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WPIAL Top 25 Teams of the Decade

by Ian

With the completion of the State Championship games in Hershey, this decade of WPIAL football has come to a close. There were numerous noteworthy feats to highlight, including single-game, single-season, and career passing, rushing, receiving and scoring records. There were state-record winning streaks and losing streaks. As part of recapping the decade that was in Western Pennsylvania High School football, here is a look at the top programs.

There are many different metrics one could use to identify the “top teams” of the decade in high school football. All told there were 129 schools that participated in WPIAL football throughout the decade. Some of them, like Altoona, Erie McDowell, Hollidaysburg, and West Shamokin, departed to join other districts. Others like Vincentian and Geibel, folded their programs. Kittanning and Ford City merged to form Armstrong High School. Twelve different WPIAL teams won State Championships. Twenty different teams won WPIAL titles with 36 teams reaching the Championship Game. There were 17 schools that won 80 or more games this decade and 14 teams made the playoffs in all 10 seasons.

In the end, I decided to create a metric for “Prestige Points” which factored in playoff success, total victories, conference wins, WPIAL Championships, and PIAA Championships to rank all 129 schools. Only two schools that won WPIAL Championships (OLSH and Quaker Valley) did not make the Top 25 in the rankings. OLSH joined the WPIAL in 2010 and made the playoffs for the first time in 2016. The Chargers won their first playoff game in 2017 then won the WPIAL title the following year. OLSH finished 46th in the overall rankings. Quaker Valley only made the playoffs three times during the decade, but one of those was their 2017 run to the WPIAL and PIAA Championships. The Quakers finished 31st in the rankings and had the fewest playoff appearances of any team in the Top 60. Seneca Valley (34th overall) was the only team to reach multiple WPIAL finals and not make the Top 25. Finally, Franklin Regional (26th), Mars (28th), Belle Vernon (29th), West Mifflin (30th), and Bethel Park (38th) all reached the postseason in all 10 years but did not break into the Top 25. Here are the Top 25 WPIAL teams of the 2010s decade.

Rochester Area25. Rochester

Overall Record: 74-35
Playoff Appearances: 6
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 172

Rochester was one of the most dominant teams of the 2000s, winning 4 WPIAL titles and 2 PIAA Championships. The Rams started this decade strong with a loss to Clairton in the 2010 Class A Championship Game. But Rochester had to go through a rebuilding phase in the middle of the decade, missing the playoffs in three consecutive years. The move to six classifications in 2016 saw the Rams return to the playoffs, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and making a run to the WPIAL final in 2018 where they fell to conference foe OLSH. Rochester’s two trips to Heinz Field was a step back for a team that reached 7 Championship Games (the most of any team) the previous decade.

Neshannock24. Neshannock

Overall Record: 79-33
Playoff Appearances: 7
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 175

Neshannock had never made it past the quarterfinals before this decade. The Lancers made three consecutive trips to the Class A semifinals from 2012-2014. In 2016, the first year of six classifications, Neshannock broke through and reached the WPIAL Championship Game for the first time in school history. The Lancers fell in the 2A final to Steel Valley. On the whole, their 7 playoff appearances in the last 8 years were 3 more than Neshannock had in their entire history before this decade.

Upper Saint Clair23. Upper St. Clair

Overall Record: 78-35
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 178

The 2010s saw legendary Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render become the first coach in WPIAL history to win 400 games. Render retired after the 2018 season but Mike Junko kept the tradition of excellence going with a strong 2019 season and first round playoff victory. The Panthers best season this decade came in 2011 when they reached the AAAA Championship Game but fell to North Allegheny. Upper St. Clair reached the semifinals three other times – in 2012, 2013 and 2017.

Sto-Rox22. Sto-Rox

Overall Record: 70-42
Playoff Appearances: 7
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 179

The Vikings had a strong start to the decade, reaching the WPIAL final in three straight seasons with record-setting quarterback Lenny Williams. Sto-Rox fell to Clairton on the Heinz Field grass in 2011 and 2012 then lost to North Catholic in 2013. After a rebuilding phase, Sto-Rox made a fourth trip to the WPIAL final in 2019 but once again came up short against Clairton. In 2018, despite missing the playoffs, Sto-Rox QB Eric Wilson broke the WPIAL’s regular season passing record, becoming the first player ever to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a regular season.

Penn Hills21. Penn-Hills

Overall Record: 66-43
Playoff Appearances: 8
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 180

The first team on this list with a WPIAL and PIAA title this decade. Penn Hills went through a stretch of losing in the first round of the playoffs from 2010-2015. After the move to six classifications, the Indians barely missed the playoffs in 2016 but made it to the 6A semifinals in 2017. Penn Hills moved down to 5A in the 2018 realignment cycle and dominated. They swept through the WPIAL and PIAA with the best secondary in the state in 2018. Penn Hills beat Bob Palko’s West Allegheny team in the WPIAL final then won a shootout with Manheim Central for the PIAA title. Their strong run continued in 2019 up until a quarterfinal loss to McKeesport, their first loss to a 5A team since moving down.

McKeesport Area20. McKeesport

Overall Record: 83-29
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 187

McKeesport reached the semifinals in 2019 for the fourth time this decade. The Tigers wishbone rushing attack steamrolled McKeesport to over 80 victories. McKeesport reached the inaugural 5A Championship Game in 2016 and nearly topped West Allegheny if not for a last-second field goal that sent the game to overtime. McKeesport scored first in overtime but West Allegheny countered with a touchdown and converted a two-point try to win the 2016 title. That was McKeesport’s only Championship Game appearance this decade.

Montour19. Montour

Overall Record: 72-40
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 194

At the start of the decade, the AAA Parkway Conference was widely considered the best section in the WPIAL. Parkway teams won 6 straight WPIAL titles from 2009-2014, including Montour’s 2011 Championship. The Spartans had reached Heinz Field the year prior but fallen to Central Valley. Montour made three trips to Heinz Field this decade with the third coming in 2017 on the back of come-from-behind victories over New Castle and South Fayette.

Woodland Hills18. Woodland Hills

Overall Record: 77-40
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 196

Woodland Hills had been one of the WPIAL’s dominant programs since the school was created via mergers in 1986. The Wolverines missed the playoffs in 2019, snapping a 23-year playoff streak – the third longest in the WPIAL. After winning 3 WPIAL titles and reaching the title game 5 times in the 2000s, Woody High’s strong run continued at the start of this decade. The Wolverines reached the AAAA Championship Game in three of the first four years but have not been back to Heinz Field since 2013. In addition to their 3 title game appearances, Woody High reached the semifinals in 2015 and 2016.

Avonworth17. Avonworth

Overall Record: 83-32
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 205

In 2014, Avonworth reached their first WPIAL Championship Game since 1959. The Antelopes made the playoffs all 10 years this decade. Their 2014 season came to an end at the hands of Clairton. Avonworth made it back to the title game in 2019, defeating Washington with a dominant defensive performance 28-6. That marked the Lopes first outright WPIAL title in school history (they tied Union in the 1959 Championship Game). Avonworth’s 2019 run took them to the State Championship Game where they faced two-time defending state champions Southern Columbia.

Penn-Trafford16. Penn-Trafford

Overall Record: 90-26
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 0
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 210

Penn-Trafford is the first school to appear on this list with at least 90 wins this decade. The Warriors were a strong team at the end of the four classification era, reaching the semifinals twice before breaking through to the WPIAL AAAA final in 2015 where they lost to Central Catholic. That marked Penn-Trafford’s first title game appearance since 1997. Penn-Trafford would return to the Championship Game in 2017 but once again come up short, this time against conference rival Gateway. The decade ended with the Warriors making five trips to the semifinals and reaching Heinz Field twice.

Beaver Falls15. Beaver Falls

Overall Record: 81-31
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 219

Beaver Falls won the WPIAL 3A Championship in the first year of the six classification alignment, defeating rival Aliquippa at Heinz Field. That title game victory was Beaver Falls’ only win over the rival Quips in 12 meetings this decade. The Tigers went on to win the 2016 PIAA Championship. After suffering through a year where graduations, transfers and injuries decimated their lineup, Beaver Falls returned to the playoffs in 2018, reaching the semifinals where they fell to Aliquippa. Beaver Falls started the decade by being knocked out of the playoffs by South Fayette four consecutive seasons, twice in the semifinals. All together, the Tigers reached the semifinals four times and broke through to the title game once, their 2016 WPIAL Championship which was their first title since 1984.

Gateway14. Gateway

Overall Record: 86-34
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 2
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 233

After losing in the AAAA Championship game four times in the last six years of the prior decade, Gateway entered the 2010s looking to get over the hump. In 2014 the Gators moved down from AAAA to AAA and missed the playoffs in 2015. However, they bounced back with the shift to six classifications and have been the best 5A teams over the last four years. The Gators reached at least the semifinals all four seasons and in 2017 captured their first WPIAL Championship since 1986. After an undefeated regular season ended with a semifinal upset by West Allegheny in 2018, Gateway returned to the title game in 2019 and narrowly defeated Peters Twp 21-20 for their second Championship in three seasons. All told, Gateway made five semifinals and won two WPIAL Championships this decade. After winning the WPIAL title in 2017, they made it all the way to the State Championship Game before losing to Archbishop Wood. In 2019, Gateway lost again to Archbishop Wood in the state playoffs, this time on a last-second field goal.

Steel Valley13. Steel Valley

Overall Record: 78-33
Playoff Appearances: 8
WPIAL Championships: 2
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 241

Steel Valley won just one playoff game between 2001 and 2014 but broke through in 2015 with a run to the AA semifinals. With the move to six classifications, the Ironmen became a dominant force in 2A. They won the inaugural 2A WPIAL and PIAA Championship, becoming the first school in state history to win all 16 of their games by mercy rule. The “Mercy Boys” streak ended the following season but they once again reached the WPIAL final where they fell to Washington. In 2018, Steel Valley finished second to Shady Side Academy in conference play but made a run to the WPIAL final with a shorthanded roster, defeating fellow second-place finisher South Side Beaver for their second title in three seasons. Graduations and transfers left them short-handed for 2019 where they barely missed the playoffs, ending their run of three straight Championship Game appearances. Despite missing the playoffs in 2019, Steel Valley still finished the later half of the decade with four semifinal appearances, three trips to the WPIAL final, two WPIAL titles and one State Championship.

Washington12. Washington

Overall Record: 100-19
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 251

The Prexies are the first team on the list with triple-digit wins in the decade. Washington was a dominant regular season team that went 83-10 over the course of the decade with half of those losses coming in 2010, the only year they missed the playoffs. Wash High was one of the most dominant teams in conference play this decade, with 6 perfect records and a 63-4 record since 2011. In the playoffs, Washington reached the semifinals five times and the WPIAL Championship game three times. The lost to Aliquippa in the 2012 AA Championship and to Avonworth in the 2019 2A Championship. The Prexies captured their lone title of the decade in 2017, defeating Steel Valley in the WPIAL 2A Championship.

North Catholic11. North Catholic

Overall Record: 93-26
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 255

North Catholic only missed the playoffs once this decade, back in 2011. Since then, the Trojans have seen some dramatic changes with a relocation to Cranberry and increasing enrollment that lifted them from a Class A school to a 3A school. North Catholic reached at least the semifinals in 6 of 7 years between 2012 and 2018. Their lone semifinal victory (the only one in school history) came in 2013. That memorable season saw the Trojans stout defense shut out Sto-Rox at Heinz Field to capture their first WPIAL Championship and go on to win an epic State Championship in overtime over Old Forge on a PJ Fulmore two-point conversion.

Pine-Richland10. Pine-Richland

Overall Record: 85-36
Playoff Appearances: 8
WPIAL Championships: 3
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 277

Pine-Richland got off to a slow start in the 2010s but came on to be one of the best teams of the six-classification era. From 2010-2013, the Rams missed the playoffs twice and lost in the first round the other two times. But in 2014, led by QB Ben DiNucci, the Rams took AAAA by storm and won their first WPIAL title since 2003. Memorably, Pine-Richland’s student section brought a live ram to the tailgate before the game at Heinz Field which got loose on the North Side. The reigns of the offense were then passed to sophomore QB Phil Jurkovec who became one of the top passers in WPIAL history. Pine-Richland lost in the semifinals in 2015 and 2016 but dominated during Jurkovec’s senior season in 2017, winning the WPIAL and PIAA Championships. The Rams repeated as WPIAL Champions in 2018 and made it back to Heinz Field in 2019 where they fell in a defensive struggle to Central Catholic. All told, Pine-Richland closed out the decade with 6 straight semifinal appearances and 3 consecutive trips to Heinz Field. The Rams captured 3 WPIAL titles and 1 PIAA title this decade.

West Allegheny9. West Allegheny

Overall Record: 89-30
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 3
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 280

West Allegheny won 3 WPIAL titles this decade, their last one giving coach Bob Palko his record eighth Championship. Palko retired after the 2018 season and West Allegheny missed the playoffs in 2019, the only time this decade the Indians did not appear in the postseason. During Palko’s time West A had a strong run, reaching Heinz Field in three straight seasons from 2012-2014, winning two titles in that time. Incredibly, this was the second time during Palko’s tenure that West A reached three straight WPIAL Championship Games. West Allegheny also won the inaugural 5A Championship, defeating McKeesport in overtime on a win-or-go-home two-point conversion. The Indians made it back to the 5A title game in Palko’s final season but fell to Penn Hills. All told, West Allegheny reached 5 WPIAL Championship Games and won three.

Jeannette8. Jeannette

Overall Record: 100-21
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 1
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 283

Jeannette is the only team in the Top 10 that did not win multiple WPIAL titles this decade. The Jayhawks started the decade in AA and lost in the 2011 title game against Aliquippa. In 2014 they moved down to Class A and were one of the most dominant teams in the classification. Since 2014, Jeannette is an incredible 65-3 against all WPIAL opponents not named “Clairton.” However, Jeannette is just 2-7 against Clairton with two of those losses coming in WPIAL Championship Games. The Jayhawks did break the trend in 2017, defeating Clairton in the semifinals then topping Imani Christian 35-34 in the WPIAL Championship. Jeannette would go on to capture the PIAA title in 2017.

Central Valley7. Central Valley

Overall Record: 98-29
Playoff Appearances: 9
WPIAL Championships: 3
PIAA Championships: 0
Prestige Points: 297

The decade marked a new chapter for these communities. After the 2009-10 school year, Center and Monaca school districts merged to form Central Valley. The combined team saw immediate success on the football field, winning the WPIAL title in their first season (2010). The Warriors became a force in AAA, reaching at least the semifinals in six straight seasons and making it to Heinz Field four times. Central Valley ended West Allegheny’s bid for a three-peat in 2014 thanks to an explosive performance from Jordan Whitehead. Central Valley moved down to 3A with the 2016 realignment and went through a few rebuilding seasons before making it back to Heinz Field in 2019 and defeating Aliquippa to win their third WPIAL title this decade. Like West Allegheny, the Warriors reached five WPIAL finals and won three.

North Allegheny6. North Allegheny

Overall Record: 106-21
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 3
PIAA Championships: 2
Prestige Points: 340

North Allegheny was one of the most dominant teams in the WPIAL to start the decade. The Tigers captured three straight AAAA titles from 2010-2012, including two state championships. North Allegheny did not miss the playoffs this decade and was a strong regular season contender in a conference with Pine-Richland and Central Catholic. The Tigers lost in the quarterfinals in three straight years after the Ross Morgan Rager their Three-Peat of Championships. After the move to six classifications, North Allegheny has fallen in the semifinals each season, twice being upset by Seneca Valley.

Central Catholic5. Central Catholic

Overall Record: 114-20
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 4
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 368

The Vikings dominated the WPIAL’s largest classification over the later part of the decade. Central Catholic reached Heinz Field in 5 straight seasons from 2013-2017, winning 3 Championships. After a quarterfinal defeat by Seneca Valley in 2018, Central bounced back on the strength of the best defensive line in the WPIAL to capture the 2019 6A Championship. Stout defense has been a hallmark of the Central Catholic program this decade. Central Catholic won 4 WPIAL titles and reached the Championship Game 6 times. The Vikings also won the 2015 PIAA Championship, defeating Parkland 21-18.

Thomas Jefferson4. Thomas Jefferson

Overall Record: 110-16
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 4
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 375

Thomas Jefferson has one of the most impressive current runs in the WPIAL. They are tied with Aliquippa for the most consecutive playoff appearances (25) and have reached at least the semifinals in 21 of the last 22 seasons. The Jaguars won 4 WPIAL titles this decade and reached Heinz Field in the last five seasons. The only thing that prevented them from claiming five straight titles was an interception on the goal line in the final minute of the 2018 Championship against South Fayette. In 2019, after defeating conference rival Belle Vernon in the WPIAL final, coach Bill Cherpak tied Bob Palko’s record of 8 WPIAL Championships. The Jaguars then went on to finally top Erie Cathedral Prep, who had knocked them out of the state playoffs three straight years from 2015-2017, and win their first PIAA title since 2008. TJ was also one of the most dominant teams in conference play this decade, posting an incredible 73-4 record.

South Fayette3. South Fayette

Overall Record: 120-13
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 4
PIAA Championships: 2
Prestige Points: 407

South Fayette ended the decade with 4 WPIAL titles and 2 PIAA Championships, one of just three WPIAL teams to win multiple state titles. The Lions also had the best conference record during the decade, an incredible 75-2 with their last loss coming back in 2011. South Fayette’s boasts an active streak of 64 straight conference victories, a WPIAL record. South Fayette reached the AA final four times with three victories from 2010-2015. They also won the state title twice in that span. The Lions moved up to 4A with the 2016 realignment and continued their dominant run of regular season success, but were upset by conference foes New Castle and Montour in the playoffs in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, they broke through and gave everyone the long-awaited WPIAL final between South Fayette and Thomas Jefferson, which South Fayette won on a goal-line interception in the final minute. South Fayette became known as a cradle for quarterbacks, starting the decade with the Brumbaugh brothers (Christian and Brett) and also producing Drew Saxton, Jamie Diven and Naman Alemada.

Aliquippa2. Aliquippa

Overall Record: 127-13
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 4
PIAA Championships: 1
Prestige Points: 431

The storied tradition of Aliquippa football is legendary in Western Pennsylvania. The Quips have won the most WPIAL titles of any school, adding 4 more this decade to bring their total to 17. Heinz Field has been like a second home for Aliquippa as the Quips have reached the WPIAL final in an incredible 12 straight seasons. Aliquippa seemingly had a standing date with South Fayette at Heinz Field for the first half of the decade, meeting in the WPIAL AA Championship four times and splitting the matchups. With the move to six classifications, Aliquippa opted to continue playing up and the 1A-sized school chose the 3A classification to maintain traditional rivalries with their Beaver County neighbors. Aliquippa fell in the WPIAL Championship two straight years to conference foes (Beaver Falls and Quaker Valley) they had defeated during the regular season. Both of those teams went on to win state titles, prompting the school board to replace long-time coach Mike Zmijanac with Mike Warfield. The “Air Warfield” offense brought a dynamic change to the Quips former ground-and-pound attack, carrying them to the WPIAL and PIAA Championships in 2018. This season, the Quips made it back to Heinz Field once again and went to overtime against Central Valley but lost on an attempted two-point conversion that got stuffed. Aliquippa was the only team ever to reach the WPIAL final every year in a decade and captured 4 WPIAL Championships and a State title, all while playing up in classification.

Clairton1. Clairton

Overall Record: 129-13
Playoff Appearances: 10
WPIAL Championships: 7
PIAA Championships: 3
Prestige Points: 511

Could there be anyone else atop the rankings? Clairton won SEVEN WPIAL Championships this decade and captured three state titles, the most of any WPIAL school. Despite being one of the smallest schools by enrollment, the Bears produced a number of talented athletes. The decade started with the “Killer T’s” of Tyler Boyd, Titus Howard, Terrish Webb, and Trenton Coles. Those players formed the core of the “Bout Dat” team that won five straight WPIAL Championships from 2008-2012 and a Pennsylvania-record 66 consecutive games. The senior class of Boyd, Howard and Webb graduated with an incredible 63-1 record and 4 state titles. The torch was passed to the dynamic Lamont Wade who led Clairton to three more titles from 2014-2016. The 2014 Clairton team smashed the single-season scoring record, putting up an incredible 958 points through the State Championship Game. After semifinal losses in 2017 and 2018, Clairton returned to Heinz Field in 2019 where they defeated Sto-Rox for the third time this decade to win their 14th WPIAL title in school history.

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4 comments

Dave Dragosin December 9, 2019 - 6:55 pm

Go bears…bruins rule?

SharonWade31@yahoo.com December 9, 2019 - 10:06 pm

Sure you’re right!!! Bear for life. Go home team.. well done Coach

Jason McBride December 11, 2019 - 1:25 am

How is that possible with Aliquippa playing up 2 classes, just imagine if they were in class A, then were is clairton, sorry…..

Carlton Wade December 17, 2019 - 3:42 pm

What if cat’s had wings, they could fly, Go Bears

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