Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Aug. 24)

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 (0-1)

2. North Allegheny (1-0)

3. Hempfield (1-0)

4. Mt. Lebanon (0-1)

5. Canon-McMillan (0-1)

The skinny: Despite falling flat in a season-opening 23-6 loss against Philadelphia powerhouse LaSalle College, Central Catholic holds on to the No. 1 spot for at least one more week, but North Allegheny is knocking on the door after its come-from-behind 28-26 win at Woodland Hills in the season opener. … Fueled by a fantastic performance from senior quarterback Dom Detruf, Hempfield pulled off a 28-23 win against North Hills to leap from No. 5 to No. 3. … Mt. Lebanon and Canon-McMillan both dropped their respective Week 0 contests against a pair of Class 5A title contenders in Upper St. Clair and Peters Township, but the Blue Devils and Big Macs each fell only one spot in the rankings.

Class 5A

1. Pine-Richland (1-0)

2. Peters Township (1-0)

3. Upper St. Clair (1-0)

4. Woodland Hills (0-1)

5. Penn-Trafford (1-0)

The skinny: Pine-Richland put on a show while representing for all of Pennsylvania in a 38-7 win at Findlay, Ohio, to start off its season with a bang. Oobi Strader passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams, while Maclane Miller rushed for 127 yards and a pair of scores. … Nolan DiLucia passed for 252 yards and three TDs for Peters Township in a lopsided 42-14 win against Canon-McMillan, keeping the Indians locked into the No. 2 slot. … After a 35-14 rout at rival Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair jumped from No. 4 to No. 3 while trading places with Woodland Hills. The Wolverines nearly knocked off North Allegheny, but their upset bid came up just short in a 28-26 defeat. … In the most controversial ending of Week 0, Penn-Trafford narrowly escaped with a 34-31 win against visiting Norwin following a questionable fumble at the goal line late in the fourth quarter.

Class 4A

1. Thomas Jefferson (1-0)

2. Aliquippa (0-0)

3. McKeesport (1-0)

4. Mars (1-0)

5. Montour (1-0)

The skinny: Thomas Jefferson blew the doors off Baldwin in a 69-6 beatdown to begin defense of its WPIAL title, while Aliquippa was one of the few teams in the area to forgo a Week 0 game in favor of an extra week to prepare for its season opener. … McKeesport had to wait an extra day to start its season as part of the KDKA Kickoff Classic at the Wolvarena, but the Tigers made up for lost time with a convincing 51-24 victory Saturday afternoon against Delaware Valley, led by five TDs and more than 300 all-purpose yards from Penn State recruit Kemon Spell. … Mars opened its season with a 47-6 rout against Beaver, while Montour outlasted Central Valley for a 27-20 win.

Class 3A

1. Avonworth (1-0)

2. Imani Christian (1-0)

3. North Catholic (1-0)

4. Central Valley (0-1)

5. Elizabeth Forward (1-0)

The skinny: Led by 139 yards rushing and a pair of TDs from Dmitri Velisaris to go with a trio of receiving TDs by Luca Neal, reigning WPIAL champion Avonworth bullied visiting Burrell on its way to a 35-7 victory. … Junior quarterback Gabe Jenkins showcased his dual-threat ability for Imani Christian in a 19-12 win at Clairton, rushing for 211 yards in the PUP’s Game of the Week. … Joey Felitsky passed for 260 yards and two TDs, while Ryker Kennedy hauled in five receptions for 115 yards and a TD in North Catholic’s one-sided 47-14 win against Seton LaSalle. … Central Valley came up just short in a season-opening loss to Montour for the second year in a row, while Elizabeth Forward avenged its Week 0 defeat against West Mifflin from last fall with a 28-14 win at the Wolvarena on Saturday night.

Class 2A

1. Steel Valley (0-1)

2. South Allegheny (1-0)

3. Seton LaSalle (0-1)

4. Mohawk (1-0)

5. Washington (1-0)

The skinny: Although Steel Valley lost its season opener in a neutral-site clash against Westinghouse on Saturday afternoon, 22-12, the Ironmen retain the top spot in Class 2A for the time being. … Coming off a 33-21 win against visiting Ringgold, South Allegheny moves up from No. 3 to No. 2. The Gladiators swap positions with Seton LaSalle after the Rebels’ 47-14 loss against North Catholic. … Mohawk keeps a firm hold on its No. 4 ranking after taking out Neshannock, 37-20, while Washington replaces Ellwood City at No. 5 following a 28-7 win against rival McGuffey.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (1-0)

2. Clairton (0-1)

3. Neshannock (0-1)

4. Bishop Canevin (0-1)

5. Cornell (1-0)

The skinny: Two-time defending WPIAL champion Fort Cherry began its quest for a three-peat with a dominant 49-6 win at Northgate, while Clairton had its first game at the newly renovated Tyler Boyd Stadium spoiled in a 19-12 defeat against Imani Christian. … Neshannock lost to Lawrence County rival Mohawk, 37-20, while Bishop Canevin let a 21-point lead slip away in a 35-28 neutral-site loss against Clarkson North, Canada, but the Lancers and Crusaders hang on to their No. 3 and No. 4 spots for now. … After a 35-23 win against Brashear, Cornell enters the rankings at No. 5 in place of Jeannette.

City League

1. Westinghouse (1-0)

2. Allderdice (1-0)

3. University Prep (0-1)

The skinny: In a rematch of the teams’ historic 2022 PIAA Class 2A semifinal, Westinghouse started off its season with an impressive 22-12 win against Steel Valley on Saturday afternoon as part of the KDKA Kickoff Classic at the Wolvarena. Junior tailback Dameon Hill scored twice for the Bulldogs. … For the second year in a row, Allderdice started its season with a road victory against Fox Chapel, this time taking out the Foxes by a score of 30-7. Tre Ford passed for 151 yards and a TD to go with a rushing TD for the Dragons. … University Prep put up a solid fight in its season-opening showdown against Hampton but ultimately fell just short in a 24-14 defeat.