The first round of the playoffs is in the books. The two biggest stories were Belle Vernon winning their first playoff game since 2000 with a convincing win over Chartiers Valley and Frazier ending the Tri-County South Conference’s streak of futility, winning the first game by a TCS team since 2010. This week’s slate of games is absolutely loaded and all 16 games feature excellent matchups. There are rematches of regular season games between conference foes. There are rematches from playoff games over the last few seasons. All games this week start at 7:30 and will be broadcast live over the internet on the MSA Sports Network.

If you’re going to be following along at home on Friday night, keep an eye on the following hashtags on Twitter where people post score updates from games: #WPIAL #MSAscores #Skylights

Also, if you’re not already, follow the @MSAsports twitter account which will post score updates and bookmark the MSA Scoreboard for quick reference at the end of the night. They get the final scores up faster than anyone. Also, MSA Sports broadcasts most games over the internet; here is their list of the games they will be broadcasting tonight.

AAAA

1. Woodland Hills (10-0) vs 8. Bethel Park (7-3)
at West Mifflin

How They Got Here: Woodland Hills was the Southeastern Conference Champions. They defeated Hempfield 41-7 in the first round. Bethel Park finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference and defeated Kiski 34-26 in the first round.
Recent History: Woodland Hills is 4-0 against Bethel Park in the playoffs since 1980. They last met in 2009. Woodland Hills beat Bethel Park 28-23 in Week 2 this season.
Players to Watch: Woodland Hills is led by two 1000-yard rushers in Penn St commit Miles Sanders (1238 yards, 13 TDs) and Western Michigan commit Jo-El Shaw (1140 yards, 19 TDs). The Wolverine rushing attack has been so dominant that QB Daron Cooper has averaged just 6 pass attempts per game but has thrown for 500 yards and 10 TDs. Bethel Park is more balanced on offense with QB Levi Metheny throwing for 1577 yards and 18 TDs, primarily to Charlie Davis (872 yards, 12 TDs) and Jacob Dixon. Black Hawks RB Terron Murphy has run for 1226 yards and 9 TDs while Metheny has rushed for 9 TDs.

4. North Allegheny (9-1) vs 5. Central Catholic (9-1)
at North Hills

How They Got Here: North Allegheny and Central Catholic tied with Pine-Richland for first place in the Northern Eight Conference. North Allegheny beat Norwin 56-17 in the first round and Central Catholic beat Upper St Clair 49-0.
Recent History: North Allegheny and Central Catholic have split their four playoff meetings since 1980. North Allegheny defeated Central Catholic 24-17 in Week 3 on a Riley Trueman touchdown run late in the 4th quarter.
Players to Watch: North Allegheny’s offensive attack has featured a number of different players in different roles. Ethan Maenza and Riley Truman have split time at quarterback while Maenza and Michael Pope are their leading rushers. Central Catholic is loaded with D1-caliber players, especially on the defensive side of the ball with DB Damar Hamlin and DL Rashad Wheeler. On offense, Troy Fisher has thrown for over 1000 yards and 14 TDs while Ronnie Jones (1087 yards, 15 TDs) and Vinny Emanuele (705 yards, 11 TDs) have formed a formidable backfield tandem.

2. Penn-Trafford (10-0) vs 7. McKeesport (9-1)
at Gateway

How They Got Here: Penn-Trafford won the Foothills Conference and defeated North Hills 56-7 in the first round. McKeesport finished 2nd in the Foothills and defeated Seneca Valley 48-0 in the first round.
Recent History: Penn-Trafford is 2-1 against McKeesport in the playoffs since 1998. Penn-Trafford beat McKeesport in the quarterfinals in 2013 and beat them 21-7 in week 3 this season. Penn-Trafford has won the last 3 meetings with McKeesport.
Players to Watch: Penn-Trafford is loaded with offensive talent, starting with senior QB Brett Laffoon who has thrown for 1801 yards and 25 TDs, primarily to Timmy Vecchio (830 yards, 17 TDs). Jonah Lisbon has rushed for 1075 yards and 16 TDs to lead the Warriors high-scoring offense. By contrast to Penn-Trafford’s balanced offense, McKeesport runs a triple-option attack. Khaleke Hudson has led the way, rushing for for 1118 yards and 24 TDs, with Mark Cromerdie (684 yards, 12 TDs), Tymar Sutton (497 yards, 8 TDs), and Jahsai Allen (433 yards, 5 TDs) all contributing. McKeesport has only attempted 30 passes this season, an average of 3 per game. The danger for the run-heavy Tigers is that if they fall behind in the game, they will not be able to lean on their rushing attack as they have done in their victories.

3. Pine-Richland (9-1) vs 6. Mt Lebanon (9-1)
at North Allegheny

How They Got Here: Pine-Richland finished in a 3-way tie for first in the Northern Eight Conference and defeated Penn Hills 42-7 in the first round. Mt Lebanon finished second in the Southeastern Conference and defeated Plum 42-28 in the first round in a game that was closer than the score indicated.
Recent History: Pine-Richland and Mt Lebanon have never met in the playoffs.
Players to Watch: Pine-Richland’s offense has been driven by sophomore sensation Phil Jurkovec, who became just the third player in WPIAL history to throw for 2000 yards and rush for 1000. Running back Jimmy Graf has contributed 829 yards and leads the Rams in scoring with 17 TDs. Mt Lebanon has a quality dual-threat QB of their own in Eddie Jenkins who has thrown for 1726 yards and 18 TDs and rushed for 333 yards and 9 TDs. Jack Young is one of the top receivers in the WPIAL with 911 yards and 8 TDs while leading rusher David Harvey has run for 688 yards and 13 TDs.

AAA

1. Central Valley (9-1) vs 9. Hampton (7-3)
at Seneca Valley

How They Got Here: Central Valley won the Parkway Conference after defeating West Allegheny in Week 9. The Warriors defeated Laurel Highlands 59-14 in the first round. Hampton finished in a 3-way tie for 3rd in the Greater Allegheny Conference and won a back-and-forth game with Montour 19-14 in the first round.
Recent History: Central Valley and Hampton have never met in the playoffs since Central Valley incorporated as a school in 2010. Central Valley has reached at least the semi-finals in all five years since the merger of Center and Monaca.
Players to Watch: Central Valley features a balanced offensive attack with QB Chris Callaghan throwing for 1858 yards and 10 TDs, primarily to Kurt Reinstadtler, whose 815 receiving yards are in the top 10 in the WPIAL. Kyle Vreen has run for 1057 yards and 12 TDs. Hampton has battled through a plethora of injuries this season, particularly at the running back position. Ross Andersson has emerged at quarterback and thrown for 978 yards and 9 TDs. Leading rusher Matt Rech has not played since Week 7 and Alex Bianco and Tyler Steedle have stepped in to fill the void.

4. Mars (9-1) vs 5. Ringgold (9-1)
at Chartiers Valley

How They Got Here: Mars won the Greater Allegheny Conference and defeated New Castle 17-14 on a last second field goal in the first round. Ringgold finished 2nd in the Big Ten Conference and defeated Ambridge 35-0 in the first round.
Recent History: Mars and Ringgold have never met in the playoffs.
Players to Watch: Both of these teams are loaded with offensive talent but are also stout on defense. Mars has a 1600-yard rusher in Isaiah Johnson who has found the end zone 17 times while QB Sam Morrissey has thrown for over 1000 yards and 12 TDs. Ringgold has a 1000-yard back in Chacar Berry and a 1100-yard passer in George Martin. RB Brenden Small has also rushed for 806 yards and 12 TDs.

2. Belle Vernon (10-0) vs 7. Franklin Regional (8-2)
at Norwin

How They Got Here: Belle Vernon won the Big Ten Conference and is the only undefeated team remaining in AAA. The Leopards defeated Chartiers Valley 36-7 in the first round. Franklin Regional was in the driver’s seat in the Greater Allegheny Conference for most of the season before losing to Gateway in Week 9. The Panthers beat West Mifflin 49-7 in the first round.
Recent History: This is the 3rd playoff meeting in 5 seasons between the two. Franklin Regional won both, including a 20-0 victory in the first round last year. Belle Vernon did beat Franklin Regional in the playoffs in 1995, before any of the current players were born.
Players to Watch: Belle Vernon has been led by their defense, averaging a AAA-best 6.4 points against per game. On offense, the Leopards are led by dual-threat QB Mike Fine who has over 1100 yards of total offense and 14 total TDs and 1000-yard rusher Luke Durigon who has found the end zone 15 times. Franklin Regional also features a dual-threat QB in Santino Birty who has rushed for over 1000 and thrown for nearly 750, accounting for 25 total TDs. Jacob Ross is the second-leading rusher with nearly 700 yards and 10 TDs.

3. West Allegheny (8-2) vs 6.  Thomas Jefferson (8-2)
at Upper St Clair

How They Got Here: These have been the two premier schools in AAA over the last 18 years, combining for 11 of the last 18 AAA Champions. Thomas Jefferson lost their first two games (in a 4th quarter comeback and in overtime) but has been dominant since then. Thomas Jefferson defeated Armstrong 42-7 in the first round. West Allegheny dominated everyone to start the season but dropped two at the end of the year to Woodland Hills (the top seed in Quad-A) and Central Valley (the top seed in AAA). West Allegheny defeated Hollidaysburg 28-8 in the first round.
Recent History: West Allegheny is 4-2 against Thomas Jefferson since 1997. This is their third meeting in the last 4 years with West Allegheny winning both, including a semi-final victory last year.
Players to Watch: West Allegheny leaned on their ground game this season with Terence Stephens rushing for 1351 yards and 20 TDs and Whitney White running for 667 yards and 13 scores. Nick Ross has averaged less than 7 pass attempts per game but has thrown for 607 yards and 5 TDs, primarily to Brandon Lipford who has 312 receiving yards. Thomas Jefferson has also been a ground-based team with Quentin Hill (1067 yards, 19 TDs) and Braden Paganish (869 yards, 9 TDs). The Jaguars are currently on their 3rd quarterback of the season. Zane Zandler started the season under center but then was moved to receiver. Julian Metro saw some time in the middle of the season but was injured and Bobby Kelly took over in Week 7 and has thrown for 326 yards and 4 TDs.

AA

1. South Fayette (10-0) vs 9. Beaver (8-2)
at West Allegheny

How They Got Here: South Fayette is the two-time defending State Champions and carry a 42-game winning streak into the quarterfinals. The Lions won the Century Conference and defeated Burgettstown in the first round 63-6. Beaver finished 3rd in the Midwestern Conference. The Bobcats trailed Mt Pleasant in the first half but rebounded to blow them out in the second half to the tune of a 45-24 final score.
Recent History: South Fayette defeated Beaver in the first round in 2009, the only playoff meeting between the schools.
Players to Watch: South Fayette has a balanced offensive attack with 1200-yard passer Drew Saxton and 1000-yard rusher Hunter Hayes. Dan Trimbur and Nick Ponikvar both have over 400 receiving yards. While South Fayette has players all over the field that can beat you, Beaver’s offense is driven by QB Darius Wise, only the 4th player ever in WPIAL history with 1000 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards in the same season. Wise has thrown for 1145 yard and 11 TDs and rushed for 1522 yards and 28 TDs.

4. Beaver Falls (9-1) vs 5. Steel Valley (9-1)
at Montour

How They Got Here: Beaver Falls finished 2nd in the Midwestern Conference after losing to Aliquippa in Week 9. Beaver Falls had a come-from-behind victory against Apollo-Ridge in the first round, winning 33-29 on a touchdown in the closing seconds. Both the Tribune-Review and the “WPIAL Insider” incorrectly reported that the game had ended and Apollo-Ridge had won. Whoops. Steel Valley lost to South Fayette in Week 6 but ran over the rest of their opponents, including a 49-7 first round victory over New Brighton.
Recent History: This will be the 4th playoff meeting in the last 9 years between these teams. Beaver Falls knocked Steel Valley out in the 2007 quarterfinals and in the first round in 2009 and 2010.
Players to Watch: Beaver Falls runs a 2 QB system with Adam Brady and Malik Shepherd both throwing for over 500 yards. Shepherd is also the Tigers’ leading rusher with 1055 yards and 17 TDs. Neshaud Akins and Torian Leak both ran for over 600 yards while leading receiver Derrell Carter had 495 receiving yards and 458 rushing yards and 17 total TDs. I would be remiss not to mention Beaver Falls DE Donovan Jeter, one of the top junior defensive prospects in the state. On the other side, Steel Valley has one of their most talented teams in years with 1300-yard rusher Dwayne Murray who has found the end zone an incredible 33 times this season. Dual-threat QB Tre Earl Edwards has thrown for over 900 yards and rushed for over 500, accounting for 20 total TDs.

2. Aliquippa (10-0) vs 10. Seton-La Salle (8-2)
at Ambridge

How They Got Here: The Quips completed their 6th consecutive undefeated regular season and defeated Keystone Oaks 42-26 in the first round. Seton-La Salle finished 3rd in the Century Conference after a 6-point loss to Steel Valley and a 3-point loss to South Fayette. The Rebels barely defeated rival Keystone Oaks in Week 9. Seton defeated Highlands 27-14 in the first round.
Recent History: Aliquippa is 72-3 against WPIAL opponents since 2010 with their only losses coming to South Fayette at Heinz Field in 2010, 2013 and 2014. The Quips are 3-2 against Seton-La Salle in the playoffs since 1980 but Seton won the last two meetings in 2002 and 2004.
Players to Watch: Aliquippa features a dynamic balanced offensive attack with 1300-yard rusher and Pitt recruit Kaezon Pugh (21 TDs) and 1100-yard passer Sheldon Jeter (24 total TDs between passing and rushing). Leading receiver Jassir Jordan has 659 yards and 8 TDs. Seton-La Salle has a Pitt commit of their own in Paris Ford, who leads the Rebels with 818 receiving yards and 23 total TDs while also being the star of their defensive backfield. Nolan Abbiatici has thrown for 1367 yards and 22 TDs while Lionel Deans has rushed for 1266 yards and 12 scores.

3. Washington (10-0) vs 6. Freeport (9-1)
at Hempfield

How They Got Here: Washington won the Interstate Conference with the statistically best offense and defense in AA. The Prexies beat Deer Lakes 52-7 in the first round. Freeport won the Allegheny Conference with an unbeaten conference record but lost a mid-season non-conference game to Steel Valley. The Yellow Jackets beat McGuffey 45-6 in the last game ever in the Borough of Freeport in the first round.
Recent History: Freeport has not lost to Washington in the playoffs since 1980. The Yellow Jackets are 3-0 with first round wins in 1985, 1989, and 2002.
Players to Watch: Washington’s run-heavy offense features two 1000-yard rushers that no one has been able to slow down this season. Kurt Adkins is the leading rusher with 1237 yards and 21 TDs, averaging 12.8 yards per carry while Jordan West ran for 1003 yards and 16 TDs, averaging 15.4 yards per carry. Freeport’s defense, led by West Virginia commit Logan Thimons will have their work cut out for them. Fortunately, Freeport’s offense can score with anyone. QB Ryan Weigold has thrown for nearly 2000 yards and 26 TDs, primarily to twin brothers Brandon and Dylan Hochbein who are averaging a nearly identical 19.8 and 19.9 yards per reception. Leading rusher Ian Miller has 981 yards and 13 TDs.

A

1. Clairton (10-0) vs 9. Avonworth (8-2)
at Peters Twp

How They Got Here: Clairton absolutely dominated everyone this season, disposing of Carmichaels 70-6 in the first round. Avonworth once again suffered a number of injuries, causing them to fall to 3rd in the Black Hills Conference. The Lopes beat Beth-Center 28-12 in the first round.
Recent History: Clairton defeated Avonworth 46-14 in the WPIAL Championship last season.
Players to Watch: Clairton’s motto this season has been “No Huddle No Mercy” and they have certainly lived up to it with the highest-scoring offense in the entire WPIAL. Aaron Mathews threw for 1922 yards and 25 TDs this season, primarily to Noah Hamlin who enters the game with nearly 700 receiving yards and 17 TDs. Harrison Dreher has rushed for nearly 900 yards and 22 TDs while Lamont Wade (who led the WPIAL in rushing last year) has split carries with Dreher and rushed for nearly 800 yards and 16 TDs. The Bears defense has been tremendous but will have a unique challenge in Avonworth QB Zach Chandler, who broke Bruce Gradkowski’s WPIAL single-season passing record. Chandler has thrown for 2976 yards and 30 TDs. Garrett Day leads the WPIAL in receiving with 990 yards and 16 TDs. Cole Jenkins, Kurt Niklaus and Jamal Hughley have all recorded over 500 receiving yards.

4. Frazier (10-0) vs 5. Shenango (8-2)
at Chartiers-Houston

How They Got Here: Frazier won the Tri-County South with an undefeated record and defeated South Side Beaver 33-32 in overtime in the first round, stopping the Rams on a 2-point conversion in overtime to secure the victory. Shenango went 7-0 in the Big Seven Conference but lost two out-of-conference games to Avonworth and North Catholic. This was Shenango’s first conference title since 2003. The Wildcats beat Springdale in the first round for the second straight season.
Recent History: Frazier and Shenango have not met in the playoffs since 1980.
Players to Watch: Interestingly, Frazier’s defense held opponents to just 31 points in the regular season but gave up 32 points to South Side Beaver in the first round. Christopher Pierce and Hunter Patterson have split time at quarterback this season for the Commodores, both throwing for over 600 yards. Patterson is also their leading rusher with Caleb Cox, Damon Lovis and Josh Cox all putting up over 350 receiving yards. Hunter Waskin, Tyler Root and Jason Wallace have been a three-headed monster in Shenango’s backfield. Evan Kendall has thrown for nearly 700 yards and 9 TDs to complement their rushing attack.

2. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (10-0) vs 7. Bishop Canevin (7-3)
at Deer Lakes

How They Got Here: North Catholic won their fourth straight Conference Title and defeated Union 35-7 in the first round. The Trojans held Union to 4 total rushing yards in the game, including -31 in the first half. Bishop Canevin defeated GCC 35-28 in the first round.
Recent History: CWNC defeated Bishop Canevin 20-0 in Week 8 to secure the Black Hills Conference Title. North Catholic won their only playoff meeting, 21-0 in the first round in 2012.
Players to Watch: CWNC is led by dual-threat QB Erick Taylor who has thrown for nearly 1500 yards and 14 TDs while rushing for almost 500 and 11 TDs. Mario Latronica has run for 858 yards and 11 scores while Khalil Weathers and Isaiah Harvin both have over 360 receiving yards. CWNC’s defense has been phenomenal this season, holding opponents to just 6.7 points per game this season. Bishop Canevin has been much better since switching to Austin Scott at quarterback in Week 4 with Scott throwing for 842 yards and 9 TDs, primarily to Sean Fitzgerald and Amaan  Bridgett. Bridgett is also the Crusaders leading rusher with 900 yards and 15 TDs.

3. Jeannette (9-1) vs 6. Neshannock (9-1)
at Canon-McMillan

How They Got Here: Jeannette finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference with their only loss coming to Clairton. They have only been held under 30 points twice, scoring 29 against Clairton and a 27-7 victory over Chartiers-Houston in the first round. Neshannock has the second-best offense in Class A but finished 2nd in the Big Seven Conference because of an early-season loss to Shenango. Neshannock defeated Bentworth 49-13 in the first round.
Recent History: Neshannock defeated Jeannette 46-32 in the first round last year, the only playoff meeting between the two teams since 1980.
Players to Watch: If you’re looking for an upset special, this might be your game. Both of these teams are loaded with offensive firepower and this game has all the makings of a shootout. Neshannock is averaging 43.3 points per game while Jeannette is averaging 41.6. Jeannette’s entire offense comes from their backfield with dual-threat QB Giovonne Sanders accounting for over 1700 yards of total offense and 18 total TDs. Running backs Kareem Hall and Swade Redman are the leading rushers and receivers for the Jayhawks, with both players having over 900 yards of total offense. Hall has scored 16 TDs and Redman 15. Neshannock features one of the best dual-threat QBs in Class A in Frank Antuono who has over 1600 passing yards and over 900 rushing yards with 34 total TDs. Running backs Robert Lindsey and Jonah Vitale both have over 650 rushing yards. Lindsey is the Lancers second-leading receiver with 363 yards and has found the end zone a team-leading 18 times. Danny Welker has been Antuono’s primary target with over 500 receiving yards and 7 TDs.