Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Oct. 15)

Each week the Pittsburgh Union Progress will issue its high school football rankings throughout the season, with all rankings voted on by the PUP sports staff.

Class 6A

1. Central Catholic (7-1)

2. North Allegheny (7-1)

3. Canon-McMillan (5-3)

4. Mt. Lebanon (4-4)

5. Seneca Valley (3-5)

The skinny: No changes here this week. Surging Seneca Valley picked up its third win in a row after starting 0-5. The Raiders’ reward? Games against Central Catholic and North Allegheny to close out the regular season.

Class 5A

1. Peters Township (8-0)

2. Penn Hills (6-2)

3. Woodland Hills (6-2)

4. Pine-Richland (5-3)

5. Gateway (4-4)

The skinny: Peters Township continued to impress by going on the road and thumping Mt. Lebanon, 42-0. The Indians have now outscored opponents, 314-27. Pine-Richland and Gateway flipped spots after Gateway was upended by McKeesport, 38-28. Pine-Richland travels to Woodland Hills for a big Northeast Conference showdown Friday.

Class 4A

1. Aliquippa (7-0)

2. McKeesport (7-1)

3. Montour (7-1)

4. Thomas Jefferson (7-1)

5. Central Valley (6-2)

The skinny: It’s the same five in the same spots this week. This group got offensive last week, putting up point totals of 55, 38, 49, 71 and 56. Call this week the calm before the storm, as next week features a pair of heavyweight battles with Central Valley hosting Aliquippa and Thomas Jefferson hosting McKeesport.

Class 3A

1. Belle Vernon (6-1)

2. Avonworth (8-0)

3. Elizabeth Forward (8-0)

4. Knoch (7-1)

5. Beaver (6-2)

The skinny: There’s no movement this week, but there’s a good chance there could be lots of it the next two weeks. The biggest game Friday will be Knoch hosting East Allegheny (6-2) in a matchup that will decide the Allegheny 6 Conference title. Belle Vernon has been blasting conference foes, outscoring them, 165-20, in three games, but should be tested the next two games when it travels to Southmoreland (5-3) and hosts Elizabeth Forward.

Class 2A

1. Washington (8-0)

2. Steel Valley (6-1)

3. Neshannock (7-1)

4. Mohawk (7-1)

5. McGuffey (6-2)

The skinny: These five maintained the status quo after all won their Week 7 games, most in dominating fashion. The outlier was McGuffey going on the road and edging Keystone Oaks, 16-14. It was an important win for the Highlanders, who will host Washington in Week 9 with the Century Conference title on the line.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (8-0)

2. Bishop Canevin (6-1)

3. South Side (8-0)

4. Union (7-1)

5. Clairton (6-2)

The skinny: There’s some movement this week with Union moving up a spot and Clairton entering the rankings for the first time since falling out after a Week 0 loss. Clairton won at Rochester, 18-15, for its sixth consecutive victory. Fort Cherry won its big game with then-No. 4 Cornell, 42-13. Union hosts South Side on Friday for the Big 7 Conference title. 

City League

1. Westinghouse (7-0)

2. University Prep (6-2)

3. Allderdice (1-7)

The skinny: It has been Westinghouse and University Prep in the No. 1 and 2 spots the entire season. They are the top two seeds in the City League playoffs, which begin Thursday. University Prep will play Perry on Thursday, while Westinghouse will take on Allderdice on Friday. Both games will be at Cupples Stadium, likewise with the championship Oct. 28.