It's only fitting that a school named Woodland Hills is led by a kid named Timbers.

Wolverines running back Dom Timbers has been the, ah, trunk of the Woodland Hills offense that has stumped most opponents this season.

The Wolverines have surprised many and are on pace to win their first conference title since 2002, the last in a four-year run of championships.

Timbers is averaging nearly 125 yards per game, and last week he ran all over his former team, Central Catholic, gaining 161 yards and scoring two touchdowns in Woodland Hills' 27-3 win over the Vikings.

A Syracuse recruit, he has led the Wolverines to back-to-back victories against Class AAAA powerhouses Bethel Park and Central Catholic.

The Wolverines have come alive after a season-opening loss to Steubenville (Ohio) and have the best overall record in the Big East Conference. Woodland Hills is trying to clinch a playoff berth for the 14th consecutive season.

So far, they're in good shape. The Wolverines already have as many wins this season (four) as they did all last year,

Two other teams -- Kiski Area and Penn Hills -- are 1-0 in conference play. Woodland Hills welcomes Kiski Area to the Wolvarena tomorrow night.

Slick, sloppy conditions kept fans away from the bleachers at many a football game last Friday. But they also kept points from the scoreboard.

In the 55 games played last Friday that involved at least one WPIAL school, 15 teams were shut out. That means one team was shut out in more than a quarter (27.3 percent) of last Friday's games.

On a much drier Saturday, every school found the end zone in the seven games involving one or more WPIAL schools.

Through the first four weeks, an average of 10.0 WPIAL teams posted a bagel each week.

Last week's total was the largest this season. The previous high was 12 games, which happened in Week Four.

Speaking of low scores, the Jeannette Jawhawks were held to a season-low 20 points in a loss to Charleroi on Friday.

Jeannette entered the game as the highest-scoring team in the WPIAL, averaging 47.75 points per game. It's average margin of victory was 40 points.

But the Jayhawks scored only two offensive touchdowns in the loss to their Interstate Conference rivals. It was their lowest offensive output since losing their regular-season finale to Greensburg Central Catholic last season, 28-14. Friday's loss was Jeannette's first against a conference opponent other than the Centurions since 2006.

Now Jeannette ranks third in the WPIAL, scoring an average of 42.2 points per week. Class AAAA Gateway ranks first (43.4) and Class A Clairton is second (42.8).

Despite the hiccup, Jeannette still has a great one-two punch with a top-three offense and a defense that allows an average of 11.6 points per game.

The WPIAL's third best offense will play the WPIAL's third best defense tomorrow night in a crucial Interstate Conference game.

The Jeannette Jayhawks will play host to the McGuffey Highlanders, who allow an average of 6.4 points per game -- the third lowest total in the WPIAL. Only Class A Rochester (4.2) and Clairton (5.6) allow fewer points.

Each team is 4-1, and outside of those losses, Jeannette has not scored less than 35 points and McGuffey has not allowed more than 15 points. The Highlanders have shut out three opponents this season, including last year's conference champion, Greensburg Central Catholic.

Both teams need a win to stay within striking distance of the top of the Interstate Conference. The Jayhawks and Highlanders are one game out of first place, trailing the undefeated Mount Pleasant Vikings.

The Gateway Gators keep plowing through opponents.

Their latest victim: the Norwin Knights, whom the Gators trounced, 55-7. Four different Gateway players scored multiple touchdowns in the Foothills Conference win.

Since a 19-7 season-opening win against Penn Hills, the Gators have outscored opponents, 198-28. They lead the WPIAL in scoring, and are tied for sixth in points allowed (7.0 per game).

The Post-Gazette's top-ranked Class AAAA team is undefeated. With four weeks left in the regular season, the Gators have two remaining tests.

Gateway will play host to Erie McDowell (4-1) next week. The Trojans' lone loss of the year came against McKeesport (4-1), whom the Gators will play in their regular-season finale. The Tigers have won four in a row since dropping their season opener by one point in a non-conference game against Philadelphia's St. Joseph's Prep at the Rally in the Valley in Wheeling, W.Va., to open the season.

The Gators will travel to Hempfield Area (1-4, 0-3) tomorrow night.

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.