The playoffs are here. Tonight, 64 teams will take the field and begin their quests towards Heinz Field on Championship Saturday. All games start at 7:30 and all 32 games will be broadcast on the MSA Sports Network (more on that in a minute). This is the last year of four classifications in the PIAA so next year’s WPIAL playoffs will have a dramatically different look to them (and possibly culminate somewhere other than Heinz Field). This could be the last “Highway to Heinz” opportunity, which places an additional emphasis on this year’s postseason.
The playoffs are marked by many staples. Aliquippa and Thomas Jefferson are in the postseason for the 21st straight season with Woodland Hills trailing them by just one year. At the same time, there are some newcomers with Ambridge and Bentworth making their first appearances since 2005. There were some surprises in the WPIAL brackets that were released on Monday, the biggest of which was that the WPIAL ignored their own tiebreakers in ordering of teams in a 3-way tie. Nevertheless, everything will get settled on the field. This season saw Bruce Gradkowski’s single-season passing yardage record fall (to Avonworth’s Zach Chandler) and the WPIAL single-game rushing record fall when Apollo-Ridge’s Duane Brown ran for 460 in Week 8. Two quarterbacks (Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec and Beaver’s Darrius Wise) joined the exclusive 1000/1000 club by posting 1000 passing and rushing yards this season. 15 of the top 20 passers and 16 of the top 20 rushers will all get to play on Friday night under the lights of the postseason.
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 (7-0, 9-0) vs 16. Hempfield (3-5, 3-6)
How They Got Here: Woodland Hills won Southeastern Conference title by beating Mt Lebanon 21-17 last week. Hempfield finished 6th in Foothills. Their playoff hopes were in jeopardy after losing to Altoona in Week 8 but Altoona lost to Connellsville in Week 9 and Hempfield remained in 6th place. Won Quad-A Wild Card over Shaler and Peters Twp based on record (3-5 to 2-6).
Recent History: Woodland Hills is making their 20th consecutive playoff appearance. They have reached Heinz Field in 4 of the last 6 seasons. This is Hempfield’s 3rd playoff appearance in the last 4 years.
Players To Watch: Woodland Hills features one of the best backfield tandems in the WPIAL with Penn State-commit Miles Sanders and Western Michigan Commit Jo-El Shaw both rushing for over 1000 yards. Hempfield had a dynamic offense this season with 1400-yard passer Daniel Walters and 1100-yard rusher Donnie Washington. However, the Spartans defense could not stop anyone, allowing the 6th most points in Quad-A at 37 per game. Hempfield held only one team under 34 points all season.
8. Bethel Park (5-2, 6-3) vs 9. Kiski (5-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Bethel Park finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference and Kiski finished 3rd in the Foothills based on a head-to-head win over Plum
Recent History: Bethel Park is making their 15th consecutive playoff appearance. In that stretch they have only made it past the quarterfinals twice. This is Kiski’s 3rd playoff appearance in the last 4 years.
Players To Watch: Bethel Park QB Levi Metheny threw for over 1400 yards and 4 TDs, primarily to Charlie Davis who was 6th in the WPIAL with 775 receiving yards. Terron Murphy rushed for over 1000 yards and scored 9 TDs. Kiski QB Chad Kuhn accounted for over 1100 yards passing and rushing with Tariq Gant leading the Cavaliers with 727 rushing yards.
4. North Allegheny (6-1, 8-1) vs 13. Norwin (4-4, 5-4)
How They Got Here: North Allegheny finished in 3rd place in Northern Eight Conference. Lost 3-way tiebreaker for Conference title and head-to-head tiebreaker with Pine-Richland. However, the WPIAL seeding committee seeded them 2nd among Northern Eight teams. Norwin finished 5th in the Foothills Conference. Lost to Hempfield early in the season but rebounded with a win over Kiski.
Recent History: North Allegheny is making their 12th consecutive playoff appearance. They have not lost in the first round of the playoffs since 2005. Norwin made the playoffs for the second straight season. This is only their 6th playoff appearance since 2000
Players To Watch: As usual, North Allegheny features a multi-faceted ground attack. Four players have over 35 carries on the season, led by Ethan Maenza’s 658 yards and Michael Pope’s 529 yards. Maenza and Riley Trueman have split time at quarterback with Maenza throwing for over 700 yards and Trueman nearly 300. Norwin QB Nick Amendola has found success through the air (967 yards, 8 TDs) and on the ground (659 yards, 12 TDs) this season. Leading rusher Peyton Deri has over 800 yards and 5 TDs.
5. Central Catholic (6-1, 8-1) vs 12. Upper St Clair (4-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Central Catholic won the Northern Eight Conference title based on 3-way tiebreaker (WPIAL Points Tiebreaker) with Pine-Richland and North Allegheny. However, the WPIAL seeding committee placed them behind PR and NA in the bracket. Upper St Clair finished 4th in the Southeastern Conference.
Recent History: Central Catholic is making their 13th consecutive playoff appearance. They have reached Heinz Field each of the last two seasons, winning in 2013 and losing to Pine-Richland last year. Upper St Clair is making their 17th consecutive playoff appearance. Last year was the first time they lost in the first round since 2009.
Players To Watch: Central is absolutely loaded with D1-caliber players on defense, including DB Damar Hamlin, one of the top-ranked senior DBs in the state. On offense, they have thrown the ball a bit more this season with Troy Fisher throwing for 900 yards and 12 TDs. Ronnie Jones has rushed for over 1000 yards and 14 TDs with Vinny Emanuele adding 653 yards and 10 TDs. Upper St Clair features Thomas Vissman, the 10th leading rusher in the entire WPIAL with 1349 yards and 16 TDs. The Panthers are also not afraid to go to the air with Jackson Geisler throwing for 767 yards and 4 TDs on the season.
2. Penn-Trafford (8-0, 9-0) vs 15. North Hills (3-4, 3-6)
How They Got Here: Penn-Trafford won the Foothills Conference. Beat McKeesport 21-7 in Week 3. Averaged 41-point margin of victory. North Hills finished in 5th place in the Northern Eight Conference. Beat Shaler in Week 8 to clinch playoff spot.
Recent History: Penn-Trafford is making their 13th consecutive playoff appearance. They reached the semifinals each of the last two seasons. North Hills is making their 4th consecutive playoff appearance and 16th in the last 17 years. They have not won a playoff game since 2010.
Players To Watch: Statistically, Penn-Trafford had the best offense in Quad-A and tied for the 4th-best in the entire WPIAL, averaging 47.3 points per game. Brett Laffoon threw for 1560 yards and 20 TDs, primarily to Tim Vecchio(671 yards, 13 TDs). Even with Laffoon throwing the ball all over the yard, Jonah Lisbon ran for over 1000 yards and 15 TDs. North Hills was the lowest-scoring team to make the playoffs in Quad-A, averaging just 17 points per game. QB Jake Elsayed threw for 774 yards and 6 TDs and RB Nick Santucci ran for 545 and 11 TDs.
7. McKeesport (7-1, 8-1) vs 10. Seneca Valley (4-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: McKeesport finished in 2nd place in Foothills Conference. Scored 42+ against every team except Penn-Trafford. Seneca Valley finished in 4th place in Northern Eight Conference. Only 1 of their losses (Central Catholic) was by more than 10 points.
Recent History: McKeesport is making their 18th consecutive playoff appearance. They reached the semifinals last year. Seneca Valley is making their 4th playoff appearance in the last 5 years. They missed the playoffs last year.
Players To Watch: The Tigers triple-option offense presented problems for defenses all season. McKeesport was led by Khaleke Hudson’s 1000 yards and 22 TDs and complemented by Mark Cromerdie’s 576 yards and 10 TDs. McKeesport’s offense is so run-heavy they averaged less than 3 pass attempts per game. By contrast, Seneca Valley QB Jack Cook threw for nearly 1600 yards and 14 TDs, spreading the ball between Mark Smith, Cody Boozel and Corbin Kessler who all had over 360 receiving yards. Hank Royal ran for 666 yards and 8 TDs with Cook adding 430 yards and 7 TDs on the ground.
3. Pine-Richland (6-1, 8-1) vs 14. Penn Hills (3-4, 3-6)
How They Got Here: Pine-Richland finished in 2nd place in Northern Eight Conference. Lost 3-way tiebreaker to Central Catholic for Conference Title based on tiebreaker points, beat North Allegheny head-to-head. However, the WPIAL seeding committee gave them the highest seed of the Northern Eight teams, possibly because they are the defending Quad-A Champions. Penn Hills finished 5th in the Southeastern Conference.
Recent History: Pine-Richland is the defending AAAA Champions and are making their 3rd consecutive playoff appearance. The student section took a live ram to Heinz Field last year. Penn Hills is making their 3rd consecutive playoff appearance and 19th in the last 20 years. They have not won a playoff game since 2009.
Players To Watch: Sophomore sensation Phil Jurkovec became just the 3rd player in WPIAL history to throw and rush for over 1000 yards in a season. Jurkovec finished 3rd in the WPIAL in passing with 1987 yards and 15 TDs while rushing for 1037 yards and 10 TDs. Jimmy Graf ran for over 650 yards and found the end zone 15 times. Penn Hills dual-threat QB Cameron Tarrant threw for 740 yards and led the team in rushing with 366, one of four Indians with over 300 yards rushing.
6. Mt Lebanon (6-1, 8-1) vs 11. Plum (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Mt Lebanon finished in 2nd place in the Southeastern Conference after losing to Woodland Hills in Week 8 and beating Upper St Clair in Week 9. Plum finished 4th in the Foothills Conference. Lost head-to-head to Kiski.
Recent History: Mt Lebanon is making their 15th playoff appearance in the last 18 years. They have not reached the semi-finals since 2005. Plum made the playoffs for the second straight season. They upset Southeastern Conference Champion Penn Hills in the first round last year.
Players To Watch: Mt Lebanon features the WPIAL’s 9th-leading passer in Eddie Jenkins (1592 yards, 16 TDs) and 3rd leading reciever in Jack Young (898 yards, 8 TDs). Meanwhile, Plum has sputtered on offense this season, using 3 different quarterbacks (led by Corey Thomas’ 600 yards and 7 TDs) and having four RBs with over 200 yards rushing (led by Nick Coxon’s 520 yards and 6 TDs). Plum features the best kicker in the WPIAL in Jake Chapla.
AAA
1. Central Valley (7-1, 8-1) vs 16. Laurel Highlands
How They Got Here: Central Valley won the Parkway Conference. After a Week 1 loss to Montour, the Warriors did not lose again. They beat West Allegheny 23-13 in Week 9. Laurel Highlands finished 5th in the Big Ten Conference.
Recent History: Since the merger of Center and Monaca School Districts in 2010, Central Valley has made at least the semifinals every season. They are the defending WPIAL AAA Champions and have reached Heinz Field each of the last two seasons. Laurel Highlands made the playoffs for just the 3rd time in the last 6 seasons.
Players To Watch: If you like passing, this is the game for you. Central Valley’s Chris Callaghan is 12th in the WPIAL in passing with 1586 yards and 7 TDs while WR Kurt Reinstadtler is 7th in the WPIAL with 733 receiving yards. To make the Warriors offense even more dynamic, RB Kyle Vreen has rushed for 945 yards and 10 TDs. On the other side, Laurel Highlands QB Jimmy Price has thrown for 1482 yards and 14 TDs, primarily to the 2nd leading receiver in the entire WPIAL Chad Livingstone (925 yards, 10 TDs). Pierce is also their leading rusher with over 700 yards and 13 TDs.
8. Montour (6-2, 6-3) vs 9. Hampton
How They Got Here: Montour finished 3rd in the Parkway Conference. They beat Central Valley 17-14 in Week 1 but lost to Chartiers Valley and West Allegheny. Played through some significant injuries. Hampton finished 4th in the Greater Allegheny Conference after losing the 3-way tiebreaker to Hollidaysburg based on Gardner Points and beating Armstrong head-to-head but were given the highest seed of those three teams.
Recent History: Montour is making their 9th consecutive playoff appearance. They have reached Heinz Field 3 times in that span. Hampton is making their 4th consecutive playoff appearance. They lost to Ringgold in a thrilling 21-20 overtime game in the quarterfinals last year.
Players To Watch: Montour has played through a boatload of injuries this season and at one point was down to their 3rd QB and 4th RB. Randall LaBrie suffered a torn ACL in the offseason but came back in Week 6 at QB, throwing for 570 yards in 4 games. Tyler Carswell has played QB, RB and WR this season while David Haseleu led the Spartans in rushing with 682 yards and 7 TDs despite missing 3 games. Hampton also suffered through a ton of injuries with Ross Andersson leading the Talbots with 978 passing yards and 8 TDs. Leading rusher Matt Rech was injured in Week 6.
4. Mars (7-1, 8-1) vs 13. New Castle (4-4, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Mars won the Greater Allegheny Conference. Lost 35-24 to Franklin Regional in Week 3 but overcame that by winning the rest of their games. Secured the Conference Title when Franklin Regional lost to Gateway in Week 9. New Castle finished in 5th place in the Parkway Conference. Finished 2nd in the 3-way tie with Ambridge and Chartiers Valley based on 1-1 head-to-head record, beating Chartiers Valley.
Recent History: Mars is making their 11th consecutive playoff appearance and 19th in the last 23 years. They have reached at least the quarterfinals in 8 of the last 9 years. New Castle is making their 3rd consecutive playoff appearance. They have not won a playoff game since 2009.
Players To Watch: Another year, another Mars RB putting up monster numbers. This year it’s Isaiah Johnson who finished 6th in the WPIAL in rushing with 1470 yards and 16 TDs. QB Sam Morrissey added another element to the Mars offense, throwing for 971 yards and 12 TDs. For New Castle, QB Pat Mineok threw for over 1000 yards and do-it-all athlete Marcus Hooker led the team in scoring.
5. Ringgold (8-1, 8-1) vs 12. Ambridge
How They Got Here: Ringgold finished in 2nd place in Big Ten Conference. Came from 20-7 down to beat Thomas Jefferson in Week 1 and lost to Belle Vernon in Week 6. Ambridge finished in 4th place in the Parkway Conference. Won 3-way tie with New Castle and Chartiers Valley based on 2-0 head-to-head record.
Recent History: Ringgold is making their 6th consecutive playoff appearance. They reached the semifinals last year. Ambridge is making their first playoff appearance since 2005.
Players To Watch: Ringgold was a difficult team to defend with a 1000-yard passer in George Martin and a 1000-yard rusher in Chacar Berry. Ambridge had the lowest-scoring offense of any AAA playoff team, led by RB Davion Jones.
2. Belle Vernon (9-0, 9-0) vs 15. Chartiers Valley (4-4, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Belle Vernon installed Gold Turf on their field this season and won Big Ten Conference title. Beat Thomas Jefferson 31-24 in overtime in Week 2 and Ringgold 13-12 in Week 6. Chartiers Valley finished in 6th place in Parkway Conference. Lost 3-way tiebreaker to Ambridge and New Castle based on 0-2 head-to-head record. Won AAA Wild Card after tiebreaker with Gateway and Trinity. Trinity was eliminated on Gardner Points and Chartiers Valley edged Gateway 0 to -9 in WPIAL Tiebreaker Points.
Recent History: Belle Vernon is making their 7th consecutive playoff appearance. They have not won a playoff game since 2000. Chartiers Valley is making their 2nd playoff appearance in the last 6 years and first since 2011. They have not won a playoff game since 2007.
Players To Watch: Belle Vernon relied heavily on their rushing attack this season with Luke Durigon putting up over 1000 yards and Mike Fine adding another 570. Durigon found the end zone 15 times and Fine 11 but the Leopards made their hay on defense with the stoutest unit in AAA, giving up just 6.3 points per game. That could be a problem for Chartiers Valley, one of just two AAA playoff teams to average less than 21 points per game. Colts dual-threat QB Jake Collins threw for 988 yards and 9 TDs while rushing for a team-leading 676 yards and 8 TDs. Steve Alauzen added 600 yards and 5 TDs.
7. Franklin Regional (6-2, 7-2) vs 10. West Mifflin (6-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: After losing to Hollidaysburg in Week 2, Franklin Regional beat Mars in Week 3. They had an opportunity to win the Conference Title in Week 9 but lost to Gateway 15-12. West Mifflin finished 4th in the Big Ten Conference.
Recent History: Franklin Regional is making their 12th consecutive playoff appearance. They have reached at least the quarterfinals in 5 of the last 6 years and the semifinals in 2 of the last 4. West Mifflin is making their 6th consecutive playoff appearance. They reached Heinz Field in 2012.
Players To Watch: This game features a great matchup of dual-threat QBs. Franklin Regional’s Santino Birty has amassed nearly 1500 yards of total offense with 21 total TDs. The Panthers have been so good on the ground with Birty and Jacob Ross (632 yards, 9 TDs) they have averaged less than 9 pass attempts per game. On the other side, West Mifflin’s Karlyn Garner is nearing 1200 yards of total offense with 14 total TDs. Garner has gotten some more help from his supporting cast with Russell Tyree rushing for 801 yards and 10 TDs.
3. West Allegheny (7-1, 7-2) vs 14. Hollidaysburg (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: West Allegheny finished 2nd in the Parkway Conference after losing to Central Valley in Week 9. Hollidaysburg finished in 3rd place in the Greater Allegheny Conference but was given the short end of the stick by the WPIAL seeding committee (possibly because they are leaving the WPIAL next year). Based on the WPIAL tiebreaking procedures, they won the 3-way tiebreaker for 3rd place with Armstrong and Hampton based on Gardner Points but were seeded last of the 3 teams.
Recent History: West Allegheny is making their 7th consecutive playoff appearance and 18th in the last 19 years. They have reached Heinz Field each of the last 3 seasons. Hollidaysburg is making their 4th playoff appearance in the last 6 years. They have not won a playoff game since joining the WPIAL in 2010. This is their last season competing in the WPIAL.
Players To Watch: West Allegheny once again features a dominant ground attack. Terence Stephens has been the feature rusher this year, amassing 1176 yards and 18 TDs while Whitney White has 567 yards and 11 TDs. Hollidaysburg doesn’t have a dynamic offense but their stifling defense held everyone except Armstrong and Mars under 22 points. Jarrett Cavalet threw for 622 yards and 9 TDs while Zach Kovach led the Golden Tigers in rushing with 553 yards and 5 TDs.
6. Thomas Jefferson (7-2, 7-2) vs 11. Armstrong (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Thomas Jefferson finished in 3rd place in Big Ten Conference. This is the first time since 1999 they have lost 2 conference games in a season. Armstrong finished in 5th place in the Greater Allegheny Conference. Lost 3-way tie for 3rd place based on Gardner Points to Hollidaysburg and head-to-head with Hampton.
Recent History: Thomas Jefferson is making their 21st consecutive playoff appearance, tied with Aliquippa for the longest active streak. They have reached the semifinals in 16 of the last 17 years. This is the first year of Armstrong football after the merger of Kittanning and Ford City. Kittanning had reached the AA playoffs in each of the last 2 seasons. Ford City had not made the playoffs since 2011.
Players To Watch: After a slow start to the season, the Jaguars offense exploded with both Quinton Hill and Braden Pahanish rushing for over 700 yards. TJ has used 3 QBs this season as Zane Zandier started the season there but was moved to RB and replaced by Julian Metro who was injured in Week 7 and replaced by Bobby Kelly. Armstrong features the WPIAL’s leading rusher Zane Dudek (2019 yards, 25 TDs). Not to be overlooked, Dawson Porter has rushed for 511 yards and 5 TDs.
AA
1. South Fayette (8-0, 9-0) vs 16. Burgettstown (5-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: South Fayette won the Century Conference, beating Steel Valley 37-0 in Week 6 and Seton-La Salle 17-14 last week. Burgettstown finished in 4th place in the Interstate Conference. Lost 3-way tiebreaker to McGuffey for 3rd place, beat Derry head-to-head 21-20 for 4th place.
Recent History: South Fayette is making their 7th consecutive playoff appearance. They are the 2-time defending State Champions and enter the playoffs with a WPIAL-leading 41-game winning streak. The Lions have won 3 of the last 6 WPIAL AA titles. Burgettstown has not made the playoffs since 2009 when they played in Class A.
Players To Watch: The Brumbaugh Era is over at South Fayette but this Lions team has an incredibly balanced offense with a 1000-yard passer in Drew Saxton and a 1000-yard rusher in Hunter Hayes. Both Dan Trimbur and Nick Ponikvar have over 325 receiving yards. Burgettstown is the only AA playoff team to average less than 20 points per game and South Fayette has the second-best defense in AA, which does not seem like a good combination. The Blue Devils are led by dual-threat QB Brett McLaughlin who leads the team with 1365 passing yards and 482 rushing yards and 19 total TDs.
8. Mt Pleasant (7-1, 7-2) vs 9. Beaver (6-2, 7-2)
How They Got Here: Mt Pleasant finished in 2nd place in the Interstate Conference and was blown out by Washington 44-14 and lost a non-conference game to Aliquippa. Beaver finished in 3rd place in the Midwestern Conference and was blown out by Aliquippa and Beaver Falls.
Recent History: Mt Pleasant is making their 7th consecutive playoff appearance and 12th in the last 13 years. They have reached the quarterfinals in each of the last 3 seasons. Beaver is making their 9th consecutive playoff appearance and 12th in the last 14 years.
Players To Watch: The Vikings averaged 39.2 points per game thanks to 1000-yard passer Johnny Yester and 800-yard rusher Chris Wagner. On the other side, Beaver QB Darrius Wise became the 4th player in WPIAL history (and 2nd this season!) to pass and rush for 1000 yards in the same season.
4. Beaver Falls (7-1, 8-1) vs 13. Apollo-Ridge (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Beaver Falls finished in 2nd place in the Midwestern Conference. Lost to Aliquippa 44-21 in Week 9. Apollo-Ridge finished in 3rd place in the Allegheny Conference. Won the 3-way tie with Deer Lakes and Valley with a 2-0 head-to-head record.
Recent History: Beaver Falls is making their 9th consecutive playoff appearance. Last year’s first round loss to Apollo-Ridge was the first time they lost to someone other than South Fayette since 2009. Apollo-Ridge is making their 4th consecutive playoff appearance. They have reached the quarterfinals each of the last 2 seasons.
Players To Watch: Hold on to your hats. This game is loaded with talented players. Beaver Falls features a dual-QB offense with Adam Brady and Malik Shepherd. Both have thrown for over 500 yards this season with Shepherd also leading the team in rushing with 831 yards. Torian Leak has added 630 yards and Neshaud Akins 600 to give Beaver Falls one of the best trio of backs in the WPIAL. Defensive end Donovan Jeter is one of the top juniors in the state. On the other side, Apollo-Ridge has gotten healthy at just the right time. Duane Brown has exploded the last two weeks after rushing for a WPIAL record 460 yards in Week 8. Brown has 1387 yards on the season (which includes missing 3 games because of a concussion) and has found the end zone 27 times.
5. Steel Valley (7-1, 8-1) vs 12. New Brighton (5-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Steel Valley finished 2nd in the Century Conference. Lost to South Fayette and beat Seton-La Salle 27-21. Scored over 45 points against all other conference opponents. New Brighton finished in 4th place in the Midwestern Conference. Won one-score games against both Quaker Valley and Ellwood City.
Recent History: Steel Valley is making their 8th playoff appearance in the last 10 years. They have not won a playoff game since 2007. New Brighton is making their 3rd consecutive playoff appearance after a 9-year drought.
Players To Watch: Steel Valley has two dynamic playmakers on offense in RB DeWayne Murray who has rushed for over 1100 yards and found the end zone 23 times and QB Tre Earl Edwards who has over 1100 yards in total offense with 19 total TDs (including 17 passing TDs). New Brighton features a pass-heavy offense with dual-threat QB Justyn Francona throwing for 1311 yards and 11 TDs while adding 428 yards and 9 TDs on the ground. Lions WR Darrion Gilmore is in the top 25 in the WPIAL in receiving with 510 yards.
2. Aliquippa (8-0, 9-0) vs 15. Keystone Oaks (5-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Aliquippa won the Midwestern Conference, defeating Beaver Falls 44-21 in Week 9. Keystone Oaks finished 4th in the Century Conference.
Recent History: Aliquippa is making their 21st consecutive playoff appearance, tied with Thomas Jefferson for the longest active streak. The Quips have reached Heinz Field in each of the last 7 seasons. Keystone Oaks has not made the playoffs since 2010.
Players To Watch: The Quips traditional run-heavy offense once again produced another star back in Pitt commit Kaezon Pugh (1226 yards, 19 TDs). However, they have been a bit more multi-dimensional this year with Sheldon Jeter throwing for 951 yards and 12 TDs (despite averaging less than 9 pass attempts per game). Jassir Jordan has 545 receiving yards with 6 TDs. On the other side, Keystone Oaks rode their passing game to the postseason. Alex Smith is the 6th-leading passer in the entire WPIAL with 1800 yards and 16 TDs, adding 410 yards and 8 TDs on the ground. Smith has three receiver (Nick Hrivnak, Leo Palmer and Dylan Knoor) with over 440 receiving yards, all of them averaging over 14 yards per reception.
7. Highlands (6-2, 7-2) vs 10. Seton-La Salle (6-2, 7-2)
How They Got Here: Highlands finished in 2nd place in the Allegheny Conference. Started the season 5-0 but lost 2 of their 4 to Freeport and archrival Valley (losing the rights to the Tarentum Bridge). Seton-La Salle finished in 3rd place in the Century Conference. Lost one-score games to both South Fayette and Steel Valley.
Recent History: Highlands is making their 3rd consecutive playoff appearance and has reached the postseason in 8 of the last 10 years. The Rams lost in the quarterfinals each of the last two seasons. Seton-La Salle is making their 6th consecutive playoff appearance and 17th in the last 22 years. The Rebels have made at least the quarterfinals in each of the last 5 years.
Players To Watch: Two of the Top 10 receivers in the WPIAL will be on the same field in Seton-La Salle’s Paris Ford (723 yards, 21 total TDs) and Highlands’ Jordan Lineburg (693 yards, 6 TDs). Ford is a Pitt commit as a defensive back where he has 3 interceptions but also serves as the kick returner and do-it-all athlete for Seton. Lineburg has been catching passes all year from dual-threat QB Braydan Thimons who has 1223 yards and 8 TDs while adding 474 yards and 10 TDs on the ground. Seton-La Salle QB Nolan Abbiatici has put up similar numbers through the air with 1204 yards and 20 TDs but is not much of a running threat. The ground game may be where the Rebels have the advantage as Lionel Deans (1129 yards, 10 TDs) has outpaced Rams RB Jermaine Jett (579 yards, 10 TDs).
3. Washington (8-0, 9-0) vs 14. Deer Lakes (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Won the Interstate Conference. Averaged a 44-point margin of victory and scored over 40 points in every game. Deer Lakes finished 4th in the Allegheny Conference. In 3-way tie with Apollo-Ridge and Valley were 1-1 head-to-head with a win over Valley.
Recent History: Washington is making their 5th consecutive playoff appearance and 6th in the last 7 years. They lost to Aliquippa in the semifinals last year and in the 2012 Championship Game. Deer Lakes has only made one playoff appearance in school history (2010).
Players To Watch: If you like old-school smashmouth line-it-up-and-run-the-damn-ball football, this game is for you. Washington statistically dominated the Interstate Conference with the highest scoring offense (48.6 PPG) and best defense (5.4 points against per game) in AA. Their ground attack was so good with 1100-yard rusher Kurt Adkins and 1000-yard rusher Jordan West that QB Markel Pulliam averaged just 4 pass attempts per game but still threw for 500 yards and 11 TDs. On the other side, Hunter Burns was the 2nd-leading rusher in the entire WPIAL with 1814 yards and 20 TDs. Deer Lakes is blessed with a massive offensive line and their gameplan is simple: give the ball to Burns, who had the most rushing attempts in the WPIAL by a wide margin (283). In fact, only one other player came within 50 attempts of Burns and only 4 other players finished the season with over 200 attempts.
6. Freeport (8-0, 8-1) vs 11. McGuffey (5-3, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Freeport won the Allegheny Conference. This will be the last game played within the Borough of Freeport as the district is building a new stadium in Buffalo Township for next year. McGuffey finished 3rd in the Interstate Conference. Won 3-way tiebreaker with Burgettstown and Derry based on WPIAL Points tiebreaker.
Recent History: Freeport has not made the playoffs in the last two seasons but this will be their 6th appearance in the last 8 years. McGuffey is making their 2nd consecutive playoff appearance. This is just the 4th time they have made the playoffs in the last 20 years.
Players To Watch: Freeport featured a dynamic offense with QB Ryan Weigold throwing for 1630 yards and 21 TDs, the 9th-most yards in the WPIAL. Weigold was able to spread the ball around to Brandon Hochbein (487 yards, 15 TDs) and Dylan Hochbein (517 yards, 2 TDs). To complement the passing game, Ian Miler has rushed for 904 yards and 11 TDs. McGuffey’s offense relies on dual-threat QB Marcus Czulewicz who has thrown for 960 yards and rushed for 790, accounting for 23 total TDs. Adam Townsend is their second-leading rusher with 636 yards and 6 TDs.
A
1. Clairton (8-0, 9-0) vs 16. Carmichaels (5-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Clairton won the Eastern Conference. Led the WPIAL in scoring, averaging 59 points per game. Carmichaels finished 4th in the Tri-County South Conference. Defeated Jefferson-Morgan 28-0 in a Week 9 Casket Match.
Recent History: Clairton is making their 10th consecutive playoff appearance. They have won 7 of the last 9 Class A Championships. Carmichaels did not make the playoffs last year but will be making their 16th appearance in the last 18 years. Only once in that time did they make it out of the first round, a 2002 run to the semifinals.
Players To Watch: The Bears once again led the WPIAL in scoring, a bit off their record-setting pace from last season but still averaging 59 points per game. Aaron Mathews moved from WR to QB before the season and threw for 1805 yards and 22 TDs, primarily to Noah Hamlin (644 yards) and Harrison Dreher (519 yards). Dreher leads the team in rushing with 896 yards with last year’s leading rusher in the WPIAL Lamont Wade posting just 645 yards. All 3 have scored over 100 points this season with Dreher scoring 19 TDs, Hamlin 15 and Wade 14. Carmichaels relies heavily on QB David Morgan (776 yards, 6 TDs) and RB Coty Allen (524 yards).
8. Beth-Center (7-1, 7-2) vs 9. Avonworth (5-2, 7-2)
How They Got Here: Beth-Center finished in 2nd place in the Tri-County South Conference. Lost to Frazier 21-0 in Week 6, their first conference loss since 2012. Avonworth finished 3rd in the Black Hills after losing back-to-back games in Week 6 and 7 to Bishop Canevin and CWNC.
Recent History: Beth-Center is making their 13th consecutive playoff appearance. They have not won a playoff game since 2010. Avonworth is making their 8th consecutive playoff appearance. They reached the Class A Championship Game last season and have only lost in the first round once in the last 7 years.
Players To Watch: He didn’t get talked about much because of playing in the Tri-County South, but Beth-Center RB Tony Welsh put together an amazing season. Welsh enters the playoffs with the 3rd highest rushing total in the entire WPIAL (1753 yards) and the most rushing TDs in the WPIAL with 26. In a stark contrast of styles, Avonworth QB Zach Chandler not only led the WPIAL in passing, he broke Bruce Gradkowski’s single-season passing record, finishing with 2812 yards and 29 TDs. Garrett Day led the WPIAL in receiving with 950 yards and 15 TDs. Three other Lopes (Kurt Niklaus, Cole Jenkins and Jamal Hughley who was injured in Week 6 against Bishop Canevin) all finished with over 475 receiving yards.
4. Frazier (8-0, 9-0) vs 13. South Side Beaver (5-2, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Frazier won the Tri-County South Conference, dealing Beth-Center their first conference loss since 2012. Allowed only 31 points all season. South Side Beaver finished in 3rd place in the Big Seven Conference. Have not played a game all year with a single-digit margin of victory.
Recent History: Frazier is making their 5th consecutive playoff appearance. No Tri-County South team has won a playoff game since 2010. South Side Beaver reached the quarterfinals in 2014, ending a 4-year playoff drought.
Players To Watch: How good could Frazier have been if Alvin Ross had not transferred to GCC? That’s a crazy thought, but this Frazier team is still pretty darn good. The Commodores have used two quarterbacks this season. Christopher Pierce has thrown for 934 yards and 14 TDs while averaging less than 10 passes per game while Hunter Patterson has thrown for 437 yards and 8 TDs and is also their leading rusher with 508 yards and 9 TDs. Caleb Cox leads the way with 531 receiving yards and 12 RDs while Damon Lovis and Joshua Cox both have over 300 receiving yards. South Side Beaver is balanced in their offensive attack with RB Quae-Shawn Thompson rushing for 751 yards and 16 TDs and AJ Crider rushing for 640 yards and 6 TDs. QB Robbie Heberle threw for 701 yards and 10 TDs.
5. Shenango (7-0, 7-2) vs 12. Springdale (4-4, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Shenango won the Big Seven Conference thanks to a 20-12 Week 2 win over Neshannock. This is the first Conference Title for Shenango since 2003. Lost to Avonworth and CWNC in non-conference games. Springdale finished 4th in the Eastern Conference. Defeated Monessen 30-12 in Week 6, the 8th time in the last 13 years Springdale has effectively eliminated Monessen (knocked them out of the playoffs 6 times from 2003-2011).
Recent History: Shenango reached the quarterfinals last year, which was their first playoff appearance since 2007 when they played in AA. Springdale is making their 2nd consecutive playoff appearance and has reached the postseason in 13 of the last 14 years.
Players To Watch: Shenango rode a run-heavy offense to the quarterfinals last year and while this team can still grind it out with Hunter Waskin, Tyler Root and Jason Wallace, watch out for QB Evan Kendall who thew for over 730 yards and 11 TDs. Springdale has been true to tradition this year with a run-heavy offense led by Ben Sowinski’s 900 yards and 12 TDs and Ethan McFarland’s 435 yards and 9 TDs. QB Sammy Carey threw for 520 yards but averaged just 7 attempts per game.
2. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (7-0, 9-0) vs 15. Union (4-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: CWNC won the Black Hills Conference with wins over Avonworth and Bishop Canevin in Weeks 7 and 8. Only Avonworth and Shenango has scored multiple times against them. Union finished 4th in the Big Seven Conference. Their 20-6 win over Rochester in Week 1 carried them to the postseason.
Recent History: CWNC won their 4th straight Conference Title and is making their 4th consecutive playoff appearance and 9th in the last 10 years. The Trojans have reached the semifinals each of the last 3 seasons and won the WPIAL and PIAA Championship in 2013. Union last made the playoffs in 2012, reaching the quarterfinals. That ended an 8-year playoff drought.
Players To Watch: The Trojans have been led by dual-threat QB Erick Taylor who has thrown for nearly 1400 and rushed for 550, accounting for 23 total TDs. Mario Latronica rushed for 849 yards and 11 TDs while Khalil Weathers, Cashon Graham and Isaiah Harvin all finished with over 230 receiving yards with Weathers adding another 300 on the ground. CWNC’s defense has been phenomenal this season, allowing just 60 points in 9 games. This is not a good matchup for Union, who averaged less than 20 points per game and rely heavily on RB Jordan Best.
7. Bishop Canevin (5-2, 6-3) vs 10. GCC (6-2, 7-2)
How They Got Here: Bishop Canevin finished 2nd in the Black Hills Conference. Changed quarterbacks in Week 4 and blossomed on offense, capped off with a 35-28 victory over Avonworth in Week 6. GCC finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
Recent History: Bishop Canevin has not made the playoffs in the last 2 seasons. Prior to that, they reached the postseason in 10 out of 13 years. GCC is making their 13th consecutive playoff and 17th in the last 19 years. Lost in the first round last year after moving down from AA to A in 2014.
Players To Watch: Canevin’s offense significantly improved after Austin Scott took over at QB in Week 4. Scott finished the season with 786 yards and 9 TDs, primarily throwing to 400-yard receiver Sean Fitzgerald. Amaan Bridgett was the workhorse back, rushing for 763 yards and 12 TDs. GCC has a dangerous offense with 1300-yard passer Tommy Pellis and 1200-yard rusher Alvin Ross. Ross, a transfer from Frazier, has found the end zone 18 times while adding over 200 receiving yards to his rushing total, one of four Centurions (Sam Nowicki, JP Pellis and Jassan Eubank the others) with over 200 receiving yards.
3. Jeannette (7-1, 8-1) vs 14. Chartiers-Houston (4-3, 5-4)
How They Got Here: Jeannette finished in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Lost to Clairton 56-29, the only time all year they have been held under 30 points. Chartiers-Houston finished in 4th place in the Black Hills Conference. Beat Northgate 23-13 in Week 4.
Recent History: Jeannette reached the quarterfinals last season after missing the playoffs in 2013 (which was only their second miss since 1994). They played in AA until 2014 when they moved down to Class A. Chartiers-Houston lost in the first round last year. This is their 4th playoff appearance in the last 6 years.
Players To Watch: Jeannette’s offense comes almost entirely from their backfield. QB Giovonne Sanders and RBs Kareem Hall and Swade Redman are responsible for almost all of their production. Sanders has thrown for 1126 yards and 11 TDs and is the second-leading rusher with 483 yards and 6 TDs. Hall leads the Jayhawks in rushing with 754 yards and is second in receiving with 259 yards and has 16 total TDs. Redman is the leading receiver and third-leading rusher, accounting for nearly 700 yards of total offense and 13 total TDs. Chartiers-Houston has a pass-heavy offense with TJ Johnston throwing for 1455 yards and 16 TDs this season, primarily to 500-yard receiver Tyrone Wormsley and 400-yard receiver Ethan Shober who both have scored 7 times. Spencer Terling has rushed for 600 yards and 6 TDs.
6. Neshannock (6-1, 8-1) vs 11. Bentworth (6-2, 6-3)
How They Got Here: Neshannock finished 2nd in the Big Seven Conference. Were only held under 30 points twice this season. Bentworth finished in 3rd place in the Tri-County South Conference. Lost to Frazier 7-3 in Week 3 and Beth-Center in Week 9.
Recent History: Neshannock is making their 4th consecutive playoff appearance and have reached the semifinals each of the last 3 seasons. Bentworth has not made the playoffs since 2005.
Players To Watch: Two WPIAL QBs broke into the exclusive 1000/1000 club this season and Neshannock QB Frank Antuono was nearly the third. Antuono threw for 1524 yards and 17 TDs while rushing for a team-leading 852 yards and 16 TDs. He was complemented by two 500-yard rushers in Robert Lindsey (who also scored 15 times) and Jonah Vitale. Danny Welker added 505 receiving yards for the Lancers. Bentworth’s offense is also very capable of moving the ball and putting up points. Josh Hughes threw for 1802 yards, the 7th most in the WPIAL, and 24 TDs. Bentworth also had a 1000-yard rusher in Ethan Tush and two quality receivers in Noah Peternel (766 yards) and Ty Mitchell (594 yards).
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