George Guido: A-K Valley teams add to historical milestones in WPIAL football playoffs

By: George Guido
Saturday, October 29, 2022 | 3:55 PM

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Playoff time is here, and six Alle-Kiski Valley teams will be part of the WPIAL’s 109th quest for football champions.

Here is how things look for the local teams.

• Allegheny 6 Conference champion Freeport is in the playoffs for the 32nd time. The Yellowjackets will play either West Mifflin or Southmoreland on Nov. 11 at home.

• Highlands finished second in the Greater Allegheny Conference and will enter the playoffs for the 23rd time. The Golden Rams will be in action at home Friday against Latrobe.

• Leechburg is in the playoffs for the eighth time and in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1965-66, when the Blue Devils won it all. In what might be the major shocker of the bracketing, the Blue Devils are seeded 13th and will travel to Mapletown on Friday.

• Deer Lakes is in the playoffs for the third time and will head to Beaver on Friday.

• Apollo-Ridge, which finished with a flourish, downing Serra Catholic and Burrell in consecutive weeks, is in the playoffs for the 17th time and will take a trip to Dormont to play Keystone Oaks.

• Burrell enters the playoffs for the 20th and will face Neshannock, a road game and a school the Bucs have never played.

The postseason legacy of Aliquippa and Thomas Jefferson continues as both extended their WPIAL record of making the playoffs for 28th consecutive season.

In fact, the Quips are in the playoffs for the 41st time in 43 seasons, missing only the 1986 and ’94 tourneys. Aliquippa has not had a losing season since 1972.

McKeesport’s streak of playoff berths continues with the 28th straight appearance for the Tigers.

Upper St. Clair is in the playoffs for the 40th time in 41 seasons, missing only 1999.

Back in the postseason is Mars. The Planets’ streak of 16 straight years in the playoffs was interrupted last year.

Olsen watch

Armstrong’s Cadin Olsen is now ninth in passing yardage in WPIAL history.

Olsen’s 202 passing yards against Kiski Area on Friday gives the River Hawks senior 7,305 for his career. That passes South Fayette’s Christian Brumbaugh and puts Olsen 147 behind behind another South Fayette great, Drew Saxton, for eighth place on the all-time list.

Olsen will get a chance to add yardage to his glowing stats Friday. Armstrong will enter the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs and will face Blackhawk at home.

Skiba coaching honor

Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba was named coach of the week by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The announcement came after the Vikings upset Serra Catholic, 43-36, in overtime. Apollo-Ridge finished the regular season on an upbeat note, defeating Burrell, 28-14, to secure a WPIAL playoff spot.

Skiba, the winningest coach in Apollo-Ridge’s 54 years of football, will be honored on the field at the Steelers game against the Saints on Nov. 13 at Acrisure Stadium. The Vikings are in the playoffs for the eighth time under Skiba.

The ceremony will take place during the 2-minute warning break of the first half.

Tags: Aliquippa, Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Highlands, Leechburg, Mars, McKeesport, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair