‘It will come down to matchups’: Westmoreland County soccer teams learn WPIAL playoff pairings

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 6:32 PM

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When Franklin Regional reached the WPIAL boys soccer finals last season, the Panthers were slight underdogs as the No. 7 seed.

If they get back to Highmark Stadium, it won’t be as much of a surprise.

The Panthers are No. 3 this time in what appears to be a wide-open Class 3A playoff field.

“It’s a testament to the boys and the work they put in during the regular season,” Franklin Regional coach Nick White said. “There are so many good teams with similar records. I really think this is the most wide-open WPIAL playoff I’ve ever seen. Any team in this tournament can make a run if they get on a roll.”

Franklin Regional (15-3) will open the tournament at home at 1 p.m. Saturday against No. 14 Montour (9-8).

In 2022, Montour upset the fourth-seeded Panthers as a No. 13 seed.

“As with most tournaments, it will come down to matchups,” White said. “Can you exploit your opponent, play to your strengths and minimize your opponent’s ability to exploit your weaknesses?”

A benefit of earning a higher seed is getting a home game for the first two rounds – pending an opening win, of course. Six other county teams also will open the playoffs at home.

The Norwin girls (14-2) are seeded No. 3 in Class 4A and have a first-round bye. Norwin won its first section title since 2019, so the bye and home quarterfinal next Thursday against No. 6 Mt. Lebanon (12-5) or No. 11 Butler (7-8-1) is a reward.

Norwin took a 13-game winning streak into its final regular-season game Wednesday at Fox Chapel.

“Earning that first-round bye is a great opportunity for the girls to prepare before the quarters,” coach Ashley DeVito said. “No matter where we ended up in the bracket, the messaging from me would’ve been the same. We’re just looking to stay focused, continue to execute and advance through the bracket game by game.”

Norwin Knights Stadium will get additional playoff action before its extensive remodel next year.

The Norwin boys (10-5-3) are No. 6 in Class 4A and will host Woodland Hills (6-7) at 8 p.m. Tuesday. A rubber match with No. 3 Plum (14-2-2) could await the Knights, who have seven straight shutouts.

“No matter how you spin it, the playoff bracket was always going to be tough and unpredictable,” Norwin coach Scott Schuchert said. “We’ve earned the chance to host a home playoff game and redeem our fate from last year. We went toe-to-toe with the top teams all season and grew tremendously because of it. The WPIAL tournament is always a blast to be a part of.”

Mt. Pleasant’s boys (14-4), fresh off a section championship, are No. 5 in Class 2A and will host No. 12 Elizabeth Forward (11-6) at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

As a section champion, Mt. Pleasant thought it had a chance at a top four seed. One off that isn’t too bad.

“The committee placed us where they thought we belonged,” Mt. Pleasant coach Floyd Snyder said. “If we would have been more consistent throughout the season, we would have earned a higher seed, but we have been inconsistent so fifth seed is fair. EF is always a great team. We have faced them a few times in the playoffs over the years. It will be an entertaining match.”

Mt. Pleasant’s girls also will be home for their opener. The Vikings (13-4-1) will take on No. 13 Avonworth (9-8-1) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The teams met in the 2022 WPIAL Class 2A championship, with Avonworth winning 2-1.

“I think the committee did some good work this year,” Mt. Pleasant coach Rich Garland said. “Almost the same seeding that I mocked up. Avonworth is well-coached, and they tied Quaker Valley in section play. The only teams I have not seen in my bracket are Avonworth and Belle Vernon.”

The Franklin Regional girls (14-3), owners of 13 shutouts including six in a row, are seeded sixth in Class 3A and will host No. 11 Shaler (9-6-1) at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

“It’s about what I expected from our point of view,” Panthers coach Scott Arnold said. “Looking forward to an entertaining and competitive match with Shaler. I have been following them the last two years in 3A, since I have worked with quite a few Shaler players in club soccer.”

The other county home game is Ringgold (8-8) at Belle Vernon (7-10-1) in Class 2A boys. The preliminary round game is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at James Weir Stadium.

Nine area schools — Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Belle Vernon, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Yough, and Greensburg Central Catholic — have boys and girls teams in the playoffs.

Both Latrobe teams are in 8 vs. 9 games. The ninth-seeded girls (8-6) visit No. 8 Canon-McMillan (8-6-1) at 6:30 Monday in 4A, while the No. 9 boys (8-9) head to West Allegheny (9-6) in the 3A first round at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Penn-Trafford’s teams both have 7 vs. 10 games. The Warriors girls (9-6-1) are No. 10 in 4A and play at No. 7 Upper St. Clair (9-4-2) at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The boys (9-7) also are 10th in 3A and play at No. 7 Mars (11-5-2) at noon Saturday.

The 4A No. 12-seeded Hempfield boys (5-10), in the playoffs for the first time since 2014, will visit No. 5 Canon-McMillan (12-3) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In a rare same-section matchup, the Greensburg Central Catholic girls (3-7) will visit Ellis School (4-7) in a Class A preliminary game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.