5 things to watch on Friday night in the Beaver Valley: WPIAL first round

Each week of high school football in the Beaver Valley brings a new set of storylines to follow. Here are five things to watch Friday as the WPIAL football season rolls along with several WPIAL first round playoff matchups.

1. Defending the home field advantage

It's hard to believe that the WPIAL football playoffs are upon us, but that's what the calendar reads here in early November. With that comes the all-important home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs across all six classifications in the WPIAL, of which just three teams in the Beaver Valley will experience this Friday. The No. 5 South Side Rams and No. 8 OLSH Chargers in Class 1A, and the No. 7 Beaver Area Bobcats in Class 3A will all get a chance to reach the second round of the WPIAL playoffs while on their home fields Friday night. Taking advantage of the home field opportunity and defending the friendly confines is a must.

More:Pairings for Beaver Valley teams announced for 2022 WPIAL Football Playoffs

2. Eyeing the upset special

While there are three teams that are playing on home turf Friday in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, another three are heavy underdogs — based on seeding differences — in the first round, including the No. 14 Riverside Panthers in Class 2A against the No. 3 Sto-Rox Vikings, the No. 14 Rochester Rams against the No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions in Class 1A, and the No. 13 Blackhawk Cougars against the No. 4 Armstrong River Hawks in Class 4A. Anything can happen in the WPIAL football playoffs, and the three local teams are eyeing a trip on the road to pull off the surprising upsets.

3. OLSH aiming to send a message

Finishing the regular season 8-2 and looking like one of the better teams in WPIAL Class 1A for much of it, it was a surprise to see the Chargers as the No. 8 seed in the Class 1A bracket under first-year head coach Don Militzer. That decision by the playoff seeding committee certainly ruffled some feathers in Corapolis and has the Chargers white-hot, ready to send a message to the rest of the classification, starting with the No. 9 Clairton Bears Friday night at Moon Area High School. These aren't the Clairton Bears of old, but the Chargers can't overlook them. Another week of continued health for quarterback Nehemiah Azeem and a large chip on the shoulders of the rest of the playmakers for the Chargers has OLSH rearing to go in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs under Militzer.

More:Friday night Beaver County football highlights, Week 9

4. West Allegheny finding its mojo again

When No. 10 West Allegheny entered its Week 4 matchup against Aliquippa in 4A Parkway Conference play, the program was looking to send a message to the rest of the WPIAL that the historically great program was all the way back under head coach Dave Schoppe. Instead, a hard-fought 19-16 loss seemingly sent West Allegheny spiraling. Granted, the program won its next three games after that loss, but closed the season with a disheartening 55-7 loss to Central Valley and a 21-20 stunner to Montour, causing West Allegheny to enter the playoffs on a two-game losing streak. The talent is there in abundance for Schoppe on both sides of the football. It won't get much easier in the first round of the 4A playoffs against No. 7 Laurel Highlands, coming off of its Big 7 conference championship in school history and led by West Virginia commit Rodney Gallagher. West Allegheny needs to find its mojo again, and fast, to get back to being the championship contender it was earlier in the season.

5. Right mix setting up Beaver for a possible run?

Over the last month of the regular season, the No. 7 Beaver Area Bobcats have found the key to success offensively under head coach Cort Rowse, or so it seems. With a heavy dose of Liam Gibson, Qualan Cain and Frankie Chirico in the backfield, and timely playmaking from quarterback Isaac Pupi and receivers Gerrell Leeper, Josiah Santiago and Dylan Porto, the Bobcats are firing on all cylinders entering the WPIAL Class 3A first round matchup at Pat Tarquinio Field inside Gypsy Glen Stadium Friday night against the No. 10 Deer Lakes Lancers. Once a team finds its identity and can use it at will, it becomes hard to stop, especially this time of year. That's what the Bobcats believe they've found. Now, it's time to show it on the field and make a deep run in the Class 3A playoffs like many believed they could coming into the 2022 season.

More:Times' Game of the Week Preview: No. 7 Beaver Area vs. No. 10 Deer Lakes

Contact Joshua Carney at jcarney@gannett.com or 724-681-9136. Follow Joshua on Twitter: @ByJoshCarney

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 5 things to watch Friday night in the Beaver Valley: WPIAL first round