Countdown to kickoff: Only a handful of teams still play Saturday games

There was a time when Saturday afternoon marked a busy end to a high school football weekend.

Those days are a distant memory.

The number of WPIAL schools that play their home games on Saturday afternoons because they have no lights at their facility has shrunk to only three.

Western Beaver, Riverview and Summit Academy are the only teams that play their home games in the daylight on Saturday afternoons.

Riverview does bring in the portable lights once a year for the school’s annual homecoming game, played on a Friday night, this year on Oct. 4.

Speaking of homecomings, three district schools still play their homes games on Friday nights but continue the tradition of playing their annual homecoming games on a Saturday afternoon: Shaler, Shady Side Academy and Burgettstown.

Three WPIAL private schools share their stadiums with the host district and will play some of their homes games on Saturdays when there are conflicts.

Bishop Canevin and Seton LaSalle share Dormont Stadium with Keystone Oaks while Our Lady of the Sacred Heart plays its home games at Moon Stadium.

Neil Brown Stadium in Clairton is undergoing renovations this fall, forcing the Bears to play all four of their home games at neighboring Thomas Jefferson. Three of those four games will be on Saturday at noon.

Here is the complete Saturday WPIAL football schedule for 2024.

Week Zero (Aug. 24)

St. Frances Academy (Md.) vs. Central Catholic at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, 3:30 p.m.

Beaver vs. Westinghouse at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, 8 p.m.

Imani Christian vs. Philadelphia West Catholic at York Suburban, 10:30 a.m.

Clairton vs. Steel Valley at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, noon

Frazier at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Cornell vs. Brashear at Cupples Stadium, 1 p.m.

Week 1 (Aug. 31)

New Brighton at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Week 2 (Sept. 7)

Cornell at Riverview, noon

Rochester at Western Beaver, 12:30 p.m.

Week 3 (Sept. 14)

Beaver Falls at Western Beaver, 12:30 p.m.

Greensburg Central Catholic vs. Clairton at Thomas Jefferson, noon

Brownsville at Bellaire (Ohio), noon

Week 4 (Sept. 21)

Woodland Hills at Shaler, 1 p.m.

Apollo-Ridge at Shady Side Academy, 2 p.m.

Serra Catholic at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Carlynton vs. Seton LaSalle at Dormont Stadium, 4 p.m.

Springdale at Riverview, noon

Week 5 (Sept. 28)

Jeannette vs. Clairton at Thomas Jefferson, noon

Greensburg Central Catholic at Riverview, noon

Week 6 (Oct. 5)

South Park vs. OLSH at Moon, 1 p.m.

Ellwood City at Western Beaver, 12:30 p.m.

Laurel at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Neshannock at Burgettstown, 2 p.m.

Allderdice vs. University Prep at Cupples Stadium, noon

Week 7 (Oct. 12)

Mohawk at Western Beaver, 12:30 p.m.

Frazier at Riverview, noon

Northgate at Summit Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Week 8 (Oct. 19)

Monessen vs. Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium, 7 p.m.

Riverview vs. Clairton at Thomas Jefferson, noon

Week 9 (Oct. 26)

Jeannette at Riverview, noon

Carrick at Steubenville Catholic Central (Ohio), 7 p.m.