Games have been one block party after another this season for McGuffey.

McGuffey is in a battle for one of the four WPIAL playoff spots in the Class AA Interstate Conference and has made opponents nervous every time they set up to punt or kick an extra point or field goal.

That's because McGuffey had blocked at least one punt or kick in every game before last Friday night's home contest against Charleroi.

"We blocked a punt against Jeannette and almost got another one," McGuffey coach Derek Bochna. "There have been a couple games where we've gotten a couple of blocks."

The blocks have not come by accident. The Highlanders work on getting to kicks and punts.

"We put a different punt block in every week," Bochna said. "It's something that, if you do it right, can turn a game around.

"We started working on blocks from the very beginning at football camp. I think the kids have bought into it. It's become a source of pride for them."

It doesn't hurt that in senior quarterback/cornerback Matt Czulewicz the Highlanders have a player with a knack for getting a hand on a football that has just come off a kicker's toe. He blocked the punt against Jeannette.

"He came off the edge one time and just missed," Bochna said. "So the next time, he moved over to the other side and that time he got it. We didn't tell him to move over, he did it on his own because he saw something.

"He's good at getting in there and making the block because he's tall [6 feet 2] and has a feel for where he needs to go to get the block. Plus, he's just difficult for the other team to block."

Bochna, a former Penn State safety, said the McGuffey coaches didn't attend a kick-blocking camp in the offseason. He has always believed special teams are a big part of the game.

"I got that from Joe [Paterno] at Penn State," he said. "He always preached about the three phases of the game -- offense, defense and special teams. That's when it comes from."

Coaches don't go in for moral victories, but McGuffey showed it is a solid team last weekend when it came the closest to ending Jeannette's winning streak. The Jayhawks won the contest, 27-13, but McGuffey held a 13-7 lead at the half.

If the Highlanders, 3-3 overall and in the conference, defeated Charleroi this past Friday, they would be in good shape to earn their first playoff spot since winning the WPIAL Class AAA title in 1994.

McGuffey plays at Waynesburg Central (1-5) Friday and closes out the regular season against Washington (1-5). Victories in those three games would assure the Highlanders of a playoff berth. McGuffey has managed just one winning record the past eight seasons, going 5-4 in 2006.

Befitting his name, Ringgold quarterback Shane Mountain has come up big for the Rams this season.

Going into this past weekend's action, Mountain, who is 5-10 and 155 pounds, had completed 50 of 91 passes for 924 yards and six scores. He is one of the main reasons Ringgold had a 4-2 overall mark going into the Class AAA Big Seven contest at Belle Vernon Area.

In a 26-20 victory against Elizabeth Forward, Mountain went four for four on pass attempts in the winning touchdown drive, throwing a 12-yard pass to Jake Spaziani for the winning score with 38 seconds left.

"What makes him good is his accuracy," coach Jeff Petrucci said. "Plus, he makes good decisions out there. He's a pretty good athlete."

Daylight hours are dwindling and so are many team's chances of qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs. That makes just about every game a must-win situation for those in the running for postseason spots.

With that in mind, here are four contests to check out Friday night.

In the Class AAAA Great Southern Conference, Canon-McMillan is at Bethel Park. If the Big Macs took care of struggling Mt. Lebanon this past Friday and Bethel Park downed Peters Township, the winner will be assured at least a share of the conference title.

In the Class AAA Big Seven Conference, Ringgold is at West Mifflin. If the Rams defeated Belle Vernon this past Friday, a victory at West Mifflin would all but secure a playoff berth.

In the Class A Black Hills Conference, Fort Cherry travels to Burgettstown and could secure a playoff spot with a victory if the Rangers, as expected, knocked off Frazier this past Friday.

And in the Class A Tri-County South, Carmichaels is at Monessen in a contest that will go a long way in deciding which of those teams makes the playoffs.