PUP high school football game of the week: Aliquippa vs. Avonworth (Week 2)

Each Wednesday, the PUP high school sports staff will preview the game of the week.

Between the hash marks

Who: Aliquippa (0-0) at Avonworth (2-0)

Where: Avonworth High School

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The coaches: Vashawn Patrick (Aliquippa); Duke Johncour (Avonworth)

When they last met: This is believed to be the first-ever meeting between the teams.

On deck: Aliquippa hosts Mars next week, while Avonworth plays at Thomas Jefferson.

This and that: At long last, Aliquippa plays (and hopefully finishes) its first game of the season. Aliquippa is one of four WPIAL teams still sitting with a 0-0 record (Belle Vernon, West Allegheny and Carmichaels are the others). The defending WPIAL and Class 4A champions chose to scrimmage instead of playing a game in Week 0. And then last week, they were leading Belle Vernon, 12-0, in the first quarter before the game was canceled due to lightning in the area. … Aliquippa comes in ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, while Avonworth is No. 3 in Class 3A. Avonworth was the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up last season.  … Aliquippa is no doubt the favorite, but just last season, another Beaver County power (Central Valley) traveled to Avonworth and was sent home with a 28-20 loss. Avonworth has won 14 games in a row at home, its last loss coming to Central Valley in 2021. Aliquippa, which went unbeaten last season, went 49-3 overall the past four seasons and has won 25 consecutive regular-season games. … Aliquippa running back Tikey Hayes has 5,886 career rushing yards, 10th best in WPIAL history. A Penn State recruit, Hayes ran for 2,129 yards and scored 26 touchdowns last season. Hayes and defensive back Arison Walker were all-state picks a season ago. Larry Moon is a highly regarded sophomore defensive back with offers from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Michigan and Oregon. … Avonworth quarterback Carson Bellinger was an all-conference pick last season when he passed for 1,556 yards and 21 touchdowns. He threw for a touchdown in last week’s 28-22 win against West Mifflin. Running back Bryce Metz ran for two touchdowns to give him a team-leading three on the season.

Expert picks (records in parentheses)

Steve Rotstein (0-2): Aliquippa 31, Avonworth 13

Brad Everett (1-1): Aliquippa 36, Avonworth 10

John Santa (1-1): Aliquippa 34, Avonworth 21

On the radar

Beaver at Imani Christian, 7 p.m. Friday

Graham Field in Wilkinsburg will host this Class 3A showdown between No. 2 Beaver (2-0) and No. 4 Imani Christian (2-0). It’s the second high-profile game in three weeks for Beaver, which took down City League juggernaut Westinghouse, 28-26, in Week 0. Amari Jackson starred in that game, while Qualan Cain scored five touchdowns in last week’s 56-28 win against Blackhawk. Imani Christian has surrendered only six points, fewest of any Class 3A team. The Saints own lopsided wins against Philadelphia West Catholic and Beaver Falls. Junior David Davis scored three touchdowns against West Catholic and sophomore Gabe Jenkins had two against Beaver Falls. Both are ranked among the state’s top recruits in their respective classes.

McKeesport at Thomas Jefferson, 7 p.m. Friday

These traditional powers are no strangers to one another, having played in the same conference the previous four seasons. Now in different conferences, the two square off in an intriguing Class 4A tilt. McKeesport (0-2) is ranked No. 5 in Class 4A but is still seeking its first win after suffering a double-overtime loss to Lake, Ohio, and a lopsided defeat against Class 5A No. 1 Peters Township. Things won’t get any easier for the Tigers after this week. Next up are games against Belle Vernon and Upper St. Clair. Third-ranked Thomas Jefferson (2-0) drilled Baldwin in Week 0 before winning at Central Valley, 27-13. Luke Kosko has thrown for three touchdowns. He’s a Cincinnati baseball recruit. Tyler Eber has rushed for a team-best 216 yards.

Latrobe at Norwin, 7 p.m. Friday

Wait, Latrobe vs. Norwin? Yes, this is not a misprint. In case you missed it, Latrobe reached the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals the past two seasons and this season is on the cusp of being ranked in Class 5A following a 2-0 start. And then there’s upstart Norwin, which moved up to Class 6A this season and is 2-0 for the first time since 2014. The Knights are No. 3 in the rankings behind only North Allegheny and Central Catholic. The Westmoreland County foes are meeting for the first time since the 2021 season when the Knights edged Latrobe, 31-28. Norwin features Tristyn Tavares, a junior in his third season as the team’s starting quarterback. Latrobe running back and Penn State recruit Alex Tatsch has rushed for 227 yards and five touchdowns.

PUP ‘underdog’ to watch

Penn-Trafford (hosts Moon at 7 p.m. Friday)

The last time these teams met, it came on a cold November night at Acrisure Stadium (then Heinz Field) in 2021 when Penn-Trafford slipped past Moon, 24-21, to claim its first WPIAL title. There’s not quite as much at stake in this one, but it’s still an important non-conference clash for both teams. Moon (1-0) found a spot in the Class 5A rankings after blanking Trinity, 21-0, in Week 0. The Tigers then had their Week 1 contest with Montour canceled. Penn-Trafford (1-1) was stunned by Norwin, 26-14, in Week 0, but found its footing in last week’s 28-7 win against Class 6A Mt. Lebanon. Tasso Whipple ran for 136 yards and a touchdown for the Warriors. That put him up to 310 yards on the season, which ranks second in Class 5A.