The Fox Chapel Area High School football team hasn't had much success since stepping up to Class AAAA in 1992.

The Foxes have had a .500 or better record only four times and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs only three times in the past 16 years. They have a 53-110 record during this stretch.

Foxes coach Bryan Deal is hoping the program has turned the corner. Fox Chapel enters week six with a 3-2 record and a 1-0 mark in the Big East Conference.

"Experience is the key to our success," Deal said. "We have three four-year starters and several others who are three-year starters. We also have some younger kids who are making an impact, so we have a good mix of experience and youth."

Fox Chapel's trio of four-year starters are tight end/linebacker Richie Silverman, offensive guard/defensive end Matt Kann and strong safety Justin Mahon.

"Richie was our best overall player," Deal said. "Unfortunately, we lost him in the first quarter of our first game with a season-ending [knee] injury. It's a shame because he was a leader on both sides of the ball.

"Matt and Justin are multi-sport athletes. Matt won a WPIAL title in the discus, while Justin is a very accomplished wrestler. Both have played a big part in our success."

Fox Chapel's fine start is even more impressive when one considers the Foxes' injury situation.

"We've been devastated by injuries," Deal said. "I know injuries are part of the game, but we've had more than our share. We had eight starters out for our [week four non-conference] game against Mars. Fortunately, some of those kids were back on Friday."

Fox Chapel opened its Big East Conference schedule last Friday with a 29-24 win against Kiski Area. The Foxes go on the road for back-to-back conference games against Plum and Woodland Hills for their next two games.

"We have a great opportunity in the next two weeks," said Deal, who refers to road games as "business trips."

"Three of our last four games are on the road. How we play on these business trips will determine whether we qualify for the WPIAL playoffs."

Fox Chapel's top two offensive threats have been junior quarterback Julian Salerno and sophomore running back Montay Green. Salerno has completed 48 of 78 passes (61.5 percent) for 476 yards. Green has rushed for 489 yards on 91 carries.

"At 215 pounds, Montay is a difference-maker," Deal said. "He adds a dimension we didn't have in my first three years with the team. Montay played 21/2 games as a freshman before suffering a broken leg. This year, he's been healthy."

Hampton coach Jacque DeMatteo finally got his first victory and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Talbots ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-6 upset of Indiana in their Greater Allegheny Conference opener. Indiana came into the game with a 4-0 record.

"I'm happy for the boys," said DeMatteo, who also admitted that he was relieved to finally record his first victory with the Talbots. "They have been working very hard and deserved this win."

Hampton opened the season with possibly the toughest non-conference schedule of any team in the WPIAL, as three of their four losses were to ranked teams. The Talbots faced Blackhawk, ranked No. 2 in Class AAA, in their opener, then lost a narrow 10-9 decision to West Allegheny, which was ranked No. 5 in Class AAA until this week.

Hampton's next two games were against a pair of Class AAAA teams, Shaler and Pine-Richland. Shaler is unbeaten and made its debut in the Class AAAA rankings this week at No. 5.

"At one point, the teams we had faced had a combined record of 12-0," DeMatteo said. "It was a tough non-conference schedule, but it's helped us prepare for our conference schedule. So it didn't surprise me when we beat Indiana."

Hampton plays host to Knoch tomorrow. The Knights (1-4, 0-1) were co-champions in the Greater Allegheny Conference last year, but have struggled thus far this season.

"This is a big game for both teams," DeMatteo said. "A win would give us a 2-0 record in the conference. A loss would leave Knoch at 0-2 and make it very tough for them to qualify for the playoffs."

The Northern Six Conference can boast it is the strongest of the four Class AAAA conferences. The Northern Six is the only conference with a winning record against non-conference opponents.

The Northern Six has a combined non-conference record of 16-8, including the 4-0 record turned in by Shaler and the 3-1 marks recorded by North Hills, Butler Area and Seneca Valley. North Allegheny has a 2-2 mark in non-conference encounters, while Pine-Richland is 1-3.

The Foothills Conference, which has eight teams, has a 7-9 record in non-conference games. The Great Southern Conference posted a 10-14 record, while the Big East ranks fourth with a disappointing 7-17 mark.