Breaking down the 2025 WPIAL football playoffs

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 6:16 PM

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Class 6A

Favorite: Defending champion Central Catholic has dominated Class 6A this year, outscoring conference opponents 265-35. The Vikings, under third-year coach Ryan Lehmeier, are favorites to win the program’s 10th WPIAL title. They’re trying to reach the finals for the 11th time in 12 years. The roster is loaded with college recruits, especially along the offensive line, where junior tackle James Halter (6-foot-5, 270 pounds) committed this week to Notre Dame. Junior RB/LB Roman Thompson leads the team with 17 touchdowns.

Challengers: North Allegheny has met Central Catholic in the finals three years in a row, winning the WPIAL title in 2023 and ’22. RB Luke Rohan leads with 720 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, but the Tigers haven’t played very well down the stretch, including a 21-18 loss to Seneca Valley in the regular-season finale. NA lost to Central Catholic, 21-6, in Week 5. Norwin earned a playoff spot by winning four of its last five games, including victories over Canon-McMillan, 24-21, and Mt. Lebanon, 14-7, in the final two weeks. Knights RB Giovanni Rothrauff has 1,159 rushing yards,and QB Tristyn Tavares has 11 TDs both passing and rushing. Norwin, in the playoffs for the first time since 2017, has never reached the finals. Canon-McMillan reached the playoffs behind interim coach Brian DeLallo, who stepped in before the season. Big Macs QB Ty Jansma has 1,647 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, including seven TD passes to Ethan Campoli. Canon-McMillan hasn’t reached the WPIAL finals since Canonsburg High tied New Brighton, 12-12, in 1950.

Don’t overlook: There is no “dark horse” in a four-team bracket.

Prediction: Central Catholic over North Allegheny

Class 5A

Favorite: Defending champion Pine-Richland lost only once all season, to Class 6A favorite Central Catholic. Otherwise, the talented Rams have outscored every other WPIAL opponent by at least 29 points. Senior WR/DB Jay Timmons ( 9 TDs) is a Florida State commit, junior WR Khalil Taylor (16 TDs) recently decommitted from Penn State and junior QB Aaron “Oobi” Strader (24 passing TDs) has Syracuse among his college offers. RB Maclane Miller has 12 TDs for an offense that averages 49.6 points. Coach Jon LeDonne could win his third title in four years at Pine-Richland.

Challengers: Peters Township and coach T.J. Plack have squared off with Pine-Richland in the WPIAL finals the past two years, winning 43-17 in 2023 and losing 20-9 last year. Senior QB Nolan DiLucia has 1,892 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, whereas college-bound LBs Reston Lehman (Pitt) and Lucas Shanafelt (Stanford) lead a defense that allows 6.3 ppg. Woodland Hills last reached the finals in 2013, but the Wolverines are contenders again thanks to big-play WR Scoop Smith and RB Taylor Reid. Each has 16 TDs. Penn-Trafford, the 2021 WPIAL champion, is led by RBs Cody Yacamelli (10 TDs) and Ben Grabowski (9 TDs), who’ve combined for more than 1,300 rushing yards. Moon showed a knack for winning close games, including four victories by three points or less. Tigers WR/DB Braeden Stuart is a Navy commit. Upper St. Clair QB Ethan Hellmann ranks second among WPIAL passers with 2,017 yards and 25 touchdowns. Hellmann’s top target is WR Nico D’Orazio, a Brown commit with nine TDs. USC lost to Peters Township by four points and to Moon by a touchdown in overtime.

Don’t overlook: Plum enters the playoffs with some momentum and three straight wins after scoring a wild touchdown on a blocked field goal Friday.

Prediction: Pine-Richland over Peters Township

Class 4A

Favorite: McKeesport is the team to beat when superstar RB Kemon Spell is on the field. The junior and former Penn State commit has rushed for 930 yards and 20 touchdowns. Spell was sidelined early in the season with an ankle injury, and the Tigers lost three of four games without him. Since his return, they’ve won five straight and outscored opponents 265-65. Junior WR Javien Robinson is another major-college prospect, even if the Tigers don’t throw the ball much. McKeesport has four WPIAL titles, the most recent in 2005.

Challengers: Trinity won the Big Six title behind Harvard-bound quarterback Jonah Williamson, a 1,200-yard passer with 18 touchdowns. The Hillers won their lone WPIAL title in 1948. They clinched their first conference title since 1986 with a 33-22 win over Thomas Jefferson. New Castle finished tied with Montour atop the Parkway Conference. Red Hurricanes freshman Marino Graham is a dual-threat QB with 838 yards rushing and 1,219 passing. New Castle and Thomas Jefferson have 11 WPIAL titles each, the third most in league history. TJ is the defending WPIAL champion and is led by 1,400-yard rusher Tyler Eber (27 TDs). Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak has won a WPIAL record 10 titles. Mars seeks its first WPIAL title behind RB Ayden Yocum, a 1,600-yard rusher with 16 TDs. Montour RB Caden Halajcio is a 1,000-yard rusher with 17 TDs.

Don’t overlook: Aliquippa lost Ivy League-bound QB Marques Council to injury, but the Quips have won more WPIAL titles than anybody (20).

Prediction: McKeesport over New Castle

Class 3A

Favorite: Defending WPIAL champion Avonworth, the state runner-up last season, looks primed for another lengthy playoff run. The Antelopes, under coach Duke Johncour, average nearly 40 points and hold opponents to 8.3 ppg. They have wins over Class 4A qualifiers Thomas Jefferson and Aliquippa. RB Dimitri Velisaris has rushed for 1,146 yards and 16 TDs, and QB Carson Bellinger has passed for 1,561 yards and 20 TDs. WR/RB Luca Neal, who starred in last year’s playoffs, has 14 TDs. The Antelopes won three WPIAL titles (2024, 2019, 1959).

Challengers: Imani Christian has the most college-bound talent in the bracket. Junior QB/DB Gabriel Jenkins and RB/DB David Davis were Penn State commits who reopened their recruitment. Jenkins has 1,318 passing yards and 24 TDs. Davis has 11 TDs. The Saints seek their first WPIAL title. Last year’s WPIAL runner-up, Central Valley, has won five titles including three straight in 2019-21. TE-turned-RB Ethan Shearer leads CV with 14 TDs. Elizabeth Forward won the Interstate title behind 1,700-yard passer Ryan Messina, who also leads the team in rushing. EF has never won a WPIAL title but was runner-up in 2020. Five teams from the Western Hills conference qualified: Avonworth, Central Valley, North Catholic, Beaver and Hopewell. North Catholic QB Joey Felitsky was the WPIAL’s top passer two years in a row. He passed this year for 2,098 yards and 29 touchdowns, leading a Trojans offense that averages 44 points.

Don’t overlook: Hopewell has one of the WPIAL’s top young QBs in sophomore James Armstrong, an 1,800-yard passer with a Pitt scholarship offer. The Vikings last reached the playoffs in 2012.

Prediction: Avonworth over Imani Christian

Class 2A

Favorite: Seton LaSalle might’ve seemed doomed when a QB and two WRs with Division I offers transferred out, yet coach Tim Storino led the Rebels to a Century Conference title and a No. 1 seed. They were the WPIAL runners-up last season. This group is led by a stout defense and RB Kymarr Freeman, a 1,000-yard rusher with 19 TDs. The Rebels average 40.8 points and allow 10.9. The five-time WPIAL champions last won a league title in 2004.

Challengers: Western Beaver won the Midwestern title behind the two-headed rushing attack of RB Wyatt Sparbanie and QB Amari Marshall, who’ve combined for more than 2,000 yards and 30 TDs. The Golden Beavers won the last of their three WPIAL titles in 1994. South Allegheny was in position for the No. 1 seed until a stunning 33-12 loss to Steel Valley on Friday. The two ultimately joined Apollo-Ridge as tri-champions in the Allegheny Conference. Steel Valley RB/DB Da’Ron Barksdale, a Pitt commit, has rushed for 1,329 yards and 21 TDs. The Ironmen won their sixth WPIAL title in 2022. South Allegheny WR Drew Cook has 18 TDs and helped the Gladiators win their first conference title since 1986. Washington QB Tristan Reed, a Miami (Ohio) commit, has 12 TDs and more than 1,000 yards passing. Five Midwestern teams qualified: Western Beaver, Ellwood City, Mohawk, Riverside and Beaver Falls.

Don’t overlook: Mohawk and QB Bobby Fadden finished the regular season with three straight wins, including by 20 points over Western Beaver.

Prediction: Seton LaSalle over Steel Valley

Class A

Favorite: Fort Cherry is a two-time defending WPIAL champion and has a record-setter in QB/DB Matt Sieg. The senior broke WPIAL career records for touchdowns and total yards this season while leading the Rangers to the Black Hills title. Sieg is a Penn State commit who reopened his recruitment. He hasn’t passed much this season, but Sieg has rushed for 1,075 yards and scored 20 TDs. The WPIAL titles won the past two seasons under coach Tanner Garry were the first in program history.

Challengers: Clairton settled for the No. 2 seed despite shutting out its past eight opponents. The Bears outscored those teams 469-0. They’ll try to win their 15th WPIAL title, led by QB Jeff Thompson, a 1,700-yard passer with 28 TDs. Senior RB/WR Donte Wright has 12 TDs. Clairton lost to Fort Cherry, 21-20, in last year’s WPIAL final. Bishop Canevin and first-year coach Rod Steele finished second to Fort Cherry in the Black Hills. RB Myontae Mott and WR Damar Olds have 22 combined TDs, but Crusaders QB Brady Wagner is ineligible under transfer rules. Laurel won the Big 7 title behind RBs Nathan Hills and WR Kolton Carlson, who’ve combined for 29 TDs. RB Malachi Peak led California to the Tri-County South title with 1,207 rushing yards and 16 TDs. Jeannette finished second to Clairton in the Eastern, led by dual-threat QB Kymon’e Brown, a 1,400-yard passer.

Don’t overlook: The Tri-County South doesn’t get too much respect, but Bentworth does have the WPIAL’s top scorer in RB Ben Hays (34 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.