5 things we learned from 1st round of WPIAL football playoffs: South Allegheny returns to the party

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 9:17 PM

The last time South Allegheny won a WPIAL playoff game, fans might have skipped a Friday night episode of the “A-Team” or “Dallas” to instead watch the Gladiators.

That was 1986.

The football program endured some tough times since, but second-year coach Brian Hanson said some die-hard fans in Glassport, Port Vue or elsewhere in the school district never lost hope in 28 years.

Now, they’ve won again.

South Allegheny on Friday celebrated a 53-14 win over Waynesburg in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. Among Friday’s winners, the Gladiators waited the longest between postseason wins.

“There have been a few really hardcore followers of South Allegheny, and they’re on cloud nine,” Hanson said. “Some of the guys who were on that 1986 conference title team, they’re always talking to us. They’re very supportive and excited. And I think we’ve picked up some fans along the way.”

The team’s first-round victory in 1986 — a 14-0 win over Burgettstown — was South Allegheny’s first since winning a WPIAL title in 1977. That makes Friday’s playoff win only the second in a 47-year span.

Wide receiver Drew Cook and quarterback Ryan Cortes connected for four touchdown passes Friday and running back Cam Epps scored three times. As the No. 6 seed, South Allegheny (9-2) was favored over No. 11 Waynesburg, but this was a big win nonetheless.

South Allegheny went 1-9 in each of the past two seasons.

“The kids were really excited, winning that on their home field, and doing it in the fashion that they did it,” Hanson said. “They were feeling really good about themselves.”

They next visit No. 3 Ellwood City (9-0) in the quarterfinals.

Hanson came to South Allegheny last year after four seasons as West Greene’s coach. He took over a Gladiators team that reached the playoffs only once in nine years.

“I always thought they had talent here,” he said. “It was about getting things organized and — it’s a cliche — but changing the culture. I thought we could be successful.”

Highlands, a first-round winner in 3A, had waited a decade between playoffs wins. The Golden Rams’ 56-20 victory over Southmoreland was their first since 2014.

Winning from the start

The WPIAL welcomed 17 new head coaches this season, but only two celebrated a playoff win this week.

One was Vashawn Patrick, coach of three-time defending WPIAL champion Aliquippa. But the other first-year playoff winner was Riverside’s Rob Magnifico, who was hired as the team’s third coach in three seasons.

In fact, Riverside (6-5) hadn’t won a playoff game in five years before defeating No 8. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 29-8, on Friday. The Panthers were seeded ninth in 2A.

Magnifico was an assistant at Riverside for five years before becoming the Panthers’ head coach, taking over a team that went 1-8 last season. Senior running back Robert Janis scored twice in Friday’s win.

Mt. Lebanon coach Greg Perry could join Magnifico and Patrick on the list of first-year winners when the Blue Devils open the 6A playoffs next week at North Allegheny.

Run to win?

The age-old adage of WPIAL football says teams must run to win in November.

That might still hold true.

Consider the stat leaders from Friday’s games. The teams that had a rusher among the week’s top 10 went 9-1 combined, led by McKeesport’s Kemon Spell (277 yards), Penn Hills’ Naytel Mitchell (254) and Thomas Jefferson’s Tyler Eber (238).

In contrast, the teams who had the week’s top five passers went 1-4.

Fearsome foursomes

Two conferences clearly have the odds in their favor.

Those would be the Western Hills in 3A and the Midwestern in 2A, because each has four teams in the quarterfinals. That means of the eight teams remaining in each bracket, half are from one conference.

First-round byes helped.

In 3A, Western Hills teams Central Valley and Beaver drew byes, and Avonworth and North Catholic won Friday. In 2A, Midwestern champion Ellwood City drew a bye, and Western Beaver, Mohawk and Riverside won first-round games.

Small-school surprises

One team each from the Big 7 and the Tri-County South conferences advanced in the Class A bracket, but they probably weren’t the teams most expected.

That’s because both conference champions lost.

The Tri-County South will be represented in the quarterfinals by No. 10 seed California, which defeated No. 7 Laurel, 22-6. The only remaining Big 7 team is No. 11 South Side, which upset Tri-County South champion Jefferson-Morgan, 39-30.

No. 4 Neshannock, No. 14 Bentworth and No. 15 Rochester lost Friday. Neshannock, the Big 7 champion, lost to No. 13 Jeannette, 23-7.

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.