PUP high school football Game of the Week: Mars vs. McKeesport (Week 7)

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

Between the hash marks

Who: Mars (6-1, 2-0) at McKeesport (4-3, 2-0)

Where: McKeesport’s Weigle-Schaeffer Memorial Stadium

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The coaches: Eric Kasperowicz (Mars); Matt Miller (McKeesport)

When they last met: On Oct. 11, 2024, when McKeesport picked up a 28-7 win at Mars.

On deck: Mars will return home to host Hampton next week, while McKeesport will visit Indiana.

This and that: In one of the best matchups of the regular season that will surely decide the Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference champion, the No. 2 Planets square off against the No. 1 Tigers at one of the WPIAL’s most historic venues. … Two of the area’s best running backs will be on display in this matchup, as Mars senior Ayden Yocum carries a streak of three consecutive games with 200-plus yards rushing and at least three rushing touchdowns into Friday’s contest. On the other side, McKeesport star Kemon Spell is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 running back in the nation and the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2027 class. … After injuring his ankle early in the season, Spell attempted to return during the Tigers’ 16-7 defeat against Class 4A No. 3 Thomas Jefferson, only to re-aggravate the injury early in the game, causing him to miss the team’s following two games against Belle Vernon and Upper St. Clair. He then returned on Sept. 26 for a 46-7 win against Hampton, igniting a spark that carried over into last week’s 28-21 win at West Mifflin. … Despite playing in only four games this season, Spell has rushed for 587 yards and 10 TDs on just 51 carries. For the Planets, Yocum ranks among the top-five rushers in the WPIAL with 1,217 yards on the ground along with 11 rushing TDs. … While McKeesport is known for its old-school flexbone rushing attack, Mars is plenty capable of spreading it out and beating opponents through the air, with the Planets boasting a top-notch quarterback-receiver tandem in Colin Yurisinec and Gabe Hein. That being said, if the Tigers need a big play down the field, they do have a handful of dynamic athletes on the outside — including a heralded four-star recruit in junior wideout Javien Robinson (6-2, 190). … When it comes down to it, this one might be decided by the coaches, and each team has one of the best in the business with Eric Kasperowicz calling the shots for Mars and Matt Miller pulling the strings for McKeesport. Don’t be surprised if a trick play or another type of bold move by Miller or Kasperowicz turns out to be the difference in the game.

Expert picks (records in parentheses)

John Santa (6-1): McKeesport 35, Mars 14

Steve Rotstein (5-2): McKeesport 28, Mars 14

Brad Everett (4-3): McKeesport 28, Mars 14

On the radar

Bethel Park at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m. Friday

Speak of rivalries, this Allegheny Six Conference clash is always one of the most fierce and ferocious clashes of the year, with plenty of playoff implications and no love lost between the Black Hawks and Class 5A No. 3 Panthers. Senior running back David Dennison will need to power Bethel Park’s running game on the road in order to bring home a victory against Upper St. Clair’s high-octane offense led by senior quarterback Ethan Hellmann.

Chartiers Valley at Trinity, 7 p.m. Friday

Typically known as more of a rivalry on the basketball court, the Colts and Hillers will battle it out for Big Six Conference supremacy on Friday night — and while both teams are riding high off marquee victories, it’s important to remember that neither one has even clinched a playoff spot yet. Still, the winner of this game will find itself in the driver’s seat to claim the conference title with two games left to play.

Westinghouse vs. University Prep at Cupples Stadium, 7:30 p.m. Friday

The top-two teams in the City League will collide to determine the No. 1 seed for the upcoming City League playoffs in what could very well be a championship preview between the Bulldogs and the Wildcats. Top-ranked Westinghouse is coming off a surprising 28-24 defeat against District 9 foe Karns City, while No. 2 University Prep blew out Allderdice last week, 38-6.

PUP ‘underdog’ to watch

Bentworth (hosts Jefferson-Morgan at 7 p.m. Friday)

The Class 1A No. 5 Rockets will carry their undefeated record into Bentworth on Friday night, and they’ll have to bring their A-game to make sure they don’t head home with their first “L.” Not only do the Bearcats have only two losses this season — both on the road against Burgettstown and California by a combined total of four points — but they also have the leading rusher in the WPIAL in senior Ben Hays. This one could be a barnburner.