Countdown to Kickoff ’25: Looking back at last year’s champs

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 | 9:09 PM

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While we continue to prepare for the new high school football season, Countdown to Kickoff 2025 looks back at the 2024 WPIAL football season.

Conference champs

First, here is a rundown of all the regular season conference champions from last fall:

6A – Central Catholic

5A Allegheny Six – Upper St. Clair

5A Big East – Woodland Hills

5A Northeast – Pine-Richland

4A Big Six – Thomas Jefferson

4A Greater Allegheny – McKeesport

4A Parkway – Aliquippa, Montour, West Allegheny

3A Allegheny Seven – Imani Christian

3A Interstate – Elizabeth Forward

3A Western Hills – Avonworth, Beaver, Central Valley

2A Allegheny – South Park

2A Century – Seton LaSalle

2A Midwestern Athletic – Ellwood City

A Big 7 – Neshannock

A Black Hills – Fort Cherry

A Eastern – Clairton

A Tri-County South – Jefferson-Morgan

WPIAL champs

Next up, we have a recap of the 2024 WPIAL football playoffs.

Thomas Jefferson in 4A, Avonworth in 3A and South Park in 2A all relied heavily on a predictable rushing attack and staunch defenses to win district gold.

Central Catholic in 6A and Pine-Richland in 5A added to their golden collections with each winning their ninth WPIAL crowns, while the only team to repeat in 2024 was Fort Cherry, winning an instant classic in a thrilling title-game win over Clairton.

Here is a look back at all the results and statistical leaders from the 2024 WPIAL football postseason.

Class 6A

Semifinals

Central Catholic 38, Seneca Valley 14 (CC: Elijah Faulkner 140 yards and 3 touchdowns)

North Allegheny 48, Mt. Lebanon 14 (NA: Brady Brinkley 8 of 17 for 144 and a touchdown)

Finals

Central Catholic 45, North Allegheny 14, (CC: Jy’Aire Walls 10 of 17 for 213 yards and 3 touchdown passes and 2 TD runs, Elijah Faulkner 192 yards and a touchdown)

Class 5A

First round

Franklin Regional 17, North Hills 16 (FR: Chase Lemke 8 of 12 for 68 yards with a touchdown pass and a TD run)

Bethel Park 42, Latrobe 7 (BP: Tanner Pfeuffer 13 of 15 for 178 yards)

Penn Hills 30, Moon 27 (PH: Naytel Mitchell 254 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Penn-Trafford 49, South Fayette 28 (P-T: Tasso Whipple 158 yards and a touchdown)

Quarterfinals

Pine-Richland 42, Franklin Regional 0 (P-R: Maclane Miller 104 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Bethel Park 49, Woodland Hills 22 (BP: Javaughn Moore 280 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Upper St. Clair 24, Penn Hills 3 (USC: Julian Dahlem 77 yards and a touchdown)

Peters Township 42, Penn-Trafford 13 (PT: Nolan DiLucia 10 of 17 for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Semifinals

Pine-Richland 28, Bethel Park 7 (P-R: Maclane Miller 206 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Peters Township 7, Upper St. Clair 3 (PT: Nick McCullough 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown)

Finals

Pine-Richland 20, Peters Township 9 (P-R: Aaron Strader 7 of 13 for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

Thomas Jefferson 28, West Allegheny 7 (TJ: Tyler Eber 238 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Aliquippa 34, Trinity 14 (Ali: Tiqwai Hayes 176 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Mars 48, Montour 42 (Mars: Eric Kasperowicz 192 yards and 6 touchdowns)

McKeesport 34, Belle Vernon 11 (McK: Kemon Spell 277 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Semifinals

Thomas Jefferson 38, Aliquippa 21 (TJ: Tyler Eber 211 yards and 3 touchdowns)

McKeesport 35, Mars 7 (McK: Kemon Spell 281 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Finals

Thomas Jefferson 28, McKeesport 7 (TJ: Tyler Eber 162 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Class 3A

First round

Highlands 56, Southmoreland 20 (High: Menage Lucas 5 of 9 for 155 yards and 3 touchdown passes and 3 TD runs)

Avonworth 43, Greensburg Salem 27 (Avon: Dmitri Velsaris 206 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Freeport 44, Mt. Pleasant 20 (Free: Amos Glenn 190 yards and a touchdown)

North Catholic 21, Deer Lakes 14 (NC: Joey Felitsky 25 of 38 for 261 yards and a touchdown)

Quarterfinals

Imani Christian 31, Highlands 17 (IC: Gabe Jenkins 137 yards and a touchdown pass)

Avonworth 42, Beaver 21 (Avon: Nico Neal 272 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Central Valley 35, Freeport 7 (CV: Mason Dixon 195 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Elizabeth Forward 45, North Catholic 42 (EF: Charlie Nigut 216 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Semifinals

Avonworth 14, Imani Christian 6 (Avon: Luca Neal 176 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Central Valley 31, Elizabeth Forward 15 (CV: Mason Dixon 143 yards and a touchdown)

Finals

Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0 (Avon: Nico Neal 102 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Class 2A

First round

Riverside 29, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 8 (Riv: Robert Janis 164 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Steel Valley 49, Washington 28 (SV: Donald Barksdale 210 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Western Beaver 41, Carlynton 6 (WB: Javin Peel 5 touchdown passes and 1 TD run)

Mohawk 35, Keystone Oaks 28 (Moh: Bobby Fadden 8 of 13 for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns)

South Allegheny 53, Waynesburg Central 14 (SA: Ryan Cortes 13 of 22 for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Quarterfinals

Seton LaSalle 34, Riverside 7 (SL: Michael Pastirik 12 of 18 for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Steel Valley 36, Western Beaver 13 (SV: Donald Barksdale 175 yards and 3 touchdowns, Da’Ron Barksdale 170 yards and 2 touchdowns)

South Park 19, Mohawk 9 (SP: Eric Doerue 192 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Ellwood City 13, South Allegheny 12 (EC: Chris Smiley 13 of 20 for 165 yards and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Seton LaSalle 27, Steel Valley 13 (SL: Logan King 134 yards and 3 touchdowns)

South Park 28, Ellwood City 7 (SP: Colsen Heynes 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, Eric Doerue 134 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Finals

South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14 (SP: Eric Doerue 149 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Class A

First round

Fort Cherry 56, Brentwood 14 (FC: Matt Sieg 87 yards passing and 2 touchdowns and 87 yards rushing and a TD)

Cornell 34, Leechburg 20 (Corn: Mark Stuckey 12 of 16 for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Jeannette 23, Neshannock 7 (Jean: Kymon’e Brown 7 of 16 for 101 yards and 156 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns)

Greensburg Central Catholic 54, Monessen 38 (GCC: Samir Crosby 6 of 16 for 169 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Clairton 56, Rochester 0 (Cla: Drahcir Jones 132 yards and 2 touchdowns)

California 22, Laurel 6 (Cal: Lee Qualk 145 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Bishop Canevin 56, Bentworth 3 (BC: Kole Olszewski 8 of 15 for 111 yards)

South Side 39, Jefferson-Morgan 30 (SS: Andrew Corfield 139 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Quarterfinals

Fort Cherry 27, Cornell 20 (FC: Matt Sieg 185 yards and 3 touchdowns plus a TD pass)

Jeannette 29, Greensburg Central Catholic 23 (Jean: Kymon’e Brown 8 of 16 for 133 yards and a touchdown, plus 139 yards rushing and a TD)

Clairton 54, California 0 (Cla: Drahcir Jones 100 yards 3 touchdowns)

Bishop Canevin 17, South Side 13 (BC: Kole Olszewski 12 of 23 for 251 yards and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Fort Cherry 49, Jeannette 14 (FC: Matt Sieg 278 yards and 6 touchdowns)

Clairton 24, Bishop Canevin 0 (Cla: Michael Ruffin 98 yards and a touchdown, Drahcir Jones 84 yards and a TD)

Finals

Fort Cherry 21, Clairton 20 (FC: Matt Sieg 87 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns and 8 of 15 for 161 yards and a touchdown)

PIAA champs

Finally in the PIAA playoffs, for only the second time in the 37-year history of the PIAA football playoffs, the WPIAL was denied a state championship.

With Central Catholic in 6A and Avonworth in 3A both settling for state silver, it marked the first time since 1992 that a WPIAL team didn’t win a PIAA football title.

In that year, Upper St. Clair in 4A, Blackhawk in 3A and East Allegheny in 2A all lost in the state finals then played at snowy Mansion Park in Altoona.

Here is a look back at all the results and statistical leaders from district games in the 2024 PIAA football postseason.

Class 6A

Championship

St. Joseph’s Prep 35, Central Catholic 6 (CC: Jy’Aire Walls 129 yard passing and 26 yards rushing with a touchdown)

Semifinals

Central Catholic 38, Harrisburg 33 (CC: Jy’Aire Walls 2 touchdown passes and 2 touchdown runs)

St. Joseph’s Prep 36, Downingtown West 7

Quarterfinals

Central Catholic 41, State College 19 (CC: Elijah Faulkner 250 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Harrisburg 42, West Lawn Wilson 14

St. Joseph’s Prep 46, Parkland 7

Downingtown West 35, North Penn 6

Class 5A

Championship

Bishop McDevitt 34, Roman Catholic 31

Semifinals

Bishop McDevitt 48, Pine-Richland 14 (P-R: Aaron Strader 14 of 26 for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Roman Catholic 41, West Chester Rustin 17

Quarterfinals

Pine-Richland 20, Peters Township 9

Bishop McDevitt 48, Exeter Township 14

Roman Catholic 48, Hollidaysburg 14

West Chester Rustin 34, Springfield-Delco 2

Class 4A

Championship

Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 40, Lampeter-Strasburg 14

Semifinals

Lampeter-Strasburg 20, Thomas Jefferson 16 (TJ: Tyler Eber 187 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 55, Southern Lehigh 26

Quarterfinals

Thomas Jefferson 35, Clearfield 0 (TJ: Luke Kosko 5 of 8 for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Lampeter-Strasburg 30, Wyomissing 27 (OT)

Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 35, Pope John Paul II 7

Southern Lehigh 45, Juniata 7

Class 3A

Championship

Northwestern Lehigh 36, Avonworth 33 (OT) (Avon: Luca Neal, 254 yards and 4 touchdowns)

Semifinals

Avonworth 16, Penn Cambria 6 (Avon: Luca Neal 255 yards and 2 touchdowns)

Northwestern Lehigh 31, Danville 14

Quarterfinals

Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0

Penn Cambria 30, Hickory 7

Northwestern Lehigh 34, Scranton Prep 0

Danville 27, Bermudian Springs 7

Class 2A

Championship

Troy 25, Central Clarion 24

Semifinals

Central Clarion 55, South Park 0 (SP: Eric Doerue 13 yards)

Troy 35, Taylor Riverside 14

Quarterfinals

South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14

Central Clarion 49, Cambria Heights 6

Taylor Riverside 28, Williams Valley 21

Troy 42, Bedford 16

Class A

Championship

Bishop Guilfoyle 41, Port Allegany 22

Semifinals

Port Allegany 46, Fort Cherry 8 (FtC: Matt Sieg 35 yards rushing and 56 yards passing and a touchdown)

Bishop Guilfoyle 21, Muncy 6

Quarterfinals

Fort Cherry 21, Clairton 20

Port Allegany 38, Wilmington 20

Muncy 41, Delone Catholic 17

Bishop Guilfoyle 56, Westinghouse 15