As we enter the final third of the WPIAL season, playoff races have started to take shape. Last week’s games were the undercard to the headline matchups we have tonight. There are two games between undefeated teams (Bethel Park-USC and Clairton-Jeannette), along with several other games between teams sitting atop their conference standings and vying for conference titles.
On this week’s edition of the WPIAL Blitz Show, we ran through all the conference standings and discussed the outlook for the playoffs in each classification. Earlier this week, I broke down the playoff clinching scenarios across the WPIAL. Pine-Richland is the only team that enters Week 7 with their playoff spot secure. In 6A, with the top four teams making the playoffs, the race is between five teams for the final two spots. In 4A, only the top two teams in each conference automatically qualify, making the races even tighter and the margin for error razor thin. The other four classifications will see the top three teams in each conference qualify, and the WPIAL will select Wild Card teams in every classification except 6A.
With playoff races heating up, our 2024 WPIAL Standings Page has been fully updated with all the relevant tiebreakers. Be sure to bookmark the page and check back during the season!
6A Game of the Week
Hempfield (2-2, 3-4) at Seneca Valley (2-1, 2-4)
While Central Catholic and North Allegheny have run out to the lead in 6A, the battle for the other two playoff spots is wide open. Hempfield and Seneca Valley both boast two conference victories and the winner here will be in prime position for a postseason appearance. Two weeks ago, Hempfield topped Canon Mac in epic fashion, recovering a fumbled interception in the end zone as time expired to force overtime then winning in the extra frame. Last week, Seneca Valley came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to edge Canon Mac 31-30. Hempfield’s offense has relied on their passing game and the talents of QB Dominic Detruf (1105 yards, 9 TDs). He has spread the ball around between Jack Kopas (301 yards, 2 TDs) and Mitchell Bitar (199 yards, 1 TD). Leading rusher Aidan Stinebiser has run for 517 yards and 2 TDs and added 161 yards and 3 TDs as a receiver. While Hempfield leans on their passing game, Seneca Valley is a run-heavy outfit. The Raiders have three rushers with over 200 yards this season. Dual-threat QB Andrew Loebig has thrown for 345 yards and 3 TDs and run for 209 yards and 3 more scores. Joining Loebig in the backfield is the tandem of Cayden Parker (440 yards, 3 TDs) and Chase Mazanek (324 yards, 3 TDs). Both players have averaged over 5 yards per carry this season. Seneca Valley is averaging just 10 pass attempts per game, but when Loebig does take to the air, Brayden Wise (151 yards, 1 TD) has been his favorite target.
5A Games of the Week
Upper St Clair (2-0, 7-0) at Bethel Park (2-0, 7-0)
Three weeks ago, there were four undefeated teams in the Allegheny Six conference. Over the past two weeks, Upper St Clair has dispatched of defending champions Peters Twp and South Fayette. Now the Panthers get their third straight game against an unbeaten conference foe as they take on neighboring rivals Bethel Park. The Black Hawks have the highest-scoring offense in 5A, averaging an incredible 51 points per game. Meanwhile, Upper St Clair boasts one of the stingiest defenses, holding opponents to just 10 points per game. Over the last few weeks, Julian Dahlem has stolen the show for the Panthers. He has scored all five of USC’s touchdowns in their showdowns with fellow conference unbeatens and vaulted his totals to 866 rushing yards and 11 TDs on the season. Dahlem averages an incredible 11 yards per carry and is one of 3 USC backs to average over 9 per tote. Dante Coury (554 yards, 8 TDs), John Banbury (340 yards, 3 TDs), and Josh Snyder (252 yards, 3 TDs) have all been factors for Upper St Clair out of the backfield. The Panthers running game has been so good that QB Ethan Hellmann (511 yards, 8 TDs) hasn’t needed to take to the air much, but has a solid tandem outside in Nico D’Orazio (137 yards, 4 TDs) and Bryce Jones (134 yards, 1 TD). Bethel Park is the highest-scoring team in the WPIAL, led by their dynamic passing attack. Tanner Pfeuffer (1667 yards, 23 TDs) is one of the top passers in the WPIAL. The Black Hawks have a dynamic playmaker in JaVaughn Moore who has run for 1251 yards, added 252 receiving yards, and scored a team-high 21 TDs. On the outside, Pfeuffer has primarily targeted Mitchell Paschl (546 yards, 11 TDs) and Jack Bruckner (403 yards, 5 TDs) while Clancy Orie (180 yards, 2 TDs) and Santino Nowozeniuk (180 yards, 2 TDs) have played supporting roles. In addition to Moore, David Dennison has gotten a few carries per game and run for 321 yards and 3 TDs. Bethel Park still has to go through Peters Twp and South Fayette, so this showdown with USC is just the beginning of their gauntlet run.
4A Game of the Week
McKeesport (2-0, 3-4) at Mars (2-0, 3-4)
The top two teams in the Greater Allegheny Conference have had similar trajectories this season after both reaching the semifinals last year. Both teams struggled against tough non-conference schedules but have turned things on once conference play started. Both have averaged over 40 points per game in conference play with McKeesport topping Hampton and West Mifflin and Mars beating West Mifflin and Knoch. Entering Week 7, no team in the Greater Allegheny Conference has a winning record overall, which will make it difficult for this league to earn one of the two 4A Wild Card spots. The winner of this game will have the inside track to the conference title. The Tigers triple option rushing attack has started clicking over the last few weeks. Kemon Spell (650 yards, 12 TDs) leads the way with Anthony Cromerdie (383 rushing yards, 121 receiving yards, 8 total TDs) as the big-play threat. Cromerdie is averaging over 14 yards per carry and is also the Tigers leading receiver. Anthony Boyd (257 yards, 2 TDs) and QB Brady Eastman (398 passing yards, 1 TD, 126 rushing yards, 3 TDs) have also factored into McKeesport’s offensive attack. Mars came into the season expecting to throw the ball all over the field, but an early-season injury to QB Luke Goodworth caused the Planets to tweak their offensive philosophy. Nathan Walker (395 yards, 3 TDs) stepped in at quarterback and still has the explosive tandem of Gabe Hein (532 yards, 8 TDs) and Mason Childress (311 yards, 4 TDs) on the outside. With Goodworth out, the focus of the offense has shifted to the ground game and RB Eric Kasperowicz Jr (720 yards, 10 TDs) who is coming off a 250-yard 4 TD performance.
3A Games of the Week
Deer Lakes (3-0, 6-1) at Imani Christian (3-0, 7-0)
The top spot in the Allegheny Seven Conference is on the line as Deer Lakes takes on Imani Christian. This game lost a little luster after Deer Lakes was blown out by Beaver last week, a team Imani handled earlier in the season. However, the conference results for these two squads has been very similar. Both needed 4th quarter comebacks to beat Highlands – Imani winning 12-10 and Deer Lakes 27-26. Imani is coming off an offensive explosion where they put up 71 points against winless East Allegheny. The Saints are averaging over 42 points per game, the highest mark in 3A. Deer Lakes also has a balanced offensive attack with dual-threat QB Jake Fleischer (867 passing yards, 9 TDs; 365 rushing yards, 4 TDs) as the catalyst. Fleischer’s backfield counterpart Zier Williams (878 yards, 14 TDs) scored the game-winner against Highlands. Leading receiver Zach Grant (459 yards, 8 TDs) should be a good matchup against Imani’s D1 defensive backs. Imani’s squad is loaded with D1 athletes all over the field and they will rotate players through the offensive skill positions and have an outstanding defense that flies to the ball and creates turnovers. Dual-threat QB Stephen Vandiver has thrown for 908 yards and 15 TDs and run for 269 yards and 4 scores. Gabe Jenkins (426 yards, 8 TDs) joins Vandiver in the backfield. On the outside, Robert Torres-Johnson (185 yards, 2 TDs), Markus Williams (178 yards, 4 TDs), and TE/LB Dayshaun Burnett (171 yards, 6 TDs) have been the top receivers. David Davis, who has numerous D1 offers as a defensive back, is a dynamic playmaker on offense with 219 rushing yards, 134 receiving yards, and 5 total TDs.
2A Game of the Week
Ellwood City (4-0, 6-0) at Riverside (3-1, 4-3)
Why not Ellwood? The Wolverines scored a huge victory over Western Beaver on Saturday and now all that stands in the way of their first conference title since 1997 is archrival Riverside. The Riv-Ell game will have extra weight this year as the Panthers are also in the running for the postseasn after a strong start in conference play. In addition to the win over Western Beaver last week, Ellwood City also boasts a win over Mohawk. Ellwood City has a balanced offensive attack led by two outstanding playmakers. Running back Elijah Palmer-McCane (852 yards, 13 TDs) is one of the top rushers in 2A. Quarterback Chris Smiley has thrown for 754 yards and 7 TDs, primarily to Dom Hogue (257 yards, 1 TD) and Dailonn Currie (149 yards, 2 TDs). Smiley has also done some damage with his legs, running for 114 yards and 4 scores to complement Palmer-McCane in the backfield. While Ellwood City is averaging over 30 points per game, Riverside hasn’t scored more than 25 in any outing. The Panthers wins have been in the style of the Steelers – low-scoring, defensive affairs. The Panthers have used both Ayden Garcia (528 yards, 7 TDs) and Aidan Gaydosz (344 yards, 2 TDs) at quarterback this season. Both quarterbacks have found solid connections with the receiving tandem of Zack Hare (362 yards, 3 TDs) and Hunter Garcia (212 yards, 1 TD). Riverside’s rushing attack has been carried by workhorse RB Robert Janis (549 yards, 5 TDs). Overall, this is a rivalry game with historic stakes, so anything can happen. Riverside will need to keep this a tight, low-scoring affair while Ellwood will look to run out to a big lead and force their rivals to play from behind.
1A Games of the Week
Clairton (4-0, 7-0) at Leechburg (4-0, 7-0)
Our WPIAL TeamBuilder Game of the Week is the showdown of unbeatens in the Eastern Conference. Clairton’s defense has yet to allow a point this season, the only score against the Bears coming on a fumble return in Week 0 by Steel Valley. Both teams have been excellent offensively, averaging over 40 points per game, with the Bears at 49 and Blue Devils at 43. Clairton is the second-highest scoring team in the entire WPIAL. Their offensive assault has been led by QB Jeffrey Thompson (1146 yards, 16 TDs) and a slew of talented receivers. The Bears have explosive playmakers all over the offense, including a loaded receiving corps led by Taris Wooding (354 yards, 3 TDs) and Zaemear Correll (198 yards, 3 TDs). Both Donte Wright (309 receiving yards, 234 rushing yards, 9 total TDs) and Michael Ruffin (188 rushing yards, 160 receiving yards, 6 total TDs) are used all over the offense and the Bears will work to get the ball in their hands in space to create big plays. Leading rusher Drahcir Jones (692 yards, 11 TDs) averages close to 10 yards per carry. This has been a historic start to the season for Leechburg, who is 7-0 for the first time since 1980. Interestingly, Leechburg has never defeated Clairton. Leechburg has leaned on their big and experienced lineman to plow the road in the running game. Dual-threat QB Jayden Floyd has done more damage running (1002 yards, 23 TDs) than throwing (731 yards, 7 TDs) this year, though he is a capable passer when called upon. The Blue Devils have a solid group of skill position players around Floyd, led by Jake Cummings (443 receiving yards, 334 rushing yards, 7 total TDs). Floyd’s backfield counterpart Tim Andrasy (579 yards, 10 TDs) has been a significant contributor in the ground game. The story of this game will ultimately be decided in the trenches. Leechburg’s top three rushers average over 7 yards per carry, but can they be the first team to crack Clairton’s defense?
Fort Cherry (4-0, 7-0) at Bishop Canevin (3-0, 5-1)
The top spot in the Black Hills Conference is on the line as defending WPIAL Champions Fort Cherry takes on Bishop Canevin. Fort Cherry has won 21 straight games against WPIAL opponents with their last loss coming to Rochester in the 2022 quarterfinals. Canevin has been a strong title contender over the last few seasons, winning the 2021 WPIAL crown, losing in the title game in 2022, and falling to Fort Cherry in the semifinals last year. Fort Cherry is back to looking like the Fort Cherry that stormed to the State Title game last year. Matt Sieg, after an early-season injury that reduced his role to just running the ball, is back at quarterback and throwing the ball all over the yard. Sieg has thrown for 435 yards and 9 TDs and run for 900 yards and 15 scores. The Rangers have complemented Sieg in the ground game with Ryan Huey (523 yards, 8 TDs), the explosive Eli Salvini (271 yards, 2 TDs), and Christian Yanosko (207 yards, 2 TDs). On the outside, the matchup to watch is two-way star Shane Cornali (348 yards, 6 TDs) against Canevin’s talented defensive backs. Braydon Cook (195 yards, 3 TDs) and Evan Rogers (176 yards, 2 TDs) are both experienced players who do all the little things to help the offense hum. Bishop Canevin’s only loss this year was the Seton LaSalle, one of the top teams in 2A. The Crusaders are averaging over 40 points per game thanks to an aerial assault led by the big arm of Kole Olszewski (1177 yards, 16 TDs). Canevin might be one of the few teams in 1A that can match Fort Cherry on the outside with their trio of receivers in Demar Olds (479 yards, 8 TDs), Justin Melvin (268 yards, 2 TDs), and Jayden Lindsey (262 yards, 5 TDs). Out of the backfield, Myontae Mott (667 rushing yards, 181 receiving yards, 11 total TDs) has averaged over 11 yards every time he touches the ball.
Neshannock (3-0, 6-1) at South Side (3-0, 5-1)
The third premier game of the week in 1A is in the Big Seven Conference where two of the top three teams will face off. Neshannock, Laurel, and South Side are all off to 3-0 starts in conference play. Neshannock’s only loss came to Ellwood City while South Side fell to Monessen. After reaching the 1A title game last year, South Side ran out to a strong start but have stumbled a little the last two weeks. Following the loss to Monessen, the Rams barely edged out Northgate last week with a 1-point win in overtime. Neshannock’s offense runs through dual-threat QB Jino Mozzocio who has thrown for 1031 yards and 11 TDs and run for 444 yards and 11 more scores. Anthony Eakin (463 yards, 6 TDs) and Justin Edgeworthy (212 yards, 3 TDs) complement Mozzocio in the Lancers ground game. On the outside, Dom Cubellis (314 yards, 5 TDs) and Ethan Beaman (214 yards, 3 TDs) have been Mozzocio’s primary targets. South Side runs a triple-option attack heavily focused on the run. In fact, the Rams have only averaged about 6 pass attempts per game. AC Corfield is South Side’s leading rusher (560 yards), receiver (124 yards), and has scored 5 times. Mateja Pavlovich (456 yards, 6 TDs) is the Rams leading scorer. Complementary backs Amare Moman (168 yards, 5 TDs) and Slayton Williams (158 yards, 5 TDs) both average over 7 yards per carry. This speaks to not only the strength of the offensive line, but also the explosiveness of South Side’s rushing attack, regardless of who is getting the ball on a given play.
