A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2024 Week 1

By: Bill Hartlep
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 | 7:50 PM

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Nonconference

Apollo-Ridge (0-1) at Jeannette (1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette

Last week’s result: Leechburg 19, Apollo-Ridge 14; Jeannette 28, Mt. Pleasant 27

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• Apollo-Ridge was in the same position last week against Leechburg that Mt. Pleasant was in against Jeannette. It was in control in the fourth quarter but could not hold a lead. Leechburg scored twice in the fourth to defeat the Vikings, who were plagued by eight pre-snap penalties. Nathan Fryer and Taye Bradshaw had touchdowns in the loss. … Jeannette trailed in the second half 27-14, before rallying behind Kymone Brown and Jayce Powell. After forcing a turnover with 3:15 to go, Brown found Powell for a 74-yard touchdown on a screen pass, after the pair hooked up for a 56-yard score late in the third. Powell, a sophomore, caught six for 190 yards and three touchdowns and also threw for a score. Brown shared snaps with Markus McGowan.

Beth-Center (0-0) at Leechburg (1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Field, Leechburg

Last week’s result: Beth-Center did not play; Leechburg 19, Apollo-Ridge 14

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• This is the first meeting between the schools. Beth-Center finished 3-7 last season and 3-4 in the Class A Tri-County South. The Bulldogs have 26 players, including 13 freshmen. Jonah Sussan returns at quarterback. At 84, Bulldogs coach Tony Ruscitto is the WPIAL’s oldest head coach. He began his career 49 seasons ago as an assistant at Beth-Center, where the Bulldogs won the 1975 WPIAL Class 2A title against another Armstrong County school, Kittanning. … Jayden Floyd helped key Leechburg’s Week Zero win with 143 passing yards and a touchdown as well as 86 rushing yards and two TDs.

Chartiers-Houston (0-1) at Springdale (0-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Freeport Area Athletic Stadium, Buffalo Township

Last week’s result: Jefferson-Morgan 35, Chartiers-Houston 6; Springdale did not play.

Last year’s meeting: Did not play

• Dominic Andreoli scored Chartiers-Houston’s lone TD last week on a 50-yard pass form Brady Gotfredson. The Bucs defense, however, allowed 201 passing yards and 254 rushing yards. … Springdale will open its season after having to cancel its Week Zero game against Burrell because of a lack of healthy players. The Dynamos are 1-19 the past two years. The game is being played at Freeport because of a leaning wall behind the visitors bleachers at Veterans Memorial Field.

Deer Lakes (1-0) at 3-3A South Park (1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Eagle Stadium, South Park

Last week’s result: Deer Lakes 28, Keystone Oaks 7; South Park 30, East Allegheny 16

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• Deer Lakes and South Park have never played. The Lancers are trying to go 2-0 for just the second time in last 20 seasons after starting the 2015 campaign with a pair of victories. QB Jake Fleisher shined, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Zach Grant, who had six grabs for 163 yards. … South Park is led by running back Eric Doerue, who rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns last week. QB Robert Lenzi added 93 rushing yards behind twin linemen Parker and Troy Cunningham, both all-conference players. Parker is committed to James Madison, and Troy has received eight Division I FCS offers.

Fox Chapel (0-1) at Baldwin (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Cibic Stadium, Whitehall

Last week’s result: Allderdice 20, Fox Chapel 9; Thomas Jefferson 63, Baldwin 12

• Last year’s meeting: Did not play

The Foxes are looking to snap a 22-game losing streak on the road in the South Hills. Victor Nernberg caught a 20-yard TD pass from Joe Geller for the Foxes’ lone touchdown last week. Harran Zureikat also booted a 35-yard field goal. … Baldwin got a big play from Devin Taylor last week when he scored on a 75-yard run. He finished with six rushes for 90 yards. The Fighting Highlanders are looking to snap a 10-game losing streak after beating Brashear, 56-0, in Week Zero last season.

Freeport (1-0) at Derry (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Trojan Stadium, Derry

Last week’s result: Freeport 30, Indiana 7; Ligonier Valley 20, Derry 7

Last year’s meeting: Did not play

• Freeport quarterback Drew Ross rushed for a touchdown and hit Owen Wisniewski on a 31-yard scoring strike last Friday. Owen Neistein and Amos Glen scored on runs for the Yellowjackets. … Damauri Robinson scored on a 41-yard run for Derry, but the Trojans’ offense had problems converting against Ligonier Valley. … The Trojans and Yellowjackets have met three times. Freeport won 34-14 in 2020, and Derry won 35-27 in 2019 and 19-13 in 2018.

5-3A North Catholic (0-1) at Knoch (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Knights Stadium, Saxonburg

Last week’s result: Seton LaSalle 23, North Catholic 12; Kiski Area 42, Knoch 7

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• North Catholic is playing in Class 3A this season after a two-year stint in 4A. Jack White made a big play for the Trojans last week, catching an 80-yard TD strike from junior Joey Felitsky, who tossed for 234 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort. … Knoch fell short in its season opener against Kiski Area after allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play. Codi Mullen had the lone TD on a 5-yard run. New QB Colt Sprankle, who transferred from Armstrong, threw for 230 yards and had two interceptions.

3-6A Norwin (1-0) at Kiski Area (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Richard J. Dilts Stadium, Allegheny Township

Last week’s result: Norwin 26, Penn-Trafford 14; Kiski Area 42, Knoch 7

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• A season-opening win has Norwin playing with confidence and a No. 3 ranking in the largest classification. The Knights defeated rival Penn-Trafford for their first season-opening win in six seasons. It was the 400th win in school history. They trailed 14-6 in the third quarter before scoring 20 straight points, including an 80-yard scoring pass from Tristyn Tavares to Jake Knight. Tavares’ 6-yard TD run gave them the lead. Norwin’s hasn’t started 2-0 since 2014. … Kiski Area put up 35 first-half points to rout Knoch. Aven Shirley opened the scoring with an 80-yard kick return, and Landon Kucic scored on a 72-yard burst. Kucic ran for 182 yards and four touchdowns. The Cavaliers did surrender 230 yards through the air.

Plum (0-1) at Latrobe (1-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Latrobe Memorial Stadium, Latrobe

Last week’s result: Franklin Regional 42, Plum 7; Latrobe 41, Connellsville 0

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• Plum got off to a slow start and never recovered against bordering rival Franklin Regional, an opponent to which it has lost six straight times. The Mustangs gave up four touchdown passes and more than 200 rushing yards in the opener. They did score on their first play of the second half: a touchdown pass from John Nonnenberg to Sloan Humphries. Olivia Bigger, the team’s female kicker, made the extra point. … Latrobe had the look of a 5A contender in the opener, steamrolling Connellsville behind its usual suspects. John Wetzel (QB/S), a Marshall commit, had a pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage, and Penn State linebacker recruit Alex Tatsch scored two rushing touchdowns before Brady Prohovic added a third to make it 28-0 at the half. … Plum leads the all-time series 9-7. The teams have not met since 2019.

Riverview (0-0) at Valley (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, New Kensington

Last week’s result: Riverview did not play; Southmoreland 52, Valley 20

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• Valley and Riverview are meeting for the first time. Riverview opens the 2024 season with more than 50 players on its roster. The Raiders will try to improve on a 5-5 season. Junior RB Rio Stotts returns after rushing for nearly 500 yards last season and will take over at quarterback, along with Connor Kmetz. … Valley will look to bounce back after a tough start against Southmoreland last week. Freshman Antonio Perkins stepped in a quarterback for the injured Mason Simmons and threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a 16-yard TD. … There was an odd relationship between two of the predecessor schools during the early years of The Great Depression when money was tight. Ken High and Oakmont each wore dark red jerseys. Ken High would play on Fridays, wash the jerseys and transport the jerseys to Oakmont for Saturday games.

Shady Side Academy (0-1) at Burrell (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Buccaneer Stadium, Lower Burrell

Last week’s result: Greensburg C.C. 46, Shady Side Academy 40; Avonworth 24, Burrell 7

Last year’s meeting: Did not play.

• Shady Side Academy relied on its running game in Week Zero. Cam Mallory rushed 19 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns. Darrin Haynes ran 23 times for 206 yards. He also scored on a 96-yard kickoff return. This is the third season for which Shady Side Academy has a co-op with The Neighborhood Academy. … The Bucs lead 11-9 in the all-time series. The schools last met in 2017 when Shady Side Academy won 42-8. Liam Kasavage caught a 32-yard TD pass from Stephen Hasson for Burrell’s lone score last week. Trey Coury paced the Bucs running game with 21 carries for 77 yards.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Baldwin, Beth-Center, Burrell, Chartiers-Houston, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, North Catholic, Plum, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, South Park, Springdale, Valley