The Northwest Eight Conference features two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum. At the top of the conference is South Fayette who has not lost a conference game since 2011. At the other end is Ambridge who broke a 21-game losing streak last year but has not won a conference game since 2015 (23 straight losses). Since the move to 6 classifications, South Fayette has won the conference regular season crown all 3 times but last year was the first time the Lions were not upset before reaching Heinz Field. South Fayette made the most of their long-anticipated showdown with 3-time defending champion Thomas Jefferson and topped the Jaguars on a last-second interception at the goal line.
The playoff format in 4A is mostly the same as last year. The playoffs will consist of 8 teams with the Championship Game played on Saturday, November 16 at Heinz Field. The top 4 teams from each of the two conferences will make the playoffs. The top two teams from each conference will receive home playoff games in the first round. Both semifinal games will be played at neutral sites. Be sure to check out our new WPIAL Football ELO Rankings and the rest of our WPIAL Season Previews. Teams are listed in their predicted order of finish.
South Fayette
ELO Rating: 2261
4A Rank: 2
WPIAL Rank: 12
Twitter: @sflionssports, @_StudentSection
For the first time since moving up to 4A, South Fayette reached the WPIAL final at Heinz Field. The Lions made the most of their opportunity, earning coach Joe Rossi his 4th WPIAL Championship. In epic fashion, South Fayette won a back-and-forth game against Thomas Jefferson with an interception on the goal line in the final seconds of the game. South Fayette enters 2019 with a WPIAL-leading 57-game conference winning streak that dates back to 2011. The Lions will need to replace a 3200-yard passer in Jamie Diven. Senior Henry Lex and junior Namen Alemada both saw some spot duty last season and should compete for the starting quarterback role, which has produced some very successful players in recent years. Rising junior Charley Rossi should become the Lions primary target in the passing game after accounting for 613 yards and 8 TDs last year. Leading rusher Andrew Franklin (833 yards, 12 TDs) also returns and should be able to take some of the pressure off the passing game. Two-way lineman Dominick Thomas has a few FCS offers. Despite graduating 18 seniors, the tradition is strong at South Fayette and they are certainly in the mix for the 4A title once again.
Montour
ELO Rating: 1909
4A Rank: 7
WPIAL Rank: 40
Twitter: @MontourFootball, @MHSStudentSect
The Spartans missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season, losing out on a 3-way tie with New Castle and Knoch. Their biggest issues were on the defensive side of the ball where they allowed over 30 points per game. A lot of young players gained valuable experience last year, which should set Montour up well for this season. Luke Persinger threw for 1012 yards and 8 TDs as a sophomore and both of their top running backs return. Senior William White ran for 456 yards and 6 TDs while rising junior Gannon Kedlecik ran for 221 yards and 1 TD. Wide receivers Dominic Magliocco (207 yards, 1 TD) and Anthony Gracy (154 yards, 1 TD) also return. In the trenches, George Padezanin has offers from a number of FCS and MAC schools.
Blackhawk
ELO Rating: 1928
4A Rank: 6
WPIAL Rank: 38
Twitter: @BHCougars, @BHSCougarSports, @bhawkstudents_
The Cougars burst onto the scene last year, making the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and reaching the semifinals. Their only losses came against the two 4A finalists – South Fayette in the regular season and Thomas Jefferson in the semifinals. Blackhawk’s offense will revolve around Marques Watson-Trent who led the team in receiving and was second in rushing last year. Watson-Trent put up 649 rushing yards and 193 receiving yards and scored 13 times. He has attracted offers from a number of FCS schools including Duquesne, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State. Junior Logan Cailor only threw a handful of passes as a backup last year but will likely assume the starting duties. Senior FB Josh Butcher ran for 636 yards and 8 TDs last season and should make a solid tandem with Watson-Trent. On the outside, Senior James Darno had 147 yards and 5 TDs last year.
New Castle
ELO Rating: 1939
4A Rank: 4
WPIAL Rank: 36
Twitter: @NewCastleSrHs, @_weRnc, @canes_cuz
The Red Hurricanes squeaked into the playoffs last season thanks to winning a 3-way tie with Knoch and Montour on tiebreaker points. Rising senior Demetris McKnight took over at quarterback halfway through last season and led New Castle to a 4-2 finish. McKnight is a dual-threat QB who did more damage on the ground (724 yards, 9 TDs) than through the air (432 yards, 1 TD) and had more rushing attempts than passing attempts. Fellow senior Will Blackshear should take over the lead back role after running for 231 yards last year. Most of the top receivers have graduated, but New Castle’s offense is built around the ground game.
Beaver
ELO Rating: 1767
4A Rank: 15
WPIAL Rank: 48
Twitter: @BeaverBobcats, @BeaverQBclub, @BeaverDamUpdate
Beaver’s first year in 4A was a successful campaign. The Bobcats made the playoffs and were a 14-13 loss in Week 9 to Blackhawk away from finishing second in the conference. Junior QB Brady Hansen saw some spot duty last year and should take over the starting role. Beaver will be breaking in an entirely new crop of skill position players as their top 3 rushers and 3 of their top 4 receivers graduated. The sole returning receiver is James Finch who had 222 yards and 3 TDs.
Knoch
ELO Rating: 1864
4A Rank: 10
WPIAL Rank: 43
Twitter: @KnochFootball, @KnochRadio
Knoch has not fared well in the 6 classification alignment. The Knights have not been to the playoffs since 2014. Last year they came up just short, finishing in a 3-way tie for 4th place but losing out on tiebreaker points. Knoch finished the season on a 3-game winning streak which should build momentum into this season. Senior RB Matt Goodlin led the team with 15 TDs last season. Scott Fraser who plays on both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and defensive back has attracted some FCS attention.
Highlands
ELO Rating: 1833
4A Rank: 11
WPIAL Rank: 44
Twitter: @HighlandsAthl, @HHS_Students2
After an 0-4 start, Highlands won 2 in a row, including a dominant win over Beaver. However, their winning ways were not to last as they dropped their last 4 games and fell out of the playoff race. The Rams might possess the biggest mis-match in 4A in 6’7″ WR Johnny Crise (796 yards, 10 TDs) but will need to find a new quarterback to get him the ball. Xavier Smith attempted a handful of throws last season and could step in to the starting quarterback role. Whoever takes over under center will have a solid tandem to throw to in Crise (who has some FCS offers including Duquesne, Robert Morris, and William & Mary) and DJ Loveland (299 yards, 3 TDs. Four of the top five rusher graduated for Highlands, leaving just sophomore Brock White who averaged 6.8 yards per carry in limited work last year. Offense was not a problem for the Rams last year, but their defense allowed over 35 points per game, the second most in the conference.
Ambridge
ELO Rating: 1674
4A Rank: 16
WPIAL Rank: 54
Twitter: @AmbridgeFB, @AmbridgeA, @BridgerBrigade
Not many places could say that a 1-9 season was a success, but for Ambridge last year provided a turning point. The Bridgers entered the season on a 21-game losing streak that stretched back to 2015. In Week 3, Ambridge got off the schnide and knocked off Waynesburg 14-0. It was their only win of the season, but something the senior class had been waiting for for 4 long years. Aside from that one victory, it was mostly a forgetful season as Ambridge got shut out 6 times and had the second-worst offense (4.4 points per game) and second-worst defense (41.5 points against per game) in 4A. There is still a long way to go for the Bridgers to get into playoff contention.
