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He can tuck it and run too. He has 429 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns.
Beth-Center is led on offense by junior running back Enzo Brown. He’s second locally among running backs with 1,259 yards and has scored 18 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs have outscored Tri-County South opponents 269-45, while California has scored 296 points and allowed only 26.
Belle Vernon at Elizabeth Forward
Fresh off a 55-39 win at Waynesburg, Belle Vernon (5-0, 8-1), gets another road test against Elizabeth Forward (5-0, 8-1) for the Interstate Conference title.
Belle Vernon running back Chace Petrosky is certainly in a groove. He has scored five touchdowns in each of the last two games.
Quarterback Jace Gedekoh is also a defensive end for the Leopards. Playing those two positions is a unique combination, but not uncommon at Belle Vernon. Braden Laux played defensive end and quarterback when the Leopards won WPIAL and state titles in 2022 and ’23.
The Warriors have a 1,000-yard rusher in Rocco Thompson and a dual-threat quarterback, Kaden Allen, who has thrown for 871 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 850 yards and 16 scores.
Elizabeth Forward averages 41 points per game, while Belle Vernon has averaged 34. Both teams give up 14 points per game.
South Fayette at Ringgold
South Fayette is aiming to win the Allegheny Six Conference title outright, while Ringgold is desperate for a win to potentially clinch a playoff spot.
The Lions (4-0, 8-1) have found little resistance so far in conference play, outscoring opponents 216-20. Braeden Plasko has been solid in his first season as the starting quarterback with 940 yards and 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. Aayden Wright has 1,092 yards rushing with 14 touchdowns.
Ringgold (3-1, 5-4) will try to put last week’s loss to Chartiers Valley, which had a controversial go-ahead touchdown for the Colts, in the rearview mirror.
The Rams would need a win and a Colts loss to Albert Gallatin to clinch a playoff spot. But if the Colts win, the Rams beating South Fayette would be a boost to their wild card resume.
Whoever finishes third in the Parkway Conference between New Castle (6-3), Montour (7-2) and Blackhawk (8-1) is almost assured of a wild card.
That’d leave Ringgold and Kiski to battle for the final wild card, if the Cavaliers beat Indiana tonight and finish third place in the Greater Allegheny Conference.
Kiski only has two wins entering Week 10, but one of them was against Ringgold.
Ringgold’s offense, led by Youngstown State recruit and wide receiver Demetri Lowe, averages nearly 33 points per game.
Extra points
Conference titles are not the only thing on the line. Playoff sports are up for grabs when Avella plays at Frazier and Chartiers-Houston travels to McGuffey. The winner of each of those games clinches third place in their conference, while the loser will have to rely on getting a wild card into the playoffs. … Burgettstown is in the driver’s seat for third place in the Black Hills Conference and can take any math out of the equation with a win against Bentworth. … Canon-McMillan clinches a top-three spot in Class 6A with a win at Mt. Lebanon. … Trinity cannot clinch a playoff spot, but can boost its resume for a wild card with a win at Bethel Park.