The final week of the 2023 WPIAL regular season is upon us! Of the 67 spots in the WPIAL playoffs, 52 teams have secured their places. That leaves 15 spots still to be decided in the final week of the season. Class 6A is the only one where all of the playoff spots are clinched. Every other classification has at least one spot up for grabs. The most complicated is 5A due to the limited field and Wild Card factor. There are 96 different scenarios in play for the 5A playoffs entering this week. Additionally, there are two true “Casket Matches” where the winner goes to the playoffs and the loser is out. Both of those are in 1A. Hit me up on Twitter @WPIAL_Blitz with any questions about playoff clinching scenarios and keep tabs on our WPIAL Standings Page for all of the tiebreakers.
6A Playoff Scenarios
Top four teams make the playoffs.
- Central Catholic has clinched the conference title
- North Allegheny has clinched 2nd place and a home playoff game
Seeding Scenario
- Canon-McMillan and Mt. Lebanon have both clinched playoff spots.
- The winner of their head-to-head game this week will be 3rd and face North Allegheny and the loser will be 4th and face Central Catholic
5A Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Six Conference
The top two teams make the playoffs and the third place team will be eligible for one of the two Wild Card spots.
Already In
- Peters Twp and Bethel Park have clinched a playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of Peters Twp-Bethel Park wins the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Moon clinches a playoff spot with a win AND an Upper St Clair loss.
- Upper St Clair can not finish first or second and can only get in via the Wild Card. Upper St Clair will get a wild card if either of the following happen:
- Upper St Clair and Bethel Park both win (regardless of Moon’s result)
- Upper St Clair wins and Moon loses
- Moon and Upper St Clair are out if they lose
- If Moon wins, Upper St Clair wins, AND Bethel Park loses, there will be a 3-way tie for 2nd place between those three. Second place will be decided by Tiebreaker Points (Currently: Bethel Park +22, Moon +7). Upper St Clair can not win the tiebreaker. Third place will earn a wild card and will be decided between whoever loses the tiebreaker for second and Upper St Clair, based on head-to-head results (USC beat Moon, BP beat USC).
The Allegheny Six will get one of the two Wild Cards unless both Upper St Clair and Moon lose.
Big East Conference
The top two teams make the playoffs and the third place team will be eligible for one of the two Wild Card spots.
Already In
- Gateway has clinched the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional will finish 2nd and 3rd. The winner of their head-to-head game will be 2nd, the loser will be 3rd.
- If Moon and Upper St Clair both lose, the loser of the Penn-Trafford-Franklin Regional game will get a Wild Card.
- The third place team can not finish with more Gardner Points than any third place team from the Allegheny Six (unless Moon & USC both lose).
- If Penn Hills and Pine-Richland win, Woodland Hills will finish 3rd in the Northeast Conference. In this case, both Woodland Hills and the P-T/FR loser would have 30 Gardner Points. Tiebreaker Points may decide the final wild card between Woodland Hills and the P-T/FR loser. (Currently: Penn-Trafford +26, Franklin Regional +18, Woodland Hills +11)
- Penn-Trafford beat Woodland Hills head-to-head and can not lose to Woodland Hills on Tiebreaker Points, so the Warriors would get a Wild Card in this scenario
- Franklin Regional would get the Wild Card if Woodland Hills loses by 4 points or more OR if Franklin Regional loses by 7 points or less.
Northeast Conference
The top two teams make the playoffs and the third place team will be eligible for one of the two Wild Card spots.
Already In
- Penn Hills has clinched a playoff spot
Conference Title
- Penn Hills clinches the conference title with a win over Woodland Hills
- Woodland Hills clinches the conference title with a win over Penn Hills AND a Pine-Richland loss
- If Woodland Hills and Pine-Richland both win, there will be a 3-way tie for first with Penn Hills. All three teams will make the playoffs. The conference champion will be decided by Tiebreaker Points (Currently: Penn Hills +36, Pine-Richland +24, Woodland Hills +11).
Clinching Scenarios
- Woodland Hills clinches a playoff spot with a win over Penn Hills
- If Woodland Hills loses to Penn Hills:
- They will get a Wild Card if both Upper St Clair and Moon lose
- If one or both of USC and Moon win, they would get a Wild Card if North Hills wins by 7 points or fewer
- If Penn-Trafford and Pine-Richland win, the Wild Card would be decided by Tiebreaker Points between Woodland Hills and Franklin Regional. (Currently: Franklin Regional +18, Woodland Hills +11)
- They are OUT if North Hills wins by 8 points or more
- They are OUT Pine-Richland and Franklin Regional win
- If Woodland Hills loses to Penn Hills:
- Pine-Richland clinches a playoff spot with a win over North Hills
- If Pine-Richland loses to North Hills they are IN if Penn Hills wins and OUT if Woodland Hills wins
- If North Hills beats Pine-Richland, the margin of victory will matter.
- If North Hills wins by 8 points or more, they are IN (2nd if Woodland Hills loses, 3rd if Woodland Hills wins)
- If North Hills wins by 7 points or fewer, they are IN if Woodland Hills wins but OUT if Woodland Hills loses
4A Playoff Scenarios
Big Seven Conference
The top four teams make the playoffs. All four spots have been clinched.
Already In
- McKeesport, Thomas Jefferson, Latrobe, and Trinity have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of McKeesport-Thomas Jefferson clinches the conference title
Greater Allegheny Conference
The top four teams make the playoffs. Two spots are still to be decided.
Already In
- Mars and North Catholic have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of Mars-North Catholic will win the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Hampton clinches a playoff spot with a win over Highlands OR a Kiski loss
- Highlands clinches a playoff spot with a win over Hampton AND a Kiski loss
- If Highlands loses, the Armstrong-Kiski winner will clinch a playoff spot
- If Highlands wins, Armstrong is eliminated (even with a win).
- If Highlands and Kiski win, there will be a 3-way tie between Hampton, Kiski, and Highlands that will be decided by Tiebreaker Points. (Currently: Hampton +4. Kiski -9, Highlands -21). Highlands can not win the 3-way tie, so 3rd place will be between Hampton and Kiski based on Tiebreaker Points. The final playoff spot will be decided based on the head-to-head result between Highlands and whoever has fewer Tiebreaker Points between Hampton and Kiski.
Parkway Conference
The top five teams make the playoffs. One spot remains open this week.
Already In
- Aliquippa, Montour, Central Valley, and West Allegheny have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- Aliquippa clinches the conference title with a win over Central Valley
- Central Valley clinches the conference title with a win over Aliquippa AND a Montour loss
- If Montour and Central Valley win:
- If Central Valley beats Aliquippa by 5 points or more, Central Valley wins the conference title
- If Central Valley beats Aliquippa by 4 points or fewer, Aliquippa wins the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Chartiers Valley clinches a playoff spot with a win over Ambridge OR a New Castle victory
- Ambridge clinches a playoff spot with a win over Chartiers Valley AND a New Castle loss
- New Castle is eliminated and can not make the playoffs, even in a 3-way tie scenario
3A Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Six Conference
The top four teams make the playoffs. Two spots are left to be decided.
Already In
- East Allegheny has clinched the conference title
- Knoch has clinched a playoff spot
Clinching Scenarios
- Shady Side Academy clinches a playoff spot with a win over East Allegheny OR a Freeport loss
- Deer Lakes clinches a playoff spot with a win over Freeport
- If Freeport wins and Shady Side loses, there will be a 3-way tie with Deer Lakes for the final two spots. The first spot will be decided by Tiebreaker Points (Currently: Deer Lakes +2, SSA -3, Freeport -13) and the second spot will be decided by head-to-head.
Interstate Conference
All four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- Elizabeth Forward, Belle Vernon, Southmoreland, and Mt Pleasant have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of Belle Vernon-Elizabeth Forward clinches the conference title
Western Hills Conference
All four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- Avonworth has clinched the conference title
- West Mifflin, Beaver, and South Park have clinched playoff spots
2A Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Conference
All five playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- Steel Valley, Imani Christian, Serra Catholic, Derry, and Burrell have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of Steel Valley-Serra Catholic will win the conference title
Century Conference
Four teams will make the playoffs. Only two spots have been clinched entering Week 9.
Already In
- McGuffey and Washington have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of McGuffey-Washington will win the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Keystone Oaks clinches a playoff spot with a win over Brentwood OR a Waynesburg loss
- Waynesburg clinches a playoff spot with a win over Charleroi OR a Brentwood loss
- Brentwood clinches a playoff spot with a win over Keystone Oaks
Midwestern Conference
Five teams will make the playoffs. One playoff spot remains open.
Already In
- Neshannock, Mohawk, Western Beaver, and Beaver Falls have clinched playoff spots
Conference Title
- The winner of Neshannock-Mohawk will win the conference title
Clinching Scenarios
- Ellwood City clinches their first playoff berth since 2011 with a win over Riverside OR a Freedom win
- Riverside clinches a playoff spot with a win over Ellwood City AND a Freedom loss
- Freedom is eliminated and can not get into the playoffs, even in a 3-way tie scenario
1A Playoff Scenarios
Big Seven Conference
Three of the four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- South Side Beaver has clinched the conference title, their first since 1999
- Union and Rochester have clinched playoff spots
Clinching Scenario
- The winner of Laurel-Shenango clinches a playoff spot (Casket Match)
Black Hills Conference
Three of the four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- Fort Cherry has clinched the conference title, their first since 2013
- Bishop Canevin and Burgettstown have clinched a playoff spots
Clinching Scenario
- The winner of Cornell-OLSH clinches a playoff spot (Casket Match)
Eastern Conference
All four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- Clairton, GCC, Jeannette, and Leechburg have clinched a playoff spots
Conference Title
- Clairton clinches the conference title with a win over Jeannette OR a GCC win
- Jeannette clinches the conference title with a win over Clairton AND a GCC loss
Tri-County South Conference
Three of the four playoff spots have been clinched.
Already In
- California has clinched the conference title
- Jefferson-Morgan, and West Greene have clinched playoff spots
Clinching Scenarios
- Beth-Center clinches a playoff spot with a win over Monessen
- Monessen clinches a playoff spot with a win over Beth-Center AND a Bentworth loss
- Bentworth clinches a playoff spot with a win over California AND a Beth-Center loss
