Uniontown, LH meet again on football field; Leopards host Tigers in key clash
Uniontown and Laurel Highlands have a legendary yearly rivalry in boys basketball but the football version isn’t an annual event.
In fact the two haven’t meet on the gridiron since 2017 when the Mustangs defeated the Red Raiders at Bill Power Stadium, 40-15.
They’ll get together once again tonight at the same venue in a non-conference game set to kick off at 7 p.m.
Both teams are on an upswing compared to recent years.
Laurel Highlands is 6-3, clinching a winning record for the first time in 25 years, and is headed to the WPIAL playoffs. The Mustangs, led by NCAA Division-1 prospect Rodney Gallagher, opened the season with five straight wins for the first time in program history.
It will be the first game in the rivalry for LH third-year coach Rich Kolesar.
Keith Jeffries has been part of the rivalry as an assistant coach with Uniontown but this will be his first time as a head coach. Jeffries has guided the Red Raiders to a 2-3 record in his first year at the helm. Uniontown was coming off four consecutive win-less seasons.
Jeffries is excited to have his team play the Mustangs.
“There should be a good crowd on hand,” Jeffries said. “It’s our senior night. The kids are all excited about it. It’s our last game and a home game so everybody is fired up and ready to go.”
Uniontown has actually split the last two meetings, having won at LH in 2016, 27-10. That victory, however, was followed by a 35-game overall losing streak that was snapped this season.
While the Mustangs and Red Raiders playing is huge news in Fayette County, the biggest game in the WPIAL features two teams who defeated Laurel Highlands this season and sit above it in the Big Eight standings.
First-place Belle Vernon (5-0, 7-0), ranked as the No. 1 Class AAAA team in the WPIAL, hosts second-place and No. 2 McKeesport (5-0, 8-1).
Both teams defeated Thomas Jefferson on their home fields with the Leopards winning 28-21 on Sept. 24 and the Tigers winning 42-28 last week.
McKeesport has yet to lose to a WPIAL team. The Tigers’ lone loss was 35-14 to Canisius of New York on Sept. 17 at Edinboro University.
The top seed for the WPIAL Class AAAA playoff pairings and the conference title are both on the line.
In another Big Eight game, Ringgold (0-5, 3-6) hosts Trinity (1-4, 2-7).
There are 12 other games involving area teams tonight, all starting at 7.
In the Big East Conference, Connellsville (0-4, 0-9) hosts Woodland Hills (2-2, 3-6).
In the Interstate Conference, Mount Pleasant (3-1, 5-3) is at South Allegheny (3-2, 3-6), Southmoreland (3-2, 6-3) travels to South Park (2-3, 2-6) and Yough (1-4, 1-8) goes to Elizabeth Forward (5-0, 7-2). The Vikings and Warriors are the only teams to have clinched playoff spots. The Scotties can do so with a win tonight.
In the Century Conference, Beth-Center (1-3, 1-6) hosts Waynesburg Central (1-4, 2-6) and Frazier (0-4, 0-8) travels to Charleroi (1-4, 1-7). The Bulldogs can clinch a playoff spot with a win. The Raiders are still alive win a victory.
In the Tri-County South Conference, West Greene (6-0, 7-2) can clinch sole possession of the first place with a win at third-place Mapletown (4-2, 6-3), second-place Carmichaels (5-1, 7-2) is at Jefferson-Morgan (1-5, 1-8), California (4-2, 6-3), which is tied with the Maples for third place, hosts Bentworth (1-5, 2-6), and Monessen (2-4, 3-6) can wrap up a playoff spot with a win at Avella (1-5, 1-8). The Pioneers, Mikes, Maples and Trojans have all clinched postseason berths. The Rockets are mathematically alive also.
In non-conference action, Albert Gallatin (6-2) goes to West Virginia to seek its seventh win at Spring Mills, and Brownsville (0-7) goes to East Allegheny (4-5).