McKeesport and Woodland Hills Comes Close, But Not Close Enough in Herbstreit Battles

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle


The Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series was a good experience for the two Pennsylvania schools that took part, but both McKeesport and Woodland Hills know it could have been better!

McKeesport (0-1) lost in overtime to Cincinnati Colerain 14-7. Colerain (2-0) is the same team that beat nationally-ranked and defending Ohio Division 1 state champ St. Xavier last week.

Woodland Hills came within an extra point of sending its game with Justin Northwest (Texas) into overtime, but freshman kicker Sam Scifo hit the upright with 56 seconds to go in a 13-12 loss.

For a game wrap-up story on both games from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, click here.

Pennsylvania High School Football Scoreboard - Week 1

Pennsylvania High School Football Scores
Saturday, August 30, 2008

Eastern PA

Bishop McDevitt 42, Harrisburg 6
Canton 47, Sayre 22
Cardinal O'Hara 35, Archbishop Carroll 0
Chestnut Hill 45, Cardinal Dougherty 0
Hanover 47, Carson Long 6
Holy Cross 56, Mount Zion, Md. 0
Jenkintown 26, York County Tech 25, OT
Lansdale Catholic 14, Downingtown East 7
Line Mountain 59, Harborcreek 0
Mastbaum 20, Overbrook 18, OT
Penn Wood 6, Sun Valley 0, OT
Quakertown 13, Methacton 6
Reading Central Catholic 29, Scotland 6
Southern Columbia 35, Shamokin 22
Spring Grove 26, Kennard-Dale 13
Usuline, Ohio 44, Bethlehem Catholic 21
West Catholic 34, Roman Catholic 28, OT
West Chester Henderson 20, Chester 12
Williamsport 21, Dallas 7
Wilson 45, Salisbury 0
Wyomissing 28, Twin Valley 21
York Catholic 35, Pius X 28

Western PA

Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series

Colerain (OH) 14 McKeesport 7
Justin Northwest (TX) 13 Woodland Hills 12

Aliquippa 21 Ambridge 0
Avonworth 27 Western Beaver 12
Brashear 28 Perry Traditional Academy 3
Geibel 40 Avella 8
Meadville 35 Oil City 27
Neshannock 34 Kennedy Catholic 0
Shady Side Academy 37 Summit Academy 0
South Side Beaver 35 Burgettstown 14
Shenango 14 Riverview 7

#3 Gateway Proves It's Worthy of Pre-Season National Hype

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle


The national high school football polls claimed that Gateway, not Penn Hills was worthy of a national ranking. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette felt differently, ranking Penn Hills #1 and Gateway #2 in it's pre-season poll.

Friday night, Gateway behind tiny 5-foot-7 Brian Williams' 210 yards rushing beat Penn Hills 45-17 in the opener for both teams.

Click here for a game wrap from the Post-Gazette.

St. Joseph's Prep Comes From Behind To Down #25 Parkland

The High School Football Huddle


Why should pre-season high school football rankings be eliminated until about a month into the season? Just witness that tonight Parkland (Orefield, PA), #25 in the USA Today Super 25 pre-season poll, became the third team in the first two weeks to lose its season opener.

Parkland lost to another eastern Pennsylvania power St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, PA) 20-13 on its home field, which was the Trojans first regular season loss in three years. SJP is no stranger to national rankings, having finished in the USA Today Super 25 several times since 2000.

Last week, Ohio powers St. Ignatius (#16) and St. Xavier (#18) suffered season opening defeats.



Click here to read about St. Joseph's Prep's two fourth quarter touchdowns that fueled the come-from-behind win from The Morning Call in Allentown.

Pennsylvania High School Football Scoreboard - Week 1

Pennsylvania High School Football Scores
Friday, August 29, 2008

USA Today Super 25

#7 Gateway 45 Penn Hills 17
St. Joseph's Prep 20 #25 Parkland 13

Eastern PA

Abington 28, Central Bucks East 13
Academy Park 42, Bishop Shanahan 21
Allentown Central Catholic 34, Pottsville 6
Allentown Dieruff 49, Pocono Mountain East 7
Altoona 28, North Allegheny 21
Annville-Cleona 27, Palmyra 15
Athens 30, Carbondale 20
Avon Grove 13, Kennett 0
Bald Eagle Area 22, Phillipsburg Oceola 6
Bangor 28, Northwestern 14
Bartram 8, Ben Franklin 6
Bellefonte 24, St. Mary's 20
Berwick 31, Crestwood 17
Bethlehem Freedom 41, Central Bucks West 7
Bishop McDevitt 35, Lower Moreland 0
Bishop Walsh 14, Fairfield 6
Bloomsburg 20, Muncy 0
Blue Mountain 41, Pottstown 7
Boiling Springs 31, Big Spring 6
Bok 22, Southern 0
Bucktail 28, Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech 12
Calvary Christian 36, Nueva Esperanza 0
Camp Hill 21, Biglerville 19
Central Dauphin 17, Central Dauphin East 7
Central Martinsburg 13, Penns Valley 12
Central Mountain 43, Jersey Shore 29
Coatesville 16, Northeast Catholic 6
Cocalico 35, Lampeter-Strasburg 21
Conestoga 21, Marple Newtown 6
Cumberland Valley 31, Red Lion 12
Dallastown 41, Suburban 27
Daniel Boone 40, Donegal 0
Danville 41, Milton 0
Del-Val Charter 14, Martin Luther King 6
Delaware Valley 41, East Stroudsburg North 11
Delone Catholic 42, Millersburg 6
Dobbins 7, Lincoln 3
Downingtown West 47, Owen J. Roberts 21
Eastern York 20, Columbia 14
Easton 34, East Stroudsburg South 7
ELCO 21, Hamburg 20
Elizabethtown 53, Lancaster McCaskey 7
Emmaus 52, Germantown 0
Father Judge 35, Council Rock North 20
Fleetwood 21, Morrisville 7
Frankford 14, Hatboro-Horsham 7
Furness 20, Fels 6
Garden Spot 17, Warwick 14
Garnet Valley 42, Harriton 6
Glen Mills 35, University City 6
Great Valley 7, Phoenixville 6
Greencastle-Antrim 56, James Buchanan 22
Haverford High 55, Chichester 14
Haverford School 46, Radnor 21
Hazleton Area 18, Abington Heights 17, OT
Hempfield 41, Conestoga Valley 13
Hershey 27, Milton Hershey 6
Hughesville 42, Montgomery 0
Indian Valley 39, West Perry 10
Jim Thorpe 42, Tamaqua 20
Juniata 58, Lewistown 7
Kutztown 48, Fitzsimmons Thomas 0
Lake-Lehman 17, Hanover Area 14
Lebanon 39, Cedar Crest 7
Lewisburg 47, South Williamsport 0
Littlestown 48, Dover 21
Lower Dauphin 36, Chambersburg 18
Lower Merion 56, Prep Charter 6
Loyalsock 21, Central Columbia 8
Manheim Central 32, Susquehannock 10
Manheim Township 53, Ephrata 0
Marian Catholic 28, Lehighton 14
Mechanicsburg 28, Carlisle 0
Middletown 20, East Pennsboro 7
Montoursville 34, Mifflinburg 14
Mount Carmel 14, Selinsgrove 0
Muhlenberg 31, Boyertown 21
Nazareth 40, Pleasant Valley 0
Newport 28, Susquenita 25
Norristown 20, Northeast 11
North Penn 23, Bethlehem Liberty 15
North Schuylkill 19, Shenandoah Valley 6
Northampton 43, Stroudsburg 7
Northeastern York 36, East Juniata 7
Northern Lehigh 24, Southern Lehigh 21
Northern York 30, Bermudian Springs 13
Northwest 12, Lourdes Regional 0
Palisades 35, Pen Argyl 28
Palmerton 50, Notre Dame-Green Pond 7
Panther Valley 30, Mahanoy Area 0
Penn Manor 14, Solanco 13
Penncrest 14, Strath Haven 0
Pennridge 43, Archbishop Wood 42, 3OT
Pennsbury 21, Archbishop Ryan 20
Phoenixville 7, Great Valley 6
Pottsgrove 21, Exeter 7
Reading Holy Name 46, Pottsville Nativity 10
Red Land 10, Cedar Cliff 7
Ridley 28, Springfield Delco 3
Roxborough 22, Edison 12
Saucon Valley 24, Catasauqua 23
Schuylkill Haven 47, Tri-Valley 14
Scranton 26, Wyoming Valley West 20
Shippensburg 14, Halifax 3
Souderton 14, Neshaminy 13
South Western 33, Gettysburg 6
Springfield Montco 25, Schuylkill Valley 22
St. Joseph's Prep 20, Parkland 13
St. Pius X 6, Simon Gratz 0
State College 37, Hollidaysburg 0
Steelton-Highspire 16, Susquehanna Township 14
Towanda 19, North Penn 0
Trinity 20, Lancaster Catholic 0
Troy 60, Wyalusing 0
Tunkhannock 21, Pittston Area 14
Unionville 20, Interboro 18
Upper Darby 28, Monsignor Bonner 7
Upper Dauphin 41, Pequea Valley 20
Upper Dublin 55, Perkiomen Valley 42
Upper Moreland 21, Conwell-Egan 0
Upper Perkiomen 42, Allentown Allen 7
Wallenpaupack 37, Pocono Mountain West 20
Warrior Run 20, Shikellamy 14, OT
Washington 28, Bensalem 21
Waynesboro 21, New Oxford 0
Wellsboro 41, Cowanesque Valley 8
West Chester East 9, Oxford 7
West Chester Rustin 31, Spring-Ford 7
West Philadelphia 26, School of the Future 14
West York 28, Central York 3
Whitehall 21, Conrad Weiser 10
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 57, Wilkes-Barre Meyers 0
William Penn of York 49, Reading High 13
Williams Valley 21, Minersville 0
Wilson-West Lawn 35, Governor Mifflin 14
Wissahickon 40, William Tennent 14
Wyoming Area 41, Nanticoke 0

Western PA

Altoona 28, North Allegheny 21
Bald Eagle 22, Philipsburg-Osceola 6
Beaver Area 43, New Brighton 14
Beaver Falls 37, Riverside 0
Belle Vernon 37, Laurel Highlands 28
Bellefonte 24, St. Marys 20
Bentworth 20, Mapletown 0
Bethel Park 47, Kiski Area 20
Bishop Canevin 43, Quaker Valley 14
Bishop Carroll 12, Central Cambria 7
Bishop McCort 48, Cambria Heights 0
Blackhawk 41, Hampton 7
Blairsville 28, Marion Center 17
Brookville 41, Union-Rimersburg 19
Burrell 34, West Shamokin 0
Butler 28, New Castle 21
Canon-McMillan 32, Trinity 7
Carlynton 32, Beth-Center 22
Center 36, Mohawk 8
Central Martinsburg 13, Penns Valley 12
Chartiers-Houston 21, West Greene 7
Clairton 41, Laurel 0
Claysburg-Kimmel 27, Williamsburg 7
Conemaugh Valley 41, Shade 22
Corry 42, Titusville 14
DuBois 35, Clearfield 28
Elizabeth Forward 35, Yough 14
Everett 35, Glendale 6
Fairview 16, Bradford 6
Ford City 11, Valley 6
Forest Hills 50, Somerset 20
Fort Cherry 25, Carmichaels 0
Franklin 35, East 28
Franklin Regional 42, Southmoreland 0
Frazier 28, California 12
Freedom 24, Ellwood City 14
Freeport 21, Kittanning 7
Girard 7, Eisenhower 0
Greensburg Central Catholic 34, Charleroi 0
Greenville 12, North East 10
Grove City 21, Central Tech 12
Harbor Creek 19, Warren 14
Hickory 20, Sharpsville 13
Highlands 24, Fox Chapel 16
Homer Center 21, Saltsburg 0
Hopewell, 20, Knoch 0
Huntingdon 7, Mount Union 6
Indiana 28, Plum 7
Iroquois 27, Conneaut Valley 7
Jeannette 43, East Allegheny 0
Johnstown 37, Bedford 23
Juniata 58, Lewistown 7
Juniata Valley 21, Tussey Mountain 14
Karns City 21, Punxsutawney 0
Keystone 48, Allegheny-Clarion Valley 20
Keystone Oaks 7, Steel Valley 6
Latrobe 35, Derry Area 13
Laurel Valley 30, United 6
Linesville 44, Cambridge Springs 7
Maplewood 12, Cochranton 6
Mars 35, Moon 0
McDowell 43, Cathedral Prep 23
McGuffey 28, Mount Pleasant 0
Mercer 26 Mercyhurst Prep 1
Meyersdale 51, Ferndale 0
Monaca 21, Springdale 13
Moniteau 26, Clarion 20
Montour 35, Pine Richland 27
Moshannon Valley 30, Northern Bedford 6
North Catholic, 21 Serra Catholic 20
North Hills 14, Mount Lebanon 6
Northern Cambria 26, Penns Manor 14
Northstar 33, Berlin Brothersvalley 13
Northwestern 16 Reynolds 6
Oliver 40, Langley 2
Purchase Line 21, Ligonier Valley 6
Redbank Valley 36, Clarion-Limestone 6
Richland 49, Penn Cambria 20
Rochester 10, Monessen 0
Saegertown 41, Conneaut Lake 8
Schenley 34, Westinghouse 0
Seton-LaSalle 28, Northgate 6
Shaler 19, Baldwin 6,
Sharon 14, Farrell 7
Slippery Rock 35, Fort LeBoeuf 0
South Allegheny 21, Brownsville 7
South Fayette 20, South Park 10
Southern Huntingdon 32, West Branch 6
State College 37, Hollidaysburg 0
Sto-Rox 53, Cornell 19
Tyrone 27, Bellwood-Antis 6
Union City 14, Lakeview 0
Uniontown 45, Connellsville 7
Waynesburg Central 20, Washington 6
West Allegheny 21, Chartiers Valley 14
West Middlesex 27, Union 20
West Mifflin 56, Allderice 12
Wilmington 42, Brentwood 7
Windber 26, Chestnut Ridge 7


Pennsylvania's Powerful WPIAL

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle



I don't want to start a debate with the following statement, but....I'm sure it will!

Year-in and year-out there may note be a more balanced and competitive conference in the country like western Pennsylvania's WPIAL, which last year represented the league in all four Pennsylvania state championship games...winning the top three classes.

In Class AAAA, Pittsburgh Central Catholic edged Gateway in the state semis 35-34 in one of the most compelling high school football games of 2007, and then went on to win the school's third Pennsylvania state football title. Last year, the Vikings were the pre-season favorite to win the WPIAL and the state title, this year, it's the runner-up Gateway Gators that are getting a lot of pre-season "pub".

Gateway is ranked in the Top 10 in most national high school football polls, including a #3 ranking by USA Today.

Below you will find links to WPIAL team profiles from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette...just click on the schools names to check-out the pre-season info. By the way, the WPIAL has new league and conference realignments this year.

All-Interstate Conference - Burrell, East Allegheny, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Mount Pleasant, Valley
Big East Conference - Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Plum, Woodland Hills
Big Seven Conference - Bishop Canevin, Cornell, South Fayette, Sto-Rox, Quaker Valley
City League - Allderdice, Peabody, Schenley, Westinghouse
Foothills Conference - Gateway, Greater Latrobe, Hempfield Area, McKeesport, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
Keystone Conference - Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Southmoreland, Yough

Langley HS
Riverview HS

Pennsylvania Begins Practice

The Road to Hershey is underway in Pennsylvania as schools across the Keystone State are going through two-a-days in preparation for season openers on August 29th.

2007 Champs

AAAA - Pittsburgh Central Catholic
AAA - Thomas Jefferson
AA - Aliquippa
A - Steelton-Highspire

Click here for a story on Steel-High, which returns 18-starters from last year's Class A championship team.

Click here to go to The High School Football Huddle.