Sep 22, 2006 By Jim Kriek For The 4 min read

Mapletown and Frazier liked their respective number one spots in district football so much that they went out and retained them for another week. A week ago, Mapletown was number one on defense for teams within the Herald-Standard coverage area, and Frazier was the offensive leader. This week, they are still up there on top.

Mapletown is the only team with a defensive average under 10 points per game, allowing three opponents 24 points, or an average of 8.0 every four quarters. The Maples lead their closest rivals, Beth-Center, by five, the Bulldogs ceding 13.0 per game (39 season).

A week ago, the top five were Mapletown, Southmoreland, Beth-Center, California, and Frazier. But Southmoreland dropped to seventh after a 55-10 thumping by Waynesburg Central, the latter moving into the top five on defense (22.7) after that win, while Beth-Center climbed one place to second (13.0), California advanced one spot to third (13.7), despite losing to Beth-Center, 14-13, Jefferson-Morgan moved into the top five (fourth, 16.7) after a 37-0 collaring of West Greene, and Waynesburg Central is fifth.

Defense has not been a strong point so far this year for area teams, with only four allowing less than 20 points per game. Nor has offense been a real strong point for some teams, with six averaging less than 10 points per game.

Frazier is still number one on offense, despite a 44-20 loss to Fort Cherry, the Commodores scoring 101 points, or 33.7 per game, down from 40.5 last week, and a two-edge over Beth-Center.

Beth-Center, the area’s only unbeaten team (3-0), is still second on offense (91-30.3), and along with Frazier is the only team on the plus side of 30.

Rounding out the top five on offense are Waynesburg Central, moving up two places to third (90-30.0), Mapletown, joining the elite group for the first time at 66-22.0 after a 39-10 win over Geibe Catholic, and Carmichaels (60-20.0), although losing 43-29 to Monessen.

A week ago, the top five were Frazier, Beth-Center, California, Connellsville, and Waynesburg Central.

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Some top individual efforts the past week included:

– Kickoff Return TD: 93, Lance Straughters, Connellsville, vs. Upper St. Clair; 85, Dimetrius Williams, Brownsville, vs. Greensburg Central Catholic.

– Pass-Run TD: 65 yards, Troy Cree to Scott Throckmorton, Waynesburg Central, vs. Southmoreland; 62, Doug Sanner to Kevin Sanders, Uniontown, vs. Albert Gallatin.

– TD Run: 80 yards, Clint Podish, and 56, Keith Higinbotham, Waynesburg Central vs. Southmoreland; 72, Jared Moskola, Jefferson-Morgan, vs. West Greene.

– TD Run With Fumble: 20 yards, Bob Holt, Uniontown, vs. Albert Gallatin.

– Field Goal: Alex Rankin, Laurel Highlands, joined that “elite group” of game-winning kickers, when his 24-yarder with just four seconds left in the game, gave Laurel Highlands the final 13-10 edge over Derry, and the first win of the season for the Mustangs.

Also, 27, Kevin Hagerman, Southmoreland, vs. Waynesburg Central; 27, Rob Orange, Geibel Catholic, vs. Mapletown.

– Scoring: 18 points (3 TD), Troy Cree, plus passing for another score. Joe Kulikoski, Frazier, passed for three scores and one PAT, accounting for all 20 points against Fort Cherry.

– Three teams got their first wins, Albert Gallatin 29-21 over Uniontown; Laurel Highlands 13-10 over Derry, and Jefferson-Morgan 37-0 over West Greene. In all, 13 WPIAL teams scored their first wins.

– The WPIAL undefeated ranks have really thinned out after just three weeks. There are only three Quad-A perfectos, Central Catholic, McKeesport and Upper St. Clair. Six remain in 3-A, Thomas Jefferson, Highlands, Pine-Richland, Blackhawk, Hopewell and Moon. But that number will be reduced by at least two this week, when TJ plays Moon, and Blackhawk meets Hopewell.

The 2-A lineup includes Northgate, Valley, Seton-LaSalle, South Park, Steel Valley, Greensburg Central Catholic, Yough, Aliquippa, New Brighton, Mohawk and Summit Academy.

Six are still perfect in Class A, but after this week there will be only four at best. Chartiers-Houston plays Beth-Center, and Clairton takes on Duquesne. Rochester and Serra round out the roster.