The Greater Allegheny Conference championship has come down to the final week of the regular season and Scott Heinauer’s Mars Planets are in the thick of the title race.

If Mars (7-1, 6-1) defeats Hampton at the Mars Athletic Complex on Friday, the Planets can do no worse than share the crown. And if Franklin Regional should fall at Gateway, then Mars would win it outright.

The Planets have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs 11 straight seasons, including eight consecutive berths in Class AAA.

“Our team has a reputation to live up to,” said Heinauer. “We lost a lot of talent from last season’s team and this year’s team has done a great job.”

Hampton (6-2, 5-2) can cause a three-way tie for first with a win and a Franklin Regional loss, but the Talbots have found the going rough of late.

The team began the season with five straight wins, then dropped back-to-back games to Franklin Regional (21-2) and Hollidaysburg (14-13). Hampton trailed winless Greensburg Salem at halftime last week before a 17-point fourth quarter sparked a 31-21 victory.

“The wear and tear of a high school season affects every team and they have had some injuries,” Heinauer said of the Talbots. “If you don’t have all your people, it makes it tough to win games.”

While Hampton coach Jacque DeMatteo did not refer to any of the injuries in particular, he said his team has persevered.

“I am very impressed with the resiliency of our boys,” he said. “We have had a lot of injuries and for us to hang in there the way we have, it’s a testament to the leadership of our seniors.”

Matt Rech was Hampton’s top running back earlier in the season, rushing for over 600 yards, but last week it was Tyler Steedle gaining 117 yards and a score on the ground.

Ross Andersson passed for 187 yards and wideout Owen Gally caught five passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns out of the team’s pro-style scheme.

While Hampton has clinched a WPIAL Class AAA playoff spot, the Talbots could finish anywhere from tied for first to fourth place in the conference depending on the outcome of the Armstrong/Knoch and Hollidaysburg/Indiana games.

“We are only focused on preparing for Mars,” said DeMatteo. “After the game, we’ll see where we are seeded and go from there.”

Heinauer is pleased with the play of Mars senior quarterback Sam Morrissey, who, in his first season as a starter, is averaging 112 passing yards per game with 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

“He understands the system and knows what is expected of him,” he said.