Scores From Across the Valley: 10/23/26

October 23, 2026

Friday, October 23, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Western Beaver Beaver Falls	15 14 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Norwin Seneca Valley	42 19 Final
WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference
West Allegheny Trinity	25 24 Final
WPIAL Class 5A NorthEast Conference
Moon Armstrong	23 20 Final
WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference
Mars Montour	18 55 Final
Central Valley New Castle	36 58 Final
WPIAL Class 3A Western Hills
Aliquippa Ellwood City	55 6 Final
Ambridge Hopewell	6 56 Final
OLSH Beaver (Thursday Night)	7 21 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
New Brighton Freedom	38 58 Final
Riverside Neshannock	14 28 Final


WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Cornell Rochester	16 6 final
Union Northgate	19 27 Final
Laurel Southside	42 6 Final
Non-Conference
Blackhawk Kiski	46 41 Final
Charleroi Quaker Valley	43 8 Final

Scores From Across The Valley: 10/16/26

October 16, 2026

Friday, October 16, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Freedom Western Beaver	10 26 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Seneca Valley North Allegheny	7 42 Final
WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference
West Allegheny Peters Twp.	7 14 Final
WPIAL Class 5A NorthEast Conference
Penn Hills Moon @FNB Stadium in Pittsburgh	28 38 Final
WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference
New Castle Mars	47 14 Final
Central Valley Blackhawk	41 42 Final/OT
WPIAL Class 3A Western Hills
Ellwood City Ambridge (Thursday Night )	13 20 Final
OLSH Hopewell (Saturday Night at FNB Stadium in Pittsburgh)	14 42 Final
Aliquippa Beaver	31 0 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
Beaver Falls Riverside	20 6 Final
Mohawk New Brighton	6 26 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference
Seton La Salle Quaker Valley	31 0 Final
WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Rochester Laurel	0 33 Final
Shenango Union	41 0 Final
Southside Cornell	30 14 Final
Non-Conference
Montour Elizabeth Forward	49 12 Final
Neshannock North Catholic Thursday Day Night at FNB Stadium in Pittsburgh)	7 38 Final

Scores From Across The Valley: 10/09/26

October 9, 2026

Friday, October 09, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Neshannock Beaver Falls	27 8 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Mount Lebanon Seneca Valley	21 14 Final
WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference
Thomas Jefferson West Allegheny	17 24 Final
WPIAL Class 5A NorthEast Conference
Moon Plum	35 28 Final
WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference
Montour New Castle	26 21 Final
Blackhawk Mars	30 24 Final
WPIAL Class 3A Western Hills
Beaver Ambridge	35 6 Final
Ellwood City Hopewell	0 60 Final
Olsh Aliquippa	0 52 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
Freedom Riverside	27 28 Final
Mohawk Western Beaver	7 45 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference
Quaker Valley Bishop Canevan	13 58 Final
WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Rochester Union	0 42 Final
Cornell Shenango	6 42 Final
Southside Summit Academy (Saturday)	0 0 Final
Non-Conference
McKeesport Central Valley	47 7 Final

Mc Donald’s Preview Week 7

October 8, 2026

McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview

Week 7 | Friday, October 9, 2026

The playoff races are beginning to take shape across the Beaver Valley, and this weekend brings several important conference matchups. The biggest is Neshannock at Beaver Falls, our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week.

Neshannock at Beaver Falls — Reeves Stadium, Geneva College

This is the game everybody should have circled.
Neshannock enters at 5-1, Beaver Falls at 4-1, and both teams are unbeaten in Midwestern Conference play.
Beaver Falls has won four straight games. Last Friday, the Tigers defeated Mohawk 30-20 behind quarterback Rodney Slappy, who ran for two touchdowns and connected with Jawan Williams on a 54-yard touchdown pass.
Neshannock has also won four straight, and the Lancers’ offense is clicking. Freshman quarterback Jared Corey threw for approximately 255 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 52-6 victory over Freedom. Justin Edworthy caught three touchdown passes and finished with 149 receiving yards.
The biggest question is whether Beaver Falls can contain Neshannock’s passing game. The Tigers will need to pressure Corey and prevent Edworthy from turning short completions into long gains.
The Pond Lehocky Game of the Week airs Friday, October 9, on Beaver County Radio, with pregame at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff at 7:00 p.m., live from Reeves Stadium on the campus of Geneva College.Other Key Beaver County Matchups

Blackhawk at Mars

Blackhawk suffered its first loss last week, falling to New Castle 50-34. But the Cougars still produced an impressive rushing performance, with Brayden McCarthy and Ryan Prisuta each gaining more than 100 yards.

The question is how Blackhawk responds to adversity. I’m expecting the Cougars to get back to the physical running game that helped them start 5-0.

Ellwood City at Hopewell

Hopewell is 5-1 and coming off a remarkable 62-14 victory over Beaver.

Quarterback James Armstrong has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, with Avery Bokor and Brody Rock providing dangerous receiving options.

Ellwood City is 0-6, but running back Richard Cureton delivered 144 rushing yards against OLSH last week.

Hopewell has too many offensive weapons, particularly with the Vikings playing at Tony Dorsett Stadium.

Freedom at Riverside

This matchup could have major implications for the Midwestern Conference standings.

Freedom started the season 4-0 but has dropped two consecutive games, including last week’s 52-6 loss to Neshannock.

One important storyline is the availability of Freedom running back Kaden Bailey, who reportedly missed last week’s game. Bailey has rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season.

Riverside comes off its bye week at 4-1. The Panthers have allowed just 56 points all season, making their defense a major factor.

Mohawk at Western Beaver

Western Beaver is becoming a team to watch.

Despite a 2-4 overall record, the Golden Beavers have won two straight conference games, including a 35-12 victory over New Brighton last week.

Mohawk remains winless at 0-6.

A third straight conference victory would put Western Beaver in a much more interesting position entering the final stretch.

OLSH at Aliquippa

Aliquippa responded to its loss against New Castle with a convincing 48-7 victory over Ambridge.

OLSH finally earned its first victory last week, defeating Ellwood City 32-15.

But the Quips have the advantage in overall talent and experience.

Beaver at Ambridge

Both teams need a victory.

Beaver is 1-5 after suffering a 62-14 loss to Hopewell. Quarterback Jaivin Peel remains the Bobcats’ biggest offensive threat.

Ambridge is also looking to recover after losing 48-7 to Aliquippa.

I expect this to be competitive, but I think Beaver’s offense produces enough big plays to get the win.

McKeesport at Central Valley

Central Valley has lost three straight games, including last week’s difficult 49-7 loss to Montour.

McKeesport enters after defeating Kiski Area 35-7.

The Warriors must control the football, establish their running game and limit McKeesport’s opportunities.

Rochester at Union

Rochester is 1-5 after losing to Northgate 21-14.

Union comes into this game at 3-3. Running back Gianni Million has rushed for more than 800 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

The Rams will need to limit Million’s production to stay competitive.

Cornell at Shenango

This is another interesting matchup involving a Beaver Valley-area program.

Cornell is 3-3 after hammering Summit Academy 59-6.

But Shenango is undefeated at 5-0 and coming off a 36-15 victory over South Side.

Shenango’s ground game is particularly dangerous. Jasyn Williams rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns last week.

Thomas Jefferson at West Allegheny

West Allegheny is 4-2 and coming off an impressive 33-13 victory over Bethel Park.

Thomas Jefferson defeated Trinity 19-14 last week and has been consistently strong on both sides of the football.

I expect a physical contest, with the Indians having an opportunity to make a statement at home.

Moon at Plum

Moon is still searching for its first victory following a 56-7 loss to Pine-Richland.

Plum started 5-0 before losing a close 38-35 game to Armstrong last week.

Moon has faced a particularly difficult schedule, and another tough challenge awaits the Tigers.

Quaker Valley at Bishop Canevin

Quaker Valley is also looking for its first win.

The Quakers suffered a 60-0 loss to Chartiers-Houston last week.

Bishop Canevin enters undefeated and is coming off a 42-6 victory over South Allegheny.

South Side at Summit Academy — Saturday, October 10

South Side is looking for its first victory after losing to Shenango 36-15 last week.

Summit Academy also struggled last Friday, falling to Cornell 59-6.

This represents one of South Side’s better opportunities to break into the win column.

Frank’s Pick: South Side 24, Summit Academy 14.

Teams With a Bye

New Brighton is off this week.

The Lions have an opportunity to regroup before returning to action against Mohawk on October 16.

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview for Week 7.

Scores From Across the Valley: 10/02/26

October 2, 2026

Friday, October 02, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Blackhawk New Castle	34 50 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Seneca Valley Hempfield	14 41 Final
WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference
Bethel Park West Allegheny	13 33 Final
WPIAL Class 5A NorthEast Conference
Moon Pine Richland	7 56 Final
WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference
Montour Central Valley	49 7 Final
WPIAL Class 3A Western Hills
Hopewell Beaver	62 14 Final
Ambridge Aliquippa	17 48 Final
Olsh Ellwood City	32 15 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
Western Beaver New Brighton	35 12 Final
Neshannock Freedom	52 6 Final
Beaver Falls Mohawk	30 20 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference
Chartiers Houston Quaker Valley	60 0 Final
WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Northgate Rochester	21 14 Final
Shenango Southside	36 15 Final
Summit Academy Cornell	6 59 Final

Mc Donald’s High School Football Preview: Week 6

October 1, 2026

McDONALD’S BEAVER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

It’s time for our weekly look around the area at this week’s high school football games involving Beaver County teams.

Our high school football preview is brought to you by Tri- County McDonald’s (mmm I’m Lovin It!).

And we start with our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — Blackhawk at New Castle. This could be one of the best games of the night. Blackhawk puts its perfect 5-and-0 record on the line against a New Castle team coming off its biggest win of the season. The Cougars have been an offensive machine, scoring 228 points through five games — better than 45 points per game. Last week, Blackhawk survived its closest test of the year, beating Shaler 40-31. But New Castle just sent a message of its own by knocking off Aliquippa 42-21. So we’ve got an undefeated Blackhawk team against a New Castle team playing with a ton of confidence. I expect points, and I expect Blackhawk to get one of its toughest tests of the season.

We’ll have the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week Friday night. Pregame at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00 on Beaver County Radio.

Now let’s get to the rest of the games.

Western Beaver travels to New Brighton.

Both teams are 1-and-4 and desperately need a win. Western Beaver has shown flashes, including that impressive 28-10 upset of Riverside. New Brighton lost to Riverside 33-22 last week, but the Lions showed improvement offensively. Keep an eye on Heath Lewis for New Brighton. If the Lions can get him into the open field, he can change the game quickly.

Hopewell travels to Beaver.

The Vikings are 4-and-1 and rolling right now. They’ve beaten Central Valley 34-6 and Western Beaver 47-6 in consecutive weeks. Quarterback James Armstrong gives Hopewell a dangerous threat with both his arm and his legs. Beaver is 1-and-4 and trying to bounce back from a 49-6 loss to Avonworth. We know quarterback Jaivin Peel can put up huge numbers, but Hopewell is playing too well for me to pick against the Vikings.

Ambridge travels to Aliquippa.

Aliquippa is coming off that surprising 42-21 loss to New Castle, and I expect the Quips to come out with something to prove.

How about Beaver Falls at Mohawk?

Don’t look now, but the Tigers have won three straight. And last week’s was the biggest — Beaver Falls handed previously unbeaten Freedom its first loss, 24-13. Mohawk was beaten 48-6 by Neshannock last week. Beaver Falls is getting better as the season goes along.

Montour visits Central Valley.

The Warriors are 2-and-3 and have lost two straight, including a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Hampton last week. Montour is 3-and-2 and is coming off a 34-29 loss to Thomas Jefferson. Central Valley needs to establish the running game and avoid falling behind early.

Neshannock travels to Freedom.

Freedom started the season 4-and-0 before Beaver Falls handed the Bulldogs their first loss. Now they get a Neshannock team that’s 4-and-1 and has won three straight. Freedom is dangerous at home, but right now Neshannock has the momentum.

Northgate visits Rochester.

Rochester is 1-and-4, while Northgate comes in at 3-and-2 after barely escaping South Side last week, 21-20. That’s why I’m going with my upset pick here. Rochester is at home, and if the Rams protect the football, I think they can steal one.

Shenango travels to South Side.

South Side nearly picked up its first victory last week before losing to Northgate by one. But now the Rams face an undefeated Shenango team that just hammered Rochester 49-8.

And OLSH travels to Ellwood City.

Somebody is getting its first win because both teams enter at 0-and-5. Ellwood City showed some offensive improvement last week in a 27-13 loss to Shady Side Academy. With the Wolverines playing at home, I’ll give them the slight edge.

And finally, Riverside has the week off.

The Panthers enter their bye at 4-and-1. They started 3-and-0 before losing to Western Beaver, then bounced back last Friday with a 33-22 win over New Brighton. Riverside returns next week against Freedom.

But the spotlight Friday night is on Blackhawk at New Castle.

Blackhawk is 5-and-0. New Castle just knocked off Aliquippa. And the Cougars are averaging better than 45 points per game. It’s the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, right here on Beaver County Radio.

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview.

Scores From Across the Valley: 09/25/26

September 25, 2026

Friday, September 25, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Avonworth Beaver	49 6 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Central Catholic Seneca Valley	62 0 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
New Brighton Riverside	22 33 Final
Beaver Falls Freedom	24 13 Final
Mohawk Neshannock	6 48 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference
Quaker Valley Keystone Oaks	6 26 Final
WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Northgate Southside	21 20 Final
Rochester Shenango	8 49 Final
Union Cornell	22 20 Final (OT)
WPIAL Non-Conference
Western Beaver Hopewell	6 47 Final
Grove City Ambridge	42 12 Final
Hampton Central Valley	16 14 Final
Moon West Allegheny	13 21 Final
Propel Braddock Hills OLSH At Quaker Valley HS	51 12 Final
Shaler Blackhawk	31 40 Final
Montour Thomas Jefferson	34 29 Final
Aliquippa New Castle Thursday Night	21 42 Final

Mc Donald’s High School Football Preview for 9/24 and 9/25/26

September 23, 2026

By Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio

(Brighton Twp, Beaver County, Pa.) It’s time to take our weekly trip around the area and look at this week’s high school football games involving Beaver County and Beaver Valley teams. This week’s football preview is brought to you by McDonald’s.

As always, we start with the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week on Beaver County Radio.

AVONWORTH AT BEAVER

The Avonworth Antelopes make the trip to Pat Tarquinio Field to take on the Beaver Bobcats Friday night.

Avonworth comes into this one at 3-and-1 and has won three straight since opening the season with a loss to Hopewell.

Beaver comes in at 1-and-3, but don’t let that record fool you. The Bobcats have played a tough schedule and are coming off an absolute heartbreaker against Beaver Falls, falling 28-to-27.

Beaver has shown it can put points on the board, but Avonworth has been rolling since Week Zero.

FRANK’S PICK: AVONWORTH 31 — BEAVER 27.

We’ll have the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week for you Friday night on Beaver County Radio. Pregame coverage starts at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00.

BEAVER FALLS AT FREEDOM

This might be one of the most intriguing games of the night.

Beaver Falls travels to Freedom for the opening of Midwestern Athletic Conference play. Freedom has been one of the great stories of the young season, while Beaver Falls comes in riding the momentum of that dramatic one-point victory over Beaver.

This could be a shootout.

FRANK’S PICK: FREEDOM 34 — BEAVER FALLS 28.

WESTERN BEAVER AT HOPEWELL

Western Beaver picked up its first victory last week, beating Riverside 28-to-10, while Hopewell made a major statement with a 34-to-6 victory over Central Valley.

Western Beaver is 1-and-3, while Hopewell enters at 3-and-1. The Vikings have also been tough at Tony Dorsett Stadium.

FRANK’S PICK: HOPEWELL 35 — WESTERN BEAVER 14.

SHALER AT BLACKHAWK

Blackhawk has been one of the hottest teams in the Beaver Valley.

The Cougars are 4-and-0 and have scored 188 points in their first four games — that’s 47 points a game.

Until somebody figures out how to slow down that Blackhawk offense, I’m sticking with the Cougars.

FRANK’S PICK: BLACKHAWK 42 — SHALER 21.

HAMPTON AT CENTRAL VALLEY

Central Valley looks to bounce back after last week’s loss to Hopewell.

The Warriors are 2-and-2 and return home to face Hampton. Central Valley has shown the ability to both run and throw the football, and I expect a better performance from the Warriors this week.

FRANK’S PICK: CENTRAL VALLEY 28 — HAMPTON 20.

NEW BRIGHTON AT RIVERSIDE

New Brighton heads to Riverside in Midwestern Conference action.

Both teams are looking for a bounce-back performance after losses last week.

FRANK’S PICK: RIVERSIDE 27 — NEW BRIGHTON 14.

ROCHESTER AT SHENANGO

The Rochester Rams travel to Shenango in the Big Seven Conference.

I think this could be one of the tighter games on Friday night’s schedule.

FRANK’S PICK: SHENANGO 27 — ROCHESTER 21.

NORTHGATE AT SOUTH SIDE

South Side is still looking to break into the win column, but the Rams face a Northgate team that has shown it can move the football.

FRANK’S PICK: NORTHGATE 28 — SOUTH SIDE 14.

GROVE CITY AT AMBRIDGE

Ambridge gets Grove City at home Friday night.

The Bridgers have had an up-and-down start to the season, and home field should help, but I’m giving the visitors the edge.

FRANK’S PICK: GROVE CITY 28 — AMBRIDGE 20.

PROPEL-IMANI VS. OLSH

OLSH takes on Propel-Imani at Quaker Valley High School.

The Chargers are trying to get their season turned around, but this looks like another difficult matchup.

FRANK’S PICK: PROPEL-IMANI 30 — OLSH 20.

THURSDAY NIGHT — ALIQUIPPA AT NEW CASTLE

And don’t forget, the football weekend actually gets started Thursday night when Aliquippa travels to New Castle.

The Quips bounced back in a big way last week with a 49-to-8 win over Shady Side Academy.

FRANK’S PICK: ALIQUIPPA 35 — NEW CASTLE 20.

AROUND THE VALLEY

And if we have a little time, here are the rest of this week’s games.

MOON AT WEST ALLEGHENY — an old rivalry gets renewed at West Allegheny. I’m expecting a competitive one.

FRANK’S PICK: WEST ALLEGHENY 27 — MOON 24.

UNION AT CORNELL — Cornell gets Union at home in a Big Seven matchup.

FRANK’S PICK: UNION 34 — CORNELL 14.

ELLWOOD CITY AT SHADY SIDE ACADEMY — Ellwood City is looking for its first victory after an 0-and-4 start. Shady Side Academy is 2-and-2 after losses to Bishop Canevin and Aliquippa the last two weeks.

FRANK’S PICK: SHADY SIDE ACADEMY 31 — ELLWOOD CITY 14.

And finally, QUAKER VALLEY AT KEYSTONE OAKS.

The Quakers head out on the road Friday night looking to get things going against Keystone Oaks.

FRANK’S PICK: KEYSTONE OAKS 28 — QUAKER VALLEY 14.

And those are my picks for another big weekend of high school football around Beaver County and the Beaver Valley.

Our spotlight Friday night is at Pat Tarquinio Field in Beaver for the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — Avonworth at Beaver.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, on 99.3 and 95.7 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA and beavercountyradio.com, plus our live video stream on Facebook and YouTube.

Get out and support your local team this Friday night!

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview.

McDonald’s — I’m Lovin’ It!

Scores From Across the Valley: 09/18/26

September 18, 2026

Friday, September 18, 2026:

Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game Central Valley Hopewell	6 34 Final
WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference
Seneca Valley Cannon-Mac	8 28 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference
Neshannock New Brighton	44 6 Final
Freedom Mohawk	39 23 Final
Riverside Western Beaver	10 28 Final
WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference
McGuffy Quaker Valley	48 9 Final
WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference
Cornell Laurel	6 48 Final
Shenango Northgate	30 22 Final
Southside Union	0 35 Final
Summit Academy Rochester	0 44 Final
WPIAL Non-Conference
Beaver Beaver Falls	27 28 Final/OT
Blackhawk Ellwood City	49 14 Final
Moon Thomas Jefferson	35 70 Final
New Castle Avonworth	14 34 Final
OLSH Berlins-Brothers Valley	0 16 Final
West Allegheny Montour	20 21 Final
West Mifflin Ambridge	27 0 Final
Shadyside Academy Aliquippa	8 49 Final

Mc Donald’s Beaver County High School Football Weekend Preview

September 18, 2026

Preview by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio General Manager

THE McDONALD’S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

(Brighton Twp., Beaver County, Pa. ) It’s time to take a trip around the area and look at this week’s high school football matchups involving Beaver County teams. This week’s football preview is brought to you by McDonald’s.

We start with the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week on Beaver County Radio — and this one has the makings of a good one.

POND LEHOCKY GAME OF THE WEEK

CENTRAL VALLEY AT HOPEWELL

It’s a battle of 2-and-1 teams at Tony Dorsett Stadium as the Central Valley Warriors visit the Hopewell Vikings.

Central Valley comes in after an impressive 34-to-17 road victory over Shaler. The Warriors opened the season by beating Beaver 28-to-18, lost to Avonworth 28-to-14, and then bounced back last week.

Hopewell also enters at 2-and-1. The Vikings opened with an impressive 34-to-14 win over Avonworth, followed that with a 35-to-20 victory over Chartiers Valley, but suffered their first loss last week, 28-to-21 against Propel Braddock Hills.

One thing that jumps out statistically is Central Valley’s offensive production. MaxPreps lists the Warriors at more than 325 yards of offense per game, including about 171 yards rushing and 155 passing.

For Hopewell, playing at Tony Dorsett Stadium should help, but the Vikings will need to prevent Central Valley from controlling the line of scrimmage and creating explosive plays.

Frank’s Pick: I think this one stays close into the second half, but I’ll take Central Valley, 28 — Hopewell, 21.

Remember, it’s our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, right here on Beaver County Radio.

BEAVER AT BEAVER FALLS

A good old-fashioned Beaver County rivalry as Beaver travels to Beaver Falls.

The Bobcats are 1-and-2 after picking up their first victory last week, 35-to-31 over Highlands. Beaver Falls is 1-and-1 and comes off a convincing 32-to-6 victory over Cornell.

This feels like one that could come down to the fourth quarter.

Frank’s Pick: Beaver Falls 28 — Beaver 24.

SHADY SIDE ACADEMY AT ALIQUIPPA

The Quips are back home this week to face Shady Side Academy.

Shady Side comes in 2-and-1 after winning its first two games before running into Bishop Canevin and losing 42-to-3 last Friday.

Aliquippa is 1-and-1 and, as usual, the Quips bring speed, physicality and plenty of tradition into this matchup.

Frank’s Pick: At the Pit, give me Aliquippa 35 — Shady Side Academy 14.

BLACKHAWK AT ELLWOOD CITY

How about the start for Blackhawk?

The Cougars are a perfect 3-and-0 after beating Beaver Falls 41-to-20, Beaver 55-to-40 and OLSH 43-to-12. That means Blackhawk has scored 139 points in three games. Ellwood City, meanwhile, is looking for its first win and is coming off a 55-to-6 loss to Avonworth.

Frank’s Pick: I’m staying with the hot hand. Blackhawk 42 — Ellwood City 14.

FREEDOM AT MOHAWK

Freedom might be one of the best early-season stories in Beaver County.

The Bulldogs are 3-and-0 and last week survived a wild 55-to-48 shootout against Deer Lakes. Running back Kaden Bailey had a monster performance — 397 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Mohawk is coming off a 35-to-7 loss to Shenango.

If Freedom can keep Bailey rolling, they’re going to be difficult to stop.

Frank’s Pick: Freedom 35 — Mohawk 20.

NESHANNOCK AT NEW BRIGHTON

New Brighton gets Neshannock at home in an important Midwestern Conference matchup.

Neshannock is 2-and-1 and scored 48 points last week against South Side. New Brighton comes in at 1-and-2.

The Lions have the home field, but Neshannock has shown the ability to put points on the board.

Frank’s Pick: Neshannock 28 — New Brighton 20.

RIVERSIDE AT WESTERN BEAVER

Another Midwestern Conference matchup has unbeaten Riverside traveling to Western Beaver.

Riverside enters at 3-and-0 while Western Beaver is still searching for its first victory at 0-and-3. The Golden Beavers did play a much better game last week, falling to Steel Valley by just a touchdown.

Frank’s Pick: Riverside 28 — Western Beaver 13.

WEST MIFFLIN AT AMBRIDGE

Ambridge is 1-and-2 and returns home after losses to Uniontown and Knoch. The Bridgers’ victory came in the opener, 32-to-14 over Quaker Valley.

West Mifflin also enters at 1-and-2.

Frank’s Pick: I’m giving the Bridgers a slight home-field edge. Ambridge 24 — West Mifflin 21.

SUMMIT ACADEMY AT ROCHESTER

Rochester welcomes Summit Academy in a Big Seven Conference matchup. Summit Academy has already suffered losses of 71-to-8 against Knoch and 26-to-8 against Sto-Rox.

Frank’s Pick: The Rams take care of business at home. Rochester 35 — Summit Academy 8.

SOUTH SIDE AT UNION

South Side is looking to turn things around after an 0-and-3 start, but Union presents another difficult challenge. The Rams surrendered 48 points to Neshannock last week.

Frank’s Pick: Union 28 — South Side 14.

OLSH AT BERLIN-BROTHERSVALLEY

OLSH has had a rough start at 0-and-3, while Berlin-Brothersvalley comes into Friday night unbeaten at 3-and-0.

That’s a difficult road assignment.

Frank’s Pick: Berlin-Brothersvalley 35 — OLSH 14.

McGUFFEY AT QUAKER VALLEY

Quaker Valley is also searching for its first victory at 0-and-3, and the Quakers host a McGuffey team that comes in at 2-and-1.

Frank’s Pick: McGuffey 31 — Quaker Valley 14.

And elsewhere involving teams from around the Beaver Valley, Moon travels to Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny visits Montour, and Cornell travels to Laurel.

My picks there: Thomas Jefferson over Moon, 35-to-14; Montour over West Allegheny, 28-to-17; and Laurel over Cornell, 27-to-20.

So my game to keep a close eye on — besides our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — is Beaver at Beaver Falls. Rivalry game, two teams coming off victories, and bragging rights on the line.

But our spotlight Friday night is at Tony Dorsett Stadium:

Central Valley at Hopewell.

Pregame at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00, on 99.3 and 95.7 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA and beavercountyradio.com, with the game also video streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

That’s your McDonald’s High School Football Preview.

Brought to you by you local Beaver County McDonald’s — I’m Lovin’ It!