Breaking down the 2017 WPIAL football playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, October 30, 2017 | 11:00 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

Here is the Tribune-Review’s breakdown of the WPIAL football playoffs, with what you need to know for each classification’s tournament.

Class 6A

Favorite: Pine-Richland has already defeated six of the seven other qualifiers in the bracket. The only team the Rams didn’t face was Norwin, their first-round opponent. Nobody came within 20 points of Pine-Richland, which has the highest-scoring offense (49.7 ppg) and stingiest defense (11.4 ppg) in WPIAL Class 6A. The offense starts with senior quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Notre Dame commit and 2,300-yard passer with 21 touchdowns. Running backs Jordan Crawford and Kenny White have provided balance with a stout rushing attack.

Contenders: North Allegheny played Pine-Richland tough in Week 9 and trailed by just seven points in the fourth quarter before losing 48-28. But the Tigers allowed more than 600 yards rushing. Bethel Park has a veteran line led by WVU recruit James Gmiter and the top rusher in 6A, Tanner Volpatti. Central Catholic is the defending WPIAL champion and its defense allows just 17 points per game. Mt. Lebanon lost 53-29 to Pine-Richland in Week 1 when the Blue Devils were without 1,900-yard passer James Stocker.

Don’t overlook: Penn Hills has the second-leading passer in 6A, junior Hollis Mathis, and the first-year starter has thrown for 2,093 yards.

Prediction: Pine-Richland over Bethel Park

Class 5A

Favorite: This could be the most unpredictable classification with five or six teams capable of reaching the finals. Penn-Trafford earned the top seed despite a 27-24 loss in Week 9 to McKeesport. The Warriors are led by 1,000-yard passer Cam Laffoon and tailback John Gay IV, who is closing in on 1,000 rushing yards.

Challengers: The Big East appeared stronger than the Allegheny Nine this season, making Penn-Trafford, Gateway and McKeesport justifiable picks to win it all. Gateway features the top passer in the WPIAL, senior Brady Walker, who has 2,600 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Gators lost to Penn-Trafford, 28-0, in Week 5, but defeated McKeesport, 21-18, in Week 8. McKeesport, last year’s runner-up, wins with the three-headed running game of Layton Jordan, Johnny Harper and Carlinos Acie. Upper St. Clair won the Allegheny Nine behind dual-threat quarterback Jack Hansberry, but the Panthers also enter on a loss after falling to Woodland Hills.

Don’t overlook: Injuries have limited West Allegheny, which limps into the playoffs with two losses in four games, including 28-27 to Moon in the regular-season finale. But the Indians are defending WPIAL champions with a knack for winning titles.

Prediction: McKeesport over Penn-Trafford

Class 4A

Favorite: South Fayette seeks its fifth visit to Heinz Field since 2010. The Lions have a 6,000-yard career passer in senior Drew Saxton, who’s thrown 28 touchdowns this year. Saxton leads the highest-scoring offense WPIAL Class 4A at 44.5 point per game. The Lions were the second seed last year but were upset in the first round.

Challengers: Thomas Jefferson was the WPIAL favorite until a 21-17 loss to Belle Vernon in Week 7 that gave Belle Vernon the Big 9 title. TJ’s strength is its defense, which allows just 5.3 points per game and has Pitt recruits Devin Danielson and Noah Palmer on the line. The Jaguars also have Justin Vigna, one of Class 4A’s top rushers with 1,359 yards and 20 TDs. Belle Vernon also has a Pitt-bound lineman, senior Blake Zubovic. QB Jared Hartman leads the Leopards with 15 touchdowns. Montour missed the playoffs last year but bounced back to finish second in the Northwest Nine behind dual-threat QB Kavon Morman.

Don’t overlook: New Castle, which reached the WPIAL final last season, came closer than anyone to defeating South Fayette this season. The Red Hurricanes lost 42-33 in Week 6. They’re led by Ohio State recruit Marcus Hooker, a running back/quarterback and safety.

Prediction: Thomas Jefferson over South Fayette

Class 3A

Favorite: Aliquippa has reached Heinz Field nine years in a row starting in 2008. The Quips have won four WPIAL titles during that stretch and were runners-up to Beaver Falls last season. This year’s defense has allowed just one touchdown all season as the Quips outscored opponents 364-23. Junior RB Avante McKenzie leads the Quips offense with 13 TDs, while WR/DB MJ Devonshire scored 12 times and RB/LB Tariq Jones has eight touchdowns.

Challengers: Quaker Valley was the only team to score an offensive touchdown against Aliquippa. Quakers quarterback Ricky Guss and wideout Isaiah McNair connected in Week 8, but the Quips won 22-7. Guss is the top passer in 3A with more than 1,400 yards. QV owns a 42-7 nonconference win over Seton-La Salle, the Allegheny Conference champion. Rebels senior Lionel Deanes led all Class 3A rushers and finished third in the WPIAL with 1,778 yards. Derry, Elizabeth Forward and South Park tied for the Interstate title.

Don’t overlook: Beaver finished third in the Beaver Valley Conference and needed a wild card berth, but the Bobcats have the highest-scoring offense in Class 3A at 41.2 ppg. They lost 45-21 to Quaker Valley and 30-10 to Aliquippa, but were competitive at times with both.

Prediction: Aliquippa over Quaker Valley

Class 2A

Favorite: Steel Valley hasn’t lost since 2015, so the Ironmen remain the team to beat. The defending WPIAL and state champion averaged 42.5 ppg led by RB Kameron Williams, WR Amonte Strothers and QB Ronell Lawrence. They scored more than 50 points twice, including a 62-29 victory over Brentwood in the regular-season finale.

Challengers: Washington’s success in the Century Conference was maybe more dominant than Steel Valley’s in the Three Rivers. The Prexies outscored teams 402-72, allowing an average of 8 points per game. Quarterback Zach Swartz is a 1,400-yard passer, and running back Nick Welsh is a 1,400-yard rusher with 22 touchdowns. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic won the Midwestern title behind sophomore QB Zack Rocco (1,800 passing yards, 26 TDs) and senior RB Joe Meinert (12 TDs). East Allegheny has one of the WPIAL’s top players in WR/DE TJ Banks, a West Virginia recruit. Riverside WR Austin Dambach (14 TDs) is committed to Lehigh.

Don’t overlook: Charleroi used record-setting performances by QB Geno Pellegrini (2,333 passing yards) and WR Dakota Romantino to finish second in the Century. The team’s lone loss was to Washington, 36-8, in Week 2.

Prediction: Steel Valley over Washington

Class A

Favorite: California is the only undefeated team in Class A, but the Trojans haven’t won a WPIAL title since 1949. They were runners-up in 1965 and ’84. This year’s team dominated the Tri-County South, outscoring foes 392-36, but also celebrated nonconference wins over Imani, 41-26, and Rochester, 38-6. The run-first Trojans are led by 250-pound RB Jelani Stafford, who has 1,316 yards and 19 TDs.

Challengers: Take your pick from the Eastern Conference. Clairton, Jeannette and Imani tied for the conference title, and all three played like potential champions at different points this season. Senior Robert Kennedy (19 TDs) had Jeannette ranked first before a 40-6 loss to Clairton in Week 9. Clairton has won three WPIAL titles in a row and nine in the past 11 years. Tre’sean Howard, who scored three times last week, is the Bears best offensive threat. Imani QB Tawaun Wesley is one of the top passers in the WPIAL and WR Sam Fairley is a D1 recruit. OLSH started 0-2 but has won eight in a row behind Tyler Bradley, a 2,200-yard passer.

Don’t overlook: Rochester tied for the Big Seven title but consecutive losses to California and OLSH kept the Rams from a high seed. The Rams have seven WPIAL titles since 1991), and QB Mahlik Strozier (14 TDs) and RB Caleb Collins (15 TDs) are a talented combo.

Prediction: Clairton over California