[Full Friday night scoreboard + Updated WPIAL standings]
The streak is over. And it ended right where it started.
The Clairton Bears' nation-best 66-game win streak was ended Friday with a 42-24 home loss to Monessen, 1,471 days after it began with a 46-0 home win against – you guessed it – Monessen.
The streak started on Sept. 11, 2009, the week after a 15-8 loss at Laurel. It ended tied for the nation's 10th-longest winning streak ever and included four PIAA Class A championships.
Monessen senior running back Clintell Gillaspie scored four touchdowns.
"Bear down!" Gillaspie tweeted after the game, a line echoed by teammates in an Instagram video posted by Monessen quarterback Noah Rullo.
Clairton hadn't given up 42 points in a game since the 2003 WPIAL semifinals, in a 42-20 loss to Sto-Rox. Clairton's last home loss was Oct. 21, 2005 against Apollo-Ridge.
Other Friday night storylines
- Class AAAA No. 1 Upper St. Clair beat Penn Hills 35-0 for its third consecutive shutout. USC totaled 315 rushing yards while holding Penn Hills to 41. Check out @CriagMeyerPG's Twitter feed for more on that game.
- New Brighton, which entered Week Four averaging the most points in the WPIAL (158 total, 52.66 average), was shut out by Aliquippa, 43-0. Read Mike White's live blog for more on that game.
- Washington, in its first full game without running back Shai McKenzie, beat Yough 35-13.
- Steel Valley, playing without running back D'Andre Pickens, lost to Seton-La Salle 28-7.
- Central Catholic, which had only three allowed three points in its first three games, beat Fox Chapel 49-10.
- In a meeting of unbeaten Class A teams, Avonworth crushed upstart West Shamokin, 48-0.
- Beaver Falls held off a charge from Beaver Area, winning 30-24.
Odds & ends
- High scores: Beth-Center beat Bentworth 80-0; South Fayette beat Burggettstown 74-7.
- Shutouts: 17.
- OT games: Avella 27, Jefferson-Morgan 26. Baldwin 20, Mt. Lebanon 19.
Rankings report
How teams new to the Post-Gazette rankings fared
- Seneca Valley (AAAA) beat Connellsville 36-0.
- Highlands (AAA) lost at home to Mars 39-0. Read Brad Everett (@BREAL412)'s Twitter feed for more on that game.
- Shady Side Academy (AA) beat Burrell 49-14.
- Fort Cherry (A) beat Brentwood 35-14.
- Allderdice (City) beat Westinghouse 39-18.
How teams that fell out of rankings responded
- North Allegheny (AAAA) beat Pine-Richland 29-28. Pine-Richland's last-second field goal fell short.
- Franklin Regional (AAA) beat Greensburg Salem 42-20.
- Steel Valley (AA) lost at Seton-La Salle 28-7.
- Monessen (A) beat at No. 1 Clairton 42-24.
- Perry (City) beat Carrick 23-6.
Full results of ranked teams
Class AAAA (records entering Week Four)
No. 1 Upper St. Clair (3-0) beat Penn Hills 35-0.
No. 2 Central Catholic (3-0) beat Fox Chapel 49-10.
No. 3 Gateway (3-0) beat Altoona 21-0.
No. 4 McKeesport (3-0) beat Penn-Trafford 34-14.
No. 5 Seneca Valley (3-0) beat Connellsville 36-0.
Class AAA
No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (3-0) beat Trinity 44-7.
No. 2 West Allegheny (3-0) beat Hopewell 55-0.
No. 3 Central Valley (3-0) beat Blackhawk 41-0.
No. 4 West Mifflin (3-0) beat Albert Gallatin 56-12.
No. 5 Highlands (3-0) lost at home to Mars 39-0.
Class AA
No. 1 Aliquippa (3-0) beat New Brighton 43-0.
No. 2 Beaver Falls (3-0) beat Beaver Area 30-24.
No. 3 Washington (3-0) beat Yough 35-13.
No. 4 South Fayette (3-0) beat Burggettstown 74-7.
No. 5 Shady Side Academy (3-0) beat Burrell 49-14.
Class A
No. 1 Clairton (2-0) lost at home to Monessen 42-24.
No. 2 Sto-Rox (3-0) beat Our Lady of Sacred Heart 54-3.
No. 3 North Catholic (3-0) beat Riverview 56-7.
No. 4 Neshannock (2-1) beat Shenango 35-14.
No. 5 Fort Cherry (3-0) beat Brentwood 35-14.
City League
No. 1 University Prep (3-0) beat No. 2 Brashear 51-6 (Thursday).
No. 2 Brashear (1-2) lost to No.1 University Prep 51-6 (Thursday).
No. 3 Allderdice beat Westinghouse 39-18.
Saturday games
Class A
- Union at Western Beaver, 12:30 p.m.
- Northgate at Wilkinsburg, 1 p.m.
- Mapletown at Geibel Catholic, 1 p.m.
- Kiski School at Baltimore Boys Latin (Md.), 1 p.m.
Highlights
New Castle 32, Montour 13
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Aliquippa 43, New Brighton 0
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Upper St. Clair 35, Penn Hills 0
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Follow Post-Gazette sports reporter Nick Veronica on Twitter @NickVeronica