4A Greater Allegheny Conference Mid-Season Review

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Garrett Dollin | September 26, 2024

Prior to the season, I wrote a conference preview for the 4A Greater Allegheny conference. You can find that article here. Now that we’re halfway through the regular season, lets see how the teams have panned out thus far, and how my predictions compare.

Let’s start out with some overall recaps of the conference itself. The most glaring observation is that not a single team in the conference has a winning record. Throughout the first 5 weeks of the season, the conference is a combined 8-21. To make it worse, the two teams who were highlighted as being the conference champions, Mars and McKeesport, sit at the bottom, both with 1-4 records. Here at PAFootballNews, we had Mckeesport ranked 4th in the 4A state preseason rankings, with Knoch being an honorable mention. Despite going 0-1, the Tigers remained at number 4 in our week two rankings. Fast forward to week five, no Greater Allegheny squad is to be seen. With all that said, let’s get into my analysis of each team from the bottom to the top.

Mars Fightin’ Planets
Record: 1-4 (0-0)

Since introducing their new mascot, the Mars Fightin’ Planets are 0-3 at home heading into conference play. If their losing streak at home continues, I think it will be safe to say that their “meatball” mascot cursed the program. All jokes aside, what really has caused Mars to fall so low beneath their preseason expectations? Well, one quick look at their schedule and you’ll have your answer. The four teams that Mars has lost to (Bethel Park, North Hills, Aliquippa, and Montour) are a combined 17-2. One of those losses came last week when Penn Hills upset Aliquippa in the game of the week. Mars’ lone win came against Boone (FL) in week zero, 47-35. With the conference in the state that it’s in, Mars absolutley can still take the conference title, but things need to change for Eric Kasperowicz team, and fast.

McKeesport Tigers

Record: 1-4 (0-0)

McKeesport has faced a similar situation to Mars. The Tigers four losses come against teams who are a combined 20-1. To the Tigers credit, two of their losses came by one point (35-36) against Lake (OH), and in overtime (31-34) against Thomas Jefferson. Their losses to Peters Township and Upper Saint Clair weren’t as close, however, losing by a combined score of 21-73. They would pick up their first win of the season in week three, beating Belle Vernon 28-7. Like Mars, McKeesport is a really good team, and they very well could take the conference crown like we expected them to.

Indiana Little Indians
Record: 1-4 (0-0)

Unlike the previous two schools, it’s not much of a surprise that Indiana is 1-4 to start the season. Indiana’s lone win came in week one in overtime over Ringgold. To Indiana’s credit, they also had a close loss 10-7 against Laurel Highlands. However, in their other three games, the Little Indians have been outscored 113-14. I was harsh on Indiana in my conference preview, projecting them to finish last in the conference. Although I said that Mars and McKeesport could still win the conference despite starting out 1-4, I don’t think I can say the same for Indiana.

Knoch Knights
Record: 1-3 (0-0)

Knoch, like the previously mentioned schools, only has one win so far. However, they do get a slight advantage in the standings due to the fact they have played one game less, resulting in one fewer loss and a better win percentage. Knoch’s only win came in week one against North Catholic, 28-17. The Knights enter conference play following back to back games on the road against undefeated teams in New Castle and Montour. In week zero, Kiski Area blew out Knoch 42-7, marking Kiski’s only win so far this season. Knoch’s close loss last week against a very good New Castle team does intrigue me, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Knoch makes a run here in the second half of the season.

West Mifflin Titans

Record: 2-3 (0-0)

We have finally reached the two-win column. Along with the previously mentioned Knoch Knights, I had West Mifflin as a dark horse team to win the Greater Allegheny, and that could very well still happen. West Mifflin got in the win column early in the year with a 17-16 win over Elizabeth Forward. Then, in week two, the Titans managed an impressive 49-0 win over Baldwin. However, West Mifflin’s previous two games were blowout losses against two undefeated teams in Bethel Park and Thomas Jefferson. The next two games matchup West Mifflin against Mars and McKeesport, and if they can manage to at least win one of those, I really love the Titans chances of winning the conference.

Hampton Talbots
Record: 2-3 (0-0)

Hampton is a weird team to talk about. They really haven’t done anything noteworthy good or bad. They currently sit in a “no mans land” of sorts, and their record shows that. In week zero, the Talbots were victorious over USO, 22-18. They would go on to lose three in a row to Armstrong and Shaler before being blown out by Upper Saint Clair. Last week, Hampton got back in the win column thanks to a 34-27 victory over Chartiers Valley, but will face-off against a hungry McKeesport team at home Friday night. Heading into the season, I had Hampton alongside Indiana in the “rebuilding” category, and they really haven’t shown any strides to make me think otherwise. That being said, they currently sit atop the conference.

Final Thoughts

The Greater Allegheny Conference has been plagued by tough early season competition. Mars and McKeesport, the consensus best teams in the conference, currently sit at the bottom. That being said, no team in the conference currently has a winning record. The teams are seperated into categories of “good teams who have underwhelmed thus far” and “underwhelming teams that have met expectations.” Although there are certainly conferences in the WPIAL that are more “exciting” based on win percentages and other statistics, I will say this: the Greater Allegheny will be interesting every week until the playoffs come around. So if you want a conference to keep an eye on for drama, this is it.

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