Times' top 10 football teams in the Beaver Valley: Week 7 rankings
The Beaver County Times’ sports staff will rank the top 10 teams in our coverage area each week. These rankings do not indicate the best team in the area. Programs in higher classifications will almost always have the upper hand against ones from lower classifications.
Instead, they rank which teams we believe, pound-for-pound, have the best shot at winning a WPIAL and PIAA championship. We will update our Times’ top-10 rankings every Monday throughout the entirety of the regular season.
More: Times' High School Football Top Performances: Week 7
1. Aliquippa (4A) (8-0, 6-0)
The Quips took advantage of five turnovers in a 55-7 win at New Castle. Aliquippa built a 35-0 halftime lead. Tiqwai Hayes, Brandon Banks and Cameron Lindsey all scored a pair of touchdowns in the victory. John Tracy and Josh Lay both found the end zone as well. The Quips return to action against Chartiers Valley (2-6, 2-3), which fell to Montour, 49-7.
2. South Side (1A) (8-0, 4-0)
Ryan Navarra scored three touchdowns and Brody Almashy added two more in the team’s 35-7 home win over Laurel. Navarra rushed eight times for 159 yards, while A.C. Corfield finished with six carries for 106 yards. The Rams begin a key final stretch with a Big 7 Conference showdown this week at Union (7-1, 4-0), which beat Northgate, 47-6.
3. Central Valley (4A) (6-2, 4-1)
Mason Dixon and Jance Henry powered the Warriors on the ground in a 56-12 win over Ambridge. Dixon rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while Henry had 52 yards and two scores on nine carries. Central Valley has a key Parkway Conference showdown at West Allegheny (6-2, 4-1), a 10-6 winner at Blackhawk.
4. Cornell (1A) (6-2, 3-2)
The Raiders took an early lead, but saw Fort Cherry rally for a 42-13 win in a key Black Hills Conference game. Khylil Johnson broke free for a 67-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for Cornell, but the hosts’ offense came alive in the second quarter. Johnson finished with 95 yards rushing on the night. The Raiders, now tied for third in the conference, return to action at Chartiers-Houston (0-7, 0-4), which dropped a 32-24 decision to Carlynton.
5. Beaver (3A) (6-2, 2-2)
Evan Baker’s field goal gave the Bobcats a 3-0 lead after the first quarter in a 38-20 win over Seton LaSalle. Brady Mayo added a touchdown catch and returned an interception for a score to give the guests a 17-7 halftime edge. Qualan Cain scored two touchdowns in the second half and Drey Hall added another. Beaver, which sits fourth in the Western Hills Conference, welcomes Quaker Valley (1-7, 1-3), which fell to West Mifflin, 57-13.
6. West Allegheny (4A) (6-2, 4-1)
The Indians avoided a scare against Blackhawk when Brock Cornell scored the game’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter for a 10-6 win. Cornell finished with 75 yards rushing. Andy Cosnek kicked a 39-yard field goal in the win, while Will Brown had a pair of field goals for the Cougars. West Allegheny, tied for second in the Parkway Conference, welcomes Central Valley (6-2, 4-1), in a key conference showdown.
7. Moon (5A) (4-4, 2-1)
The Tigers survived a furious rally to hang on for a 42-34 win over visiting Bethel Park. Moon built a 28-0 halftime lead, but the guests stormed back in the second half and trimmed the deficit to 35-34 with 8:07 remaining. Josh Bladel led the Tigers’ ground attack. He finished with 215 yards on 23 carries. Moon returns to action at Upper St. Clair (6-2, 1-2), a 24-17 winner over Canon-McMillan, in another key Allegheny Six Conference battle.
8. Western Beaver (2A) (5-3, 4-1)
The Golden Beavers continued to pile up points, this time with a 57-7 home win over New Brighton. Tyson Florence rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns to lead the ground game. Jaivin Peel continued his impressive freshman campaign with 423 yards passing and five touchdowns. Dorian McGhee and Mikey Crawford both had a pair of TD catches. Western, now in second in the Midwestern Conference, visits Mohawk (7-1, 5-0), a 44-20 winner over Freedom, in a huge conference battle.
9. Beaver Falls (2A) (4-4, 3-2)
The Tigers came through with a must-win victory over Ellwood City, 42-28. Brixx Rawl led the Beaver Falls offense with 227 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Di’Nari Harris had 87 yards rushing and a score. Kadin Brickner had a touchdown run, while Michael Blackshear returned a kickoff 77 yards for a score. The Tigers, now in fourth in the Midwestern Conference, welcome Freedom (2-6, 1-4), which fell to Mohawk, 44-20.
10. OLSH (1A) (4-4, 3-2)
Brandon Brazell rushed for a touchdown and passed for another to help the Chargers post a 29-16 win over Avella. The victory lifted OLSH into a three-way tie for third in the Black Hills Conference. The Chargers begin a huge two-game stretch against Cornell (6-2, 3-2), which fell to Fort Cherry, 42-13.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Times' top 10 football teams in the Beaver Valley: Week 7 rankings
