Week 1 PIAA football predictions: Who starts 1-0 between Butler, Karns City-Moniteau, Mars-Seneca Valley, more?
Everyone starts 0-0, including the Butler Eagle sports staff.
The PIAA football season is a day away, and eight county-area games are on the docket. Fans get a rare treat of multiple intracounty matchups to kick things off.
The Eagle staff is back to predict this week’s games. Jake Merda Adams and Brendan Howe are the 2025 defending champions, but who will win it this year?
We’ve got our picks for all of Friday night’s games below, including analysis for a handful of the matchups. Follow along at butlereagle.com Friday for live updates, scores and highlights from every game.
Jake Merda Adams — 87-28
Brendan Howe — 87-28
Scoop — 86-29
Derek Pyda — 84-31
All games are Friday night unless otherwise indicated.
Shaler at Butler, 7
Merda Adams — I think the Tornado having to replace a lot of its line on both sides of the ball might take a little time to come together. This has been a close series in recent seasons. Shaler 27-20
Pyda — The Golden Tornado need to jell on the offensive line, but I still believe the team’s skill players will make enough plays to win the opener. Butler 21-17
Howe — I like Nicco Baggetta’s dual-threat ability behind center. I’m interested to see what their fronts look like, but I’ll trust the Golden Tornado for this one. Butler 28-26
Scoop — The Golden Tornado needed overtime to defeat the Titans last year. That won’t be necessary this time. Butler 23-10
Karns City at Moniteau, 7
Merda Adams — Cole Johnston’s the best player on the field many weeks, including this one. I expect him to have a big game. Karns City 42-14
Pyda — The Warriors have closed the gap with the Gremlins, but not enough to defeat their rivals. Karns City 30-15
Howe — Moniteau is on the upswing. Karns City continues its dominance in this rivalry series, though. Karns City 28-21
Scoop — I expect the Warriors to take another step forward this season, but winning the opener isn’t in the cards. Karns City 33-16
Summit Academy at Knoch, 7
Merda Adams — The Knights of Knoch end this tough losing streak in emphatic fashion and kick off what should be a much-improved season. Knoch 38-13
Pyda — Knoch will begin its season of redemption with a dominant offensive and defensive performance. Knoch 34-8
Howe — At last! T.J. Wiley, ever the motivator, gets his first win as Knoch’s head coach. Knoch 35-7
Scoop — Knoch’s offense, which struggled last season, gets off to a fast start. Knoch 34-6
Seneca Valley at Mars, 7
Merda Adams — I struggled with this pick. I think it might be the most competitive game of the week. But I’ll lean with the team with a more experienced QB starting, although it’s a coin flip to me. Mars 28-21
Pyda — I expect the Raiders to be bigger up front on both sides of the ball, and that will be the difference in a close showdown. Seneca Valley 22-17
Howe — Both teams have reasons to pick them here. I’m covering this one, so I’ll make sure the hosts aren’t unwelcoming. Mars 28-27
Scoop — Both teams will be relying on skill players moving into expanded roles. It’s a home game for the Planets, and that breaks the tie for me. Mars 20-17
Wilmington at Slippery Rock, 7
Merda Adams — The Rockets are in a new system and replace a lot of skill guys on both sides of the ball. This is a tough Week 1 game for them. Wilmington 35-7
Pyda — It’s a tough opening draw for a Slippery Rock team that needs to rely on a slew of new playmakers. Wilmington 33-13
Howe — I expect the Rockets to look good this season. Just not yet. Wilmington 26-13
Scoop — The Rockets need to prove that they can consistently keep the chains moving and I don’t see that happening against the Greyhounds. Wilmington 30-8
Freeport at Indiana, 7
Merda Adams — Freeport 28-21
Pyda — Freeport 21-7
Howe — Freeport 23-16
Scoop — Freeport 37-12
North Catholic at Seton LaSalle, 7
Merda Adams — North Catholic 27-14
Pyda — Seton LaSalle 28-21
Howe — North Catholic 24-17
Scoop — North Catholic 26-21
Brookville at Union/A-C Valley, 7
Merda Adams — Union/A-C Valley 21-17
Pyda — Union/A-C Valley 34-14
Howe — Union/A-C Valley 21-18
Scoop — Union/A-C Valley 31-14
