The "Mr. High School Sports" Podcast - WPIAL Football Semifinal Preview
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- Eight teams have almost reached the home of the Steelers and Panthers, but, oh my, there's still some Lions, and Tigers, and Bears standing in their path.
"Mr. High School Sports" breaks down the WPIAL Football Semifinals, which kick off everywhere tonight at 7:30, in an extended edition of his podcast.
In Class AAAA, top-seeded Upper St. Clair looks to repeat a season-opening win over Woodland Hills--something it failed to do in last year's semifinal round--at Baldwin High School. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, which, like USC, boasts a very stout defense, will try to keep plucky Penn-Trafford off the board enough to avenge some recent semifinal heartbreaks.
In Class AAA, defending district champ West Allegheny will try to avoid getting a taste of its own medicine when Franklin Regional meets the Indians at North Allegheny's Newman Stadium in a battle of unconventional offenses. Meanwhile, Central Valley, led by whiz kid "J-Whiz," better known as junior athlete Jordan Whitehead, will try to overcome Thomas Jefferson, one of the toughest Triple-A teams in the state.
In Class AA, Aliquippa will look to prove it's still the leader of the tribe in the Midwestern Conference. The two-time WPIAL champion Quips will take on Beaver, which features one of the top passing games in the area. Plus, there will be another MAC team in action, as Beaver Falls will try to match its balanced offense with the high-flying attack of South Fayette at Montour High School.
In Class A, undefeated North Catholic is reunited with Big 7 runner-up Neshannock in a grudge match between the prolific offense of the Lancers and the stubborn team defense of the Trojans. North Catholic got the first laugh when they met in Week 8, but will it enjoy the last?
Finally, in "Mr. High School Sports'" featured game for Semifinal Friday, we have the other Class A Semifinal, which, regardless of its outcome, will produce one of the biggest stories of the season.
Top-seeded Sto-Rox matches up with a one-loss Clairton squad at Chartiers-Houston High School after bowing to the "Bout Dat" Bears two years in a row at Heinz Field. These Bears can still maul you defensively, but they'll have their paws full containing Lenny Williams, one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the WPIAL.
Click below to download our podcast, previewing our featured game between Sto-Rox and Clairton, and the rest of the WPIAL Football Semifinals:
The Mr. High School Sports Podcast - Nov. 15, 2013
For full highlights be sure to watch the KDKA-TV News at 11:00 P.M. Friday, and catch "The Fan High School Football Roundup" Saturday 7:00-8:00 A.M. with MSA Sports' Don Rebel and the Post-Gazette's Mike White on SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan.
(Contact me at mpopchock@kdka.com and/or follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)
