Tennis, anyone?

District championships are nothing new for the boys' tennis team at Westmont Hilltop.

The Hilltoppers recently won their third consecutive District 6 Class AA championship with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Juniata. For more on Westmont's three-peat, click here.

The Westmont Hilltop boys' tennis team won the District 6 Class AA championship on Thursday.

Westmont advances to the PIAA tournament, where the Hilltoppers play Eastern Lebanon County, the third-place team from District 3, on Tuesday at Leopold Recreation Center starting at 1:30 p.m.

They'll be joined in the bracket by a newcomer - Windber.

After seven second-place finishes, the Ramblers won the school's first District 5 tennis championship with a 5-0 victory over Bedford. For more on Windber's run, click here.

Windber plays perennial power Sewickley Academy on Tuesday at North Allegheny High School at 2:30 p.m. Sewickley Academy has won 10 consecutive WPIAL titles.

First-round winners advance to the PIAA quarterfinals Friday at Hershey Racquet Club.

District 5 Class AA playoffs preview

Boys'
Top seeds: 1. Conemaugh Township (20-3), 2. Northern Bedford (18-5), 3. Chestnut Ridge (17-5), 4. Tussey Mountain (15-7).
Defending champion: Conemaugh Township
Players to watch: Dillon Boyer, Jeff Fisher (Conemaugh Township), Ben Pick, Beau Bosch (Chestnut Ridge), Colt Ursino, Tyler Zabrucky (Windber), Tayler Pressel, Blake Over (Northern Bedford), Eric Husick, Luke Zelanko (Tussey Mountain).
The skinny: The Indians had a 19-game win streak snapped when Shade showed its top form in the WestPAC championship games. CT boasts a balanced offense with four players averaging double figures in scoring. ... Ridge's Bosch is as good an athlete as one can find in District 5, and the Lions are capable of beating playoff-caliber competition. ... The Ramblers (8-14) are the sixth, and final, seed in the bracket. ... Northern Bedford, like Conemaugh Township, has four players averaging in double figures scoring. The Panthers, however, have lost two of three games entering the tournament. ... The Titans have won five consecutive games. One of those wins came against Chestnut Ridge. ... Southern Fulton is also on a five-game win streak.
Sleeper: Tussey Mountain
Championship: Conemaugh Township over Northern Bedford.


Girls'
Top seeds: 1. Everett (16-6), 2. Tussey Mountain (16-6), 3. North Star (7-15), 4. Windber (12-10).
Defending champion: Conemaugh Township
Players to watch: Aubrea Phipps, Kadie Morral (Everett), Courtney Rupert, Olivia Claycomb (Tussey Mountain), Courtney Schrock, Olivia Zuchelli (North Star), Kaitlyn Weaver, Kortney Lampel (Windber).
The skinny: Everett's Morral is only a freshman but is averaging more rebounds (12.9) than points (11.1). ... Todd Gates' Titans average 15.5 steals per game and boast wins over Richland and Westmont Hilltop. ... Several of the Cougars' top players are freshman. North Star does not have a senior. ... Windber hasn't played in two weeks, which could slow the momentum the Ramblers created at the end of the regular season. With a roster equally as youthful as North Star's, Windber enters the postseason on a three-game win streak.
Sleeper: Windber
Championship: Tussey Mountain over Everett.

Area well represented on PFN All-State teams

The Pennsylvania Football news released its comprehensive All-State teams on Tuesday, and the area is well-represented, particularly in Class AA.

If you want to read the entire list of players, click here.

Locally, many of the players – Richland's Tanner Solarczyk, Berlin' Drew Glotflety and Penn Cambria Mack Behe – one would expect to be recognized were. There were a few surprises, too.

Greater Johnstown's Dalvin Williams was the lone local representative on the Class AAA team. He earned second-team honors at linebacker after he finished the regular season with 149 tackles. Williams was a first-team selection to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers' All-State team and had 10 or more tackles in all 10 of the Trojans' games.

Richland's Kyle Flick

Solarczyk, selected Tribune-Democrat Offensive Player of the Year, was a first-team running back in Class AA and was joined on the first team by Rams receiver Kyle Flick. Richland also placed quarterback Matt Shaffer on the second team along with lineman Josh Dininny. Receiver Luke Shertzer was the fifth Richland player selected as he made third team offense.

Ligonier Valley placed two on the Class AA offense. Lineman Micah Tennant, who will play at Lehigh, was a second-team selection and Ryan Torrance made third team at running back.

Forest Hills receiver Jared Shope, who spent time at quarterback this season because of an injury to Rangers starter Joe Donoughe, was a third-team selection.

Ligonier Valley's Stuart Urch

Behe made the PA Sports Writers All-State team at linebacker as a junior and a senior, so it's no surprise that the disruptive force from Penn Cambria earned a first-team spot in Class AA. He's joined at linebacker by Ligonier's Stuart Urch, who had 20 sacks.

Central Cambria defensive lineman  Tyler Gironda was a third-team selection in Class AA.

Two area talents landed on the Class A second team offense in Bishop McCort kicker Jordan Spangler and Berlin's Drew Glotfelty. Spangler kicked nine field goals in addition to being one of the area's premier pass catchers. Glotfelty, along with Solarczyk, rushed for 2,000 yards.

Berlin offensive lineman Levi Bowser was a third-team selection along with Shade running back Brock Medva.

Luke DiFrancesco, another of Bishop McCort's talented receivers, earned second-team honors at defensive back. He was joined by emerging defensive lineman Stew Trulick of Berlin and Norther Cambria linebacker Alex Atkins – Tribune-Democrat Defensive Player of the Year. Atkins finished the season with 160 tackles.


Windber placed three players on the third team in receiver Matt Barkley, punter Dustin Blough and defensive back Devon Tomlinson. North Star's Brantley Rice was also a third-team pick at defensive back.

Mixed feelings on bye week for Berlin, Windber

Windber received a first-round bye in the 2011 District 5 Class A playoffs. For the Ramblers, it was a chance to earn a well-deserved rest.

"We gave the kids the whole week off," Windber coach Matt Grohal said. "We lifted two or three times and watched film but we didn't go out on the practice field until we knew we were playing Northern Bedford."

As the second-seed in this year's District 5 postseason, Berlin (9-1) received a first-round bye. The Mountaineers handled things differently than the Ramblers did a year ago.

Of course, Berlin was coming off a loss at Windber to conclude the regular season last week.

"We had four days of practice and we gave the kids Friday off," Berlin coach Doug Paul said. "Most of the team went out to Windber to watch them play Tussey Mountain. This week, it's back to a normal five days of practice."

This week is far from normal, however, as Windber (9-2) travels to Berlin for a District 5 Class A semifinal Saturday night at Snyder of Berlin Sports Complex.

Will the bye week help Berlin? Time will tell, but both coaches have mixed feelings on the bye week.

"Some kids are banged up this time of year and it gives them a little more time to heal," Paul said. "At the same time, when you're heading into the playoffs, you want to keep playing. Two years ago, I didn't like having the bye. It mixed up the routine."

Will not having the bye hurt Windber? The Ramblers bring a four-game win streak into Berlin, but they're also banged up. Devon Tomlinson, a key running back and the team leader with seven interceptions, suffered a broken ankle against Tussey Mountain. Leading rusher Dustin Blough is dealing with injury, as is starting quarterback Dakote Gipe.

Grohal expects Gipe, who is dealing with an elbow injury, to play.

"To be honest, I don't like the bye. At this time of year, you just want to keep playing," Grohal said. "Of course, in hindsight, we would have taken the bye week this year given what happened (against Tussey Mountain)."

Tribune-Democrat football rankings

Regardless of classification ...

1. Richland 11-0 (Class AA)
2. Ligonier Valley 10-1 (AA)
3. Forest Hills 8-3 (AA)
4. Bishop McCort 8-3 (A)
5. Northern Cambria 8-3 (A)
6. Berlin 9-1 (A)
7. Windber 9-2 (A)
8. North Star 9-2 (A)
9. Chestnut Ridge 6-5 (AA)

PA Football News rankings

Class AAAA:
Rank - School - District - Record - Score - Last Weeks Ranking
1. North Allegheny (7) (11-0) Defeated Bethel Park, 42-14 (1)
2. LaSalle College (12) (10-1) Defeated St. Joseph's Prep, 28-27 (5)
3. Ridley (1) (11-0) Defeated Downingtown West, 20-17 (4)
4. Wilson (West Lawn) (3) (10-1) Defeated Dallastown, 48-0  (7)

5. Pennridge (1) (10-1) Defeated Abington, 35-14 (8)
6. St. Joseph's Prep (12) (9-1) Lost to LaSalle College, 28-27 (2)
7. Upper St. Clair (7) (10-1) Defeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 39-0 (9)

8. Scranton (2) (11-0) Defeated East Stroudsburg South, 42-20 (10)
9. Central Bucks South (10-1) Defeated Haverford Township, 38-14 (HM)
10. Harrisburg (3) (9-2) Defeated Mechanicsburg, 53-22 (HM)

 Honorable Mention:

Central Dauphin (3) (9-2)

Coatesville (1) (9-2)
Delaware Valley (2) (10-1)

Downingtown East (1) (10-1)
DuBois Area (9) (8-1)

Frankford (12) (8-2)

Gateway (7) (9-2)

Parkland (11) (9-2)

Penn Manor (3) (10-1)
Seneca Valley (7) (11-1)
Spring-Ford (1) (10-1)

Woodland Hills (7) (9-2)

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Class AAA:
Rank - School - District
1. Bishop McDevitt (3) (11-0) Defeated Lampeter-Strasburg, 40-13 (1)
2. Cathedral Prep (10) (10-0) Did Not Play (2)
3. Pottsgrove (1) (11-0) Defeated Strath Haven, 32-14 (3)
4. Thomas Jefferson (7) (11-0) Defeated Franklin Regional, 24-21 (4)
5. Archbishop Wood (12) (9-2) Defeated Monsignor Bonner/Prendergast, 38-16 (5)
6. Berwick Area (2) (10-1) Defeated Dallas Area, 28-7 (6)
7. West York (3) (11-0) Defeated Northeastern, 49-20 (7)
8. West Allegheny (7) (10-1) Defeated Montour, 14-2 (8)
9. West Mifflin (7) (10-1) Defeated Mars Area, 28-13 (HM)
10. Academy Park (1) (10-1) Defeated Upper Moreland, 35-23 (HM)
Honorable Mention:

Abington Heights (2) (9-2)

Central Valley (7) (9-2)
Clearfield (9) (11-0)
Cocalico (3) (10-1)

Conrad Weiser (3) (9-2)

Garden Spot (3) (10-1)

Lancaster Catholic (3) (8-3)

Manheim Central (3) (9-2)
Mars Area (7) (9-2)

Montour (7) (9-2)

Selinsgrove (4) (8-3)
Slippery Rock (10) (9-1)

Susquehanna Township (3) (9-2)

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Class AA:
Rank - School - District
1. Aliquippa (7) (11-0) Defeated Mount Pleasant, 43-6 (1)
2. Wyomissing (3) (11-0) Defeated Littlestown, 48-13 (2)
3. Imhotep Charter (12) (11-0) Defeated Prep Charter, 32-7 (3)
4. South Fayette (7) (11-0) Defeated Beaver Falls, 35-21 (4)
5. Washington (7) (11-0) Defeated Seton-La Salle, 33-17 (5)
6. Jeannette (7) (10-1) Defeated Beaver Area, 47-15 (6)
7. Richland (6) (11-0) Defeated Penn Cambria, 28-0 (7)
8. Bermudian Springs (3) (11-0) Defeated Susquenita, 42-7 (8)
9. Catasauqua (11) (11-0) Defeated Northern Lehigh, 42-15 (9)
10. Hickory (10) (9-1) Defeated Northwestern, 48-22 (HM)

Honorable Mention:

Danville (4) (9-2)

Forest Hills (6) (8-3)
Grove City (10) (9-1)

Karns City (9) (8-3)

Lakeland (2) (8-3)

Ligonier Valley (6) (10-1)

Montoursville (4) (8-3)

Pen Argyl (11) (9-2)

Tyrone Area (6) (8-3)

West Catholic (12) (7-3)

Wilmington (10) (8-2)

Wyoming Area (2) (9-2)

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Class A:
Rank - School - District
1. Clairton (7) (11-0) Defeated Brentwood, 39-0 (1) (58 Straight Wins)
2. Southern Columbia (4) (11-0) Defeated Line Mountain, 28-21 (2)
3. Old Forge (2) (11-0) Defeated Riverside, 42-7 (3)
4. Port Allegany (9) (10-0) Did Not Play (4)
5. Williams Valley (11) (11-0) Defeated Shenandoah Valley, 42-28 (5)
6. Dunmore (2) (10-1) Defeated Lackawanna Trail, 32-12 (6)
7. Tri-Valley (11) (10-1) Defeated Marian Catholic, 28-13 (7)
8. Sto-Rox (7) (10-1) Defeated Union Area, 33-8 (8)

9. Bellwood-Antis (6) (10-1) Defeated Glendale, 40-14 (9)
10. Sharpsville (10) (9-1) Defeated Cochranton, 42-6 (10)

Honorable Mention:
Berlin Brothersvalley (5) (9-1)

Bristol (1) (7-1)
Clarion Area (9) (11-0)

Delone Catholic (3) (7-3)

Millersburg (3) (7-3)
Monessen (7) (9-2)

Neshannock (7) (10-1)

North Star (5) (9-2)
Northern Bedford (5) (9-1)

Pittsburgh North Catholic (7) (9-2)
South Williamsport (4) (10-1)

West Middlesex (10) (9-2)

Windber Area (5) (9-2)

Tribune-Democrat football rankings

Regardless of classification

1. Richland 10-0 (Class AA)
Comment: Rams are the only undefeated team in District 6.
2. Ligonier Valley 9-1 (AA)
Comment: Rams play Bald Eagle Area second consecutive week.
3. Bishop McCort 7-3 (A)
Comment: Crushers defense key to postseason chances.
4. Portage 9-1 (A)
Comment: Big win last week for Mustangs. Tough game this week.
5. Forest Hills 7-3 (AA)
Comment: Rangers peaking at right time.
6. Berlin 9-1 (A)
Comment: Mountaineers lose first game. Sometimes that's not a bad thing.
7. Northern Cambria 7-3 (A)
Comment: Colts can be very good, like last week against Cambria Heights.
8. Cambria Heights 7-3 (AA)
Comment: Highlanders loss to NC put them on the road for the playoffs.
9. North Star 8-2 (A)
Comment: Cougars quitely winning games.
10. Windber 8-2 (A)
Comment: Ramblers finally get signature win in Week 10.

Games of the Week

Ligonier Valley (6-0) at Penns Manor (5-1)
Following a 56-0 win over Saltsburg last week, Ligonier Valley coach Roger Beitel said his Rams would be a decided underdog this week at Penns Manor, which reached the PIAA Class A semifinals.
Not sure people are buying into that notion with the way Ligonier Valley has played, but this Heritage Conference contest is the Rams' toughest test to date and the winner puts itself in position to win the conference title.
The matchup to watch is Ligonier Valley linebacker Stuart Urch, who has 17 sacks for minus-119 yards, against Penns Manor multi-purpose quarterback Danny Ferens.
Ferens has passed for 370 yards and five touchdowns to go with 1,102 rushing yards and 18 scores. Ferens averages 13.6 yards per carry.

Portage (5-1) at Windber (5-1)
A win for Portage not only keeps the Mustangs close to Berlin in the WestPAC standings, it gives Portage a foothold on a second-place finish considering its previous wins over North Star, Blacklick Valley and Shade.
Brothers Cody and Caleb Kephart have been driving forces for Portage. Caleb Kephart, a sophomore, leads a powerful run game with 525 rushing yards. The Mustangs average 277.7 yards per game. Cody Kephart, a senior, has 81 tackles.
A win for Windber helps the Ramblers keep pace with Berlin. Windber's lone loss was in non-conference play against Ligonier Valley.
Junior Devon Tomlinson has done a little of everything for Windber. He's intercepted five passes, rushed for 212 yards and passed for one touchdown in only two attempts. He's also averaging 26.0 yards per punt return.

Greater Johnstown (3-3) at Bishop McCort (4-2)
Records do not matter in this intense rivalry.
Greater Johnstown bounced back from consecutive shutout losses by beating Bedford last week. The Trojans, who've only scored 55 points this season, will want a low-scoring game. That means a ball-control offense and plenty of senior linebacker Dalvin Williams on defense.
Willians is putting together an All-State caliber season. He already has 91 tackles, four sacks, three passes defense, a fumble recovery and a punt block.
Bishop McCort has played well since a Week 3 at Somerset.
An opportunistic defense has been key for the Crushers, who have seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Quarterback Zaine Tomkowski has 957 yards passing.

Tribune-Democrat football rankings

Regardless of classification ...

1. Richland 5-0 (Class AA)
2. Ligonier Valley 5-0 (AA)
3. Penn Cambria 4-1 (AA)
4. Berlin 5-0 (A)
5. Somerset 4-1 (AAA)
6. Northern Cambria 4-1 (A)
7. Bishop McCort 3-2 (A)
8. Portage 4-1 (A)
9. Cambria Heights 3-2 (AA)
10. Windber 4-1 (A)

Games of the Week

The exact science of schedule making may never be divulged, but one interesting oddity is good games seem to come in bunches.

Certain weeks it's a stretch to find a compelling, competitive game between a pair of decent, not even good, teams.

Other weeks, the schedule is loaded with intriguing matchups.

Week 5 is one of those weeks.

In the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, Forest Hills plays at Cambria Heights. The loser will sport a losing record. At Somerset, Greater Johnstown comes to town coming off a shutout loss to powerful Richland and the Golden Eagles are trying to prove their 3-0 start was no fluke, despite last week's loss to Westmont. In the WestPAC, surging Conemaugh Township plays at Blacklick Valley in a key game.

All three games are layered with conference and postseason implications.

Yet, none made the cut for Games of the Week.

And there were enough good games to add a fourth entry this week.

Penn Cambria (4-0) at Bishop Guilfoyle (3-1)
These two LHAC teams just might boast the best small-school defenses between the WPIAL and Harrisburg.
That was expected at Penn Cambria, where all-state caliber linebackers Mack Behe and Devin Lawhead have helped make the Panthers one intimidating group. Bishop Guilfoyle, however, is one of the surprises in a somewhat surprising LHAC season. And the Marauders are also getting it done defensively, as last week's shutout win at Forest Hills attests.
This game kicks off Saturday night, and, given the quality of defense, the impact penalties and turnovers will be amplified.

North Star (3-1) at Berlin (4-0)
The Cougars were the overwhelming preseason pick by WestPAC coaches to win the conference title. The Mountaineers finished second in the selection process.
North Star stumbled out of the gate as it lost to Portage at home. The Cougars have recovered nicely, which they should have considering their last three opponents have combined for one win. North Star has found ways to get Tony Strasiser the football. He's rushed for a team-high three touchdowns, passed for a team-high 263 yards and he's caught 14 passes for 142 yards despite facing constant double coverage.
Berlin relies on running back Drew Glotfelty and a small but aggressive front on both sides of the football. The Mountaineers have played a tougher schedule, and they won at Portage in Week 2.

Ligonier Valley (4-0) at Windber (4-0)
Normally, non-conference games are ignored at this stage of the season. Ligonier Valley at Windber is an exception.
The Rams are a Class AA school beating up teams in the Heritage Conference, which is made up of Class A programs. While enrollment numbers don't hurt Ligonier Valley, it's not the lone reason for success. (I've covered many games over the years when a strong Class A team manhandled a good Class AA team.) The Rams defense has allowed 15 points on the season.
That point total is likely to change against Windber, whose most impressive wins have come against Shade and Blacklick Valley. While Ligonier Valley tends to lean offensively on Ryan Torrance and with good reason, the Ramblers spread the wealth.

Bishop McCort (3-1) at Richland (4-0)
This rivalry is a strong one, particularly now that Richland has evolved into a strong program under the direction of Brandon Bailey.
The Crushers' defense will face their biggest challenge of the season as no team - not even Bishop Guilfoyle - has stopped Richland.
Of all the amazing stats compiled by the Rams, the most amazing one deals with the efficiency of quarterbacks Matt Shaffer and Nico Pecora. They've combined to complete 60 of 83 passes (72.3 percent) for 959 yards and 14 touchdowns. According to maxpreps.com, Shaffer's QB rating is 146; Pecora's is 142.
Wow.

PFN football rankings

Class AAAA:

Rank - School - District - Record - Score - Last Weeks Ranking
1. North Allegheny (7) (4-0) Defeated Pine-Richland, 35-3 (1)

2. Easton Area (11) (4-0) Defeated Allentown Central Catholic, 35-10 (2)
3. LaSalle College (12) (4-0) Defeated Malvern Prep, 38-6 (3)
4. Gateway (7) (4-0) Defeated Altoona Area, 42-7 (4)  
5. Downingtown East (1) (4-0) Defeated Coatesville, 35-34 (5)
6. Upper St. Clair (7) (4-0) Defeated penn Hills, 27-0 (6)

7. Ridley (1) (4-0) Defeated Strath Haven, 32-14 (7)
8. St. Joseph's Prep (12) (3-0) Bye Did Not Play (8)
9. Central Dauphin (3) (3-1) Defeated Chambersburg, 52-27 (9)

10. Wilson (West Lawn) (3) (3-1) Defeated J.P. McCaskey, 57-12 (10)

 

Others to Watch:

Cedar Cliff (3) (4-0)

Central Bucks South (4-0)

Cumberland Valley (3) (3-1)

Delaware Valley (2) (4-0)

Garnet Valley (1) (4-0)

Harrisburg (3) (3-1)

Lower Dauphin (3) (4-0)

Penn Manor (3) (4-0)

Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7) (4-0)

Scranton (2) (4-0)

Souderton (1) (3-1)

Spring-Ford (1) (4-0)

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Class AAA:

Rank - School - District
1. Bishop McDevitt (3) (4-0) Defeated Mechanicsburg, 45-14 (1)

2. Cathedral Prep (10) (4-0) Defeated St. Francis (NY), 69-0 (2)
3. Archbishop Wood (12) (3-1) Defeated West Catholic, 27-6 (3)
4. Pottsgrove (1) (4-0) Defeated Boyertown, 56-6 (4)

5. Montour (7) (4-0) Defeated New Castle, 33-8 (6)
6. West Allegheny (7) (4-0) Defeated Hopewell, 28-10 (7)
7. Manheim Central (3) (3-1) Defeated Elizabethtown, 54-27 (8) 

8. Thomas Jefferson (7) (4-0) Defeated Trinity, 40-7 (9)
9. Valley View (2) (4-0) Defeated East Stroudsburg North, 48-13 (10)
10. Mars Area (7) (4-0) Defeated Highlands, 55-6 (OTW)

 
Others to Watch:

Berwick Area (2) (3-1)

Cardinal O'Hara (12) (3-1)

Central Valley (7) (3-1)

Clearfield (9) (4-0)

Franklin Regional (7) (3-1)

Garden Spot (3) (4-0)

Knoch (7) (4-0)

Lancaster Catholic (3) (3-1)

Scranton Prep (2) (3-1)

Selinsgrove (4) (4-0)

Slippery Rock (10) (4-0)

Warren (10) (4-0)

West Chester Henderson (1) (4-0)

West Mifflin (7) (4-0)

West York (3) (4-0)
 

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Class AA:

Rank - School - District
1. Aliquippa (7) (4-0) Defeated New Brighton, 66-0 (1)

2. Wyomissing (3) (4-0) Defeated Blue Mountain, 35-0 (2)
3. Jeannette (7) (4-0) Defeated Brownsville, 60-7 (3)
4. Imhotep Charter (12) (4-0) Defeated Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 34-10 (5)
5. Pen Argyl (11) (4-0) Defeated Wilson Area, 35-22 (6)
6. South Fayette (7) (4-0) Defeated Burgettstown, 56-6  (7)
7. Washington (7) (4-0) Defeated Defeated Yough, 42-12 (8)

8. Richland (6) (4-0) Defeated Greater Johnstown, 42-0 (10)

9. Seton-La Salle (7) (4-0) Defeated Steel Valley, 34-7 (OTW)
10. Schuylkill Valley (3) (4-0) Defeated Kutztown, 55-7 (OTW)

 

Others to Watch:

Bald Eagle Area (6) (4-0)

Beaver Area (7) (4-0)

Berks Catholic (3) (4-0)

Bermudian Springs (3) (4-0)

Biglerville (3) (4-0)

Burrell (7) (4-0)

Central Columbia (4) (4-0)

Corry Area (10) (4-0)

Danville (4) (4-0)

Grove City (10) (3-1)

Hickory (10) (3-1) 

Ligonier Valley (6) (4-0)

Mount Pleasant (7) (4-0)

Penn Cambria (6) (4-0)

Trinity (3) (3-1)

Troy Area (4) (4-0)

 

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Class A:

Rank - School - District
1. Clairton (7) (4-0) Defeated Monessen, 50-7 (1) (51 Straight Wins)

2. Southern Columbia (4) (4-0) Defeated South Williamsport, 42-21 (2)
3. Rochester Area (7) (4-0) Defeated South Side Beaver, 38-6  (4)
4. Sharpsville (10) (4-0) Defeated Kennedy Catholic, 55-13 (5)
5. Bellwood-Antis (6) (4-0) Defeated Juniata Valley, 47-34 (6)
6. Old Forge (2) (4-0) Defeated Dunmore, 21-0  (7)
7. Port Allegany (9) (4-0) Defeated Coudersport, 70-6 (8)
8. Williams Valley (11) (4-0) Defeated Line Mountain, 35-28 (9)
9. Dunmore (2) (3-1) Lost to Old Forge, 21-0 (3)

10. Bethlehem-Center (7) (4-0) Defeated Bentworth, 61-0 (OTW)

Others to Watch:

Avella (7) (4-0)

Berlin Brothersvalley (5) (4-0)

Bishop Canevin (7) (4-0)

Clarion Area (9) (4-0)

Cuurwensville (9) (4-0)

Elk County Catholic (9) (4-0)

Homer-Center (6) (4-0)

Lackawanna Trail (2) (4-0)

Muncy (4) (4-0)

Neshannock (7) (4-0)

Northern Bedford (5) (4-0)

Northgate (7) (4-0)

Penns Manor (6) (3-1)

Sto-Rox (7) (3-1)

West Middlesex (10) (3-1)

Windber Area (5) (4-0)

Games of the Week

Blacklick Valley (3-0) at Windber (3-0)
Blacklick Valley has run through Meyersdale, Rockwood and, in a non-conference game, Purchase Line.
Windber has rolled past Shade, Meyersdale and Rockwood.
Neither has played the most daunting schedule, but following tonight, one of these teams can claim a quality victory and establish itself as one of the teams to beat in the WestPAC.
Blacklick Valley's Johnny Sheesley is one of the area's premier players, and the rare player who is equally effective on both sides of the football. He's rushed for 530 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, Sheesley has a knack for finding the football and already has two interceptions. His coverage skills could come in handy against a Windber offense that is adept at throwing the football.
The Vikings are far from a one-man show. Grant Reigel and Matty Worthington have made plays all season.
Windber's single-wing offense may not feature an every-down back this year, but the Ramblers have rambled through three opponents and displayed big--play ability.
There are a couple surprising stats for Winder: 1. Quarterback Dakota Gipe has attempted 41 passes, and 2. Windber's leading receiver (Matt Barkley) has more receiving yards (176) than the team's leading rusher has rushing yards (Trevor Neri, 173).

Bishop Guilfoyle (2-1) at Forest Hills (2-1)
The Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference has already seen its share of surprises. Count Bishop Guilfoyle's start among them.
Then again, Forest Hills coach Don Bailey was certain his Rangers would face a quality opponent in Week 4 in mid-August after seeing tape of a Bishop Guilfoyle scrimmage.
The Marauders own convincing wins over Bedford and Cambria Heights, which received more preseason consideration than BG. And they're doing it with defense. Cody Rossman average 10 tackle per game and the Marauders have forced five turnovers.
From a statistical standpoint, Forest Hills features one of the area's most balanced offenses and an emerging talent in sophomore quarterback Joe Donoughe, who has passed for 545 yards and completed 71.7 percent of his attempts.
The Rangers have passed for 601 yards and rushed for 587.

Greater Johnstown (2-1) at Richland (2-1)
The Trojans remain a work-in-progress, but one that took a step toward where they want to be with last week's come-from-behind victory over Westmont Hilltop.
Johnstown's offense isn't scoring much, but the emergence of quarterback Deion Moore adds a dynamic component. Moore is averaging 10.0 yards per carry. Dalvin Williams has been a menace defensively with his team-best 42 tackles.
Williams will likely be busy against a Richland offense that has scored at will all season.
The Rams have scored 135 points.
The quarterback tandem of Matt Shaffer and Nico Pecora have put up ridiculous statistics - 50 of 63, 789 yards 11 touchdowns. Tanner Solarczyk has 369 yards rushing and is averaging 10.2 yards per carry.

Friday night thoughts

It's a question raised on many occasions, and a fair one at that.

"Why isn't Somerset better at football?"

Somerset has some things going for it many other schools in the area do not. There's a larger population base. The nearest private school with a football team is 30 miles away. Other programs have tasted success, particularly the baseball team. Plus, Somerset plays a schedule filled mostly with smaller schools.

Yet, the Golden Eagles have produced only a couple winning seasons since the 1990s.

Kinda scary.

Turning around a program that has struggled for, well, basically decades, was the task given Bob Landis, who took over the head coaching position before the start of the 2011 season - one year after the Golden Eagles went 0-10.

Somerset took a big step toward establishing itself as a contender in the often-rugged Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference with Friday's 19-13 win over Bishop McCort. The Crushers are a Class A team, and it might sound weird that a Class AAA team took a major step beating a small-school team. Yet, the win marks Somerset's first victory over Bishop McCort.

Somerset's record in the series now stands at 1-23.

Yep, a major step.

At 3-0, Somerset sits atop the conference with Penn Cambria and Richland - a pair of teams who have looked impressive to date. The win total matches the Golden Eagles' output of the last two seasons combined.

Somerset is running the football and playing strong defense. The Golden Eagles with need a strong defense against an offense the caliber of Richland's.

* Even with Somerset's surge, still say the game of the year is Penn Cambria at Richland.

* Anyone else notice Windber has quietly pieced together a 3-0 record and are racking up some significant offensive statistics?

* Got to love all the national and regional attention the Walnut Heights at Ampipe, er, Westmont Hilltop at Johnstown game generated.

As neat as the pregame story lines were, the game produced something that could significantly impact the LHAC race as the Trojans offense showcased junior Deion Moore.

Moore rushed for 146 yards in Johnstown's 20-17 victory, and he displayed the type of shiftiness and athleticism that could make defenses look silly the rest of the season.

As much talk as the game generated before kickoff, and it's difficult imaging a high school game in the country that drew more headlines, Moore was the talk after the game.

Tribune-Democrat football rankings

Ranking the top 10 local teams, regardless of classification.

1. Penn Cambria (2-0, Class AA)
2. Richland (2-0, AA)
3. Bishop McCort (2-0, A)
4. Somerset (2-0, AAA)
5. Forest Hills (1-1, AA)
6. Berlin (2-0, A)
7. Ligonier Valley (2-0, AA)
8. Cambria Heights (1-1, AA)
9. Greater Johnstown (1-1, AAA)
10. Windber (2-0, A)

Camp Kovak, Windber (first stop)

Blogger's note: The following is a feature for The Varsity Club that follows the travels of The Tribune-Democrat sports editor Mike Kovak during high school football training camps. Kovak made six stops (in order) - Windber, Shade, Conemaugh Township, Somerset, Rockwood and North Star.

The single-wing offense, which was created by former Pitt coach Glenn "Pop" Warner while he coached Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indians, was common practice ... in the 1940s. When Windber adopted the offense back in 2004 under the direction of then-head coach Phil DeMarco, the Ramblers were one of approximately 50 high school programs using the single-wing.

Not sure what the numbers are these days, but it's worked well enough for Windber. Not only will the Ramblers continue to utilize the single-wing, Westmont Hilltop and first-year head coach Pat Barron has adopted the offense for this season.

Success breeds imitation, and, last year, Windber's offense was rather prolific behind running back Colin Bryan.

In 2011, Bryan was The Tribune-Democrat Offensive Player of the Year for good reason. The current walk-on at Penn State rushed for 2,352 yards and scored a mind-boggling 37 touchdowns a year ago. His play helped the Ramblers reached the District 5A championship game, where they lost to North Star by two touchdowns. Bryan was hurt in that game.

Windber has plenty of talent and toughness to compete for WestPAC and District 5 title once again. The key to the Ramblers' season will likely be how well Dustin Blough plays in the role of featured runner. As Blough's teammates stated during camp, replacing Bryan is "almost impossible."

"Athletically, he's very gifted," second-year Windber coach Matt Grohal said. "(Bryan) was a bit injury-prone until his senior year. If Dustin can stay healthy, he's going to have a great year at tailback."

If Blough or another key player does get injured, Windber believes the depth is in place to remain competitive.

"At single-A, staying healthy is huge," Grohal said. "Our starting 11 is quality, but we have key backup depth. I think we have a tremendous amount of backup depth."