Here’s a breakdown of Friday’s WPIAL Class 2A and 1A football championships, including comments on both teams and a prediction from an anonymous opposing coach.
WPIAL CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP
Beaver Falls (8-5) vs. Steel Valley (10-1), 2 p.m. Friday at Acrisure Stadium
Head coaches: Nick Nardone (Beaver Falls); Ray Braszo (Steel Valley).
Leading passers: Da’Sean Anderson (Beaver Falls) 53 of 92, 789 yards, 5 touchdowns; Tyson Barron (Steel Valley) 31 of 49, 577 yards, 7 touchdowns.
Leading rushers: Da’Talian Beauford (Beaver Falls) 185 carries, 1,417 yards, 19 touchdowns; Donald Barksdale (Steel Valley) 243 carries, 1,965 yards, 34 touchdowns.
Leading receivers: Di’Nari Harris (Beaver Falls) 23 catches, 403 yards, 5 touchdowns; Del Shields (Steel Valley) 12 catches, 288 yards, 4 touchdowns.
An opposing coach says …
Size up Beaver Falls: They like to run the ball. I don’t think they throw the ball as well as they had in years past, so I think they’re a little more one-dimensional. They have good size up front. They run hard and cram it up in there. They trust their line and give a lot of effort.
Size up Steel Valley: They’re a very physical football team. It’s hard to judge the degree of physicality on film. And, quite honestly, [Donald] Barksdale is probably one of the best backs I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been coaching for a long time.
How do you see this game playing out? I think Steel Valley overall will be a more physical football team. And I think Beaver Falls is a good football team. I think Barksdale is a kid that a lot of teams don’t have an answer for.
Prediction: Steel Valley 35-18.
WPIAL CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIP
Fort Cherry (13-0) vs. South Side (13-0), 11 a.m. Saturday at Acrisure Stadium
Head coaches: Tanner Garry (Fort Cherry); Luke Travelpiece (South Side).
Leading passers: Matt Sieg (Fort Cherry) 63 of 110, 1,338 yards, 18 touchdowns; Brody Almashy (South Side) 50 of 98, 1,082 yards, 17 touchdowns.
Leading rushers: Matt Sieg (Fort Cherry) 158 carries, 1,758 yards, 36 touchdowns; Ryan Navarra (South Side) 142 carries, 1,369 yards, 26 touchdowns.
Leading receivers: Shane Cornali (Fort Cherry) 24 catches, 488 yards, 8 touchdowns; Carter Wilson (South Side) 18 catches, 245 yards, 4 touchdowns.
An opposing coach says …
Size up Fort Cherry: Of course, their quarterback. Matt Sieg is what makes them go, but their offensive line is good, too. They’re strong and come off the ball well. And they have some other weapons to complement [Sieg] overall. They also play good defense.
Size up South Side: Their defensive line and offensive lines are really good. With South Side, you kind of have a combination of people who can run the football. The quarterback throws the ball well, so you have to defend the whole field. Plus, they run the wing-T, which a lot of teams don’t see all season.
How do you see this game playing out? These teams are really even, and I think it’s going to be a high-scoring game.
Prediction: South Side 34-28.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.