As we enter the penultimate week of the WPIAL regular season, only 34 of the 64 playoff spots have been determined. Notably, Derry and Serra Catholic both secured their first playoff appearances since 2009. This week, as many as 21 more teams could punch their tickets to the postseason. While the WPIAL certainly did their best to stack the Week 9 schedule with games that will likely decide conference titles, there are a few big-time showdowns this week between teams at the top of their leagues. Unfortunately for the WPIAL executives, there are potential “disaster” scenarios that currently exist in half of the classifications. The WPIAL dug their own grave by making bad policy decisions that enabled these scenarios to occur.
In addition to the heavyweight battles at the top, this week’s slate also features two non-conference games between winless teams. In Class 2A, Vincentian visits Mohawk and in cross-class play, Brownsville visits Leechburg. Vincentian has won just once in their last 18 games (and have lost 12 in a row) while Mohawk is riding a 17-game losing streak. Both Brownsville and Leechburg won 2 games last season. Albert Gallatin currently holds the longest losing streak in the WPIAL at 31 game. The Colonials have not won since September 13, 2013 when they beat Trinity, but will have their two best opportunities against fellow Fayette County teams Uniontown and Laurel Highlands over the next two weeks. Laurel Highlands is currently winless and Uniontown’s only win was last week over Laurel Highlands.
As a reminder, if you’re going to be following along with the WPIAL action tonight, 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.
I’ll update my WPIAL Standings Page at the end of the night. It’s the only one available that includes all playoff tiebreakers (Gardner Points, WPIAL Points Tiebreaker and Head-to-Head wins). Since Class 3A and 1A have special rules for their Wild Card tiebreakers that count games outside of conference play, I also added pages to track the 3A Wild Card Standings and 1A Wild Card Standings. Class 2A also uses a Wild Card system, but only conference games count in the Wild Card standings, so no additional trackers were necessary as all the information would be the same as what appears on the regular Standings Page.
6A
Game of the Week
Penn Hills at Mt Lebanon
This week is a relatively light slate in Class 6A. Seven of the eight playoff spots have already been determined. The last spot can be clinched by Seneca Valley this week if they beat a winless Shaler team. Central Catholic has clinched the Northern Seven Conference and the Southeastern Conference will be decided next week between Bethel Park and Mt Lebanon. This game is notable because it features two talented squads with two of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL. Penn Hills junior Cam Tarrant leads the WPIAL in passing with 2109 yards and 28 TDs while Mt Lebanon junior James Stocker is 6th in the WPIAL with 1529 yards and 12 TDs. While this is a non-conference games, these are two of the top five offenses in the WPIAL which should make for a high-scoring entertaining game. In addition to leading the entire WPIAL in passing, Tarrant leads Penn Hills in rushing with 497 yards and 3 TDs. RB Terry Smith leads the team in all-purpose yards with 413 rushing yards, 193 receiving yards, and 8 total TDs. Tarrant has spread the ball around between Julian Major (396 yards), Rick Squires (366 yards), and Jeremy Hamilton (358 yards). Cam Jeffries and Davion Stephens are both averaging over 16 yards per reception and have over 220 receiving yards. On the other side, Mt Lebanon has been able to balance their offensive attack by leaning on senior RB David Harvey (957 yards, 11 TDs). Stocker’s main targets have been Jack Young (624 yards, 5 TDs), Edgar Parrilla (368 yards, 6 TDs) and Patrick Moeller (28 yards, 2 TDs). Parrilla has also proven to be a dangerous return man this year and the Blue Devils will try to manufacture ways to get the ball in his hands.
Honorable Mentions: Norwin at Central Catholic, Hempfield at North Allegheny
These are two non-conference games between teams that have already clinched playoff spots. Central Catholic is clearly the top team in 6A right now and already has the conference title locked up. North Allegheny will be using this as a tune-up game for their showdown with rivals Pine-Richland next week in a game that will determine second place in the Northern Seven and which team will get a home playoff game. Similarly, Hempfield and Norwin face off next week to determine third and fourth in the Southeastern Conference (though it should be noted that if Hempfield beats Norwin and Bethel Park beats Mt Lebanon, Hempfield would finish second and get a home playoff game).
Playoff Scenarios
Northern Seven Conference
– Central Catholic has clinched the Conference Title
– North Allegheny and Pine-Richland have clinched playoff spots
– Seneca Valley clinches a playoff spot with a win over Shaler
Southeastern Conference
– Bethel Park, Mt Lebanon, Hempfield, and Norwin have clinched playoff spots
– Bethel Park clinches a home playoff game with a win over Altoona
5A
Games of the Week
West Allegheny at Woodland Hills
Two weeks ago, West Allegheny scored a massive 33-7 victory over undefeated Upper St Clair to set up this showdown with Woodland Hills. West Allegheny can claim the conference title with a win tonight while a Woodland Hills still has to face Upper St Clair next week. West Allegheny started the season a bit slow on offense, averaging just over 20 points per game through the first three weeks. But then the Indians caught fire, averaging 40 points per game over the next four weeks and holding their four opponents to just 10 total points. West Allegheny has been led by QB Nick Ross who has thrown for 1153 yards and 6 TDs, primarily to Mateo Vandamia (301 yards), Brandon Lipford (259 yards, 6 TDs), and Joey Diven (216 yards, 2 TDs). On the ground, Kenny White has been the workhorse out of the backfield rushing for 525 yards and 11 TDs. Woodland Hills has won two close games the last two weeks, battling out a hard-fought 15-8 victory over North Hills in the rain then coming from behind to beat Moon 31-27 last week. The Wolverines have run behind a strong offensive line and their top 3 rushers all average over 7 yards per carry. Ja’Juan Hill has led the way with 622 yards and 10 TDs while being complemented by Saeed Hold’s 446 yards and 11 TDs. Juniors Daniel Jones and Michael Whiteherse have split time at quarterback with Jones throwing for 476 yards and 2 TDs and Whiteherse throwing for 283 yards and 1 TD. Avram Abramovitz leads the Wolverines in receiving with 361 yards. These are the two highest-scoring teams in the Allegheny Nine Conference and both rank in the top 5 in scoring in Class 5A, but the tale of this game will likely be told on the defensive side of the ball as West Allegheny has the stingiest unit in 5A and Woody High ranks in the top five.
Gateway at McKeesport
McKeesport and Gateway currently sit tied for second place in the Big East Conference, trailing Armstrong based on head-to-head losses to the Riverhawks. This is an important game, not just for the playoff hopes of these two teams, but also in the broader scope of the conference. The scenario for the Big East to end in a 5-way tie at the top starts with a Gateway win over McKeesport. If the Tigers emerge victorious, the 5-way tie scenario is off the table and the playoff picture gets a lot simpler. McKeesport has the second-highest scoring offense in 5A thanks to their triple option wishbone attack. Senior QB Jayvaun Shears leads the team in rushing with 676 yards and 16 TDs. McKeesport has been so good on the ground this year, Shears has averaged fewer than 5 pass attempts per game and has only thrown for 257 yards and 4 TDs. Junior RB Layton Jordan has been effective rushing and receiving, running for 590 yards and adding 54 receiving yards and scoring 6 times. Carlinos Acie leads the team in receiving with 99 yards and 4 TDs. On the other hand, Gateway has been able to rely on their passing game this season with junior QB Brady Walker throwing for 1337 yards and 12 TDs. Senior RB Dylan Urban has been a factor in both the running game and receiving game this season and has also been a force on defense. This game will likely come down to whether or not Gateway’s defense can slow down McKeesport’s offense. In their 6 wins, the Gators have held opponents to just 7.7 points per game with none scoring more than 14 but gave up 37 and 35 in their two losses. Only Upper St Clair and Franklin Regional have been able to hold McKeesport under 40 points per game this season and the Tigers only loss was in a double-overtime 43-42 shootout with Armstrong.
Honorable Mentions: North Hills at Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford at Kiski
North Hills has already clinched the fourth and final playoff spot in the Allegheny Nine Conference, but this should be a good measuring stick game for two of the better defenses in 5A. Franklin Regional is squarely in the middle of the Big East playoff picture. Kiski and Penn-Trafford both started the season 4-0 but have both lost their last 3 games to fall perilously close to the playoff cut line. The loser of this game will essentially be eliminated from playoff contention (or at least need some serious help to get in). A Kiski loss also takes the 5-way tie scenario off the table.
Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Nine Conference
– West Allegheny, Woodland Hills, Upper St Clair, and North Hills have clinched playoff spots
– West Allegheny clinches the Conference Title with a win over Woodland Hills
Big East Conference
– Armstrong clinches a playoff spot with a win over Connellsville and a loss by Kiski or Gateway
– McKeesport clinches a playoff spot with a win over Gateway
– Gateway clinches a playoff spot with a win over McKeesport and a Kiski loss
4A
Game of the Week
West Mifflin at Belle Vernon
Despite losing to Ringgold last week, West Mifflin clinched a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth thanks to only losing by 3. This means the worst case scenario for the Titans (a 3-way tie with Ringgold and Trinity where West Mifflin loses their last two games by 10+) would still result in West Mifflin winning the tiebreaker on WPIAL Point Differential with a +27 margin (Trinity can only get to +24). A bigger hurt than losing the game was star running back Howie Reid (876 yards, 16 TDs) suffering a leg injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season. The Titans were the second-highest scoring team in 4A, averaging over 46 points per game before being held to 26 by Ringgold last week. Without Reid, they will need to lean on Russell Tyree (385 yards, 7 TDs) and Maryce Johnson (207 yards, 1 TD) who are both averaging over 6 yards per carry. Dual-threat QB Gary Galiyas has averaged just over 5 pass attempts per game but will have to take on a bigger role in both aspects of the offense. Galiyas has thrown for 547 yards and 11 TDs and rushed for 271 yards and 3 TDs. Leading receiver Darnell Carey has accounted for nearly half of West Mifflin’s receiving yards with 254 yards and has added 160 yards on the ground and found the end zone 10 times. Belle Vernon is also coming off their first loss of the season after being thoroughly dismantled 55-0 by conference leader Thomas Jefferson. The Leopards also feature a dual-threat QB in Mike Fine who has thrown for 684 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 386 yards and 8 TDs. Senior RB Nick Hall leads the team with 629 yards and 8 TDs. On the outside, Fine’s primary targets have been Tim Labuda (294 yards, 7 TDs) and Logan Pfrogner (172 yards, 4 TDs). A Belle Vernon win would clinch the conference title for Thomas Jefferson and secure a home playoff game for Belle Vernon. West Mifflin could still win the conference title with a win this week and a victory over rival Thomas Jefferson next week.
Honorable Mentions: Ringgold at New Castle, Blackhawk at Montour
Ringgold against New Castle is an intriguing non-conference game between two playoff teams that will likely finish third or fourth in their respective conferences. It should provide a good measuring stick between the conferences and could dictate how the WPIAL seeds the 4A teams in the middle of the bracket. Blackhawk is looking for their first playoff appearance since 2012 (and only their second since 2008 when they went to Heinz Field) and could secure it with a win over Montour. Montour needs a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Playoff Scenarios
Northwest Nine Conference
– South Fayette and Mars have clinched playoff spots
– South Fayette clinches the Conference Title with a win over Highlands
– Mars clinches a home playoff game with a win over Indiana
– Blackhawk clinches a playoff spot (their first since 2012) with a win over Montour
– New Castle plays a non-conference game but clinches a playoff spot with a Montour loss
Big Nine Conference
– Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon, and West Mifflin have clinched playoff spots
– Thomas Jefferson clinches the conference title with a win over Laurel Highlands and a West Mifflin loss
– Belle Vernon clinches a home playoff game with a win over West Mifflin
– Ringgold plays a non-conference game but clinches a playoff spot with a Trinity loss
3A
Game of the Week
Aliquippa at Central Valley
Hold on to your butts. With Beaver Falls beating Central Valley last week, the much-debated Beaver Valley Conference will essentially come down to two games. Assuming neither Beaver Falls (this week) or Aliquippa (next week) lose to Hopewell, the Aliquippa-Central Valley game this week and the Beaver-Beaver Falls game next week will essentially function as play-in games for the playoffs. The winners of the two games will claim the top two spots in the conference while the losers will revert to a head-to-head tiebreaker to determine who finishes third and which team has to (wrongfully) watch the playoffs from home. Aliquippa has lost two regular season games this season, one to Beaver which was their first loss to a WPIAL team not named “South Fayette” and outside of Heinz Field since 2009. The Quips also lost to Clairton in the much-anticipated showdown two weeks ago. This was the first time since 2008 that the Quips lost two regular season games, and that season they still went on to win the WPIAL title by avenging a loss to Beaver Falls at Heinz Field. Aliquippa has been led by the backfield tandem of Avante McKenzie (860 yards, 9 TDs) and Davion Jones (751 yards, 8 TDs). Eli Kosanovich and Kwantell Raines have split time at quarterback with Kosanovich throwing for 215 yards and 5 TDs. Raines has been utilized all over the field, throwing for 257 yards and 1 TD, rushing for 77 yards and adding 89 receiving yards while finding the end zone 6 times. Antwan Brooks leads the Quips with 146 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Central Valley has utilized a balanced offensive attack this season led by dual-threat QB Nico Battisti who has thrown for 956 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 482 yards and 8 TDs. Junior RB Danny Santia leads the Warriors in rushing with 529 yards and 13 TDs. Battisti has been able to spread the ball around on the outside between Cameron Drake (513 yards, 3 TDs), Anthony Mendocino (234 yards, 2 TDs), and Aris Tatalovich (147 yards, 1 TD).
Honorable Mentions: Apollo-Ridge at Valley, Freeport at Keystone Oaks, Hopewell at Beaver Falls, Elizabeth Forward at South Park, Beaver at Mt Pleasant
With only 8 teams making the playoffs in 3A, there are a plethora of games that have massive implications each week. Valley and Apollo-Ridge currently sit second and third in the Allegheny Conference. A loss in this game could put a serious dent in Apollo-Ridge’s playoff hopes while a Valley loss could throw things into disarray as both Freeport and Seton-La Salle are also currently sitting with 2 losses. Freeport faces conference leader Keystone Oaks and will need to come up with another monster defensive effort against the offensive powerhouse of the Golden Eagles if they want to have a chance to make the playoffs. Beaver Falls needs to beat Hopewell in order to keep pace in the Beaver Valley conference while Beaver takes on Mt Pleasant in non-conference play. If Beaver somehow falls to third in the conference, this head-to-head win over Mt Pleasant (or at least the Gardner Points) could come in handy for the third place Wild Card tiebreaker. Elizabeth Forward and South Park
Playoff Scenarios
Beaver Valley Conference
– Central Valley clinches a playoff spot with a win over Aliquippa
Allegheny Conference
– Keystone Oaks clinches the Conference Title with a win over Freeport
– Valley clinches a playoff spot with a win over Apollo-Ridge AND a Freeport loss
– Apollo-Ridge clinches a playoff spot with a win over Valley AND a Freeport loss
Interstate Conference
– Derry has clinched the Conference Title
2A
Game of the Week
Burgettstown at Washington
Washington took a commanding stranglehold on the Century Conference last week with a 28-6 win over Chartiers-Houston. The Little Prexies can secure the conference title by beating Burgettstown this week. Burgettstown secured a playoff spot two weeks ago with significantly less drama than last season where it took a 14-point comeback to top Derry then a Week 9 victory to get the Blue Devils to the postseason. Last year, I was the only person in Western Pennsylvania to correctly predict Burgettstown’s playoff qualification, and everyone else who jumped on the bandwagon this year is just copycats. Washington features a balanced offensive attack led by senior QB Connor Bedillion (621 yards, 12 TDs). Most of his passes have gone to one of the Isaiah’s – either senior Isaiah Robinson (352 yards, 5 TDs), senior Isaiah Perry (128 yards, 2 TDs) or junior Isaiah Schoonmaker (58 yards, 2 TDs). Out of the backfield, the Prexies have used a running back by committee approach, splitting carries between Lyle Webb (344 yards, 6 TDs), Zyan Wallace (284 yards, 3 TDs), Ronnie Paith (270 yards, 5 TDs), and Nick Welsh (250 yards, 3 TDs). This game lost a little of its luster after Burgettstown fell to Charleroi last week in a Saturday afternoon game, which may have cost them a chance at a home playoff game. The Blue Devils have been led by dual-threat QB Brad McLaughlin who has thrown for 951 yards and 11 TDs while leading the team in rushing with 407 yards and 5 TDs. Leading receiver Ryan Lounder has accounted for 369 yards and 8 TDs while Reed Reitter has added 318 yards and 3 TDs. Junior RB Nic Spear has rushed for 270 yards and 1 TD.
Honorable Mentions: South Side Beaver at CWNC, Serra at Steel Valley
CWNC lost a close game to Riverside last week which will leave them relying on the Wild Card formula to get a home playoff game, provided the Trojans win out. South Side Beaver is currently in 6th place and may also need to benefit from the Wild Card formula to get into the playoffs. Steel Valley has been absolutely dominant this season and looks head and shoulders better than everyone else in 2A. Serra Catholic clinched their first playoff berth since 2009 last week by beating Carlynton 12-0.
Playoff Scenarios
Century Conference
– Washington, Chartiers-Houston, and Burgettstown have clinched playoff spots
– Washington clinches the Conference Title with a win over Burgettstown
– Chartiers-Houston plays a non-conference game but clinches a home playoff game with a Frazier loss
– Frazier clinches a playoff spot with a win over Bentworth
– Beth-Center clinches a playoff spot with a win over Charleroi and a Bentworth loss
Midwestern Conference
– Neshannock and Riverside have clinched playoff spots
– Neshannock clinches the Conference Title with a win over Freedom
– CWNC clinches a playoff spot with a win over South Side Beaver
– Freedom clinches a playoff spot with a win over Neshannock OR a New Brighton loss
– Laurel clinches a playoff spot with a win over New Brighton
Three Rivers Conference
– Steel Valley, East Allegheny, Brentwood, and Serra Catholic have clinched playoff spots
– Steel Valley clinches the Conference Title with a win over Serra AND a Brentwood loss
– Avonworth clinches a playoff spot with a win over South Allegheny
1A
Game of the Week
Fort Cherry at Carmichaels
The Tri-County South Conference has been building up to this matchup over the last few weeks, which will decide the Conference Title. Fort Cherry and Carmichaels have been the best teams in the conference all season. Fort Cherry enters with an unblemished record while Carmichaels’ only setback was a 45-28 loss to OLSH in non-conference play. Fort Cherry has been led by junior QB Ryhan Culberson who transferred from South Fayette this season. Culberson has thrown for 536 yards and 11 TDs and rushed for 734 yards while also playing some snaps at wide receiver, adding 142 yards, and scoring 16 total TDs. Brady Whalen has also played some snaps at QB, throwing for 441 yards and 4 TDs. Scott Miller leads the Rangers in receiving with 448 yards and 9 TDs while Devon Brown, Nick Rogers, and Logan Higham are all averaging over 12 yards per catch. Carmichaels has relied heavily on their running game this season with 4 players each getting over 50 carries and all tallying over 300 yards. Joey Minor (384 yards, 3 TDs) has gotten the most carries while Brennen Pelzer (306 yards, 8 TDs) leads the Mighty Mikes in scoring. Senior QB Jonathan Christopher has thrown for 661 yards and 5 TDs and rushed for 379 yards and 7 TDs. Cody Brown leads the team in receiving with 187 yards and has also rushed for 355 yards and scored 6 times.
Honorable Mentions: Springdale at Imani, Monessen at Avella, Shenango at OLSH
OLSH has been a surprisingly good team this season and is in position to make the playoffs for the first time in school history with a win over Shenango. Shenango started the season 0-4 but have not lost since the calendar flipped to October and have themselves back in position to battle for a playoff spot. The top three spots in the Eastern Conference have been solidified and Springdale can lock up a spot with a win over Imani, who still have a shot to win a mutli-team tie and make the playoffs. The bottom of the Tri-County South is a mess where four teams are in contention for the 5th and final playoff spot. West Greene currently leads the way with a 2-4 conference record with Monessen and Jefferson-Morgan both sitting at 1-4 and Avella trailing at 1-5. Avella has a head-to-head win over West Greene, so if the Eagles can beat Monessen they’ll be right back in the playoff conversation. Monessen lost to West Greene last week and the Greyhounds likely need to win out in order to make the playoffs.
Playoff Scenarios
Big 7 Conference
– Rochester, Northgate, and Sto-Rox have clinched playoff spots
– Rochester has clinched a home playoff game
– Rochester clinches the Conference Title with a win over Union
– Northgate clinches a home playoff game with a win over Summit Academy
– OLSH clinches their first playoff spot in school history with a win over Shenango OR a Union loss
– Shenango clinches a playoff spot with a win over OLSH AND a Union loss
Eastern Conference
– Clairton and Jeannette have clinched home playoff games
– Bishop Canevin has clinched a playoff spot
– Springdale clinches a playoff spot with a win over Imani AND a Riverview loss
– GCC clinches a playoff spot with a win over Bishop Canevin AND a Riverview loss
Tri-County South
– Carmichaels and Fort Cherry have clinched home playoff games
– The winner of Carmichaels-Fort Cherry wins the Conference title
– California clinches a playoff spot with a win over Jefferson-Morgan
– Mapletown plays a non-conference game but clinches a playoff spot with a Monessen loss
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
