Countdown to kickoff
All local football teams set to play in Week Zero
The high school football season kicks off Friday night with four games pitting local teams against each other.
All 16 area teams will be involved in non-conference action, including Albert Gallatin which hosts Burrell. The Colonials, under coach Drew Dindl, return to the WPIAL riding a 13-game winning streak, the longest of all local teams, including a 10-0 record last year as an independent.
The most intriguing of the local slate is the newly formed rivalry between Connellsville and Southmoreland in what has been dubbed the Battle of 119, playing off the main route that basically connects the two schools.
A traveling trophy will go to the winner of what both schools intend to make their annual Week Zero matchup. Friday’s game will be played at Falcon Stadium.
It will be the Falcons’ first game back in the WPIAL after two years as an independent and first with Jace McClean as their sole man in charge after four unique seasons under a trio of head coaches working together in McClean, Chad Lembo and Mick Lilley.
It will be the second season for the Scotties under head coach Dustin Shoaf, who came up with the idea of creating a yearly rivalry.
“When we were throwing around the idea of returning to the WPIAL, Coach Shoaf called me and asked if we would be willing to start a new tradition of a rivalry game with them,” McClean explained. “He talked about getting a traveling trophy for the winning team and the opportunity to play in front of a pretty big crowd.
“With the WPIAL allowing teams to schedule their own opponents for that first week, we decided to jump on board. As always, local rivalries not only bring out the best in players, but it’s a good way to get both communities involved and excited for an old-school Friday night football game.”
That will likely be the case as well in a clash of Fayette County squads that also have rejoined the WPIAL with Uniontown traveling to Redstone Field in Republic to take on Brownsville.
Both teams are under second-year head coaches with Cody Castor directing the Falcons and Tim Bukowski guiding the Red Raiders. The two played a thrilling game last season with Uniontown winning, 34-27, at Bill Power Stadium.
There will be a bit more than pride involved in this year’s game with another traveling trophy being added to the mix. The National Road Cup, noting Route 40, will go to the winning team to keep until the next time the two play.
Ian Edenfield will make his debut as Laurel Highlands head coach with a game against Mount Pleasant at Mustang Field. Edenfield is an LH graduate who played college football at California University of Pa. and at Oklahoma State.
Jason Fazekas is in his 10th season as coach of the Vikings, who rolled to a 49-0 victory at LH in 2025.
In a meeting of Greene County teams, coach Joe Kuhns’ Waynesburg Central Raiders host coach Beau Jackson’s West Greene Pioneers.
Frazier begins with a home game against Ligonier Valley. The Commodores, in their first season under Frazier graduate Tony Battaglia, not only qualified for the WPIAL playoffs but also upset California in the first round.
The defending Tri-County South champion Trojans, under coach Ed Woods, have a tough test in their opener as they host Mohawk, which won a playoff game last season, at Trojan Stadium.
Mapletown, under the area’s longest tenured coach in George Messich, entering his 44th season with the Maples, continues its recent tradition of playing TCS foe Avella twice during the regular season. The two will meet in Week Zero in a non-conference game, then play again on Oct. 16 in a Tri-County South clash. Both games are at Mapletown after the two played twice at Avella last year.
In other games involving TCS teams, Jefferson-Morgan, which was a combined 18-4 the last two seasons under coach Shane Ziats, is at Burgettstown, Carmichaels, under first-year coach Ken Perkins, travels to Leechburg, and Beth-Center, under second-year coach Tim Trump, hosts Brentwood.
Belle Vernon, under second-year coach Scott Bryer, will start its season at James Weir Stadium, AKA, the Beach, with a game against rival Thomas Jefferson. Interestingly, both were in the Class 4A Big Six Conference last season, but this year the teams will be two classifications apart with the Leopards in the Class 3A Interstate Conference and the Jaguars bumped up into Class 5A.
As for the Connellsville-Southmoreland Week Zero rivalry, a trio of senior Falcon players gave their approval.
“There’s no better feeling than running out on that field on a Friday night,” Linkon Keller said. “A rivalry game makes it all that more intense and emotional.”
“I think it’s going to be a tough, physical game,” Jeremy Jenkins said. “I’m pretty excited to be able to begin a long rivalry between these schools, so I can’t wait. But at the end of the day I’m picking my guys against anyone.”
“I’m extremely confident in the work we’ve put in these past several months, as well as the scheme our coaches have put down for us,” Rocco Farrell said. “We’re more than prepared to go out and have an amazing night on Friday.”
All games are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.