And now the WPIAL football semifinal matchup between ... relatives?

OK, so maybe Aliquippa and Beaver Falls aren't related. It just seems that way because they get together so often. The two have met in so many big basketball and football games in recent years that Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said it's like facing family.

"It's like playing your cousins," Zmijanac said. "Everyone knows each other. There are lots of friends on the coaching staffs. A lot of the players actually are related somehow to one another, or the coaches. Or at least the kids have known each other for a long time.

"Familiarity can breed a rivalry, especially when both schools have had the kind of success that we've both had."

The next chapter of Aliquippa vs. Beaver Falls will be written Friday night when the two meet in a WPIAL Class AA semifinal at Ambridge. Both teams are 10-1.

Aliquippa and Beaver Falls are in the same conference and Aliquippa defeated Beaver Falls a year ago in the WPIAL title game.

"A lot of the town people think of this rivalry and they think of extracurricular pushing and shoving. But every contest against them has been a clean game," Beaver Falls coach Ryan Matsook said. "When you get two teams with goals and plans, they're not going to let selfish things get in the way.

"We're battling for the gold. They had it last year and it's their championship until someone takes it off them. We're going to have our hands full Friday night."

Beaver Falls defeated Aliquippa, 21-14, in the third week of the season. Beaver Falls' Cody Cook carried the ball 42 times for 237 yards in that game and he will be a key in the rematch.

Rasheem Jones did not play for Aliquippa in the first meeting. He sat out the first few games of this season for undisclosed reasons.

Jones, Aliquippa's starting quarterback the past two seasons, returned in the middle of this season but played mostly defense until last week, when he relieved Mikal Hall and played most of the second half against South Fayette.

"We're going to play both of them. We're just going to play it by ear," Zmijanac said. "Last week, we were down by two touchdowns and we thought it was time for our veteran quarterback to come in there and see if he could spark us."

Greensburg Central Catholic started the season as the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked Class AA team in the state. But after starting 2-2, the Centurions fell from the ranks of the elite.

The Centurions have rebounded nicely, though, winning seven games in a row. Greensburg Central (9-2) meets Keystone Oaks (10-1) in the other semifinal Friday at Elizabeth Forward. During its winning streak, Greensburg Central has won every game by at least 27 points.

Greensburg Central's run defense will be tested. Keystone Oaks is the only WPIAL team with two 1,000-yard rushers -- Jordan Maddox and Matt McCann.

This is the first semifinal appearance in school history for Keystone Oaks.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.