Could Ringgold win the Keystone Conference? The Rams took a major step by beating Greensburg-Salem. Difficult games remain against Franklin Regional and Uniontown.
* South Fayette puts up spectacular offensive numbers. From quarterback Christian Brumbaugh - the latest Lions signal caller to top 4,000 career passing yards - to running back Jeff Davis to sure-handed receivers Tyler Challingsworth and Josh Patterson, South Fayette is balanced, disciplined and intelligent on the offensive side of the football.
Against Washington Friday night, the Lions were dominant defensively.
And that type of play is what gives South Fayette a chance to contend for the WPIAL Class AA championship.
Nolan Spicer, who will play at Liberty, spent most of the evening tackling Prexies running backs in the backfield. When Spicer wasn't making plays, Nick Faraci, Eric Myers, Davis or Brian Haney did.
* Speaking of defense, Washington showed marked improvement on that side of the football from its season-opening loss to Clairton.
Yes, Wash High lost to South Fayette, 35-8, but the Lions didn't put up eye-popping offensive numbers and credit the Prexies defense for that.
Brumbaugh passed for 141 yards and two touchdowns but Washington continually made Brumbaugh look for his second, third and sometimes fourth option on passing plays. The Prexies also held Davis to 88 rushing yards, and more than 50 of them came on consecutive carries.
Washington needs to do a better job tackling in the open field but, if the Prexies are to sneak into the playoff picture, the offensive line must improve.
All of Washington's offensive output came in the second half and the Prexies' lone touchdown was against South Fayette's backups.
* Since 1999, I haven't seen a local quarterback with more zip on the football than Trinity's Cody Endres, who was recently reinstated to the Connecticut football team. And I haven't seen a quarterback launch a deep ball better than Ringgold's Lorenzo Gardner.
When it comes to Brumbaugh, he's the best I've seen at working the middle of the football field, maintaining poise and checking through progressions.
* Geibel in the WPIAL playoffs? Repeat. Geibel in the WPIAL playoffs? The Gators are 2-2 and in decent shape after beating Jefferson-Morgan in the Tri-County South Conference.
Beth-Center and Monessen are no-brainers to qualify from the TCS. Frazier, Carmichaels, California and, yes, Geibel look like they will contend for the final two spots.
* Wash High plays Keystone Oaks and Steel Valley the next two weeks. To make the playoffs, Washington must win one of those two games then win its remaining Century Conference contests.
* Congrats to West Greene for snapping a 26-game losing streak with a win against Mapletown. It's not easy maintaining numbers and morale when losses appear inevitable. Places like West Greene, one of the smallest public schools in the WPIAL, deserve the occasional 'W' just for the student-athletes who are tough enough to keep competing against difficult odds.
* McGuffey is this week's tough-luck loser.
The Highlanders take a late lead at Moon on a 1-yard touchdown run by Derrick Whipkey only to give up a 65-yard kickoff return to Mark Piccolo with 22 seconds left. It was Piccolo's fourth touchdown.
* Peters Township moved to 3-1 with an overtime win over West Mifflin and the Indians lone loss came in extra time to Penn-Trafford.
Still, it's tough to get a read on the Indians.
The non-conference schedule was not overly difficult. Andrew Erenberg is putting up strong numbers behind a strong offensive line. Yet, the defense looks iffy.
This is the same West Mifflin team that scored six points at South Fayette to open the season.
