Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Oct. 22)

Each week the Pittsburgh Union Progress will issue its high school football rankings throughout the season, with all rankings voted on by the PUP sports staff.

Class 6A

1. Central Catholic (8-1)

2. North Allegheny (8-1)

3. Canon-McMillan (5-4)

4. Mt. Lebanon (5-4)

5. Seneca Valley (3-6)

The skinny: Different week, same top five in this class. The top four teams have clinched playoff berths, with Seneca Valley being the odd team out. Canon-McMillan hosts Mt. Lebanon on Friday. The winner is the No. 3 seed and will travel to defending champion North Allegheny in the semifinals, while the loser becomes the No. 4 seed and will take on Central Catholic.

Class 5A

1. Peters Township (9-0)

2. Penn Hills (7-2)

3. Pine-Richland (6-3)

4. Gateway (5-4)

5. Upper St. Clair (7-2)

The skinny: Pine-Richland used a dominant 28-0 win at then-No. 3 Woodland Hills to move up to the third spot in the rankings. Gateway climbed up one spot, as well. Upper St. Clair returns to the top five following its 43-42 double-overtime win against Moon. Despite the wild win, the Panthers have not yet locked up a playoff berth. With wins Friday, Peters Township (Bethel Park) and Penn Hills (Woodland Hills) can finish conference play unbeaten.

Class 4A

1. Aliquippa (8-0)

2. McKeesport (8-1)

3. Montour (8-1)

4. Thomas Jefferson (8-1)

5. Central Valley (7-2)

The skinny: All five teams won their Week 8 games, setting up some major Week 9 showdowns. The two biggest matchups are Central Valley hosting Aliquippa and McKeesport traveling to Thomas Jefferson. But Montour should also be tested at home by a West Allegheny team (6-3) that gave Aliquippa and Central Valley all they could handle in narrow defeats.

Class 3A

1. Belle Vernon (7-1)

2. Avonworth (9-0)

3. Elizabeth Forward (9-0)

4. Beaver (7-2)

5. East Allegheny (7-2)

The skinny: Red-hot East Allegheny returns to the rankings for the first time since the preseason after winning its sixth game in a row, a 14-13 overtime triumph at then-No. 4 Knoch that earned the Wildcats the Allegheny Six Conference title. Belle Vernon hosts Elizabeth Forward in Week 9 with the winner claiming the Interstate Conference crown.

Class 2A

1. Steel Valley (7-1)

2. Neshannock (8-1)

3. Mohawk (8-1)

4. Washington (8-1)

5. McGuffey (7-2)

The skinny: Well, well, well … we’ve got total chaos in Class 2A. The race for the WPIAL title already appeared to be wide open, but the ability to handicap it became even more difficult after visiting Keystone Oaks (5-4) upset then-No. 1 Washington, 21-14. That leaves no unbeaten teams in the class. Steel Valley, the preseason No. 1, returns to the top line, while Neshannock and Mohawk both move up a spot. Neshannock hosts Mohawk on Friday with the Midwestern Conference title on the line. Meanwhile, Washington travels to McGuffey with the winner earning the Century Conference title.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (9-0)

2. Bishop Canevin (7-1)

3. South Side (9-0)

4. Clairton (7-2)

5. Cornell (7-2)

The skinny: South Side might not be ranked No. 1, but the Rams played like a top-ranked team again last week by thumping then-No. 4 Union, 49-15. The Rams have outscored opponents, 413-74, this season. Cornell, which won at Union earlier in the season, returns to the rankings, while Clairton rises up a spot after winning its seventh in a row. The Bears will have an opportunity to win the outright Eastern Conference title when they travel to Jeannette (7-2) on Friday.

City League

1. Westinghouse (8-0)

2. University Prep (7-2)

3. Allderdice (1-8)

The skinny: As expected, defending champion Westinghouse and University Prep will battle for the championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cupples Stadium. In the semifinals, University Prep defeated Perry, 32-8, and Westinghouse beat Allderdice, 42-18. Westinghouse topped University Prep, 34-18, on Sept. 14.