The last Friday night of the WPIAL football season has arrived. We have reached the semifinals in 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A. On Saturday, the two largest classifications (6A and 5A) will hold their Championship Games at Norwin Stadium. You can check out a preview of those title games in a separate post. The winners from Friday will find themselves playing the day after Thanksgiving at Acrisure Stadium. There is plenty of history on the line on Friday night as the semifinals take place. For the first time since 2011 (and just the second time in the last 26 years), Thomas Jefferson did not reach the semifinals. Aliquippa now holds the longest streak at 17 consecutive semifinals and is in search of their 16th straight title game appearance. Also in play for Aliquippa, Belle Vernon (and Pine-Richland in 5A) is the fact that a win would give them enough “Success Points” by the PIAA formula to potentially push them into a higher classification next season.
On this week’s edition of the WPIAL Blitz Show, we discussed these two matchups in depth as well as diving into the eight semifinal matchups in 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A. You can check out a preview of those games in a separate article.
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4A Semifinals
1. Aliquippa (10-0) vs 4. Mars (10-2)
at North Allegheny
Aliquippa is the two-time defending WPIAL Champions and will be playing in their 17th straight semifinals. A victory would send Aliquippa to their 16th straight WPIAL Championship Game. This incredible run for the Quips stretches back to 2008 when they played in AA, includes four years in 3A, and three more in 4A. Aliquippa has won 19 WPIAL titles in school history (the most of any program) and last week’s victory over Latrobe was their 100th WPIAL playoff win. The Quips have reached the last two state title games and have their eyes set on a rubber match with Harrisburg-area powerhouse Bishop McDevitt. On the other side, Mars has never won a WPIAL Championship and is appearing in their first semifinal since 2015. The Fighting Planets hold the distinction of having the most playoff appearances without a Championship of any school in the WPIAL. Head coach Eric Kasperowicz has done a phenominal job revamping Mars’ approach, turning their run-heavy offense into an open passing attack. After finishing near the bottom of the conference two years ago, Mars got into the playoffs last year and now in Coach Kasper’s second year are conference champions and in the semifinals.
Aliquippa has a balanced offensive attack, led Penn State-commit RB Tikey Hayes (1438 yards, 16 TDs) whose two late touchdowns sealed the victory against Latrobe last week. He is joined in the backfield by John Tracey (364 yards, 9 total TDs) who scored 5 TDs in 5 different ways in a game earlier this year. The Air Warfield passing attack is keyed by QB Quentin Goode (1404 yards, 18 TDs) who broke the Aliquippa passing yardage record this season. The Quips have a talented trio of receivers on the outside who are also defensive backs in one of the best secondaries in the WPIAL. Yale-commit Brandon Banks (441 yards, 3 TDs), Arison Walker (244 yards, 4 TDs), and DeMarkus Walker (230 yards, 5 TDs) are all two-way studs. The Quips defense is anchored by Pitt-commit Cam Lindsey at linebacker, who has also run for 227 yards and 3 TDs when he gets snaps on offense. Mars also has a balanced offensive attack, led by junior QB Luke Goodworth (2052 yards, 20 TDs). Leading receiver Gabe Hein (774 yards, 9 TDs) has not played since mid-season due to an injury. In his place, Aiden Alessio (456 yards, 4 TDs) has stepped up to become the top target. Even with the installation of Coach Kasper’s passing game, Mars has not forgotten how to run the ball and Evan Wright (1799 rushing yards, 260 receiving yards, 33 total TDs) is one of the top scorers in the WPIAL.
2. McKeesport (10-1) vs 3. Montour (10-1)
at West Mifflin
This will be the first playoff meeting between these two squads. Both schools lay claim to historical success with Montour holding five WPIAL titles and McKeesport with four. However, Montour’s 2011 crown is their only title since 1964 and McKeesport has just two (1994 and 2005) since World War II. McKeesport did win state titles in both of those seasons while Montour has never been to the State finals. This is familiar territory for McKeesport who is appearing in their 7th semifinal in the last decade while it is Montour’s first since 2017 when they fell in the 4A finals to Thomas Jefferson. McKeesport’s last trip to a WPIAL final was the year prior when they topped Gateway in thrilling fashion in the semis before losing to Bob Palko’s West Allegheny squad in the 5A Championship. McKeesport rolled through the Big Seven Conference with their only setback coming against defending 3A State Champions Belle Vernon in overtime. On the other side, Montour’s only loss was to conference foe and top-seeded Aliquippa. Both teams are averaging over 35 points per game this season, though McKeesport’s defense currently leads 4A by allowing just 10 points per game.
McKeesport’s triple-option offense enters the semifinals with plenty of firepower in the backfield. Anthony Boyd (1213 yards, 13 TDs) leads the way but freshman Kemon Spell (358 yards, 10 total TDs) and powerhouse Keith Spell (469 yards, 7 TDs) will all get action. Last week Kemon Spell returned a missed field goal 100 yards for a touchdown right before the end of the half. All three are averaging over 7 yards per carry with the dynamic freshman Kemon Spell doubling that total at a 14 yards per carry clip. McKeesport does have more of a passing game this season than in many years in the past with QB Garrett Tarker (662 passing yards, 8 TDs, 241 rushing yards, 6 TDs) primarily throwing to Dominique Cochran (222 yards, 4 TDs). Montour’s offense runs through dual-threat QB Jake Wolfe (2478 passing yards, 30 TDs, 778 rushing yards, 14 TDs). Last week Wolfe had 6 total touchdowns to lead Montour to their first ever playoff victory over Thomas Jefferson. He has a strong connection with leading receiver Andrew “AJ” Alston (801 yards, 12 TDs) whose scored five times against TJ. Joining Alston on the outside are Keino Fitzpatrick (762 yards, 10 TDs) and Daniel Batch (483 yards, 9 TDs) to give the Spartans a trio of talented receivers that will test McKeesport’s secondary. When the Spartans take to the ground, Wolfe is the leading rusher but they will also give Caden Halajcio (498 yards, 8 TDs) a share of the workload.
3A Semifinals
1. Belle Vernon (9-1) vs 4. East Allegheny (9-2)
at Norwin
Belle Vernon is the defending WPIAL and State Champions while East Allegheny is appearing in the semifinals for the first time since 1992. These two teams met in the quarterfinals last year with Belle Vernon running away to a big victory. This has been a historic season for East Allegheny who won their first conference title since 2000 and are in the semis for the first time in 30 years. Meanwhile, this is the 6th consecutive semifinals appearance for Matt Humbert and the Leopards. Belle Vernon has the highest-scoring offense (41 points per game) and best defense (holding opponents a shade under 10 points per game) in the classification.
Belle Vernon is led by Penn State-commit Quinton Martin who leads the team in rushing (764 yards), receiving (590 yards), and scoring (23 total TDs). Last week Martin had over 100 rushing and receiving yards with 3 total TDs to lead the Leopards past Deer Lakes. To keep him fresh for the postseason run, Belle Vernon has also used Kole Doppelheuer (606 yards, 11 TDs) and Jake Gedekoh (313 yards, 6 TDs) in the ground game throughout the season. Anthony Crews (300 rushing yards, 322 receiving yards, 9 total TDs) has been an all-around threat for the Leopards. All four of those players average over 7 yards per carry, a testament to their offensive line. Eastern Michigan-commit Braden Laux will play tight end at the next level but has added a dimension to Belle Vernon’s offense by throwing for 1286 yards and 15 TDs. East Allegheny also has a talented quarterback in Michael Cahill (1230 yards, 11 TDs). His favorite target has been Brennan Rutledge who has scored 8 times. Last week, Kam Marshall had a rush TD and receiving TD in East Allegheny’s win over South Park.
2. Avonworth (11-0) vs 3. Elizabeth Forward (10-1)
at Gateway
Two powerful offenses collide between schools looking to write a historic ending to their season. Avonworth lost to Belle Vernon in the WPIAL Championship last season and is looking for their 4th title game appearance in the last decade. Prior to that, the Lopes had not been to a WPIAL final since 1959. On the other side, Elizabeth Forward reached their first WPIAL Championship Game in school history in 2020, falling to Central Valley. Avonworth is making their fourth semifinal appearance in five years while Elizabeth Forward is making their third in the last four years. Prior to their 2020 run to the Championship, Elizabeth Forward had not even made the semifinals since 1999. Both teams average around 37 points per game and have been stout defensively.
Avonworth has a balanced offensive attack led by QB Carson Bellinger (1458 yards, 21 TDs). Andrew Kuban (450 rushing yards, 833 receiving yards, 17 TDs) has been an all-around star for the Lopes on both sides of the ball. Kuban has made a number of big plays on defense, including a game-sealing interception in a win over Central Valley early this year. Dimitri Valisaris (847 yards, 12 TDs) has gotten the lion’s share of work in the Lopes running game. Another factor for Avonworth is Bucknell-commit Brandon Biagiarelli who returned last week after missing most of the regular season due to injury. Elizabeth Forward also has a talented quarterback in Ryan Messina (1649 yards, 14 TDs). Similarly to Avonworth, the Warriors have an all-around offensive talent in Charlie Nigut (859 rushing yards, 338 receiving yards, 23 total TDs). Isaiah Turner (827 yards, 8 TDs) is the Warriors leading receiver and Jace Brown (505 yards, 6 TDs) has been a strong contributor in the ground game. Elizabeth Forward is strong in the trenches with two-way lineman Christopher Climes who has attracted D1 attention and Bucknell-commit Charlie Meehleib who had defensive TD last week. The Warriors forced 5 turnovers and scored 3 defensive touchdowns in their win over West Mifflin in the quarterfinals.
2A Semifinals
1. Steel Valley (9-1) vs 5. Mohawk (10-2)
at West Allegheny
These teams battled their way through tough quarterfinal opponents to reach teh semifinals. Steel Valley needed an interception on the goal line at the end of the game to top Western Beaver and Mohawk’s defense held on for a fourth down stop to end Imani Christian’s threat. Steel Valley is the defending WPIAL 2A Champions and arguably the most successful WPIAL 2A team of the Six Classification Era. This will be the 6th semifinals for the Ironmen in 8 years and they have been to 4 of the last 7 Championship Games (winning 3). Meanwhile, this is Mohawk’s first semifinal appearance in school history. These teams have a dramatic contrast of styles as Steel Valley’s run-heavy offense will face off with Mohawk’s passing game.
Steel Valley’s offense is built around their Donald Barksdale (1958 yards, 34 TDs) running the ball. Due to injuries, Tyson Barron took over at quarterback and brought another dimension to Steel Valley’s offense, throwing for 724 yards and 10 TDs. Del Shields (369 receiving yards, 232 rushing yards, 5 total TDs) has been an all-around offensive threat. On the other side, Mohawk has one of the best passing attacks in 2A with Jay Wrona (2160 yards, 34 TDs) throwing the ball. He has a slew of talented receivers to spread the ball around. Sophomore WR Bobby Fadden (675 yards, 17 TDs) has already broken the school receiving record. In addition to Fadden, Daunte Retort (597 yards, 7 TDs), Blake Logan (336 yards, 5 TDs), and Joe Nail (204 yards, 3 TDs) have all been on the receiving end of Wrona’s passes. Leading rusher Justin Boston (1008 rushing yards, 223 receiving yards, 8 total TDs) has been able to take advantage of space opened up by Mohawk’s passing attack. The one benefit to Steel Valley is that they have seen dynamic passing games in their last two opponents (Serra Catholic and Western Beaver) so they should have some preparation to defend Mohawk’s attack. That said, Mohawk’s defense just slowed down a talented Imani Christian team that had playmakers all over the field.
3. Washington (11-1) vs 10. Beaver Falls (7-5)
at Dormont Stadium
These two historic programs face off in the playoffs for just the third time in their illustrious histories. Washington has won 7 WPIAL titles (most recently in 2017) and Beaver Falls has won five (including both 2016 in 3A and 2020 in 2A). Washington has the top-ranked offense (37 points per game) and defense (9 points against per game) in 2A. Beaver Falls has reached the 2A Championship Game every year since moving down from 3A in 2020. While the Tigers entered the playoffs at just 5-5, four of their five defeats were by single-digits. They are battle-tested and played a number of competitive games this season. In the quarterfinals, Beaver Falls avenged a 1-point overtime loss to Neshannock earlier this season by scoring on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown to claim a 14-13 victory.
Washington’s offense is keyed by their two dynamic playmakers at receiver – Ruben Gordon (558 receiving yards, 273 rushing yards, 12 TDs) and Zxavian Willis (443 receiving yards, 246 rushing yards, 10 TDs). They have a talented quarterback to get them the ball in Tristan Reed (1310 yards, 14 TDs). On the ground, Eddie Lewis (1049 yards, 16 TDs) has been the star of the show for the Prexies. Last week, Jahvon Woods ran for 2 touchdowns, raising his total to 232 yards and 7 TDs on the season. Beaver Falls has made some recent changes that have altered their offensive attack. Da’Sean Anderson played much of the year at quarterback, throwing for 789 yards and 5 TDs. Over the last few weeks he has been used more in a skill position role, putting up over 500 yards of total offense and 9 TDs. Kaiden Brickner (249 yards, 3 TDs) has stepped into the quarterback role. The Tigers ground game features the tandem of Da’Talian Beauford (1308 rushing yards, 17 TDs) and Brixx Rawl (715 rushing yards, 7 TDs). Beauford ran for 130 yards and a touchdown in addition to the game-winning two-point conversion in the Tigers quarterfinal victory over Neshannock.
1A Semifinals
1. South Side Beaver (12-0) vs 4. Clairton (10-2)
at Peters Twp
South Side Beaver has been one of the dominant forces in 1A this season, grinding teams down with their triple-option rushing attack. The Rams have scored at least 33 points in all 12 of their outings, averaging over 44 points per game. Defensively, they have the best unit in 1A, holding opponents to just 8.5 points per game. Last week’s 48-21 victory over GCC was the first time they allowed more than two scores in a game all season. Clairton’s season started off slow with shutout losses to two 2A teams still alive in the playoffs – City League Champions Westinghouse and Century Conference Champions Washington. Once the schedule moved on to 1A opponents, Clairton has run the table with an average of 41 points per game. The Bears showed an ability to grind out wins in defensive struggles with an 18-15 win over Rochester and 18-6 win over Union last week. Clairton has history on their side with 3 playoff wins over South Side (1993, 1996, 2009) and 14 WPIAL titles under their belt. However, this current group has yet to add one to the list as Clairton has not been to a WPIAL final since 2020. For South Side, this season has been a historic run, capturing their first conference title since the 1999 season when they won the WPIAL and State Championship.
South Side’s triple option attack is keyed by dual-threat QB Brody Almashy (958 passing yards, 14 TDs, 620 rushing yards, 18 TDs). Ryan Navarra (1301 yards, 25 TDs) is the Rams leading rusher and both he and Almashy found the end zone 3 times last week. AC Corfield is the Rams second-leading rusher (1073 yards), leading receiver (341 yards), and has scored 13 times. These three, running behind South Side’s powerful offensive line, have been nigh unstoppable this season. For Clairton, their explosive offense starts with the ground game. Drahcir Jones (1489 yards, 15 TDs), Michael Ruffin (540 rushing yards, 321 receiving yards, 8 total TDs), and Donte Wright (466, 10 TDs) have all been electric with the ball in their hands. Last week Donte Wright capped off two Clairton scoring drives with touchdowns to lead the Bears past defending champions Union. If Clairton is going to match South Side’s offensive output, they will need a big game from QB Michael Wright (1692 yards, 19 TDs) and big-play receiver Zaemere Correll (625 yards, 8 TDs).
2. Fort Cherry (12-0) vs 3. Bishop Canevin (10-1)
at South Fayette
This game is a conference rematch of one of the best 1A games this season. Back in Week 5, Fort Cherry won a shootout with Bishop Canevin 48-41. That set the Rangers on the path to winning their first conference title since 2013. Bishop Canevin has reached the last two WPIAL Championship Games, winning the title in 2021 and falling to Union last year. For Fort Cherry, they have never won a WPIAL title and are in the semifinals for the first time since 2001. Despite both of these defense holding opponents to around 10 points per game, the first meeting between these two was a shootout. Fort Cherry is the highest-scoring team in 1A (46 points per game) with Canevin about 9 points behind.
Fort Cherry’s run to the semifinals has been led by sophomore quarterback Matt Sieg who became just the second player in WPIAL history to have two 1000/1000 seasons. Playoffs included, Sieg has thrown for 1228 yards and 18 TDs and run for 1619 yards and 31 TDs. When Sieg isn’t running the ball, the Rangers have also utilized Ethan Faletto (1001 yards, 18 TDs) and Nate Heirendt (421 yards, 8 TDs) in the ground game. On the outside, the receiving tandem of Shane Cornali (488 yards, 8 TDs) and Evan Rogers (256 yards, 8 TDs) have been Sieg’s most reliable targets. Bishop Canevin’s high-powered offense runs through their passing game and talented receiving corps. Junior QB Kole Olszewski (1996 yards, 34 TDs) has taken on the role full-time this season. WVU-commit Jason Cross moved out to receiver after splitting time at quarterback the last two years and has led the Crusaders with 610 yards and 14 TDs. Cross will likely play defensive back at the next level and will be the key for Canevin’s defense to try to slow down Fort Cherry’s offense. In addition to Cross, Olszewski has spread the ball between Jayden Lindsey (566 yards, 7 TDs) and Az’Juan Marshall (524 yards, 10 TDs) who are both capable of scoring any time they get the ball. Out of the backfield, Marquis Carter (1011 yards, 10 TDs) just passed the 1000-yard mark last week when he rumbled for 182 yards and a score against a stout California defensive front.
