High school football Friday night: week 1

The excitement of WPIAL and City League football continues this week, with Post-Gazette photographers attending Upper St. Clair vs. Peters Township, Mars vs. Moon and Gateway vs. Penn Trafford. You can find all the results here, but this isn’t for the action — these photos are to document the spectacle and tradition that is high school football in Western Pennsylvania, regardless of who wins and loses. Check back next week for more visual work from the PG staff.

 

Peters Township football players stretch before playing Upper St. Clair on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Peters Township High School. (Steph Chambers/Post-Gazette)
Brenden Luffey, offensive lineman for Moon, left, has his fingers taped up by teammate Jacob Baumgartner, right, before the start of the Mars at Moon high school football game on Friday, August 30, 2019. (Michael M. Santiago/Post-Gazette)
Dominika Bronner, of Moon, left, throws a football to her son Isaah, 2, right, before the start of the Mars at Moon high school football game, Friday, August 30, 2019, at Moon Area High School in Coraopolis. (Michael M. Santiago/Post-Gazette)
Quinn Fuller, defensive back for Moon, dances in the locker room before the start of the Mars at Moon high school football game, Friday, August 30, 2019, at Moon Area High School in Coraopolis. (Michael M. Santiago/Post-Gazette)
Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Arthur Moats, center, joins students from the Moon fan section during the Mars at Moon high school football game, Friday, August 30, 2019, at Moon Area High School in Coraopolis. (Michael M. Santiago/Post-Gazette)
Youth cheerleaders take the field for a pre-game ceremony before a game between Gateway and Penn-Trafford at Penn-Trafford High School, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Harrison City. (Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)
Upper St. Clair’s Tim Pollock and Upper St. Clair’s Jaden Keating mentally prepare in the locker room before playing Peters Township on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Peters Township High School. (Steph Chambers/Post-Gazette)
Players react after Penn-Trafford’s Caleb Lisbon (10), top right, intercepted a pass intended for Gateway’s Jayden Hurt (5), bottom right, during a game between Gateway and Penn-Trafford at Penn-Trafford High School. (Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)
Jamal Littlejohn, running back from Moon, center, dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the Mars at Moon high school football game. (Michael M. Santiago/Post-Gazette)
Penn-Trafford’s Chase Burk (23) rings the “Victory Bell”, a longstanding tradition where the winner between the two rivals gets the bell, after their game against Gateway at Penn-Trafford High School, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Harrison City. Penn-Trafford won 28-7. (Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)