Breaking down the 2024 WPIAL football playoffs

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 6:27 PM

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Class 6A

Favorite: Central Catholic has finished as the WPIAL runner-up two years in a row, but the Vikings enter this year again as title favorites. They have reached the final 10 of the past 11 years. First-year starting quarterback Jy’Aire Walls has passed for 1,729 yards and 19 touchdowns. RB Elijah Faulkner and WR Xxavier Thomas have nine touchdowns each. Thomas, also a standout DB, is a Penn State recruit.

Challengers: North Allegheny is a two-time defending WPIAL champion, having beaten Central Catholic in the finals two years in a row. NA lost 27-14 when the rivals met in late September. This year’s lineup is led by sophomore Brady Brinkley, a dual-threat QB. Coach Art Walker got career win No. 250 in Week 6. … Mt. Lebanon took an unusual path to the playoffs. The Blue Devils started 0-5 and lost seven of eight before winning their final two games to earn a playoff spot. Junior QB Patrick Smith leads the team in passing (1,289 yards), rushing (787 yards) and touchdowns (12). First-year Lebo coach Greg Perry was previously at Seton LaSalle and Keystone Oaks. … Seneca Valley qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years. The Raiders are seeking their first playoff win since reaching the final in 2018.

Don’t overlook: It’s hard to pick a “dark horse” in a four-team bracket.

Prediction: Central Catholic over North Allegheny

Class 5A

Favorite: Undefeated Upper St. Clair left no doubt about its postseason chances this year after barely missing the playoffs last season. USC is the only unbeaten team in WPIAL 5A. The Panthers have had success behind a stout defense and a strong running game led by senior RB/QB Julian Dahlem, a 1,000-yard rusher with 13 touchdowns. The team is chasing its first WPIAL title since 2006.

Challengers: Pine-Richland has won two of the past four WPIAL titles in 5A. RB Mac Miller leads the team with eight touchdowns and 774 rushing yards. Junior WR/DB Jay Timmons, son of former Steelers linebacker Lawrence, is a two-way standout. … Peters Township is the defending WPIAL champion and state runner-up. QB Nolan DiLucia is a 2,000-yard passer. RB Nick Courie and WR Nick McCullough have double-digit TD totals. … Bethel Park (43 ppg) has the highest-scoring offense in Class 5A. QB Tanner Pfeuffer, a three-year starter, is a 2,000-yard passer with 29 TDs. The Black Hawks lost to USC, 14-10, in Week 7. … Woodland Hills won its first conference title since 2015. Scoop Smith is one of the WPIAL’s top receivers with 13 TDs. … Penn Hills started 0-3 before winning six of the past seven. RB Naytel Mitchell is a 1,000-yard rusher with 15 TDs.

Don’t overlook: Penn-Trafford enters the playoffs on a six-game winning streak. RB Tasso Whipple is a 1,400-yard rusher.

Prediction: Upper St. Clair over Pine-Richland

Class 4A

Favorite: Undefeated Thomas Jefferson already has 10 WPIAL titles, fourth most in league history. The team’s most recent championship was in 2020. QB Luke Kosko is a 1,400-yard passer with 17 TDs. RB Tyler Eber has 1,300 rushing yards and a team-high 22 TDs. The Jaguars held opponents to 10.5 points per game. Bill Cherpak is one of four WPIAL coaches all-time with more than 300 career wins.

Challengers: Aliquippa is a three-time defending WPIAL 4A champion. The Quips also have reached the state finals three years in a row, winning two. RB Tikey Hayes is a Penn State recruit with a team-high 11 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Sa’Nir Brooks has 10 TDs. Aliquippa, Montour and West Allegheny finished in a three-way tie for the Parkway Conference title. … Montour was maybe in line for the No. 1 seed before an overtime loss to West Allegheny in Week 9. Montour QB Trey Hopper is a 2,000-yard passer with 23 TDs. The Spartans last won a WPIAL title in 2011. … RB/DB Brock Cornell, a Penn recruit, is a two-way standout for West A. … McKeesport RB Kemon Spell, also a Penn State commit, has 15 TDs. The Tigers won the Greater Allegheny title and seek their first WPIAL title since 2005.

Don’t overlook: Belle Vernon won consecutive WPIAL and PIAA 3A titles before moving up to 4A this year.

Prediction: Aliquippa over Montour

Class 3A

Favorite: Imani Christian never has won a WPIAL title. The Saints went undefeated in their first season in Class 3A after voluntarily moving up. The team has several Power 4 talents, including senior LB/WR Dayshaun Burnett, a Penn State recruit. RBs Gabe Jenkins and David Davis and QB Stephen Vandiver (a 1,400-yard passer) also have D-I offers. Imani coach LaRoi Johnson led Sto-Rox to the WPIAL final twice.

Challengers: Avonworth, Beaver and Central Valley finished tied atop the Western Hills. Beaver has one of the WPIAL’s top touchdown tandems in RB Qualan Cain and WR Amari Jackson. The pair combined for 42 TDs this season. The Bobcats won their first conference title since 2007 with a Week 9 win over Avonworth. … Central Valley won three straight WPIAL 3A titles (2019-21) before moving to 4A for two seasons. Senior RB Mason Dixon is a 1,000-yard rusher with 14 TDs. … Avonworth was the WPIAL 3A runner-up the past two seasons. The Antelopes have spread the ball around, with 18 players scoring TDs this year. Bryce Metz leads with nine. … Elizabeth Forward seeks its first WPIAL title behind RB Charlie Nigut, the team’s leading rusher and receiver. Nigut has 26 TDs.

Don’t overlook: Highlands finished 5-4 overall but was competitive every week. The Rams defeated Elizabeth Forward, 53-52 in three OTs, and later lost to Imani Christian, 12-10.

Prediction: Imani Christian over Central Valley

Class 2A

Favorite: Two years after finishing 0-10, Seton LaSalle is an undefeated No. 1 seed under coach Tim Storino. This is his third season. The Rebels are the highest-scoring team in WPIAL 2A, averaging 44.8 ppg. They have one of the area’s top sophomores in Khalil Taylor, a wide receiver with Power 4 offers. Taylor has 32 catches for 706 yards and 20 touchdowns. RB Logan King has 15 TDs. The team has won five WPIAL titles, the most recent in 2004.

Challengers: South Park has a workhorse in RB Eric Doerue, a senior with more than 1,200 rushing yards and 16 TDs. The Eagles, the Allegheny champions, seek their first WPIAL title since 2005. … Ellwood City is having a resurgence under coach Dan Bradley. The Wolverines won their first conference title since 1997, and it comes three years after going winless in 2021. The team has two 1,000-yard rushers: Elijah Palmer-McCane and Guilian Frisk. … Steel Valley is driven by the Barksdale brothers, Donald and Da’Ron. RB Donald, a senior, has 1,761 rushing yards and 24 TDs. QB Da’Ron has 15 TD combined. The Ironmen were WPIAL champions in 2022 and runners-up last year. … Western Beaver QB Jaivin Peel is a 2,000-yard passer with 23 TDs.

Don’t overlook: South Allegheny’s tandem of QB Ryan Cortes (1,891 yards) and WR Drew Cook (64 catches, 1,236 yards) set single-season school records this fall.

Prediction: Steel Valley over South Park

Class A

Favorite: Fort Cherry is the defending WPIAL champion and state runner-up. QB Matt Sieg is a record-setting dual-threat QB who has surpassed 5,000 yards rushing and 3,000 passing in his career. This season, Sieg was slowed by a thumb injury but has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 20 TDs. He threw for four TDs on Friday, showing he’s healthy again. Last year’s WPIAL title was the Rangers’ first.

Challengers: Even in years when Clairton maybe isn’t the favorite, the Bears can be considered contenders. The team has 14 WPIAL titles, second most in league history. Clairton’s most-recent title was 2019. The Bears defense this year went seven weeks before surrendering a TD. They have outscored opponents 540-21. RB Drahcir Jones has 18 TDs. … Bishop Canevin finished second to Fort Cherry in the Black Hills but earned a No. 3 seed. RB Myontae Mott leads with 15 TDs. The Crusaders were competitive in a 49-34 loss to Fort Cherry. … Neshannock won the Big 7 title with first-year coach Michael Bongivengo and dual-threat QB Jino Mozzocio. … Jefferson-Morgan finished undefeated and won the Tri-County South title. WR Deakyn Dehoet has 18 TDs. … Greensburg Central Catholic QB Samir Crosby leads his team in passing, rushing and touchdowns.

Don’t overlook: The Cornell running back tandem of Khylil Johnson and Walter Clarit have combined for 39 TDs.

Prediction: Clairton over Fort Cherry

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.