Montour took a big step toward wrapping up the WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference title last week by edging perennial power Aliquippa, but the Spartans haven’t yet finished the job.
They’ll get a chance to do so Friday night when they host West Allegheny at 7 p.m. at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium.
But it doesn’t figure to be easy.
Montour, unbeaten and in first place in the conference at 4-0 and 8-0 overall, will face a West Allegheny team that is just a game behind at 3-1 and 3-3 overall, tied for second with Aliquippa, which hosts Ambridge Friday night.
According to TribLive.com, if West Allegheny beats Montour and Aliquippa beats Ambridge, that would leave a three-way tie for the conference title.
TribLive.com reported that tiebreaker points would determine the final order in such a scenario, and entering play Friday Montour is +31, Alliquippa is +29 and West Allegheny is +20.
Eight Class 4A teams will qualify for the WPIAL playoffs – the top two teams in each of the Parkway, Big Six and Greater Allegheny conferences plus two wild card teams that the WPIAL football steering committee will select.
The Montour-West Allegheny is one of seven games involving West Hills area teams on tap Friday night.
Elsewhere, Moon hosts South Fayette, Carlynton entertains Charleroi, Sto-Rox visits Waynesburg Central, Bishop Canevin travels to Burgettstown, Cornell hosts Monessen and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart takes to the road to battle Keystone Oaks.
Montour needed a last-minute touchdown – followed by a two-point conversion pass – to squeeze past Aliquippa, 36-35, last week. Montour is now ranked No. 3 in the state among Class 4A schools by TribLive.com while Aliquippa slipped to No. 5
Spartans quarterback Trey Hopper threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns and his connection with AJ Alston on a two-point conversion pass with 31 seconds remaining proved to be the difference.
Moon takes a 1-3 record in Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference play and an overall mark of 4-4 into its matchup with South Fayette (1-3, 6-3). The winner will finish fourth in the conference.
Carlynton – 2-3 in Class 2A Century Conference action and 5-4 overall — certainly has something to play for in its game against Charleroi (1-4, 1-8). According to TribLive.com, if Carlynton wins, Waynesburg Central wins and Washington loses, Carlynton would finish in fourth place and still be in consideration for a wild card berth.
Waynesburg Central (3-2, 5-4) figures to have an edge over Sto-Rox, which is 0-5 in conference and winless in eight games overall.
While Bishop Canevin already has clinched second place in the Class A Black Hills Conference with a record of 4-1 and an overall mark of 6-2, there’s plenty on the line in the Monessen-Cornell matchup, as the winner will clinch third place.
According to TribLive.com, 16 teams will advance to the Class A playoffs – the top three teams in each of the Big 7, Eastern, Black Hills and Tri-County South conferences, plus four wild card teams to be determined by the WPIAL football steering committee.
Cornell and Monessen both are 3-2 in conference play and 7-2 overall; Cornell battered Chartiers-Houston, 46-14, last week while Monessen was spanked by Bishop Canevin, 56-20.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will finish regular-season play with a nonconference matchup. The Crusaders are 3-3 in Class 2A Allegheny Conference play and 4-4 overall while Keystone Oaks is 4-2 in the Century Conference and 4-4 overall.
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