5 things we learned in Week 6: Some teams clinching already

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 8:25 PM

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It’s too early to start mapping playoff scenarios for most WPIAL football teams, but a select few already have won their way in.

The most obvious is North Allegheny, which clinched a spot in the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs with a 20-6 win Friday night over Mt. Lebanon. The Tigers are 3-0 in the largest classification with one conference game left. However, there’s still a logjam behind them with Seneca Valley (1-1), Canon-McMillan (1-2), Central Catholic (1-2) and Mt. Lebanon (1-2) competing for the other three spots.

“There’s that relief that we put ourselves in a position that we’re definitely in,” said NA coach Art Walker, who was just as pleased with the added perks that come with finishing high in the standings. “We’re top two no matter what and get a home game.”

Based on records and head-to-head tiebreakers, five other WPIAL teams also appear to have playoff spots clinched. McKeesport (7-0, 4-0) in the Big Seven, Aliquippa (7-0, 4-0) and Central Valley (6-0, 4-0) in the Parkway, Avonworth (6-1, 4-0) in the Western Hills and Sto-Rox (4-2, 4-0) in the Century can start making playoff plans.

Three weeks remain in the regular season.

“That whole (scenarios) part of it is something that we can put out of our mind,” Walker said, “the wonder and all that stuff. The whole time we talked about controlling it ourselves. Right now, that’s what we’ve done.”

WPIAL history lesson

In WPIAL football history, 54 teams have won a state title. Only eight failed to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs the next year.

Penn-Trafford has a tough road ahead to avoid joining that list.

The Warriors fell to 1-2 in the Big East after Friday night’s loss to Gateway, 21-10. They trail Franklin Regional (3-0), Gateway (3-1) and Hempfield (1-1) in the conference standings, and are tied with Plum (1-2).

Working against Penn-Trafford is a smaller-than-usual eight-team bracket in Class 5A.

Only the top two teams from each conference are guaranteed playoff spots. Two of the three conferences also will have a wild card team, so that leaves a little room for error. The Warriors have games remaining against Plum and Franklin Regional, so the best they could finish is 3-2.

The most recent state champion not to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs the following year was Beaver Falls in 2017. Also missing the playoffs in a similar situation were South Park in 2006, Hopewell in 2003 and South Side in 2000.

McKeesport in 1995, Duquesne and North Hills in 1994 and Central Catholic in 1989 also were defending state champions who failed to reach the WPIAL playoffs.

New conference, same results

Sto-Rox has a way of making itself at home, no matter which classification or conference it occupies.

The Vikings are in good position to win the Class 2A Century Conference title this season after Friday night’s 36-0 win over Washington. If they do, the conference crown will be their fourth in four years.

Remarkably, they’ve played in three different conferences in that four-year span.

The Vikings won a share of the Big Seven title in 2019 and finished atop the Three Rivers standings in 2020 and ’21. In all, the team has switched conferences five times since 2010. The moves are partly because of geography and partly because of enrollment, which falls close to the dividing line between Class A and 2A.

Now in the Century, Sto-Rox (4-0) holds a one-game lead with two games left. Its remaining conference games are against Brentwood (2-5, 1-2) and Waynesburg (0-7, 0-4).

Different ways to win

Deer Lakes has won three games in a row, but has any team had a more exciting roller-coaster ride?

The Lancers celebrated a low-scoring defensive win Friday night when they defeated Valley, 7-2. It was reminiscent of their game two weeks ago when they defeated Southmoreland, 9-0.

Yes, Deer Lakes can win with defense, but the game in between was all offense. On Sept. 30, Deer Lakes and Knoch combined for 73 points as the Lancers won 37-36.

Next week, Deer Lakes (4-3, 2-0) hosts East Allegheny (5-1, 1-1) in a key Allegheny Six matchup. Good luck predicting that final score.

Waiting for overtime

North Catholic and Hampton played an unusual overtime game Friday. The Greater Allegheny teams finished regulation tied 7-7, but neither had scored an offensive touchdown.

Hampton’s points came from a 60-yard interception return by Eric Weeks. North Catholic answered with a 65-yard punt return TD by Jack Fennell.

Ultimately, the first offensive TD scored by either team was the winner.

North Catholic’s Gavin Kamody caught a 19-yard pass from Kaden Sarver in overtime for a 13-7 win. In high school, each team starts overtime with a possession at the 10-yard line, so a 19-yard overtime catch is unusual too.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.