High school football preview
Albert Gallatin, Mt. Pleasant clash in Keystone showdown A lot of key conference football games are on tap tonight, but none is bigger is this area than the one being staged at York Run.
Albert Gallatin hosts Mount Pleasant and first place is at stake in the Class AAA Keystone Conference. Both teams are 3-3 overall, but the Colonials (3-1) trail the Vikings (3-0) by half a game in the conference.
A Mount Pleasant win would assure the Vikings of a trip to the playoffs and at least a share of the conference title. An Albert Gallatin win would put the Colonials in good shape for a playoff berth, but the conference standings are still so muddled that it wouldn’t guarantee AG anything.
Four of the remaining five conference teams go into tonight’s action with two conference losses and at least one of those will get a third setback tonight, since Belle Vernon (2-4) visits Uniontown (1-5) with each carrying a 1-2 conference record into the battle.
Elsewhere in the Keystone, Ringgold (2-2, 2-4) visits Derry (0-3, 0-6). Laurel Highlands (2-2, 2-4) goes out of conference, but gets to stay home to do so. The Mustangs host Knoch (1-3 in the Greater Allegheny Conference and 2-4 overall).
Foothills
Connellsville must beat Penn-Trafford to harbor any hopes of making it to the Class AAAA playoffs. The Falcons (1-5) are 0-2 in conference games and have yet to play Central Catholic, which is ranked sixth in the state despite already having suffered a loss. Penn-Trafford is 2-4 overall, but has split its two conference games to date.
Central Catholic (2-0) visits Latrobe (1-1) and Norwin (1-1) hosts Hempfield (1-1) in other Foothills games.
Interstate
Waynesburg Central and Southmoreland are fighting to stay alive for one of three Class AA playoff berths, but both face an uphill battle. Greensburg Central Catholic (5-0), Jeannette (5-1) and Yough (5-1) are in command. In fact, the Centurions already have secured a playoff berth and Yough can claim another with a home win over Washington, one of four 2-3 teams in the nine-team conference.
Jeannette hosts Carlynton in a non-conference game and that may keep Southmoreland (2-3, 2-4) and Waynesburg Central (2-3, 3-3) alive for at least another week.
The Scotties travel to Brownsville (0-5, 0-6) needing to win to keep pace with the heavyweights, while Waynesburg Central is home to East Allegheny (1-5, 1-5) in much the same boat.
If all four of the 2-3 teams (McGuffey hosts GCC) lose, Jeannette would claim the third and last playoff berth from the Interstate.
Black Hills
Beth-Center took control of the conference by beating Serra Catholic last weekend and is close to cracking the Class A state rankings. The Bulldogs (3-0, 6-0) may be headed toward a high Class A WPIAL playoff seed and it doesn’t appear Avella (0-3, 1-5) can do much about it, not even at home.
Frazier (1-3, 2-4) travels to Jefferson-Morgan (3-1, 3-3) for a non-conference game. The Commodores still have a chance to make the playoffs and should remain alive regardless of tonight’s outcome against the Tri-County South Conference leaders.
Elsewhere in the Black Hills tonight, Bentworth (2-2, 3-3) is at Fort Cherry (2-1, 4-2) and Chartiers-Houston (1-2, 2-4) visits Serra Catholic (3-1, 5-1).
Tri-County South
There will be a two-way tie for first place in the Tri-County South after tonight’s action and possibly a three-way tie for the top spot after Saturday’s Monessen at Geibel Catholic game.
Jefferson-Morgan (3-1) holds a half-game lead over Mapletown (2-1, 4-2), California (2-1, 3-3) and Monessen (2-1, 3-3), with Carmichaels (2-2, 2-4) a full game back.
The Rockets are out of conference tonight, hosting Frazier, while Mapletown hosts California. The winner moves into a tie at the top with Jefferson-Morgan and the Greyhounds can make it a threesome by beating Geibel Catholic (0-4, 0-6). Carmichaels visits West Greene (1-2, 2-4) needing a win to stay only a game behind the leaders.
Monessen can eliminate Geibel Catholic from playoff contention with a win.
Since it owns the tiebreaker over Mapletown due to its win over the Maples last week, the Mikes can take a huge step towards securing a playoff spot with a victory over the Pioneers. Carmichaels would still have a shot at the postseason even if it falls at West Greene, again due to its tiebreaker edge over Mapletown. West Greene would be all but eliminated if it loses to the Mikes.
Westpac
Turkeyfoot Valley hosts Shade at 1 p.m. Saturday.