Notes, anecdotes and thoughts after Week 6 of the high school football season. New WPIAL and state rankings are at the end.
The pregame was costly to New Castle Friday night.
Before the Central Valley at New Castle game two days ago, there was an altercation on the field between the two teams and it certainly took some wind out of the Red Hurricanes. Or at least it took the head coach and seven players off the Hurricanes.
Coach Joe Cowart and seven players were ejected. Five starters were among the seven. New Castle had to be considered an underdog for the game anyway, but New Castle lost 35-0.
Losing Friday was one thing. Now this Friday is another thing. New Castle is fighting for a WPIAL playoff berth and, per PIAA rules, Cowart and the seven players will not be able to play in Friday's game against Ambridge. Under the rules, a player or coach who is ejected is ineligible for the next game.
Injury stuff
Standout Woodland Hills running back Miles Sanders sat out the second consecutive game Friday with a heel injury. 
I'm hearing Sanders (Penn State recruit) should be OK for this Friday's showdown against West Allegheny. But the game brings about an interesting question. If you are Woodland Hills coach George Novak, do you play Sanders (pictured) against West Allegheny?
True, it's a game that will create tons of interest. West Allegheny is No. 1 in Class AAA and Woodland Hills No. 1 in AAAA. But it's still a non-conference game, and in the larger scheme of things, the contest doesn't mean much, if anything.
So, if you are Novak, do you play Sanders? After all, Woodland Hills has a showdown the following week with Mt. Lebanon that will decide the Southeastern Conference title.
Incidentally, speaking of Woodland Hills' running game, Jo-El Shaw has made a verbal commitment to Western Michigan. That means Woody High has an all Division I backfield - when Sanders plays, of course.
**** Ya think Duane Brown makes a difference with Apollo-Ridge? Brown (pictured) played the first
two games for Apollo-Ridge, rushed for 313 yards and the Vikings scored 65 points. They were 1-1 in those games. But Brown did not play the next three games because of a concussion and Apollo-Ridge went 1-2, with only 26 points scored.
Brown returned to the Vikings Friday night, ran for 239 yards on 20 carries and Apollo-Ridge defeated Shady Side Academy, 31-13.
The rise of Frazier
Frazier is 6-0 for the first time since 1983 when the Commodores were undefeated until losing to Western Beaver in the WPIAL Class A championship. One of the standouts on that Frazier team was none other 
than Joe Lafko, now the successful boys basketball coach at Hampton. Lafko (pictured during his days at Frazier) had that incredible career as a defensive back, intercepting 37 passes, which is still a state record.
Oh yeah. Lafko was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame this summer.
Random thoughts and notes
**** OK, time for personal ramble. Two out of the past three weeks I've had to cover games at places where they must think we reporters are owls (Seton-LaSalle and Belle Vernon). They won't turn the lights on in the press box. Great. Real fun to cover a game in a dark press box. They say it creates too much glare on the press box windows.
**** I'm wondering what has happened to the Jackson twins at Allderdice. Haven't heard much from them this season.
**** A basketball note: Will the WPIAL have a player in the NBA this season? Chartiers Valley grad T.J. McConnell 
is in the 76ers camp and hit the winning shot Saturday night in a preseason game. He has showed promise at times, but will he make it? Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer had a short story on his blog on McConnell (pictured, courtesy of the Inquirer) and Sixers coach Brett Brown had some good things to say about McConnell and said he is in a "fistfight" to make the team.
**** Kelsey Tischler is in her first season as Bethel Park's kicker and she now has three field goals, while Apollo-Ridge's Megan Bonelli has two field goals.
**** Due to the Tri-County South's miserable performance in the playoffs the past few years, the top teams in the conference don't get much respect. And rightfully so. But you have to notice what Frazier is doing. If the Commodores finish the regular season undefeated, I say they might get a No. 5 seed. They have only allowed one touchdown. Yes, it's in the Tri-County South, but still maybe worthy of a No. 5 seed.
**** Is it just me, or is it hard to believe that only three weeks are left in the regular season?
**** I've read stories in the Post-Gazette and Beaver County Times the past few days about Aliquippa boys basketball coach Nick Lackovich (pictured to the right) being investigated for possibly being involved with dog fighting. He has NOT been charged. But Lackovich has been suspended without pay from his job as a probation officer. Will anything happen to him right now as coach at Aliquippa?
Lackovich was the Post-Gazetter coach of the year last season.
WPIAL, state ratings
Here are the latest Post-Gazette WPIAL and state ratings. One of the surprise games this weekend was Bishop Canevin beating Avonworth Saturday night. A big surprise in the East was Bishop McDevitt losing to Susquehanna Township, 35-26. McDevitt was ranked No. 3 in the state in Class AAA.
WPIAL
CLASS AAAA
1. Woodland Hills 6-0
2. Penn-Trafford 6-0
3. Pine-Richland 6-0
4. North Allegheny 5-1
5. Central Catholic 5-1
CLASS AAA
1. West Allegheny 6-0
2. Belle Vernon 6-0
3. Central Valley 5-1
4. Franklin Regional 5-1
5. Ringgold 5-1
CLASS AA
1. Aliquippa 6-0
2. South Fayette 6-0
3. Beaver Falls 6-0
4. Washington 6-0
5. Steel Valley 5-1
CLASS A
1. Clairton 6-0
2. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6-0
3. Jeannette 5-1
4. Avonworth 5-1
5. Shenango 5-1
CITY LEAGUE
1. Allderdice 3-3
2. Brashear 5-1
3. University Prep 4-2
PIAA
CLASS AAAA
1. Woodland Hills 6-0
2. Central Dauphin 6-0
3. Downingtown East 6-0
4. Upper Dublin 6-0
5. Wilson 5-1
CLASS AAA
1. Imhotep Charter 6-0
2. Archbishop Wood 6-0
3. West Allegheny 6-0
4. Conneaut 6-0
5. Bethlehem Catholic 6-0
CLASS AA
1. Aliquippa 6-0
2. South Fayette 6-0
3. Wyomissing 6-0
4. Berks Catholic 6-0
5. Southern Columbia 6-0
CLASS A
1. Clairton 6-0
2. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6-0
3. Sharpsville 6-0
4. Camp Hill 6-0
5. Guilfoyle 6-0