Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Aug. 25)

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 (0-1)

2. North Allegheny (1-0)

3. Canon-McMillan (0-1)

4. Seneca Valley (0-1)

5. Norwin (1-0)

The skinny: The top four teams remain unchanged, although rankings newcomer Norwin made a case to be even higher after beating then-Class 5A No. 2 Penn-Trafford, 26-14. No. 1 Central Catholic was thumped 44-16, but there was no shame in that, considering it came against nationally ranked St. Frances, Md. North Allegheny beat the St. Frances regional team (the school fields two teams), while Canon-McMillan (vs. Peters Township) and Seneca Valley (vs. Bethel Park) lost to strong Class 5A teams.

Class 5A

1. Peters Township (1-0)

2. Pine-Richland (1-0)

3. Upper St. Clair (1-0)

4. Bethel Park (1-0)

5. Moon (1-0)

The skinny: Defending WPIAL champion Peters Township trailed Canon-McMillan at halftime before outscoring the Big Macs, 28-0, in the second half to open the season with a win. Pine-Richland beat an out-of-state foe Hilliard Davidson, Ohio, while Upper St. Clair topped archrival Mt. Lebanon. Bethel Park and Moon are new to the rankings. Moon was particularly impressive in Week 0, as it shut out Trinity, 21-0. Penn-Trafford and Woodland Hills fell out of the top five. Woodland Hills lost a 34-28 thriller to District 10 opponent McDowell.

Class 4A

1. Aliquippa (0-0)

2. Montour (1-0)

3. Thomas Jefferson (1-0)

4. Belle Vernon (0-0)

5. McKeesport (0-1)

The skinny: Montour is the biggest riser of the week. Fresh off their 24-14 win against Class 3A No. 1 Central Valley, the Spartans climb from No. 5 all the way to No. 2. Then-No. 2 McKeesport drops to No. 5 following a 36-35 double-overtime loss to Lake, Ohio. Thomas Jefferson stays at No. 3 after hammering Baldwin, 63-12. Aliquippa hosts Belle Vernon on Friday in what will be the season opener for both teams.

Class 3A

1. Central Valley (0-1)

2. Beaver (1-0)

3. Avonworth (1-0)

4. Elizabeth Forward (0-1)

5. Imani Christian (1-0)

The skinny: Beaver, which opened the season at No. 4, claimed one of the most impressive wins of Week 0 as the Bobcats edged City League power Westinghouse, 28-26. Avonworth remains at No. 3 after winning at Burrell, while Imani Christian enters the rankings following a 45-6 win against West Catholic. Central Valley’s schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Warriors get Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon next. Elizabeth Forward drops from No. 2 after falling in the final minute at Class 4A West Mifflin, 17-16. Then-No. 5 North Catholic lost at Seton LaSalle, 23-12.

Class 2A

1. Washington (1-0)

2. South Park (1-0)

3. Seton LaSalle (1-0)

4. Steel Valley (0-1)

5. Waynesburg (1-0)

The skinny: We’ve got some movement here after two preseason top-three teams — No. 1 Steel Valley and No. 3 Beaver Falls — were defeated. Steel Valley lost to Class 1A title hopeful Clairton, 30-7, while Beaver Falls was blasted by Blackhawk, 56-0. Washington, a 14-7 winner against McGuffey, now holds the top spot. The Little Prexies travel to Steel Valley this week. South Park (a 30-16 winner against East Allegheny) and Seton LaSalle both move up two spots. Waynesburg is new to the top five after beating West Greene, 42-7.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (1-0)

2. Clairton (1-0)

3. Bishop Canevin (0-0)

4. Neshannock (1-0)

5. South Side (1-0)

The skinny: No changes here, as all four teams that played Week 0 contests were victorious. Neshannock pulled out a wild 42-37 win against Mohawk in one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Bishop Canevin begins its season Friday when it takes on Seton LaSalle.

City League

1. Westinghouse (0-1)

2. University Prep (0-1)

3. Allderdice (1-0)

The skinny: Westinghouse’s loss was its first in the regular season since 2019. The Bulldogs won’t have to wait long to try again for win No. 1 as they host Linsly School, W.Va., on Thursday. University Prep lost a close one to Hampton, while Allderdice won at Fox Chapel.