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Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 6:21 PM
Montour’s Nino DiMichele celebrates with Brendan Hicks after defeating Aliquippa on Friday.
As we head into the final Friday in October and the final weekend of regular season high school football, something truly scary appears to be happening. The top teams across the state appear to be getting better.
It was another dominant week for the teams in last week’s Trib HSSN rankings, as they combined to go 28-2.
Both losses came in head-to-head meetings of ranked teams.
The second-ranked team in Class 6A, St. Joseph’s Prep, knocked Roman Catholic out of the 5A rankings with a 28-point win in a battle between District 12 powers.
Defending PIAA Class 4A champion Aliquippa lost but remains ranked as the Quips dropped from No. 2 to No. 5 following a one-point loss to now-No. 3 Montour in a WPIAL Parkway Conference showdown.
More changes will be coming with three head-to-head battles coming up this weekend:
• In District 12, St. Joe’s Prep faces another tough challenge in 4A top-ranked Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast
• In District 3, Class 4A No. 2 Lampeter-Strasburg visits No. 4 Wyomissing
• In District 6, Class 3A No. 4 Penn Cambria hosts Class A top-ranked Bishop Guilfoyle
All the top-ranked teams remain the same with LaSalle College in 6A, Bishop McDevitt in 5A, Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast in 4A, Northwestern Lehigh in 3A, Troy in 2A and Bishop Guilfoyle in A.
Here is the latest Trib HSSN Top 5 in each of the six classifications. Teams are listed with overall record, last week’s ranking and district.
Class 6A
1. LaSalle College (9-0) (1) (D-12): The Explorers defeated Father Judge in Week 8, 42-0. They host Roman Catholic on Saturday.
2. St. Joseph’s Prep (5-2) (2) (D-12): The defending PIAA 6A champion Hawks defeated 5A No. 5 Roman Catholic in Week 8, 48-20. They host 4A No. 1 Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast on Friday.
3. Imhotep Charter (8-1) (3) (D-12): The defending PIAA 5A champion Panthers defeated Simon Gratz in Week 8, 30-7. They do not play in Week Nine.
4. Manheim Township (9-0) (4) (D-3): The Blue Streaks defeated Penn Manor in Week 8, 42-14. They host West Lawn Wilson on Friday.
5. Central Catholic (7-2) (5) (D-7): The Vikings defeated Seneca Valley in Week 8, 61-7. They host Canon-McMillan on Friday.
Out: None
Class 5A
1. Bishop McDevitt (8-1) (1) (D-3): The Crusaders defeated Central Dauphin East in Week 8, 41-21. They visit State College on Friday.
2. Chester (8-1) (2) (D-1): The Clippers defeated Penn Wood in Week 8, 58-0. They host Belmont Charter School on Saturday.
3. Upper St. Clair (9-0) (3) (D-7): The Panthers defeated Moon in Week 8, 14-7. They host Baldwin on Friday.
4. Strath Haven (9-0) (4) (D-1): The Panthers defeated Lower Merion in Week 8, 55-6. They host Springfield-Delco on Friday.
5. New Oxford (9-0) (NR) (D-3): The Colonials defeated Warwick in Week 8, 30-7. They visit Eastern York on Friday.
Out: Roman Catholic (12)
Class 4A
1. Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast (6-1) (1) (D-12): The Friars defeated Cardinal O’Hara in Week 8, 28-10. They visit 6A No. 1 St. Joseph’s Prep on Friday.
2. Lampeter-Strasburg (9-0) (3) (D-3): The Pioneers defeated Twin Valley in Week 8, 62-14. They visit No. 4 Wyomissing on Saturday.
3. Montour (8-0) (4) (D-7): The Spartans defeated No. 2 Aliquippa in Week 8, 36-35. They host West Allegheny on Friday.
4. Wyomissing (8-1) (5) (D-3): The Spartans defeated Octorara in Week 8, 31-7. They host No. 2 Lampeter-Strasburg on Saturday.
5. Aliquippa (5-2) (2) (D-7): The defending 4A PIAA champion Quips lost to No. 3 Montour in Week 8, 36-35. They host Ambridge on Friday.
Out: None
Class 3A
1. Northwestern Lehigh (9-0) (1) (D-11): The Tigers defeated Tamaqua Area in Week 8, 51-0. They visit Southern Lehigh on Friday.
2. Danville (9-0) (2) (D-4): The Ironmen defeated Shikellamy in Week 8, 34-12. They host Selinsgrove on Friday.
3. Imani Christian (9-0) (3) (D-7): The Saints defeated Burrell in Week 8, 60-6. They visit Freeport on Friday on Trib HSSN.
4. Penn Cambria (9-0) (4) (D-6): The Panthers defeated Bishop McCort in Week 8, 24-12. They host Class A No. 1 Bishop Guilfoyle on Friday.
5. Sharon (8-1) (5) (D-10): The Tigers defeated Titusville in Week 8, 63-22. They host Brooke (WV) on Friday.
Out: None
Class 2A
1. Troy (9-0) (1) (D-4): The Trojans defeated Central Mountain in Week 8, 62-10. They host Canton Area on Friday.
2. Central Clarion (8-0) (2) (D-9): The Wildcats defeated Redbank Valley in Week 8, 55-0. They visit Butler on Friday on Trib HSSN.
3. Taylor Riverside (9-0) (3) (D-2): The Vikings defeated Old Forge in Week 8, 28-6. They visit Lackawanna Trial on Friday.
4. Schuylkill Haven (8-1) (4) (D-11): The Hurricanes defeated Nativity BVM in Week 8, 29-28. They visit Tri-Valley on Friday.
5. Cambria Heights (9-0) (5) (D-6): The Highlanders defeated West Shamokin in Week 8, 57-0. They visit Penns Manor on Friday.
Out: None
Class A
1. Bishop Guilfoyle (9-0) (1) (D-6): The Marauders defeated Philipsburg-Osceola in Week 8, 49-14. They visit 3A No. 4 Penn Cambria on Friday.
2. Fort Cherry (9-0) (2) (D-7): The Rangers defeated Shenango in Week 8, 42-0. They visit Serra Catholic on Friday.
3. Westinghouse (7-1) (3) (D-8): The Bulldogs defeated Perry in Week 8, 68-0. They play Allderdice in a District 8 championship game on Saturday.
4. Clairton (9-0) (4) (D-7): The Bears defeated Riverview in Week 8, 84-0. They host Brentwood on Friday.
5. Port Allegany (9-0) (5) (D-9): The Gators defeated Brookville in Week 8, 44-14. They visit Cameron County on Friday.
Out: None
