Highway to Heinz WPIAL Football Playoff Picture – 10/22/2011

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 22, 2011 | 9:06 PM

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Eight weeks down, one week remaining in the 2011 WPIAL football regular season. An incredible 55 teams have clinched postseason berths through eight weeks, leaving only NINE playoff spots up for grabs in Week Nine. With the Highway to Heinz scheduled to open in less than two weeks, here is the latest WPIAL football playoff picture through Week Eight including a change in the AA Century Conference.

Top four teams from each conference clinch a playoff spot. Records in parenthesis are section records only.

 

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Big East Conference:

 

• Pittsburgh Central Catholic (5-0) has clinched at least a share of the conference title and is the #1-seed out of the conference. The Vikings can win the conference outright with a victory at Fox Chapel on 10/28.

 

• Woodland Hills (4-1) has clinched a playoff spot and can earn 2^nd place with a win at home against Penn Hills on 10/28

 

•  Penn Hills (4-1) has clinched a playoff spot and can finish in 2^nd place with a win at Woodland Hills on 10/28

 

•  Fox Chapel (3-2) has clinched a playoff spot and is #4

 

 

 WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Seven Conference:

 

• North Allegheny (5-0) has clinched the conference title and is the #1-seed
• Erie McDowell (4-2), Seneca Valley (3-2) and Shaler (3-1) have all clinched playoff spots. Erie McDowell is done with conference play while Seneca Valley finishes at home against Butler on 10/28 while Shaler is at Pine-richland on 10/28. If both Seneca Valley and Shaler win to force a three way tie, tiebreaker points will determine second place, then head-to-head will determine third place. Tiebreaker points currently stand: Erie McDowell +11, Seneca Valley +2, Shaler +13.  Thus if Shaler wins, they will finish 2^nd and Erie McDowell 3^rd

 

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Great Southern Conference:

 

• Upper St. Clair (4-0) and Mount Lebanon (4-0) have clinched playoff spots and will play for the conference championship at Upper St. Clair on 10/28 with the winner 1^st and the loser 2nd.

 

• Bethel Park (2-2) can clinch a playoff spot with a win at Baldwin on 10/28

 

• Baldwin (1-3) and Peters Township (1-3) are still alive.

 

• IF Baldwin beats Bethel Park and Peters Township beats Canon-McMillan, 3^rd place will be determined by tiebreaker points and 4^th place by head-to-head. Tiebreaker points are: Bethel Park 0, Baldwin -20, Peters Township -20. IF all three teams finish at -10, then a coin flip would determine 3rd place and head-to-head would determine 4^th place

 

• IF Baldwin and Canon-McMillan win, Baldwin is 3^rd and Bethel Park is 4^th

 

• IF Bethel Park and Peters Township win, Bethel Park is 3^rd and Peters Township is 4^th

 

• IF Bethel Park and Canon-McMillan win, Bethel Park is 3^rd while tiebreaker points will decide 4^th place. Tiebreaker points are: Baldwin -20, Peters Township -20, Canon-McMillan -40. IF all three teams finish at -30, then a coin flip will determine 4^th place

 

 

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:

 

• Penn-Trafford (5-0) has clinched the conference title and is the #1-seed

 

• Gateway (4-1) has clinched a playoff spot and will finish 2^nd with a win at McKeesport on 10/28

 

• McKeesport (4-1) has clinched a playoff spot and will finish 2^nd with a win at home against Gateway on 10/28

 

• Connellsville (3-3) has clinched a playoff spot and is #4

 

WPIAL CLASS AAA Parkway Conference:

 

• Central Valley (6-0) has clinched the conference title and is the #1-seed
• Montour (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and can finish 2^nd with a win at home against Moon on 10/28

 

• West Allegheny (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and can finish 2^nd with a win at Hopewell on 10/28 AND a Montour loss. Even if West Allegheny loses, they will qualify through the many tiebreaker possibilities

 

• Hopewell (3-3) can clinch a playoff spot with a win at home against West Allegheny on 10/28. If that is the case, they will finish 3^rd (Hopewell wins 3-way tiebreakers with West Allegheny and Blackhawk as well as West Allegheny and New Castle and could finish 2^nd IF Montour loses, making it a four-way tie…in that case, it would be Hopewell-Montour-West Allegheny)

 

• The winner of the Blackhawk (3-3) at New Castle (3-3) game can clinch a playoff spot only IF West Allegheny beats Hopewell

 

 

WPIAL CLASS AAA Big Eight Conference:

 

• Thomas Jefferson (6-0) has clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title. The Jaguars can win the conference title outright and the #1-seed with a win at West Mifflin 10/28

 

• West Mifflin (5-1) has clinched a playoff spot and can earn a share of the conference title and the #1-seed with a win at home against Thomas Jefferson on 10/28

 

• Chartiers Valley (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and is 3^rd

 

• Belle Vernon (3-3) can clinch a playoff berth with a win at home against Elizabeth Forward on 10/28 OR a loss by Trinity on 10/28

 

• Trinity (3-3) can clinch a playoff spot with a win at McGuffey on 10/28 AND a Belle Vernon loss on 10/28

 

WPIAL CLASS AAA Greater Allegheny Conference:

 

• Knoch (5-0) has clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title and the #1-seed and can win the conference title outright with a win at home against Mars on 10/28
• Indiana (4-1) has clinched a playoff spot and 2^nd and can clinch a share of the conference title with a win at home against Kittanning on 10/28 AND a Knoch loss on 10/28
• Highlands (3-2), Mars (3-2) and Hampton (2-3) are alive for the final two playoff spots. Highlands is at Hampton on 10/28 while Mars is at Knoch on 10/28. IF Highlands and Mars lose, tiebreaker points will determine 3^rd place and head-to-head 4^th place. Current tiebreaker points are: Highlands -4, Mars +10, Hampton +1. In that scenario, if Hampton is 3^rd, Highlands is 4^th. If Mars is 3^rd, Hampton is 4^th

 

WPIAL CLASS AAA Keystone Conference:

 

• Franklin Regional (6-0), Ringgold (5-1) and Greensburg-Salem (5-1) have all clinched playoff spots. Franklin Regional is conference champ and 1^st-seed if they beat Greensburg-Salem on 10/28. In that case, Ringgold would be 2^nd IF they win at home against Uniontown on 10/28
• If Greensburg-Salem and Ringgold win, we will have tri-champions and tiebreaker points will determined 1^st while head-to-head will determine 2^nd. Here is the current tiebreaker points between the three teams: Franklin Regional (+60), Ringgold (+31), Greensburg-Salem (+49)

 

• Hollidaysburg (2-4), Derry (2-4), Laurel Highlands (2-4) and Uniontown (2-4) are tied for 4^th.

 

• IF Laurel Highlands loses to Albert Gallatin and Uniontown loses to Ringgold, the winner of the Hollidaysburg at Derry game is 4^th.

 

• IF Laurel Highlands wins, Uniontown wins or lose and Derry wins, Derry is 4^th. IF Laurel Highlands wins, Uniontown wins or loses and Hollidaysburg wins, Laurel Highlands is 4^th

 

• IF Laurel Highland loses, Uniontown wins and Derry wins, Uniontown is 4^th. IF Laurel Highlands loses, Uniontown wins and Hollidaysburg wins, Hollidaysburg wins

 

 

WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Conference:

 

• Aliquippa (8-0) has clinched the conference title and is 1st

 

• Beaver (6-1) has clinched a playoff spot and can clinch 2^nd with a win at Beaver Falls on 10/28

 

• Beaver Falls (5-2) and Ellwood City (5-2) have clinched playoff spots.

 

• IF Beaver Falls wins at home against Beaver on 10/28 and Ellwood City wins at Riverside on 10/28, tiebreaker points will determine 2^nd while head-to-head will determine 3^rd. Current tiebreaker points are: Beaver +51, Beaver Falls +37, Ellwood City +20

 

WPIAL CLASS AA Allegheny Conference:

 

• Burrell (5-1), Freeport (5-1) and Shady Side Academy (5-1) have all clinched and can earn a share of the conference title with a Week 9 win. Burrell is at Ford City on 10/28, Freeport is at Summit Academy on 10/29 and Shady Side Academy is at Deer Lakes on 10/28. IF all three win, they will be co-champs and split the head-to-head tiebreaker (Burrell beat Freeport, Freeport beat Shady Side Academy and Shady Side Academy beat Burrell). Tiebreaker points will determine 1^st with head-to-head determining 2^nd.  The tiebreaker points for these three teams are: Burrell (+38), Freeport (+39), Shady Side Academy (+43)

 

• Ford City (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and will finish 4^th if they lose to Burrell, but a win could move them as high as 3^rd

 

WPIAL CLASS AA Century Conference:

 

• Seton-LaSalle (6-0) have clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title and the 1^st-seed. They can win the conference title outright with a win at home against Keystone Oaks on 10/28 OR a Washington loss
• Washington (5-1) has clinched a playoff spot and 2^nd
• South Fayette (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and 3^rd
• Keystone Oaks (3-3) and Steel Valley (2-4) are alive for a playoff spot. Keystone Oaks is at Seton-LaSalle on 10/28 while Steel Valley visits South Allegheny on 10/28
• IF Keystone Oaks wins, they are 4^th. IF KO loses, they will still clinch if Steel Valley also loses. IF KO loses and Steel Valley wins, then Steel Valley is 4^th
• IF Quaker Valley (2-3) beats South Fayette AND Keystone Oaks loses to Seton-LaSalle AND Steel Valley beats South Allegheny AND Washington beats Burgettstown, that would force a three-way tie between Quaker Valley, Keystone Oaks and Steel Valley and the Quakers would win the tiebreaker based on Gardner Points with their victory over South Fayette
• Burgettstown has no chance to clinch via head-to-head tiebreakers and have been eliminated

 

 

WPIAL CLASS AA Interstate Conference:

 

• Greensburg Central Catholic (7-0) and Jeannette (7-0) have clinched playoff spots and will play for the conference championship at Jeannette on 10/28 with the winner 1^st and the loser 2^nd

 

• Mount Pleasant (5-2) has clinched a playoff spot and is 3^rd

 

• East Allegheny (4-3) has clinched a playoff spot and is 4^th

 

 

WPIAL CLASS A Big Seven Conference:

 

• Sto-Rox (5-0) has clinched a playoff spot and can win a share of the conference championship and the 1^st-seed with a win at Shenango on 10/22 OR at home against Cornell on 10/28

 

• Rochester (5-1) has clinched a playoff spot and is 2^nd

 

• Western Beaver (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and can finish 3^rd with a win at Union on 10/28

 

• Cornell (4-2) has clinched a playoff spot and can finish 3^rd with a win at Sto-Rox on 10/28 AND a Western Beaver loss

 

WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:

 

• Bishop Canevin (7-0) has clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title and the 1^st-seed and can clinch the conference title outright with a win at home against North Catholic on 10/28

 

• Avonworth (6-1) has clinched a playoff spot and is 2nd

 

• Springdale (5-2) has clinched a playoff spot and is 3^rd

 

• Northgate (4-3) and North Catholic (4-3) are tied for the final playoff spot. Northgate is home to Avonworth on 10/28 while North Catholic is at Bishop Canevin. North Catholic wins the head-to-head tiebreaker if both teams win. However if they lose, they drop into a tie with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (4-4) and tiebreaker points will then determine 4^th. Current tiebreaker points are: North Catholic +13, Northgate +14, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart -4

 

• • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart has been eliminated since it has no chance in tiebreaker points

 

WPIAL CLASS A Black Hills Conference:

 

• Clairton (6-0) has clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title and the 1^st-seed. They can win the conference title outright with a win at home against Serra Catholic on 10/28 OR a Brentwood loss
• Brentwood (5-1) has clinched a playoff spot and is 2nd

 

• Fort Cherry (4-2) and Chartiers-Houston (4-2) have clinched playoff spots. The two teams play at Chartiers-Houston on 10/28 with the winner 3^rd and the loser 4^th

 

 

WPIAL CLASS A Tri-County South Conference:

 

• Beth-Center (7-0) has clinched a playoff spot and a share of the conference title and the 1^st-seed. They can win the conference title outright with a win at Jefferson-Morgan on 10/28

 

• Monessen (6-1), California (5-2) and Frazier (5-2) have clinched playoff spots and are fighting for 2^nd place.

 

• IF Monessen wins at Frazier on 10/28, they will finish 2^nd, California 3^rd and Frazier 4^th

 

• IF Frazier beats Monessen and California loses at Geibel on 10/28, Frazier is 2^nd, Monessen 3^rd and California 4^th

 

• IF Frazier beats Monessen and California beats Geibel, the three teams will be tied for 2^nd place and tiebreaker points will determine 2^nd and head-to-head 3^rd.  Current tiebreaker points are: Monessen +47, California +32, Frazier +30