PUP high school football game of the week: Imani Christian vs. Clairton (Week 0)

Each Wednesday, the PUP high school sports staff will preview the game of the week.

Between the hash marks

Who: Imani Christian (0-0) at Clairton (0-0)

Where: Tyler Boyd Stadium, Clairton

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The coaches: LaRoi Johnson (Imani Christian); Wayne Wade (Clairton)

When they last met: In October of 2021, when things got out of hand in a hurry as Clairton cruised to a 64-0 blowout win. The Bears scored all 64 of their points in the first half before taking their foot off the gas, but don’t expect this year’s clash to bear any resemblance to that one-sided beatdown from four years ago.

On deck: Imani will make the trip to Beaver Falls next Friday to take on the Tigers in a non-conference showdown, while Clairton will host Serra Catholic for another non-conference matchup.

This and that: When the WPIAL football season finally gets underway on Friday, there will be plenty of mouth-watering matchups taking place all across Western Pa., but it’s hard to argue with Imani Christian-Clairton as the juiciest of them all. … This will mark the first game ever played at the Bears’ newly renovated Tyler Boyd Stadium, following the ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. A former star player at Clairton who spent the previous nine seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL, Boyd helped fund the campaign to renovate Neal Brown Stadium, which had served as the Bears’ home field since 1930. Complete with an all-new synthetic turf field, the new stadium also features upgrades to the scoreboard, electrical system, press box and grandstand. … Last season, Clairton completed an undefeated regular season while allowing only two defensive touchdowns en route to the WPIAL Class 1A championship game before falling to Fort Cherry, 21-20. The Bears bring back 10 all-conference players from 2024, including eight from their top-ranked defense led by linebackers Deon Pompey and Brandon Murphy. … On the other side of the ball, Clairton also led the WPIAL with an average of 49.5 ppg last season, and the Bears should have plenty of offensive firepower to rely on once again this fall. … As for Imani, the Saints are led by a pair of Penn State recruits in junior Gabe Jenkins and senior David Davis. Both players are a threat to score from anywhere on the field any time they touch the ball. … After rushing for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore, Jenkins will take over under center as Imani’s starting quarterback this season, with Davis lining up at running back. Both also excel as elite defensive backs. … Clairton won the previous two meetings between the teams by a combined score of 105-0 in 2020 and 2021. And although none of the Saints were in high school yet the last time these teams faced off, you can rest assured that each of Imani’s players will have revenge on their minds come Friday night.

Expert picks

Steve Rotstein: Imani Christian 14, Clairton 13

Brad Everett: Clairton 23, Imani Christian 22

John Santa: Clairton 20, Imani Christian 8

RELATED STORY: Clairton officially opens its updated football stadium renamed for star athlete and NFL veteran Tyler Boyd

On the radar

North Allegheny at Woodland Hills, 5 p.m. Friday

In the first game of the 2025 high school football season in Western Pa., Woodland Hills will welcome Class 6A powerhouse North Allegheny to the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek to officially begin the five-game KDKA Kickoff Classic. The Tigers fell just short of a third consecutive WPIAL championship last season, while the Wolverines have now waited 16 years since their most recent WPIAL title. Still, with the return of senior quarterback Cam Walter and electrifying senior wideout Scoop Smith, many believe this could be Woodland Hills’ best team since that championship-winning squad in 2009. Friday’s season opener should serve as a perfect litmus test for the Wolverines in order to measure how they stack up against one of the premier programs in the state.

Seton LaSalle at North Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday

Stone Field in North Park will play host to this clash of two tradition-rich programs with championship aspirations this fall, and there will be no shortage of pride on the line when the Rebels and Trojans collide to kick off the 2025 season. Despite losing a handful of its top performers from last year’s team that reached the WPIAL Class 2A championship game, Seton LaSalle should find itself right in the thick of the title chase once again this year. But the Rebels will face a tough test to kickstart their season against rival North Catholic, which brings back one of the top tandems in the WPIAL in senior quarterback Joey Felitsky and senior wide receiver Ryker Kennedy. Seton LaSalle won last year’s Week 0 matchup between the teams at home, 23-12.

Steel Valley vs. Westinghouse at the Wolvarena, 3:30 p.m. Saturday

For the second year in a row, Westinghouse will kick off its campaign on a Saturday as part of the KDKA Kickoff Classic at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek. Last year, the Bulldogs dropped an exciting back-and-forth affair against Beaver, 28-26, before cruising to their third consecutive City League title. This time around, Steel Valley will take on Westinghouse in a rematch of the teams’ historic PIAA Western Region final from 2022, won by the Bulldogs, 26-7. Senior quarterback-defensive back and Pitt recruit Da’Ron Barksdale leads the way for the Ironmen, while Westinghouse features a speedy dual-threat quarterback of its own in sophomore transfer Zahir “Zaza” Ismaeli, who started as a freshman at West Mifflin.

PUP ‘underdog’ to watch

Mt. Lebanon (hosts Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. Friday)

When Upper St. Clair travels down the road to Mt. Lebanon for the latest rendition of one of the WPIAL’s fiercest rivalries, the Panthers will be seeking their fourth consecutive win in the series. On the other side, a win for the Blue Devils would provide a major boost on their quest to secure their first WPIAL title since 2021.