Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Sept. 7)

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 (2-1)

2. North Allegheny (3-0)

3. Hempfield (3-0)

4. Norwin (2-1)

5. Seneca Valley (1-2)

The skinny: No changes in the WPIAL’s largest classification this week, with top-ranked Central Catholic blowing the doors off Woodland Hills at the Pro Football Hall of Fame High School Classic at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, 58-20. … North Allegheny and Hempfield each took care of business to set up a clash of unbeatens this week between the Tigers and Spartans to open up conference play. … Seneca Valley hangs on to the No. 5 spot for now after putting up a valiant effort in a 49-20 loss at Class 5A No. 1 Pine-Richland.

Class 5A

1. Pine-Richland (2-1)

2. Peters Township (3-0)

3. Upper St. Clair (3-0)

4. Penn-Trafford (3-0)

5. Woodland Hills (1-2)

The skinny: Pine-Richland kept its hold on the top spot, but Peters Township remains hot on the Rams’ heels after another convincing shutout win, this time over visiting Mt. Lebanon, 35-0. … Upper St. Clair took home a 49-6 win at Franklin Regional, while Penn-Trafford climbs one spot to No. 4 after rallying for a miraculous last-minute win at Moon, 25-24. … Woodland Hills swaps places with the Warriors after a lopsided loss against Class 6A No. 1 Central Catholic, but the Wolverines have played as tough a schedule as anybody.

Class 4A

1. Thomas Jefferson (3-0)

2. Mars (3-0)

3. Aliquippa (1-1)

4. McKeesport (1-2)

5. Montour (2-1)

The skinny: After trailing for most of the game, Thomas Jefferson pulled out all the stops to keep its grasp on the top spot with a 16-7 comeback win at McKeesport in the PUP’s Game of the Week. The Jaguars scored a go-ahead touchdown with 52 seconds remaining before sealing the win on Emmett Forte’s pick-six. … Mars rises all the way to No. 2 after pulling off yet another fourth-quarter comeback in a defensive slugfest against North Hills for a 13-10 win. … Aliquippa dropped its first home game of the season against defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Avonworth, while Montour outlasted Trinity for a 35-27 win.

Class 3A

1. Avonworth (3-0)

2. Imani Christian (3-0)

3. North Catholic (3-0)

4. Elizabeth Forward (3-0)

5. Hopewell (3-0)

The skinny: Avonworth picked up what might have been the most impressive win of the young season so far, avenging a one-sided loss at home against Aliquippa last year with a bruising 23-7 road win against the Quips. … Imani Christian cruised past Beaver with a 41-3 win, while North Catholic beat Blackhawk in a 65-49 shootout. … Elizabeth Forward and Hopewell continued to roll, as the Warriors steamrolled East Allegheny, 60-13, and the Vikings dismantled Ambridge by a score of 49-2.

Class 2A

1. South Allegheny (3-0)

2. Seton LaSalle (2-1)

3. South Park (3-0)

4. Western Beaver (3-0)

5. Steel Valley (1-2)

The skinny: For the first time all year, we have a new No. 1 — and it might be a first in nearly 50 years for South Allegheny, which claimed its first and only WPIAL title back in 1977. The Gladiators stormed past Carlynton, 53-0, in a weather-shortened road victory. … Seton LaSalle, defending WPIAL champion South Park and Western Beaver each moved up one spot, while Steel Valley tumbles from the top of the rankings all the way to No. 5 after a 21-6 loss at home against Bishop Canevin.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (3-0)

2. Clairton (2-1)

3. Laurel (3-0)

4. Neshannock (2-1)

5. Jefferson-Morgan (3-0)

The skinny: No changes in the rankings here, as Fort Cherry trampled West Greene at home, 55-8, while Laurel routed Riverside on the road, 43-0. Clairton, of course, had its game canceled against Shady Side Academy after the Bulldogs decided to forfeit. … Neshannock rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to knock off Ellwood City, 26-20, and Jefferson-Morgan kept its perfect record intact with a 26-10 win at Burgettstown.

City League

1. Westinghouse (3-0)

2. Allderdice (2-1)

3. University Prep (1-2)

The skinny: As has been the case all year, the City League rankings remain unchanged. Three-time defending champion Westinghouse blew out Brashear on Thursday, 50-6, while Allderdice pounded Perry, 45-6, and University Prep crushed Carrick, 56-12.