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Sep 3, 2026 By Rob Burchianti 4 min read

Albert Gallatin and Uniontown have plenty of incentive as both host home games during Week Two of the high school football season.

They will be two of 15 area teams in action Friday night, all with 7 p.m. kickoffs.

Beth-Center travels to Riverview for a noon kickoff on Saturday.

All are non-conference clashes.

The Red Raiders, coming off a 47-0 win at Brownsville, will host Ambridge on Friday night with the Uniontown Area High School Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in attendance and set to be honored in a pregame ceremony.

The group, which includes former Uniontown athletes Darrin McLee, Dana Perno and Terrance Vaughns as well as the 2002 Red Raiders golf team, will be served brunch and officially inducted at the high school Saturday morning.

Six different players scored for coach Tim Bukowski’s squad in its win at Republic Field.

The Bridgers also started their season in impressive fashion with a 32-14 win at Keystone Oaks.

The Colonials host Fayette County rival Connellsville after falling at home to Burrell last week, 32-7, to snap their 13-game winning streak.

Albert Gallatin lost the first 13 games in its series with the Falcons before winning the last two, including 28-14 last year at Falcon Stadium.

Connellsville is coming off an emotional 21-15 win over visiting Southmoreland in the debut of the “Battle of 119” rivalry. It was the Falcons’ first game with Jace McClean as solo head coach after the team featured a trio of head coaches (McClean, Chad Lembo and Mick Lilley) working together the previous four years.

Both teams, along with Uniontown and Brownsville, have returned to the WPIAL this year after each played multiple years as an independent.

“We have a ton of respect for Coach McClean,” AG coach Drew Dindl said. “I think very highly of him, and you can see the direction he has Connellsville heading. We know they’ll be prepared, physical, and ready to play.

“Rivalry games always mean a little more, so our guys have to match that intensity, and execute.”

Laurel Highlands is at Derry after a 24-17 home loss in a tough battle with Mount Pleasant in Ian Edenfield’s debut as Mustangs head coach.

Brownsville, entering its second year under head coach Cody Castor, will try to rebound from its defeat at the hands of the Red Raiders as the Falcons travel to West Greene, which lost at Waynesburg Central, 43-0.

Frazier, in its second year under head coach Tony Battaglini, hopes to shrug off a 42-0 home loss against Ligonier Valley as it travels to Keystone Oaks.

In an intriguing matchup of upper-tier Class A programs, California travels to Fort Cherry.

The Rangers rolled past Chartiers-Houston in their opener, 42-7.

Trojans coach Ed Woods, whose team thumped Mohawk, 40-6, last week with quarterback Brandon Meier accounting for six touchdowns, welcomes the challenge.

“We’re looking forward to playing Fort Cherry this week,” Woods said. “They’re a well-coached, disciplined team that doesn’t beat themselves.

“We had a great week of practice and were able to clean up our mistakes from the week before. It’s going to be a great game for the fans to watch.”

Carmichaels, Mount Pleasant and Waynesburg will all look to open the season 2-0 with Friday home games.

The Mikes, who defeated Leechburg, 20-14, in Ken Perkins first game as head coach, host Monessen, the Vikings welcome nearby rival Yough and the Raiders entertain Chartiers-Houston.

Beth-Center will also be striving for a 2-0 start on Saturday after pulling away from Brentwood for a 34-6 victory last week.

In other games involving local teams coming off Week One losses, Jefferson-Morgan hosts Bentworth, Southmoreland is at home against Jeannette, Mapletown travels to East Allegheny and Belle Vernon is at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.