Each Wednesday, the PUP high school sports staff will preview the game of the week.
Between the hash marks
Who: Upper St. Clair (5-0) at Peters Township (5-0)
Where: Peters Township Middle School
When: 7 p.m. Friday
The coaches: Mike Junko (Upper St. Clair); T.J. Plack (Peters Township)
When they last met: On Nov. 15, 2024, when Peters Township used a 97-yard kick-return touchdown by Nick McCullough to defeat Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals, 7-3.
On deck: Upper St. Clair will host South Fayette next week, while Peters Township welcomes Moon for another riveting Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference affair.
This and that: It might not be a stretch to call this the most heated and intense rivalry in the WPIAL right now. When these two neighboring South Hills schools square off in the latest rendition of the Route 19 Rivalry, much more than just bragging rights will be on the line. With Allegheny Six Conference supremacy and a shot at a potential No. 1 seed for the WPIAL Class 5A tournament up for grabs, this could be the biggest game of the entire regular season. … No. 3 Upper St. Clair nearly had its perfect record spoiled last week, but the Panthers rallied past Class 4A No. 3 McKeesport for a dramatic 17-14 win thanks to a go-ahead 49-yard TD pass from Ethan Hellmann to Bryce Jones in the fourth quarter. At the midway point of the season, Hellmann has been as prolific as any passer in the area, completing 68 of 90 attempts for 1,273 yards and 18 touchdowns with only one interception. … Jones has 13 receptions for 285 yards and three TDs for the Panthers, while senior Nico D’Orazio leads the team with 16 catches for 403 yards and seven TDs on the season. … As great as Hellmann has been, many still consider his counterpart for No. 2 Peters Township the gold standard among current WPIAL quarterbacks. Indians senior Nolan DiLucia is a three-year starter under center who ranks among the top-20 passers in WPIAL history with more than 6,500 career yards through the air, and the Villanova recruit also happens to be a four-year starter at safety. For the season, DiLucia has completed 66 of 93 attempts for 1,119 yards and 10 TDs with one interception. … Along with DiLucia, senior tight end-outside linebackers Reston Lehman and Lucas Shanafelt are the two main attractions for Peters Township. Lehman is a Pitt recruit, while Shanafelt will join former teammate Mickey Vaccarello at Stanford next year. Both players have already returned an interception for a touchdown this year from their edge rusher position on defense. … Last season, Upper St. Clair won the regular-season matchup between the teams at home by a score of 21-7 before the Indians got revenge in the postseason. Home-field advantage figures to play a major role once again this time around, especially with Peters Township boasting such a senior-laden squad. The Panthers will likely require some more late-game heroics from Hellmann in order to pull off a win in this one, but expect a close, low-scoring slugfest.
Expert picks (records in parentheses)
Steve Rotstein (4-1): Peters Township 17, Upper St. Clair 13
John Santa (4-1): Peters Township 24, Upper St. Clair 21
Brad Everett (3-2): Peters Township 14, Upper St. Clair 13
On the radar
Allderdice vs. Westinghouse at Cupples Stadium, 7 p.m. Thursday
In a rematch of last year’s City League championship game, the Dragons and Bulldogs will do battle on the South Side this Thursday evening for the first of what could be two matchups in less than four weeks. No. 1 Westinghouse is 5-0 while outscoring its opponents by an average of more than 36 points per game, but No. 2 Allderdice has been fairly impressive in its own right, winning by an average of 22 ppg during its 4-1 start. Standout senior tight end-defensive end Lukas Stead is questionable for the Dragons with an illness, and he will likely be a game-time decision.
Central Catholic vs. North Allegheny, 7 p.m. Friday
The two premier powerhouses in Class 6A will collide in a presumptive WPIAL championship preview this Friday at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium, where the Tigers will look to avenge a lopsided loss in last year’s title game against the top-ranked Vikings. Central has looked mighty fierce during its four-game win streak following a season-opening loss against LaSalle College, while North Allegheny had to squeak by to remain unbeaten with a 20-17 victory against Norwin last week.
North Catholic vs. Imani Christian at UPMC Graham Field, 7 p.m. Friday
The No. 2 seed for the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs could be up for grabs in this pivotal non-conference showdown in Wilkinsburg between the Trojans and Saints, who each carry 5-0 records into Friday’s contest. North Catholic is the highest-scoring team in the WPIAL at an average of 58.6 ppg, while Imani has the stingiest defense in the area, allowing an average of just 4.4 ppg. Led by Penn State recruits David Davis and Gabe Jankins, the Saints also rank No. 2 in Class 3A with an average of 43.4 ppg.
PUP ‘underdog’ to watch
Central Valley (hosts Avonworth at 7 p.m. Friday)
It’s not very often that a team like the Warriors finds itself playing the “underdog” role, especially at home. But that’s what tends to happen when you’re taking on a team like the red-hot Antelopes, who are riding high on the heels of back-to-back-to-back marquee wins against the likes of Aliquippa, Thomas Jefferson and Hopewell. With Central Valley gaining steam following a big win over Beaver last Friday, can top-ranked Avonworth avoid a potential upset in this WPIAL Class 3A championship rematch?
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
