Buckle up the chin straps, whip up a thermos of hot chocolate and get the bands ready to play some tunes … the WPIAL playoffs are here.
It’s that most wonderful time of the year, as the playoffs get underway Friday for five of the six classes. Class 6A, which has just four teams, will join the postseason party next week.
As a reminder, the championship sites were changed just a little this season. Class 6A and Class 4A finalists will meet Nov. 16 at Norwin High School, while Classes 5A, 3A, 2A and 1A finalists will take aim for titles Nov. 23 at Acrisure Stadium.
Here’s a breakdown of each class, along with predicted champions from the PUP high school sports staff:
CLASS 6A
No. 1 seed: Central Catholic. As usual, Central Catholic is loaded with talent and is well coached, but the Vikings have something else on their side this season. They’re not hungry but starving to win a WPIAL title. Several of their players have said as much. Not often does a senior class at Central Catholic go through their four years without winning a WPIAL title. But for standout seniors like Bradley Gompers (Duke recruit) and Xxavier Thomas (Penn State recruit), this serves as their final chance at hoisting the championship trophy after losing in the final the previous three seasons. It’s tough to pick against them. After all, the Vikings have won eight games in a row, average 42.8 points per game, and coordinator Jay Bell’s defense hasn’t surrendered more than 14 points in a game since August.
Sleeper: North Allegheny. Yes, the Tigers are the two-time defending champions and the No. 2 seed, but they qualify as being a sleeper simply because they are being slept on once again. Shouldn’t the pundits have learned their lesson by now? Central Catholic went into the 2022 WPIAL final with more hype, only to lose to North Allegheny, 35-21. And then last season, Central Catholic topped North Allegheny in the regular season, only to see the Tigers claim another championship win, this time by a score of 44-41. Central Catholic defeated North Allegheny, 27-14, back on Sept. 27, but don’t be surprised if coach Art Walker works some more of his magic and helps the Tigers become the first-ever Class 6A team to three-peat.
Keep an eye on … Jy’Aire Walls, Central Catholic. While Gompers, an athletic 6-foot-5 linebacker and a matchup nightmare when he lines up as a pass catcher, is arguably Central Catholic’s most talented player, Walls is one of the Vikings’ most important players. A senior quarterback, Walls has done an excellent job in his first year as a starter after taking over for all-state pick Payton Wehner. Walls has thrown for 1,927 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season, and he has been especially good as of late, completing 70% of his passes for 593 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his past three games.
Upset special: Mt. Lebanon over North Allegheny. Will this happen? Probably not. But there are only two games, and we’ve got to pick one. And really, this isn’t too far-fetched considering North Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon played in a tight one Oct. 4, with North Allegheny topping the host Blue Devils, 28-21. North Allegheny outgained Mt. Lebanon just 286-279. That was Mt. Lebanon’s last conference loss, as the Blue Devils won their last two to earn a playoff spot.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Central Catholic over North Allegheny.
Steve Rotstein: Central Catholic over North Allegheny.
Johnny Santa: Central Catholic over North Allegheny.
CLASS 5A
No. 1 seed: Pine-Richland. The Rams earned the top seed following an 8-1 regular season in which their only loss was to North Allegheny by a touchdown. Considering their talent and the presence of Jon LeDonne as coach, it’s easy to see the Rams making another big run after winning the title in 2022 and finishing as the runner-up to Peters Township last season. History is on their side, too, as they have won titles four of the past seven seasons and have reached the final six of the past seven. The status of quarterback Oobi Strader will be one to monitor. Strader has had a strong season but has missed time recently due to an injury. He seems to be trending in the right direction, though. A Pine-Richland-North Hills matchup in the quarterfinals would be interesting. North Hills played Pine-Richland tight in the regular season before losing, 29-24.
Sleeper: Bethel Park. For most of the season, Bethel Park appeared to be one of the WPIAL’s best teams in any classification, due in large part to an offense that for a while was averaging better than 50 points a game. The team’s stock went down a little following narrow losses to Upper St. Clair and Peters Township, but this is still a very good team, one that has an excellent draw. The fifth-seeded Black Hawks face a Latrobe team in the first round that lost its top player, Alex Tatsch, to a season-ending injury. And if the Black Hawks get past the Wildcats, they’ll face a Woodland Hills team that has major issues at the quarterback position (see below). Bethel Park won its only WPIAL title in 2008, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Black Hawks win a second next month.
Keep an eye on … Scoop Smith, Woodland Hills. With starter Cam Walter sidelined due to an injury and backup Prince Tarrant likely out with an injury as well, a Woodland Hills team that has won seven straight along with the Big East Conference title has a major question mark at the quarterback position. Maybe Smith is the answer. Smith, one of the WPIAL’s most dynamic players, is a wide receiver by trade, but leaning on him as a wildcat quarterback might be an option for the Wolverines, who have a first-round bye and will play the Bethel Park-Latrobe winner in the quarterfinals. Smith isn’t very big, but he’s tough and wouldn’t back down from the challenge. And considering he has run a 10.64 100-meter dash, putting the ball in his hands every play and allowing him to make plays with his legs could benefit the Wolverines.
Upset special: Moon over Penn Hills. The last time these teams met, Moon walked into Penn Hills’ house and handed the No. 1-ranked Indians a 14-13 loss last September. There’s much more on the line in this one. Penn Hills, the No. 7 seed, comes in as the hotter team as it has won six of seven, the only loss coming by 10 points at Pine-Richland. Moon, the No. 10 seed, beat South Fayette, 28-7, last week to help lock up a wild-card bid. The Tigers may only be 5-4, but they have played teams like No. 3 Peters Township and No. 5 Bethel Park very close. It’s not easy to prepare for the Moon offense, and its defense has been very good at times.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Upper St. Clair over Bethel Park.
Steve Rotstein: Peters Township over Bethel Park.
Johnny Santa: Pine-Richland over Peters Township.
CLASS 4A
No. 1 seed: Thomas Jefferson. Just when it looked like coach Bill Cherpak’s boys would be seeded second, West Allegheny knocked off Montour in Week 9, enabling the Jaguars to hop into the top spot. After a couple of down seasons, at least by its lofty standards, Thomas Jefferson has looked like the TJ of old this season, rolling to a 10-0 record and winning all but one of its games by at least two touchdowns. The Jaguars haven’t allowed more than 14 points in a game since Sept. 6, and a balanced offense is headlined by quarterback Luke Kosko, receiver Brayden White and running back Tyler Eber. A Thomas Jefferson championship win would give Cherpak a record 10th WPIAL title.
Sleeper: West Allegheny. Why not West A? Thomas Jefferson might have gotten the first seed, but the committee didn’t do the Jaguars any favors by pitting them against West Allegheny in the first round. It has been an odd season for West Allegheny, which saw its first two games postponed due to weather before dropping three of its next four. However, those losses were to Aliquippa and to Class 5A playoff teams Moon and Peters Township, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of there. The Indians then finished the regular season with three consecutive wins, the most recent being the thrilling 13-7 overtime triumph at previously unbeaten Montour.
Keep an eye on … Tikey Hayes, Aliquippa. Hayes has been banged up for the majority of the season, but he has still run for 757 yards on 82 carries (9.2 yards per carry) and has caught five passes for an additional 142 yards in addition to scoring 11 total touchdowns. The Penn State recruit sat out Aliquippa’s final regular-season game, but chances are he’ll be good to go Friday when the No. 4-seeded Quips host Trinity. Hayes has already won three WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles in his career, so a WPIAL four-peat is within reach. One of the WPIAL’s top all-time rushers, Hayes has run for a school-record 6,643 yards in his career.
Upset special: Mars over Montour. Will No. 2 Montour regroup fast enough to take care of business in the first round? Chances are coach Lou Cerro will have his team locked in and ready to go, but that doesn’t mean that No. 7 Mars won’t make this interesting. The Planets lost four in a row early in the season, but responded with wins in four of their last five games. The teams met in a non-conference game Sept. 20 at Mars, which resulted in a 31-14 Montour win. It was a seven-point game earlier in the fourth quarter, though, and the Planets outgained Montour, 374-321, in the game.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Aliquippa over Montour.
Steve Rotstein: Montour over Aliquippa.
Johnny Santa: Thomas Jefferson over Montour.
CLASS 3A
No. 1 seed: Imani Christian. Fresh off the first unbeaten regular season in program history, the Saints march into the playoffs aiming to win their first WPIAL title. They have reached the final once, losing to Jeannette, 35-34, in the Class 1A title game in 2017. Led by three four-star recruits, Imani has the most talented team in the Class 3A field. But this team isn’t just about recruiting stars. They are about results. That has shown in the Saints winning all but one of their games by at least 14 points. They also own wins against playoff teams Beaver, Highlands, North Catholic, Deer Lakes and Freeport. Sophomore running back Gabe Jenkins has rushed for 1,108 yards and 18 touchdowns, both team highs.
Sleeper: North Catholic. This is a deep sleeper, but maybe it makes up for North Allegheny being labeled a sleeper in Class 6A. North Catholic is the No. 11 seed and travels to No. 6 Deer Lakes in the first round. North Catholic is just 4-6 overall and is 0-5 against teams that qualified for the postseason, but you can never count out a team that, when clicking, has one of the most prolific offenses in the area. Joey Felitsky led the WPIAL in passing and Ryker Kennedy paced the WPIAL in receiving during the regular season for a Trojans team that scored 55 points against Hopewell last week. Deer Lakes owns quality wins against Highlands, Freeport and South Park, but the Lancers were also outscored, 90-0, in losses to Beaver and Imani Christian.
Keep an eye on … Amari Jackson, Beaver. “Action” Jackson seems to always be in the middle of the action for a Beaver team hunting its first WPIAL title in 42 years. A Villanova recruit, Jackson leads the Bobcats in receiving (35 catches, 723 yards), is second in rushing (527) and has accounted for a team-best 24 touchdowns, which includes one passing touchdown. He has also made a big impact defensively with his team-high four interceptions. The Bobcats have won five games in a row and are averaging 42.2 points per game.
Upset special: Highlands over Southmoreland. This was an easy pick. Southmoreland, the No. 8 seed, has never won a playoff game, and the Scotties enter this postseason a banged up bunch to say the least. Several key players will likely miss this one against No. 9 Highlands, which pumped in 51 points per game in winning its final three regular-season games. Three of Highlands’ four losses were by a combined four points, one of them being a 12-10 loss at Imani Christian. Leading the charge for the Golden Rams will be quarterback Menage Lucas, who has rushed for 1,293 yards and passed for 1,288 yards.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Beaver over Central Valley.
Steve Rotstein: Elizabeth Forward over Imani Christian.
Johnny Santa: Imani Christian over Elizabeth Forward.
CLASS 2A
No. 1 seed: Seton LaSalle. What a turnaround it has been at Seton LaSalle. When coach Tim Storino took over in 2022, the Rebels didn’t win a game. Fast forward two years, and the Rebels won the Century Conference title and finished the regular season without a loss for the first time since 2011. Seton LaSalle won its first two games by a combined 18 points, but since then it has just been straight dominance as the Rebels have won each of their last seven games by at least 24 points. Among the stars have been quarterback Michael Pastirik (1,747 yards passing, 31 touchdowns), receiver Khalil Taylor (38 catches, 850 yards, 20 touchdowns) and running back Logan King (925 yards rushing, 15 touchdowns). Seton won its last WPIAL title in 2004.
Sleeper: Western Beaver. The Golden Beavers have dropped two games this season, a loss at Class 4A Ambridge in the season opener and a six-point loss to unbeaten Ellwood City on Oct. 5. It was a strong finish to the regular season for Western Beaver, which won its final three games behind an Jaivin Peel-led offense that produced point totals of 47, 53 and 42. Seeded fifth, the Golden Beavers host No. 12 Carlynton in the first round. Carlynton is in the playoffs for the first time in 23 years. If the Golden Beavers were to advance, they would likely get No. 4 Steel Valley in the quarterfinals. Steel Valley edged the Golden Beavers, 21-18, in that round last season. Peel, by the way, has thrown for 2,101 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Keep an eye on … Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley. If Steel Valley is to reach the WPIAL final for the third year in a row, chances are the kid nicknamed “Mr. Touchdown” will lead them there. Barksdale ran wild in last year’s playoffs when the Ironmen finished as the runner-up. He has shown no signs of slowing down this season as he ranks among the WPIAL leaders in rushing (1,761 yards) and touchdowns (28). He ran for 208 yards and scored five touchdowns last week when Steel Valley reeled in its sixth consecutive win. And unlike last season, Barksdale will play alongside his brother as the Ironmen try for a second title in three years. Da’Ron Barksdale missed most of last season with an injury.
Upset special: Riverside over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It has been an impressive bounce-back season for Riverside, which went just 1-8 a season ago. Riverside is 5-5 this season, and don’t be surprised if the No. 9-seeded Panthers win their first playoff game since 2019 by taking down No. 8 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It won’t be easy, as OLSH is solid and boasts one of the area’s top talents in quarterback-defensive end Vann Kavals. But Riverside is battle tested and has played several top teams very close this season, including a four-point loss to Ellwood City earlier this month.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Seton LaSalle over South Park.
Steve Rotstein: Seton LaSalle over South Park.
Johnny Santa: Seton LaSalle over South Park.
CLASS 1A
No. 1 seed: Fort Cherry. The Rangers opened the season as the PUP’s No. 1-ranked team, and the defending WPIAL champions have remained in that spot all season long. Coach Tanner Garry’s guys went unbeaten in the regular season for the second year in a row and are 25-1 since the beginning of last season. Quarterback Matt Sieg continues to fuel a high-powered offense that pours in 40.8 points per game. A broken thumb kept Sieg from a third straight regular season of both passing and running for 1,000 yards, but he still enters the playoffs with 871 yards and 16 touchdowns passing and 1,155 yards and 19 touchdowns rushing. But this is no one-man team, with Shane Cornali and Ryan Huey being among the other contributors. Only Bishop Canevin (34) has scored more than 14 points against the Rangers.
Sleeper: Greensburg Central Catholic. Just about everyone expects Fort Cherry and Clairton to play for the title, as the two have seemed to be on a collision course all season. But upsets happen, and there’s no guarantee it will be a Rangers-Bears final. The sleeper pick here is No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic, which has won six straight and hosts No. 12 Monessen in the first round. If the Centurions, led by electric quarterback Samir Crosby, win that one, they would likely draw Neshannock in the quarterfinals. They are not on the same side of the bracket as Clairton, which is a good thing considering the Bears handed the Centurions their last loss, 47-0, on Sept. 13.
Keep an eye on … Clairton’s defense. Instead of picking just one player, let’s just go with Clairton’s entire defense. While the Bears average a WPIAL-best 54 points per game, it’s a defense that has surrendered only 21 points in 10 games that has been one of the biggest stories in the WPIAL this season. Clairton has seven shutouts and has limited its three other opponents to just seven points apiece. The dominant defense combined with the potent offense has led to some lopsided scores, with the Bears winning all of their games by at least 23 points.
Upset special: South Side over Jefferson-Morgan. South Side went 10-0 in last year’s regular season before going on to reach the WPIAL final. And while the Rams haven’t been quite as strong this year and are the No. 11 seed, they are still 6-3 and could make some noise. The Rams have a first-round date with No. 6 Jefferson-Morgan, which just wrapped up its first unbeaten regular season since 1989. The Rockets, though, have not won a playoff game since 2006, and they hail from the Tri-County Conference, which has had very little success over the years. Jefferson-Morgan can be a problem with quarterback Houston Guesman on its side, but South Side might have just enough to knock the Rockets out of orbit … and the playoffs.
Who ya’ got?
Brad Everett: Clairton over Fort Cherry.
Steve Rotstein: Clairton over Fort Cherry.
Johnny Santa: Clairton over Fort Cherry.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.