Countdown to kickoff 2022: Flashback to 2021 WPIAL high school football season

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, July 31, 2022 | 9:27 PM

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While the Trib HSSN staff prepares you like no other for the upcoming 2022 high school football season over the next three weeks, let’s start our Countdown to Kickoff 2022 with a refresher course on a historic season.

Five new WPIAL champions were crowned in late November, with Central Valley being the only district team to repeat. The WPIAL crown was the third straight for the Warriors.

In fact, Central Valley closed out the season with a second straight PIAA Class 3A championship and a state long 27-game winning streak. The Warriors were one of a record four WPIAL teams that won state gold, including Mt. Lebanon in 6A, Penn-Trafford in 5A and Aliquippa in 4A.

Here is a look back at what happened in the 2021 WPIAL football season.

Class 6A

Regular season champion

Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (7-0)

Individual leaders

Passing: Joey Daniels, Mt. Lebanon (112 of 189 for 2,118 yards and 31 touchdowns)

Rushing: Alex Tecza, Mt. Lebanon (259 rushes for 2,079 yards)

Receiving: Eli Heidenreich, Mt. Lebanon (54 receptions for 1,330 yards)

Scoring: Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich, Mt. Lebanon (29 touchdowns)

WPIAL playoff results

Quarterfinals: North Allegheny 49, Canon-McMillan 26

Semifinals: Mt. Lebanon 28, North Allegheny 17; Central Catholic 42, Seneca Valley 21

Championship: Mt. Lebanon 47, Central Catholic 7

PIAA playoff results

Quarterfinals: Mt. Lebanon 47, McDowell 14

Semifinals: Mt. Lebanon 49, State College 28

Championship: Mt. Lebanon 35, St. Joseph’s Prep 17

Class 5A

Regular season conference champions

Allegheny Six: Moon Tigers (5-0)

Big East: Penn-Trafford Warriors (5-0)

Northeast: North Hills Indians (4-1), Penn Hills Indians (4-1), Pine-Richland Rams (4-1)

Individual leaders

Passing: Brad Birch, Gateway (162 of 269 for 2,623 yards and 27 touchdowns)

Rushing: Cade Yacamelli, Penn-Trafford (194 rushes for 1,866 yards)

Receiving: Logan Yater, South Fayette (57 receptions for 485 yards)

Scoring: Cade Yacamelli, Penn-Trafford (29 touchdowns)

WPIAL playoff results

First round: Woodland Hills 27, Bethel Park 23; Penn Hills 38, Franklin Regional 6; Fox Chapel 13, Upper St. Clair 10; Peters Township 33, North Hills 28

Quarterfinals: Moon 21, Woodland Hills 13; Penn Hills 23, Gateway 20; Penn-Trafford 42, Fox Chapel 14; Pine-Richland 20, Peters Township 14

Semifinals: Moon 14, Penn Hills 9; Penn-Trafford 24, Pine-Richland 6

Championship: Penn-Trafford 24, Moon 21

PIAA playoff results

Semifinals: Penn-Trafford 49, Exeter Township 14

Championship: Penn-Trafford 17, Imhotep Charter 14 in overtime

Class 4A

Regular season conference champions

Parkway: Aliquippa Quips (5-0)

Big Eight: Belle Vernon Leopards (6-0)

Greater Allegheny: Hampton Talbots (7-0)

Individual leaders

Passing: Cadin Olsen, Armstrong (189 of 290 for 2,501 yards and 28 touchdowns)

Rushing: Tiqwai Hayes, Aliquippa (245 rushes for 1,746 yards)

Receiving: Isaiah Brown, Armstrong (56 receptions for 906 yards)

Scoring: Devin Whitlock, Belle Vernon (27 touchdowns)

WPIAL playoff results

First round: New Castle 31, Highlands 19; Hampton 14, Plum 13; Thomas Jefferson 41, Indiana 0; Laurel Highlands 28, Beaver 27; Armstrong 27, Montour 16

Quarterfinals: Belle Vernon 45, New Castle 20; Thomas Jefferson 42, Hampton 14; Aliquippa 36, Laurel Highlands 0; McKeesport 35, Armstrong 21

Semifinals: Belle Vernon 21, Thomas Jefferson 7; Aliquippa 27, McKeesport 21 in overtime

Championship: Aliquippa 28, Belle Vernon 13

PIAA playoff results

Semifinals: Aliquippa 41, Jersey Shore 16

Championship: Aliquippa 41, Bishop McDevitt 27

Class 3A

Regular season conference champions

Northwestern Six: Central Valley Warriors (5-0)

Interstate: Elizabeth Forward Warriors (6-0)

Allegheny Seven: North Catholic Trojans (6-0)

Individual leaders

Passing: Nick Buckley, Keystone Oaks (164 of 280 for 1,916 yards and 16 touchdowns)

Rushing: Landon Alexander, Central Valley (238 rushes for 2,397 yards)

Receiving: Quinn Kenny, Keystone Oaks (48 receptions for 503 yards)

Scoring: Landon Alexander, Central Valley (32 touchdowns)

WPIAL playoff results

First round: East Allegheny 36, Southmoreland 11; Freeport 34, Ambridge 6; Keystone Oaks 34, South Allegheny 0; Mt. Pleasant 34, Burrell 7

Quarterfinals: Central Valley 48, East Allegheny 6; Elizabeth Forward 14, Freeport 6; North Catholic 48, Keystone Oaks 41; Avonworth 49, Mt. Pleasant 7

Semifinals: Central Valley 51, Elizabeth Forward 0; North Catholic 7, Avonworth 0

Championship: Central Valley 52, North Catholic 15

PIAA playoff results

Semifinals: Central Valley 35, Central (Martinsburg) 21

Championship: Central Valley 7, Wyomissing 0

Class 2A

Regular season conference champions

Allegheny: Steel Valley Ironmen (5-0)

Century: Washington Little Prexies (6-0)

Midwestern Athletic: Laurel Spartans (7-0)

Three Rivers: Sto-Rox Vikings (5-0)

Individual leaders

Passing: Jaren Brickner, Beaver Falls (136 of 257 for 2,579 yards and 25 touchdowns)

Rushing: Nijhay Burt, Steel Valley (153 rushes for 2,044 yards)

Receiving: Terrell Booth, Serra Catholic (49 receptions for 1,040 yards)

Scoring: Nijhay Burt, Steel Valley (35 touchdowns)

WPIAL playoff results

First round: Steel Valley 49, Beth-Center 14, South Side 34, Ligonier Valley 14, New Brighton 21, Washington 20 in overtime, Beaver Falls 42, Western Beaver 8, Sto-Rox 61, Shady Side Academy 8, Mohawk 34, Chartiers-Houston 12, Laurel 41, McGuffey 2, Serra Catholic 61, Neshannock 21

Quarterfinals: Steel Valley 28, South Side 12, Beaver Falls 40, New Brighton 0, Sto-Rox 62, Mohawk 14, Serra Catholic 6, Laurel 0

Semifinals: Beaver Falls 21, Steel Valley 8, Serra Catholic 13, Sto-Rox 12

Championship: Serra Catholic 35, Beaver Falls 12

PIAA playoff results

Semifinals: Serra Catholic 27, Farrell 18

Championship: Southern Columbia 62, Serra Catholic 25

Class A

Regular season conference champions

Big 7: Cornell Raiders (6-1)

Eastern: Clairton (7-0)

Tri-County South: West Greene (7-0)

Individual leaders

Passing: Tommy Burke, Leechburg (134 of 218 for 2,213 yards and 18 touchdowns)

Rushing: Landon Stevenson, Mapletown (228 rushes for 1,725 yards)

Receiving: Ziggy McIntosh, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (53 receptions for 668 yards)

Scoring: Landan Stevenson, Mapletown (27 touchdowns and 26 PATs)

WPIAL playoff results

First round: Our Lady of the Sacred heart 28, Greensburg Central Catholic 8; Springdale 28, West Greene 0; Rochester 35, Mapletown 0; Cornell 33, Monessen 0; Leechburg 28, California 7; Bishop Canevin 49, Burgettstown 6; Shenango 31, Carmichaels 13

Quarterfinals: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 29, Clairton 15; Rochester 27, Springdale 7; Cornell 46, Leechburg 18; Bishop Canevin 42, Shenango 14

Semifinals: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 14, Rochester 13; Bishop Canevin 24, Cornell 7

Championship: Bishop Canevin 42, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 7

PIAA playoff results

Semifinals: Redbank Valley 23, Bishop Canevin 14