Colonials vie for first place
Two football teams that had television exposure this past week battle for first place in the Class AAA Keystone Conference Friday night. Even though both teams didn’t look their best in the spotlight, it is Friday night’s game between frontrunner Yough and second-place Albert Gallatin that should be a made-for-TV match up.
After winning three straight games each by seven points or less, Albert Gallatin (3-1, 3-3) looks more like a team bound for glory than the Montour team that defeated the Colonials, 38-14, five weeks ago. The game footage aired during most of Tuesday’s hour-long episode of the ESPN reality show “Bound for Glory.”
Yough (4-0, 5-1), meanwhile, is coming off a rare Thursday game in last week’s 21-6 victory over winless Belle Vernon, which aired live on Fox Sports Pittsburgh. Cougar coach Jim Wehner said that game was one of the worst his team played all year.
Kickoff for the battle for first place is 7:30 p.m. at Yough’s Cougar Mountain Stadium.
“Sure, it’s a big game,” said AG coach Chuck Colborn. “We put a lot of emphasis on the last three games saying that if we lose this can knock us down a notch and if we win we can move up a notch.”
Albert Gallatin enters the game having defeated Derry (13-7), Greensburg Salem (10-7) and Laurel Highlands (28-21) in successive weeks. Still, turnovers and lack of execution are what concerns Colborn the most.
“They are just costly,” Colborn said. “When you are playing teams that are really good you can’t make mistakes.”
Yough features an explosive offense led by running backs Cody Wilson and Craig Sedunov. Wilson rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries last week at BVA, while Sedunov was used primarily as a decoy.
A loss could send the Colonials into a fourth-place tie with Uniontown, with those two teams playing next week.
“We are excited about it and the kids are excited about it,” Colborn added. “It’s a big game but it’s not the season.”
Laurel Highlands (3-1, 3-3) hosts Greensburg Salem (1-3, 1-5) tonight and should the Mustangs win and Albert Gallatin lose, LH can set itself up for a first-place showdown with Yough next week.
Uniontown (2-2, 3-3) sits in fourth place as it hosts Derry (1-3, 1-5) tonight.
Belle Vernon (0-4, 0-6) seeks its first win of the season at Mt. Pleasant (2-2, 2-4) against the Vikings who are tied with Uniontown.
In Class A, the four playoff representatives from the Tri-County South Conference should become more distinct this week.
Carmichaels (1-3, 3-3) desperately needs a win at home over Monessen (3-1, 3-3) to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Monessen is in a three-way logjam for second place with California (3-1, 3-3) and Jefferson-Morgan (3-1, 3-3). Those two teams meet tonight at Jefferson.
First-place Mapletown (4-0, 5-1) hosts Geibel Catholic (1-3, 1-5). The Gators are tied with Carmichaels and West Greene for fifth place.
The Pioneers (1-3, 2-4) are at Frazier (0-4, 1-5) tonight.
Beth-Center (3-1, 5-1), in a three-way tie for second place in the Class A Blackhills Conference, hosts Burgettstown (0-4, 1-5). The Bulldogs have outscored their last two opponents, Fort Cherry and Avella, 111-0 since losing to first-place Bishop Canevin, 13-12, three weeks ago.
In the Quad East Conference race, Connellsville (1-3, 2-4) travels to Baldwin (3-1, 3-3). The fifth-place Falcons need to win tonight to gain ground on the Highlanders, who currently hold the fourth-place playoff spot.
The three local Class AA teams have good opportunities to pick up wins with the bottom four Interstate Conference teams playing each other. Brownsville (1-3, 3-3) hosts Southmoreland (0-4, 0-6), while Waynesburg Central (1-3, 2-4) welcomes East Allegheny (0-4, 1-5) to Raider Field.
Turkeyfoot Valley (2-3) looks to halt its three-game losing streak Saturday afternoon when the Rams host 3-3 Tucker County (W.Va.) in non-conference action.