Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Oct. 5)

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

Class 6A

1. Central Catholic (6-1)

2. North Allegheny (6-1)

3. Norwin (5-2)

4. Hempfield (4-3)

5. Canon-McMillan (4-3)

The skinny: No changes here, as Central Catholic put its high-octane offense on full display once again in a 69-7 beatdown at Shaler. North Allegheny defeated Mt. Lebanon, 28-19, while Norwin rallied with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to edge Hempfield, 33-26. Canon-McMillan also pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback to top Seneca Valley, 33-29.

Class 5A

1. Pine-Richland (6-1)

2. Peters Township (7-0)

3. Upper St. Clair (6-1)

4. Woodland Hills (5-2)

5. Penn-Trafford (6-1)

The skinny: Everything remains the same here as well, with Pine-Richland blowing out Penn Hills, 63-19, and Peters Township coming from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Moon, 21-10. Upper St. Clair also trailed early before storming past South Fayette, 50-14, while Woodland Hills won by an identical score against Armstrong. It wasn’t easy in the battle for the “Victory Bell,” but Penn-Trafford slipped past Gateway at home, 33-23.

Class 4A

1. McKeesport (4-3)

2. Mars (6-1)

3. Thomas Jefferson (5-2)

4. New Castle (6-1)

5. Aliquippa (4-2)

The skinny: Finally, some moving and shaking, as McKeesport takes over the top spot despite its trio of losses. That’s because prized prospect Kemon Spell finally is back to full health for the Tigers, and that means bad news for the rest of their opponents. Mars moves up to No. 2, with Thomas Jefferson slipping to No. 3 after its upset loss to Trinity. New Castle moves up one spot to No. 4, while Aliquippa re-enters the rankings at No. 5.

Class 3A

1. Avonworth (7-0)

2. Imani Christian (7-0)

3. Elizabeth Forward (6-1)

4. Hopewell (5-2)

5. Southmoreland (7-0)

The skinny: Avonworth just keeps on trucking, this time with a 46-7 win over Quaker Valley. Imani Christian shut out East Allegheny, 61-0, while Elizabeth Forward picked up a 56-7 win over visiting Derry. Hopewell’s 63-0 win against McGuffey marked the largest margin of victory in school history, while Southmoreland enters the rankings for the first time this season in place of North Catholic.

Class 2A

1. South Allegheny (6-0)

2. Seton LaSalle (6-1)

3. Western Beaver (7-0)

4. Washington (6-1)

5. Apollo-Ridge (5-2)

The skinny: South Allegheny smoked Shady Side Academy Saturday afternoon, 62-21, keeping its grasp on the top spot. Seton LaSalle won at Sto-Rox, 53-0, while Western Beaver defeated Ellwood City, 27-12. Washington crushed Keystone Oaks, 55-0, and say hello to Apollo-Ridge, which scored a last-second touchdown to defeat then-No. 4 Steel Valley, 18-14.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (7-0)

2. Clairton (6-1)

3. Bishop Canevin (5-2)

4. Neshannock (5-1)

5. Jefferson-Morgan (7-0)

The skinny: Fort Cherry cruised past Cornell, 56-20, while Clairton posted another shutout win against Springdale, 51-0. Bishop Canevin cruised past Serra Catholic, 54-14, and Neshannock rolled to a 34-7 home win over Burgettstown. Jefferson-Morgan struggled a bit more than expected against Beth-Center but still came out on top, 37-19.

City League

1. Westinghouse (6-1)

2. University Prep (4-2)

3. Allderdice (4-3)

The skinny: The Bulldogs were handed their first loss of the season against District 9 foe Karns City, 28-24, while the Wildcats cemented their status as the No. 2 team in the City with a resounding 38-6 win against the Dragons last week. University Prep now will get a chance to stake its claim for the No. 1 spot in the regular-season finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Westinghouse.