This is it. The final week of the WPIAL regular season is here. With just one game left to play, only 6 playoff spots are left to be claimed. The playoff fields in Classes 6A and 1A are set, though the ordering is still up in the air. 5A is the most wide open classification with 4 teams vying for the final 2 spots. In 4A there are 2 teams fighting for the last spot while 3A has 3 teams in play for the final spot. The last two spots in the 2A playoff field will be settled between 4 teams. You can see which teams are currently in position for those spots at our WPIAL Standings Page. In 5A and 1A, the final playoff spots are determined by Wild Cards, which are detailed on our Wild Card Standings Page. Here are the WPIAL playoff scenarios for this week’s games, detailing how the final 7 spots will be decided, along with Conference Titles and home playoff games.
How Tiebreakers Work
In all classifications, qualification is based on order of finish within conference standings. Order of finish is first determined by a team’s conference record. Non-conference games do not count towards making the playoffs. If teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is always head-to-head results. The second tiebreaker is a Gardner Points system (essentially a strength of victory metric). Teams receive 10 Gardner Points for each conference win by the teams that they defeated in conference games.
The third tiebreaker is a WPIAL Tiebreaker Points system (essentially a margin of victory metric). In conference games, teams gain or lose Tiebreaker Points based on the margin of victory or margin of defeat. The maximum amount of Tiebreaker Points that can be gained or lost in a conference game is 10, so any double-digit win or loss only counts as +10 or -10. Finally, if teams are still tied, a coin flip is used to determine the order of standings (this happened last year in the 1A Tri-County South). At any point in the tiebreaker system if a team is eliminated the process starts over with head-to-head results.
6A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 6 make the playoffs. Top 2 teams get first round byes. The 3rd and 4th place teams get home playoff games.
All 6 playoff spots have been clinched. The 4 teams that will get home playoff games have clinched but the ordering of the Top 4 (Conference Title and first round byes) will be decided this week.
- North Allegheny, Central Catholic, Pine-Richland, and Mt. Lebanon have clinched home playoff games.
- Seneca Valley and Canon-McMillan have clinched playoff spots.
- North Allegheny wins the conference title with a win over Pine-Richland.
– Central Catholic would get a first round bye with a win over Mt. Lebanon.
– If Mt. Lebanon beats Central Catholic, the second bye will be decided by tiebreaker points (Currently: Central Catholic +52, Pine-Richland +50, Mt. Lebanon +26). - Pine-Richland wins the conference title with a win over North Allegheny AND a Central Catholic loss.
- If Pine-Richland and Central Catholic both win, the conference champion will be decided by tiebreaker points (Currently: North Allegheny +61, Central Catholic +52, Pine-Richland +50). The other first round bye would be decided by head-to-head.
5A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 5 from each conference make the playoffs. One 6th place team makes the playoffs based on the 5A Wild Card. Top two from each conference (plus 2 third place teams) get home playoff games.
- 13 of 16 playoff spots clinched.
- 1 of 3 conference titles clinched.
- 7 of 8 home playoff games clinched.
Allegheny Eight Conference
- Moon, Peters Twp, Upper St. Clair, Baldwin, and Bethel Park have clinched playoff spots.
- West Allegheny has clinched 6th place.
- Moon and Peters Twp have clinched home playoff games.
- Moon wins the Conference Title with a win over West Allegheny OR a Peters Twp loss.
- Peters Twp wins the Conference Title with a win over Baldwin AND a Moon loss.
- The third place team in the Allegheny Eight will get a home playoff game.
– Upper St Clair will earn a home playoff game with a win over Bethel Park.
– Bethel Park will earn a home playoff game with a win over Upper St Clair AND a Baldwin loss.
– Baldwin will earn a home playoff game with a win over Peters Twp AND a Bethel Park win.
Big East Conference
- Penn-Trafford has clinched the Conference Title.
- Gateway and McKeesport have clinched home playoff games. The winner of Gateway-McKeesport will get finish second and the loser will finish third.
- Franklin Regional and Latrobe have clinched playoff spots.
- Plum has clinched 6th place but can not make the playoffs.
Northern Conference
- Penn Hills and North Hills have clinched home playoff games.
- Kiski has clinched a playoff spot.
- The winner of Penn Hills-North Hills will win the Conference Title. The loser will finish second and get a home playoff game.
- Mars has clinched a playoff spot. Even if they finish 6th they will earn the Wild Card.
- Fox Chapel clinches a playoff spot with a win over Shaler OR a Mars loss.
- Hampton clinches a playoff spot with a win over Mars AND a win by either Kiski or Fox Chapel.
- Shaler clinches a playoff spot with a win over Fox Chapel AND a Mars win.
5A 6th Place Wild Card
The Wild Card will either be West Allegheny or the 6th place team from the Northern Conference. Plum has clinched 6th place in the Big East Conference but can not earn the Wild Card. The 6th place spot in the Northern Conference will be either Fox Chapel, Mars, or Hampton.
- If West Allegheny loses to Moon, they would lose the Wild Card to Fox Chapel or Mars. West Allegheny defeated Hampton head-to-head and would earn the Wild Card if both teams finish 2-5.
- If West Allegheny beats Moon:
– West Allegheny would earn the Wild Card if Hampton finishes 6th.
– Mars would earn the Wild Card if they finish 6th
– If Fox Chapel is 6th, Fox Chapel would earn the Wild Card if Armstrong beats Kiski. If Kiski wins, the Wild Card would be decided by Tiebreaker Points (Currently: Fox Chapel -12, West Allegheny -27).
4A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 4 from each conference make the playoffs. Top 2 from each conference get home playoff games.
- 7 of 8 playoff spots clinched.
- Both conference titles have been clinched.
- 3 of 4 home playoff games have been clinched.
Big East Conference
- Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon, Greensburg Salem, and West Mifflin have clinched the four playoff spots.
- Thomas Jefferson has clinched the conference title.
- Belle Vernon has clinched a home playoff game.
Northwest Eight Conference
- South Fayette has clinched their EIGHTH straight Conference title.
- Blackhawk and Montour have clinched playoff spots.
- Blackhawk clinches a home playoff game with a win over Beaver OR a Montour loss.
- Montour clinches a home playoff game with a win over South Fayette AND a Blackhawk loss
- New Castle clinches a playoff spot with a win over Ambridge
- Knoch plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff spot with a New Castle loss to Ambridge.
3A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 4 from each conference make the playoffs. Top 2 from each conference get home playoff games.
- 7 of 8 playoff spots have been clinched.
- 1 of 2 conference titles have been clinched.
- All 4 home playoff games have been clinched.
Big East Conference
- North Catholic has clinched the Conference Title.
- Derry has clinched a home playoff game.
- Elizabeth Forward has clinched a playoff spot.
- Burrell clinches a playoff spot with a win over Derry OR a Mt. Pleasant loss.
- Mt. Pleasant clinches a playoff spot with a win over Uniontown AND losses by both Burrell and Deer Lakes.
- Deer Lakes clinches a playoff spot with a win over North Catholic AND a Burrell loss AND a Mt. Pleasant win.
Tri-County West Conference
- Aliquippa and Central Valley have clinched home playoff games.
- Beaver Falls and South Park have clinched playoff spots.
- The winner of Aliquippa-Central Valley will win the Conference Title.
2A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 4 from each conference make the playoffs. Top 2 from each conference get home playoff games.
- 14 of 16 playoff spots have been clinched.
- 2 of 4 conference titles have been clinched.
- 6 of 8 home playoff games have been clinched.
Allegheny Conference
- Avonworth has clinched the Conference Title.
- Apollo-Ridge has clinched a home playoff game.
- East Allegheny and Shady Side Academy have clinched playoff spots.
Interstate Conference
- Washington and McGuffey have clinched a home playoff games.
- Charleroi, and Southmoreland have clinched playoff spots.
- The winner of Washington-McGuffey will win the Conference Title.
Midwestern Conference
- Freedom has clinched a playoff spot.
- Neshannock and Riverside have clinched a playoff spots.
- Neshannock clinches the conference title with a win over Shenango OR losses by both Freedom and New Brighton.
- Freedom clinches the conference title with a win over Western Beaver AND a Neshannock loss.
- If Neshannock and Freedom both lose AND New Brighton wins, the Conference Title will be decided by Tiebreaker Points (Currently: Neshannock +40, Freedom +24, New Brighton +24). Since this scenario requires Freedom to lose, only Neshannock or New Brighton could win the conference title in this case.
- New Brighton clinches a playoff spot with a win over Riverside OR either a Freedom win or a Neshannock loss.
- Western Beaver clinches a playoff spot with a win over Freedom AND wins by BOTH Riverside and Neshannock.
Three Rivers Conference
- Burgettstown has clinched the conference title.
- Brentwood has clinched a home playoff game.
- South Side Beaver has clinched a playoff spot.
- Serra Catholic clinches a playoff spot with a win over Fort Cherry OR a South Allegheny loss.
- South Allegheny clinches a playoff spot with a win over Burgettstown AND a Serra Catholic loss.
1A Playoff Scenarios
Playoff Structure: Top 2 from each conference make the playoffs. Two 3rd place teams makes the playoffs based on the 1A Wild Card. Conference champions (plus 1 second place team) get home playoff games.
- All 8 playoff spots have been clinched.
- 2 of 3 conference titles have been clinched.
- 3 of 4 home playoff games have been clinched.
Big Seven Conference
- Sto-Rox has clinched the conference title.
- Cornell and OLSH have clinched playoff spots.
- The winner of Cornell-OLSH will finish second and have a chance at a home playoff game (see below). The loser will earn one of the Wild Card spots.
Eastern Conference
- Jeannette and Clairton have clinched playoff spots.
- The winner of Jeannette-Clairton will win the Conference Title.
- Clairton has clinched a home playoff game.
- GCC has clinched 3rd place and one of the Wild Card spots.
Tri-County South Conference
- West Greene has clinched the Conference Title.
- California has clinched a playoff spot.
- Chartiers-Houston has clinched 3rd place but can not earn the Wild Card.
1A Wild Card – Second Place Home Game
One of the three second place teams will earn a home game. California has clinched second place in the Tri-County South but can not earn a home game. The loser of Clairton-Jeannette will finish second in the Eastern Conference. The winner of Cornell-OLSH will finish second in the Big Seven Conference.
- Clairton will win the second place home game if they lose to Jeannette and finish second.
- If Jeannette loses, the OLSH-Cornell winner gets the second place home game UNLESS Avella and Imani both win.
- If Clairton, Avella, Imani and OLSH win, Jeannette would get the spot due to their head to head win over OLSH.
- If Clairton, Avella, Imani, and Cornell win it would go to tiebreaker points (currently Jeannette +60, Cornell +47).
