WPIAL Class 2A football final notebook: Washington celebrates 1st title since 2001
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Saturday, November 25, 2017 | 9:45 PM
Saturday's championship-game victory over Steel Valley was the seventh WPIAL title in Washington history and the first since 2001 when the Little Prexies defeated Beaver Falls, 24-14, at Heinz Field.
Wash High is now 5-5-1 in WPIAL title games, tying Johnstown, 0-0, in 1917.
In 1923, Washington was declared WPIAL champion without a playoff.
Washington defeated Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue in 1920 before the City League was formed.
The school also defeated Wilkinsburg in 1926 and Riverside in '93.
Washington also sustained a trio of one-point losses in WPIAL title games, losing to Wilkinsburg, 7-6, in 1922; Aliquippa, 13-12; in '52 and Burrell, 14-13, in the first overtime championship game in WPIAL history in 1995.
First Ironmen loss
It was the first loss for Steel Valley in a WPIAL title game. The Ironmen defeated Aliquippa in 1982, Center in '88, Freeport in '89 and Neshannock last season.
Steel Valley has made the WPIAL playoffs 23 times in the last 36 seasons.
The loss also ended Steel Valley's 26-game winning streak. St. Joseph's Prep and Cathedral Prep still have 26-game streaks, tops in the state with Bishop Guilfoyle losing Friday night, halting the Marauders' streak at 59 wins.
Eclipsing 2K
Washington's Nick Welsh went over the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season on a 16-yard gain with 4 minutes, 59 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Welsh, a 5-9, 195-pound senior, now has 2,083 yards in 2017. He needs 30 yards to become the WPIAL rushing leader. Seton La Salle's Lionel Deanes has 2,112 yards. The Rebels were eliminated from the postseason several weeks ago.
Sluggish start
Even though Wash High amassed 429 offensive yards Saturday night, the Little Prexies didn't pick up their initial first down until early in the second quarter on a 33-yard pass to Welsh.
Washington had minus-10 net yards in the first quarter.
Up next
The Little Prexies will next play Wilmington in the PIAA semifinals Friday at a time and site to be determined. The Greyhounds rolled past Clarion, 33-6.
George Guido is a freelance writer.
Tags: Steel Valley, Washington
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