Best in Show: PUP high school football rankings (Sept. 15)

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. North Allegheny (4-0)

2. Central Catholic (2-2)

3. Seneca Valley (1-2)

4. Norwin (2-2)

5. Hempfield (1-3)

The skinny: Top-ranked North Allegheny found itself knotted up with Hempfield at halftime on Friday night, but the Tigers pulled away with 28 unanswered points to score a 42-14 road victory. Central Catholic climbed back to .500 with a 59-7 rout against Mt. Lebanon, while Seneca Valley surged to the No. 3 spot following a 26-6 victory at Norwin to secure its first win of the season.

Class 5A

1. Peters Township (4-0)

2. Pine-Richland (3-0)

3. Upper St. Clair (4-0)

4. Bethel Park (4-0)

5. South Fayette (4-0)

The skinny: All five teams in the top five of Class 5A enter the fifth week of the season with unbeaten records, and four of them hail from the loaded Allegheny Six Conference. Defending champion Peters Township trounced Trinity, 35-6, while Pine-Richland held on to defeat North Hills in a battle of unbeatens, 29-24. Upper St. Clair steamrolled Hampton, 62-7, while Bethel Park did the same to West Mifflin, 62-14. With Latrobe’s 3-0 loss at Franklin Regional, South Fayette enters the rankings for the first time this season after a 38-19 win at Elizabeth Forward.

Class 4A

1. Aliquippa (2-0)

2. Montour (4-0)

3. Thomas Jefferson (4-0)

4. McKeesport (1-3)

5. Belle Vernon (1-1)

The skinny: Three-time defending champion Aliquippa turned in another dominant performance against a quality foe with a 42-17 win against Mars. Montour dispatched Knoch, 44-14, while Thomas Jefferson toppled Avonworth in a 44-7 blowout. McKeesport returns to the rankings at No. 4 after finally picking up its first win of the season with a 28-7 triumph against Belle Vernon.

Class 3A

1. Imani Christian (4-0)

2. Central Valley (1-3)

3. Beaver (3-1)

4. Deer Lakes (4-0)

5. Highlands (2-1)

The skinny: Imani Christian cruised past Valley, 46-0, to keep a firm hold on the top spot. Elsewhere, Central Valley earned its first win of the season in lopsided fashion at McGuffey, 49-0. Beaver beat visiting Hopewell, 49-17, and Deer Lakes defeated Freeport at home, 28-21. With Avonworth tumbling out of the top five, Highlands enters the rankings for the first time after racing to a 64-36 win against East Allegheny.

Class 2A

1. Seton LaSalle (3-0)

2. South Park (3-1)

3. South Allegheny (4-0)

4. Ellwood City (4-0)

5. Waynesburg (3-1)

The skinny: Seton LaSalle stays on top following a 48-8 victory at Charleroi, while South Park slides up one spot to No. 2 after shutting out Steel Valley, 7-0. South Allegheny outlasted Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for a 23-7 win, and the Gladiators will host the Eagles in a must-see matchup of top-three teams this week. Ellwood City bumps up to No. 4 after a 41-34 win against Mohawk, and Waynesburg rejoins the rankings for the second time this season after an eye-opening 21-13 win at Washington, which falls out of the rankings from the No. 2 spot.

Class 1A

1. Fort Cherry (4-0)

2. Clairton (4-0)

3. Bishop Canevin (3-1)

4. South Side (3-0)

5. Cornell (4-0)

The skinny: Defending champion Fort Cherry rolled to a 42-6 win against Chartiers-Houston, while Clairton continued its torrid start with a 47-0 win against Greensburg Central Catholic. Bishop Canevin beat Laurel, 48-23, while South Side Beaver defeated Summit Academy, 42-14, and Cornell crushed Burgettstown, 42-0.

City League

1. Westinghouse (3-1)

2. Allderdice (3-1)

3. University Prep (0-3)

The skinny: Westinghouse has now outscored its past three opponents by a combined score of 184-0 after a 68-0 beatdown against Perry. Meanwhile, Allderdice won its second consecutive game and tripled its win total from last season with a 21-15 comeback victory at Uniontown. University Prep remains winless after a 38-8 loss at Steubenville, Ohio, but the Wildcats should see better days ahead after facing a trio of tough non-conference foes.