In order to take another step toward becoming the No. 1 Class AAA team in the state, the Montour Spartans will have to beat a team that has a player ranked among the best in the country.

Montour will play in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals Friday night at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona against Bishop McDevitt. McDevitt features defensive end Noah Spence , a senior who is ranked among the top 10 players in the country.

Spence (6 feet 4, 245 pounds) is ranked the No. 6 player by scout.com, and No. 9 by rivals.com. Montour coach Lou Cerro has watched Spence on film and can understand why he is so highly touted.

"You definitely can't miss him," Cerro said. "He doesn't play either side of the line all the time. He could be on the right or the left. He really runs to the football. We're really going to have to pass protect and make sure we stay on him."

Spence has 11 1/2 sacks this year. He has not made a college decision yet, but Ohio State has risen on Spence's list now that Urban Meyer is coach. He had said a few months ago that Penn State, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Southern California and Notre Dame were his top choices.

Spence was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year last week.

Bishop McDevitt's defense also has Brock Dean , a 6-1, 217-pound linebacker who has made a verbal commitment to Maryland.

Allentown Central Catholic is the defending PIAA Class AAA champion, but the Vikings started the season 2-5, losing to mostly Class AAAA teams. Since then, the Vikings have won seven consecutive games and their offense has been close to unstoppable.

Allentown Central Catholic has scored 50 points or more in three of the past four games, including a 56-14 victory against Shamokin in a quarterfinal game Friday. Allentown Central is led by quarterback Brendan Nosovitch , a South Carolina recruit who has thrown for 300 yards or more in three consecutive games.