Entering the final week of the 2024 WPIAL regular season, 14 of the 49 guaranteed playoff spots are still up for grabs. Additionally, 6 of the 17 conference titles will be decided this week. Check out our WPIAL Standings Page for a full look at the conference standings. If viewing the Standings Page on a phone, switch your browser to desktop mode to help with the formatting.
With the addition of Wild Cards in 5 of the 6 classifications this season, even the teams that don’t get “guaranteed” playoff spots will still have an opportunity for postseason play. This post focuses on just the guaranteed playoff spots based on final conference standings. I’ll have another post later in the week looking at the Wild Card scenarios.
6A Playoff Scenarios
Top 4 Teams Get In
Conference Champion: Central Catholic (5-0, 7-2)
Clinched: North Allegheny (4-1, 8-1)
In the Running: Seneca Valley (3-2, 4-4), Mt. Lebanon (2-3, 2-7), Canon-McMillan (2-3, 3-6)
Week 9 Games: Canon-Mac at Central Catholic, Norwin at Mt Lebanon, Seneca Valley at North Allegheny
Scenarios
- North Allegheny is the #2 seed with a win and the #3 seed with a loss
- Seneca Valley clinches a playoff spot and the #2 seed with a win over North Allegheny
- Seneca Valley clinches a playoff spot with a loss by EITHER Canon-McMillan or Mt. Lebanon
- Mt. Lebanon clinches a playoff spot with EITHER:
- A Canon Mac loss OR
- A win over Norwin AND a Seneca Valley loss
- Canon McMillan clinches a playoff spot with a win over Central Catholic
5A Playoff Scenarios
12 total teams – top 3 teams from each conference + 3 Wild Cards
Allegheny Six Conference
Conference Champion: Upper St Clair (4-0, 9-0)
Clinched: Peters Twp (3-1, 8-1), Bethel Park (3-1, 8-1)
Wild Card Hopefuls: South Fayette (1-3, 6-3), Moon (1-3, 4-4)
Week 9: Bethel Park vs Peters Twp, South Fayette vs Moon, Baldwin vs Upper St Clair
Playoff Scenarios
- Bethel Park vs Peters Twp will determine 2nd place
Big East Conference
Conference Champion: Woodland Hills (5-0, 7-2)
Clinched: Penn-Trafford (4-1, 7-2), Franklin Regional (3-2, 6-3)
Wild Card Hopefuls: Kiski (2-3, 4-5), Latrobe (2-3, 5-4), Gateway (2-4, 3-6)
Week 9: Kiski vs Woodland Hills, Penn-Trafford vs Latrobe, Armstrong vs Franklin Regional
Playoff Scenarios
- None, all guaranteed spots clinched
Northeast Conference
Conference Champion: Pine-Richland (4-0, 7-1)
Clinched: (none, other than Pine-Richland)
In the Running: Penn Hills (3-1, 5-4), North Hills (3-2, 7-2), Plum (2-2, 3-6)
Week 9: Plum vs Penn Hills, Shaler vs Pine-Richland
Playoff Scenarios
- If Penn Hills beats Plum, Penn Hills and North Hills make the playoffs
- If Plum wins by 8 points or fewer, Penn Hills and North Hills make the playoffs
- If Plum wins by exactly 9 points, Plum and North Hills make the playoffs
- If Plum wins by 10 points or more, Plum and Penn Hills make the playoffs
4A Playoff Scenarios
8 total teams – top 2 teams from each conference + 2 Wild Cards
Big Six Conference
Conference Champion: Thomas Jefferson (4-0, 9-0)
Clinched: (None, other than Thomas Jefferson)
In the Running: Belle Vernon (3-1, 4-3), Trinity (3-1, 4-5)
Week 9: Belle Vernon vs Trinity, Thomas Jefferson vs Laurel Highlands, Chartiers Valley vs Ringgold
Playoff Scenarios
- The winner of Belle Vernon-Trinity clinches a playoff spot
Greater Allegheny Conference
Conference Champion: McKeesport (4-0, 5-4)
Clinched: Mars (3-1, 4-5)
Wild Card Hopeful: West Mifflin (2-2, 4-5)
Week 9: McKeesport vs Knoch, Hampton vs West Mifflin, Indiana vs Mars
Playoff Scenarios: None
Parkway Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched:
In the Running: Montour (4-0, 8-0), Aliquippa (3-1, 5-2), West Allegheny (3-1, 3-3)
Week 9: West Allegheny vs Montour, Blackhawk vs New Castle, Ambridge vs Aliquippa
Playoff Scenarios:
- Montour clinches the conference title with a win over West Allegheny
- Aliquippa clinches a playoff spot with a win over Ambridge
- West Allegheny clinches a playoff spot with a win over Montour by 2 points or more
- Montour clinches a playoff spot with win OR an Aliquippa loss
- Montour can also clinch a playoff spot if they lose to West Allegheny by 1 point AND Aliquippa beats Ambridge by 1 point
3A Playoff Scenarios
12 total teams – top 3 teams from each conference + 3 Wild Cards
Allegheny Seven Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched: Imani Christian (5-0, 9-0), Deer Lakes (4-1, 7-2), Freeport (4-1, 7-2)
Wild Card Hopefuls: Highlands (2-3, 4-4)
Week 9: Imani vs Freeport, Burrell vs Deer Lakes, Highlands vs Valley
Playoff Scenarios
- Imani Christian clinches the conference title with a win over Freeport
- Freeport clinches the conference title with a win over Imani AND a Deer Lakes loss
- If Deer Lakes and Freeport win, the margin of Freeport’s victory will determine the conference champion
- If Freeport wins by 4 or less: Imani Christian is conference champions
- If Freeport wins by 5 or more: Freeport is conference champions
Interstate Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched: Elizabeth Forward (4-0, 6-3)
In the Running: Southmoreland (3-1, 7-2), Mt Pleasant (3-1, 5-4), Greensburg Salem (2-2, 6-3)
Week 9: Elizabeth Forward vs Mt Pleasant, Southmoreland vs Greensburg Salem, Derry vs Yough
Playoff Scenarios:
- Elizabeth Forward clinches the conference title with a win over Mt Pleasant OR a Southmoreland win
- Mt Pleasant clinches the conference title with a win over Elizabeth Forward AND a Southmoreland loss
- If Southmoreland beats Greensburg Salem, Southmoreland AND Mt Pleasant clinch playoff spots
- If Greensburg Salem beats Southmoreland:
- AND Mt Pleasant beats Elizabeth Forward, Mt Pleasant is conference champs, Elizabeth Forward and Greensburg Salem make the playoffs
- AND Mt Pleasant loses:
- Greensburg Salem and Southmoreland make the playoffs if GS wins by 9 points or more
- Southmoreland and Mt Pleasant make the playoffs if GS wins by 8 points or fewer
Western Hills Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched: Avonworth (5-0, 7-2), Central Valley (5-1, 5-4), Beaver (4-1, 7-2)
Wild Card Hopefuls: North Catholic (2-3, 3-6), Hopewell (2-3, 4-5)
Week 9: Avonworth vs Beaver, Hopewell vs North Catholic, McGuffey vs Quaker Valley
Playoff Scenarios
- Avonworth clinches the conference title with a win over Beaver OR with a loss by 6 points or fewer
- Central Valley plays a non-conference game, but can clinch the conference title if Beaver beats Avonworth by 7 points or more
2A Playoff Scenarios
13 total teams – top 3 teams from each conference + 4 Wild Cards
Allegheny Conference
Conference Champion: South Park (5-0, 8-1)
Clinched: South Allegheny (4-1, 8-1), Steel Valley (4-1, 6-3)
Wild Card Hopefuls: OLSH (3-3, 4-4)
Week 9: South Allegheny vs Steel Valley, South Park vs Shady Side Academy, Apollo-Ridge vs Ligonier Valley
Playoff Scenarios:
- The winner of South Allegheny-Steel Valley will finish 2nd in the conference
Century Conference
Conference Champion: Seton LaSalle (5-0, 8-0)
Clinched: Keystone Oaks (4-2, 4-4)
In the Running: Waynesburg (3-2, 5-4), Washington (3-2, 5-4),
Wild Card Hopefuls: Carlynton (2-3, 5-4)
Week 9: Seton LaSalle vs Washington, Sto-Rox vs Waynesburg, Charleroi vs Carlynton
Playoff Scenarios:
- Waynesburg clinches a playoff spot with a Washington loss
- Washington clinches a playoff spot with a win over Seton LaSalle
Midwestern Conference
Conference Champion: Ellwood City (6-0, 8-0)
Clinched: Western Beaver (5-1, 6-2),
In the Running: Riverside (4-2, 5-4), Mohawk (4-2, 5-3)
Wild Card Hopefuls: New Brighton (2-4, 4-5), Union (2-4, 2-6)
Week 9: Riverside vs Mohawk, New Brighton vs Union, Beaver Falls vs Ellwood City, Western Beaver vs Freedom
Playoff Scenarios
- The winner of Riverside-Mohawk clinches a playoff spot
1A Playoff Scenarios
16 total teams – top 3 from each conference + 4 Wild Cards
Big Seven Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched: Neshannock (5-0, 8-1), Laurel (5-0, 5-4)
In the Running: South Side Beaver (3-2, 5-3), Rochester (3-2, 3-5)
Week 9: Laurel at Neshannock, South Side vs Rochester, Summit vs Shenango
Playoff Scenarios:
- The winner of Laurel-Neshannock wins the conference title
- The winner of South Side-Rochester clinches a playoff spot
Black Hills Conference
Conference Champion: Fort Cherry (5-0, 9-0)
Clinched: Bishop Canevin (4-1, 6-2)
In the Running: Monessen (3-2, 7-2), Cornell (3-2, 7-2)
Wild Card Hopefuls: Serra Catholic (2-3, 3-6)
Week 9: Monessen vs Cornell, Fort Cherry vs Serra, Burgettstown vs Bishop Canevin
Playoff Scenarios:
- The winner of Monessen-Cornell gets the third guaranteed playoff spot
Eastern Conference
Conference Champion: Clairton (6-0, 9-0)
Clinched: GCC (5-1, 6-2), Leechburg (4-1, 7-1),
In the Running: Brentwood (3-2, 4-4), Jeannette (2-3, 5-3)
Wild Card Hopefuls: Riverview (2-4, 3-5)
Week 9: Brentwood vs Clairton, GCC vs Leechburg, Springdale vs Frazier
Playoff Scenarios:
- The winner of Leechburg-GCC finishes 2nd, the loser finishes 3rd
Tri-County South Conference
Conference Champion:
Clinched: Jefferson-Morgan (6-0, 9-0), California (6-0, 7-2)
In the Running: West Greene (3-3, 3-6), Bentworth (3-3, 5-4), Carmichaels (3-3, 4-3)
Week 9: Jefferson Morgan vs California, Bentworth vs Avella, Carmichaels vs Mapletown, West Greene vs Beth-Center
Playoff Scenarios:
- The winner of Jefferson-Morgan vs California is the conference champion
- The final playoff spot will be decided between Carmichaels, West Greene, and Bentworth
- If all 3 teams win, tiebreaker points will decide the final playoff spot. Currently Bentworth +7, Carmichaels 0, West Greene -7
- Carmichaels clinches a playoff spot with a win AND Bentworth loss
- Bentworth clinches a playoff spot with a win AND West Greene loss
- West Greene clinches a playoff spot with a win AND Carmichaels loss
- If all 3 teams lose, there will be a 4-way tie with Avella. Carmichaels would get the final playoff spot (2-1 in the 4-way tie, head-to-head over West Greene)
