The final week of the WPIAL regular season has arrived. There are 11 playoff spots that remain up for grabs. Earlier this week, I detailed all of the possible playoff scenarios. In Class 6A and 2A, all of the playoff spots have been determined and teams are simply playing for seeding position and the home playoff games. In 6A, Central Catholic has clinched the Northern Seven Conference title with the Southeastern Conference title to be decided this week. In 5A, West Allegheny has clinched the Allegheny Nine Conference title while either Armstrong or McKeesport will win the Big East Conference. The final playoff spot in 5A will be decided between Franklin Regional, Kiski, and Penn-Trafford. South Fayette has clinched the Northwest Nine Conference title in Class 4A while the Thomas Jefferson-West Mifflin game will decide the Big Nine crown. There are two remaining playoff berths to be decided from the Northwest Nine Conference between New Castle, Montour, and Blackhawk. Class 3A has the most variables, since only 8 teams make the playoffs. Half of the playoff spots have been clinched and Keystone Oaks and Derry have clinched their conference titles. In 2A, Neshannock and Washington have clinched their conference titles and the Three Rivers Conference crown will be decided between Steel Valley and Brentwood. In 1A, the rematch of last year’s Championship Game between Clairton and Jeannette will decide the Eastern Conference title while four playoff spots are still up for grabs.
Last week, three of the teams with long losing streaks finally got off the schnide. Albert Gallatin entered the week on a WPIAL-leading 31-game losing streak and battled their way to a 26-20 win over Uniontown. The Colonials could get their second win of the year this week when they face winless Laurel Highlands. In a cross-classification matchup, Leechburg and Brownsville went to overtime with Leechburg emerging victorious 35-34. Mohawk entered last week on a 17-game losing streak having scored just 65 points through the first 7 weeks of the season then scored 67 in a rout of Vincentian.
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
Games of the Week
North Allegheny at Pine-Richland
The Northern Seven Conference rivals will face off with a home playoff game on the line. Both teams have dealt with injuries this season with North Allegheny’s stars missing time early in the season while Pine-Richland star QB Phil Jurkovec was lost at the midpoint of the year. Since then, Pine-Richland has averaged 32 points per game, a full 10 points per game lower than before Jurkovec’s injury. Max DeVinney has stepped in and played admirably for 3 games, throwing for 852 yards and 5 TDs, including a school record 384 yards last week against Butler. Ray Falcone leads the WPIAL in receiving with 953 yards and 9 TDs. Jordan Crawford leads the team in rushing with 670 yards and is second in receiving with 425 yards and has scored 16 times. North Allegheny has been led by dual-threat QB Ethan Maenza who has thrown for 838 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 915 yards and 15 TDs. Only 4 players in WPIAL history have thrown and rushed for 1000 yards in a regular season – Ringgold’s Nico Law and Serra Catholic’s Zac Quattrone in 2013 and Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec and Beaver’s Darius Wise in 2015. Maenza’s main target has been Niko Mermigas (595 yards, 9 TDs) while Mike Pope has helped to share the load out of the backfield, rushing for 532 yards and 6 TDs.
Mt Lebanon at Bethel Park
The four playoff teams in the Southeastern Conference are set, but the Conference title will be decided by this game. Bethel Park is assured of a home game but Mt Lebanon could fall all the way to third with a loss and a Hempfield win over Norwin. Both teams have hindered resumes because of losses to the elite teams of the Northern Seven Conference (though both played close games against North Allegheny and Pine-Richland). Bethel Park has been winning with defense this year, ranking 2nd in Class 6A allowing less than 17 points per game. On the other hand, Mt Lebanon boasts the highest-scoring offense at over 37 points per game. The Black Hawks have a balanced attack between QB Cole Rogers (1252 yards, 9 TDs) and RB Terron Murphy (914 yards, 8 TDs). Rogers’ favorite targets have been Zachary Taylor (434 yards, 3 TDs) and Jeremy Wodarek (344 yards, 4 TDs). The Blue Devils have been similarly balanced with QB James Stocker throwing for 1653 yards and 14 TDs and RB David Harvey rushing for 1161 yards and 15 TDs. The Blue Devils have a talented group of receivers led by Jack Young (719 yards, 7 TDs), Edgar Parrilla (390 yards, 6 TDs), and Patrick Moeller (287 yards, 2 TDs).
Honorable Mentions: Hempfield at Norwin, Central Catholic at Penn Hills
Hempfield and Norwin have both qualified for the playoffs. If Norwin wins, they will finish third in the Southeastern Conference and Hempfield fourth. If Hempfield wins, they will finish second and get a home playoff game if Bethel Park beats Mt Lebanon or finish third if Mt Lebanon wins. Central Catholic has already clinched the Northern Seven Conference title and is almost assuredly the top seed in the 6A playoffs. Penn Hills will miss the playoffs for the second time in the last 5 years. This game provides the opportunity for the WPIAL’s leading passer (Penn Hills’ Cam Tarrant) to take on the best defense in 6A.
5A
Games of the Week
Upper St Clair at Woodland Hills
Over the last three weeks, both teams have been crushed by Allegheny Nine Conference Champion West Allegheny. Now, Upper St Clair and Woodland Hills enter Week 9 fighting for a home playoff game. Upper St Clair started the season hot, averaging over 35 points per game, then hit a mid-season lull and scored just 44 points over their next 3 games. Last week, RB Thomas Vissman returned from injury and rushed for 127 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Panthers in a rout of Hampton. In his absence, Blake Kadar ran for 588 yards and 6 TDs and Colim McLinden ran for 394 yards and 8 TDs. Junior QB Jack Hansberry has thrown for 697 yards and 7 TDs, primarily to Dom Cepullio (293 yards, 6 TDs), Jackson Geisler (120 yards, 1 TD), and Khalil Jackson (113 yards). Woodland Hills has also sputtered down the stretch after a hot start, winning close games against middle-of-the-pack teams in North Hills and Moon then getting mercy rule’d by West Allegheny last week. Daniel Jones (568 yards, 2 TDs) and Michael Whiteherse (283 yards, 1 TD) have split time at quarterback this season, primarily throwing to Avram Abramovits (392 yards, 4 TDs). The Wolverines have continued their tradition of a strong running game led by Ja’Juan Hill (626 yards, 10 TDs) and Saeed Hold (557 yards, 13 TDs).
Franklin Regional at Gateway
Only one playoff spot in Class 5A remains up for grabs, and the simplest scenario is a Franklin Regional victory clinches the spot for the Panthers. Franklin Regional could finish as high as second in the conference (and get a home playoff game) depending on the result of the Kiski-Armstrong game, or could miss the playoffs entirely with a loss. Kiski and Penn-Trafford’s playoff hopes rest solely on Franklin Regional losing this game. The Panthers offense has improved as the year has progressed and they boast a stout defense – the only one this year to slow down Armstrong’s Zane Dudek who last week broke the WPIAL single-season rushing record. After losing their first two games, Franklin Regional has won 6 in a row thanks to dual-threat QB Simon Behr who has thrown for 876 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for 669 yards and 8 TDs. Stephen Johns (228 yards, 4 TDs) has been the primary complement in the backfield while Zane Flynn (295 yards, 6 TDs), Bennett Verona (208 yards, 2 TDs), and Adam Grajewski (186 yards, 4 TDs) have been Behr’s best weapons on the outside. While Franklin Regional’s defense has been stout against the run, they will face a new challenge this week with Gateway’s passing attack. The Gators have been able to ride QB Brady Walker’s arm to victory as he has thrown for 1589 yards and 14 TDs, primarily to Jaquan Brisker, Dylan Urban and Raushaun Tarrant.
Honorable Mentions: Kiski at Armstrong, McKeesport at Penn-Trafford
Armstrong and McKeesport have clinched playoff spots while Kiski and Penn-Trafford are clinging to their last hopes. Armstrong can win the Conference Title with a victory over Kiski and figure to ride Zane Dudek, who last week broke the WPIAL’s single-season rushing record with 2698 yards and 39 TDs. Kiski’s only hope of getting into the playoffs is with a victory over Armstrong and losses by both Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional. McKeesport can win the conference title with an Armstrong loss while Penn-Trafford needs to win a 3-way tie with Franklin Regional and Kiski in order to get in. This would require Kiski beating Armstrong and a Franklin Regional loss to Gateway with Penn-Trafford making up the 7 points in WPIAL Tiebreaker Points by which they currently trail Franklin Regional.
4A
Games of the Week
Thomas Jefferson at West Mifflin
A rivalry game with the Conference Title on the line. What more could you ask for on the last Friday of the WPIAL season? Thomas Jefferson is the defending AAA Champions and has not lost to a WPIAL opponent since Week 2 of last season and have been dominant through 8 weeks this year, averaging 54 points per game and allowing just 5 points per game. The Jaguars unstoppable offense has been very balanced this year with QB Bobby Kelley throwing for 1210 yards and 21 TDs, primarily to Zane Zandier (568 yards, 12 TDs) and Jon Muehlbauer (431 yards, 9 TDs). On the ground Quinton Hill has run for 1098 yards and 22 TDs with Justin Vigna and Luke Petruzzi both averaging over 9 yards per carry. On defense, TJ has been one of the most dominant squads in the entire WPIAL, pitching 5 shutouts in 8 games and not allowing more than two scores in any game. West Mifflin has been forced to adapt to life without star running back Howie Reid after he broke his ankle in week 7. The Titans rolled over Belle Vernon 26-9 last week thanks to 122 yards and 3 TDs from Russell Tyree. West Mifflin QB Gary Galiyas has not had to put the ball in the air much this year, averaging less than 6 attempts per game, but has thrown for 567 yards and 11 TDs while also rushing for 329 yards and 3 TDs. Darnell Carey (254 yards, 10 TDs) and Brody Bellante (141 yards, 2 TDs) lead the Titans receiving corps.
CASKET MATCH
New Castle at Blackhawk
There are two playoff spots remaining in Class 4A, the third and fourth spots from the Northwest Nine Conference. This is a true Casket Match with the winner going to the postseason and the loser likely going home. New Castle can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Blackhawk or a Montour loss. Blackhawk trails by just one game and has played a number of tight games this season, blowing 21-point leads to Mars and South Fayette while squeaking out wins over Knoch and Highlands. The Cougars can also clinch a playoff spot with a win over New Castle. New Castle has been led by two D1 recruits in dual-threat QB Geno Stone (931 passing yards, 11 passing TDs, 430 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs) and Marcus Hooker (204 rushing yards, 281 receiving yards, 13 total TDs). Garrett Farah (396 yards, 5 TDs) is the leading receiver and Lorenzo Gardner (413 yards, 6 TDs) has been effective on the ground. Stone and Hooker also make up a shutdown tandem in the secondary for New Castle’s defense. Blackhawk also features a dual-threat QB in Michael Savilisky who has thrown for 764 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 442 yards and 6 TDs. Tyler Hill leads the Cougars in receiving with 416 yards and 7 TDs and Kyle Peterson leads the team in rushing with 565 yards and 2 TDs.
Honorable Mentions: Montour at South Fayette
Montour currently sits in fourth place in the Northwest Nine Conference while South Fayette has clinched the conference title. Montour beat Blackhawk head-to-head so they will get in to the playoffs with a win over South Fayette or with a Blackhawk loss. If Montour and Blackhawk both win, there would be a 3-way tie at 5-3 between New Castle, Montour, and Blackhawk. Montour would get the 3rd place spot based on Gardner Points then Blackhawk would get the fourth place spot with their head-to-head victory over New Castle.
3A
Games of the Week
Beaver Falls at Beaver
This is the Game of the Week in the entire WPIAL and will be the single most impactful game on any playoff race. Just 2 teams automatically qualifying for the 3A playoffs from each conference along with 2 of the 3 third place teams earning Wild Cards. This means that at least one out of the quartet of Beaver Valley Conference teams will not make the playoffs. The scenarios in the conference are relatively simple. Aliquippa has clinched a playoff spot. If Beaver beats Beaver Falls, the Bobcats will win the Conference title while Beaver Falls finishes 3rd and Central Valley misses the playoffs. If Beaver Falls beats Beaver, the Tigers will clinch a playoff berth and Central Valley will finish 3rd with Beaver missing the playoffs. If Central Valley finishes third they will win one of the two Wild Cards. A Beaver Falls win and an Aliquippa win would give the Quips the Conference Title with Beaver Falls getting a home playoff game. Beaver Falls needs a win and an Aliquippa loss to win the Conference Title. There are 192 different possible results for the 6 games that will influence the 3A playoffs, and there are scenarios where Beaver Falls finishes 3rd (with a loss to Beaver) and does not win the Wild Card.
For this game, both teams do control their own destiny to make the playoffs and can get there with a win. Beaver features one of the best all-around players in Class 3A in Darius Wise who has thrown for 741 yards and 8 TDs and rushed for 1363 yards and 24 TDs. Te’Vierre Williams has been a threat all over the field for Beaver, rushing for 435 yards and adding 103 receiving yards and scoring 5 times. Wise is the heart and soul of their team and will face a big challenge against Beaver Falls’ defense, led by Michigan recruit Donovan Jeter, that has not allowed more than 3 scores to any team since their Week 1 loss to Aliquippa. On offense, the Tigers have relied solely on Austin French under center, and he has thrown for 785 yards and 9 TDs while Neshaud Akins has run for 657 yards and 9 TDs. Beaver Falls will cycle players all over the field. Malik Shepherd has run for 491 yards and leads the team in receiving with 181 yards and has scored 7 times. Derrell Carter has accounted for 440 yards of total offense and 5 TDs.
Yough at South Park
In the Interstate Conference, there is a casket match between South Park who is 4-2 in conference play and Yough who is 3-3. South Park currently sits in third place and both teams are in the race for the Wild Card. Because Elizabeth Forward (4-3) plays a non-conference game this week, the possibility for a 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way tie exists if McGuffey beats Derry or Mt Pleasant loses to Southmoreland. Despite the ties, the scenarios are simple. South Park clinches a playoff spot (in second place) with a win and a Mt Pleasant loss. South Park finishes third with a win over Yough or with a loss by fewer than 9 points. Yough has to win by at least 9 points in order to win the 3-way tie with South Park and Elizabeth Forward and jump into third place. Either team would have a chance at the Wild Card depending on the results in the Beaver Valley and Allegheny Conference games. South Park has turned around their season after a 1-5 start by winning their last 3. The Eagles have relied on dual-threat QB Jordan Kmonk who has thrown for 1015 yards and 8 TDs and rushed for 432 yards and 6 TDs. On the other side, the Cougars have featured a balanced offensive attack with Dustin Shoaf rushing for 1044 yards and 9 TDs and Ryan Everly throwing for 888 yards and 6 TDs.
Honorable Mentions: Hopewell at Aliquippa, Derry at McGuffey, Keystone Oaks at Seton-La Salle, Valley at Freeport
The top two spots in the Allegheny Conference are already locked up with Keystone Oaks winning the conference title and Apollo-Ridge finishing second. Seton-La Salle and Valley are fighting for third with Valley holding the advantage because of a head-to-head win. Valley clinches third place with a win over Freeport. Valley can not catch Seton-La Salle in Tiebreaker Points, so a Valley loss to Freeport would give Seton-La Salle an advantage in a 3-way tie scenario for third place. Regardless of the result of the Seton-KO rivalry game, Seton will finish third if Valley loses. As mentioned above, Aliquippa has clinched a home playoff game but needs to beat Hopewell and have Beaver Falls beat Beaver in order to win the Conference Title. Derry has clinched the Interstate Conference title and is the only undefeated team left in 3A while McGuffey needs a win and losses by Mt Pleasant and Yough in order to finish third and have a shot at the Wild Card. I broke down all of the possible scenarios earlier this week.
Here is a breakdown of the current teams that could possibly win the Wild Card:
| Team | Wild Card Record |
Tiebreakers | Overall Record |
PF | PA | Wild Card Wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner | WPIAL | ||||||
 Beaver Falls |
5-1 | 100 | 36 | 7-1 | 301 | 128 |      |
| Central Valley |
5-2 | 130 | 33 | 6-2 | 281 | 132 |   |
 Mt Pleasant |
4-2 | 110 | 23 | 5-3 | 246 | 139 |     |
| South Park |
4-2 | 80 | 16 | 4-4 | 162 | 166 |  |
 Valley |
4-2 | 70 | 8 | 5-3 | 206 | 246 |     |
| Seton-La Salle |
4-2 | 60 | 27 | 5-3 | 232 | 194 |  |
| Yough |
3-3 | 40 | -1 | 4-4 | 168 | 182 | |
| McGuffey |
3-3 | 50 | 1 | 4-4 | 117 | 148 | |
2A
Games of the Week
Steel Valley at Brentwood
Class 2A is one of just two classifications (along with 6A) that have all of the playoff spots solidified heading into the final week of the season. This game will decide the Three Rivers Conference title. Steel Valley has been the dominant team in 2A this season, averaging over 57 points per game and allowing just over a touchdown per game. The Ironmen have been led by the tandem of DeWayne Murray and Paris Ford. Murray has shouldered the load in the running game, rushing for 1126 yards and 26 TDs while Ford has been a force all over the field on offense, defense, and special teams, scoring 9 times. Leading receiver ZaiQuan Henderson has scored 10 touchdowns. Brentwood has featured a balanced attack this season but will be challenged by the speed and athleticism of Steel Valley. The Spartans have been led by Dorian Bowie who has rushed for 440 yards and leads the team in receiving with 449 yards and has scored 13 times while also throwing a handful of passes for 141 yards and 3 TDs. QB Michael Trent has thrown for 911 yards and 8 TDs. Evan Vickless (435 yards, 8 TDs) has split carries in the backfield while Austin Veatch (448 yards, 5 TDs) is their second-leading receiver.
Honorable Mentions: Chartiers-Houston at Frazier, Freedom at CWNC
All of the playoff spots in 2A are decided, and these two games will determine which teams will be the Wild Card and which will get a home playoff game. Frazier can get a home playoff game with a victory over Chartiers-Houston but if they lose Burgettstown will finish 3rd in the Century Conference. If Frazier loses, Burgettstown will get a home playoff game unless Washington, Charleroi, Mohawk, and New Brighton all win, in which case the third place team from the Midwestern Conference would get the final home playoff game. In the Midwestern Conference, CWNC can finish 3rd with a win over Freedom but would fall all the way to 6th (and be the Wild Card) if they lose with Laurel finishing 3rd. Whoever finishes third would need the above four teams to win plus Frazier losing to Chartiers-Houston in order to get a home playoff game.
1A
Games of the Week
Clairton at Jeannette
These teams met twice last season – once to decide the Conference Title and once again at Heinz Field in the WPIAL Championship. Jeannette has not beaten Clairton since moving down to Class A three years ago. Both teams enter the game undefeated and are clearly the top teams in Class 1A. Jeannette has allowed just 24 points this season and has pitched six straight shutouts. The Jayhawks have not allowed a point since Week 2 and are averaging over 48 points per game. Jeannette has been led by dual-threat QB Gio Vonne Sanders who has thrown for 1143 yards and 18 TDs and rushed for 453 yards and 11 TDs. Kareem Hall leads the Jayhawks in rushing with 751 yards and has added 220 receiving yards and scored 13 times. Robert Kennedy has also scored 13 TDs between his 321 rushing yards and 269 receiving yards. Clairton, on the other hand, is Clairton. The Bears are averaging over 55 points per game and have not allowed any team to score more than twice against them, with the 16 they gave up to Aliquippa being the most they allowed on the season. The Bears have been led by Lamont Wade, one of the top 10 recruits in the nation, who has rushed for 1410 yards and 20 TDs. QB Noah Hamlin has thrown for 530 yards and 7 TDs while rushing for 528 yards and 15 TDs. The Bears are loaded all over the field, including at wide receiver where Tre’Sean Howard and Delvin Clifford are averaging over 15 yards per reception.
CASKET MATCHES
Springdale at GCC
Four of the five playoff spots in the Eastern Conference have been clinched. The winner of this game will clinch the last one. If Springdale wins, GCC is out and Riverview will finish 6th and have a shot at the Wild Card. If GCC wins, Riverview is out and Springdale will finish 6th and have a shot at the Wild Card. Both of these teams are sliding to the finish. Springdale started 4-2 but has lost 3 in a row while GCC’s only 2 wins are in conference play and they have not scored more than 28 points in a game all year. The Dynamos feature a run-heavy offense, relying on Ben Sowinski (1008 yards, 9 TDs) and Ethan McFarland (350 yards, 6 TDs). Conversely, GCC has been a pass-heavy offense led by QB Dom Eisaman (1222 yards, 10 TDs) and has leaned on RB Alvin Ross (397 rush yards, 328 receiving yards, 4 total TDs) as their primary playmaker.
Union at Shenango
This is a true Casket Match in the Big Seven Conference. The winner of this game will finish in 5th place and make the playoffs for just the third time in the last decade while the loser will finish 6th. Union can not win the Wild Card if they finish 6th so a loss would end their season. Shenango can win the Wild Card with a 6th place finish so the Wildcats would remain alive with a loss. Shenango rebounded from an 0-4 start to win 3 of their last 4 and get themselves back into playoff position while Union has lost 3 of their last 4 since the calendar flipped to October. Shenango has balanced their offense between QB Max Reamer (519 yards, 4 TDs) and RB Braden Smiley (527 yards, 5 TDs) with Lou Domenick (242 receiving yards, 222 rushing yards, 7 total TDs) serving as the big play threat. Union has been led by junior RB Tre’von Charles who has run for 11 TDs this season.
Honorable Mentions: OLSH at Sto-Rox, California at West Greene, Jefferson-Morgan at Fort Cherry
In the Big Seven Conference, the winner of OLSH-StoRox will finish third and get a home playoff game. This is the first playoff appearance for OLSH in their school’s history. West Greene has a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993 but need a win over California to finish 5th. Avella plays a non-conference game but could finish 5th with losses by West Greene and Jefferson-Morgan. Jefferson-Morgan could still make the playoffs but would need a win over Fort Cherry and losses by West Greene and Monessen. West Greene is the only Tri-County South team that can win the Wild Card.
Here are the profiles of the 4 teams that remain eligible for the Wild Card:
| Team | Wild Card Record |
Tiebreakers | Overall Record |
PF | PA | Wild Card Wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner | WPIAL | ||||||
 Springdale |
3-4 | 40 | -10 | 4-4 | 179 | 186 |    |
 Shenango |
3-4 | 40 | -12 | 3-5 | 166 | 249 |    |
 West Greene |
3-4 | 20 | -10 | 3-5 | 148 | 188 |  |
| Riverview |
3-5 | 40 | -23 | 3-5 | 104 | 222 |   |
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