PIAA factoids for Saturday’s Class 6A, 3A state championship games

By: Don Rebel
Friday, December 10, 2021 | 4:59 PM

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In 34 years of PIAA football playoffs, the WPIAL has never had more than three state champions crowned in a single year.

One record has already been set this state postseason as the WPIAL sent five champions to Hershey to play in the PIAA finals.

WPIAL champions Mt. Lebanon in 6A, Penn-Trafford in 5A, Aliquippa in 4A, Central Valley in 3A and Serra Catholic in 2A headed east to Chocolate Town in the hopes of winning their second football title this fall.

So here are some PIAA factoids to go with your chocolate binge.

The district breakdown has the WPIAL leading with five teams in the PIAA finals, followed by two teams each from District 3 and District 12 and one team each from District 4, District 6 and District 9.

No teams from District 1, 2, 5, 10, 11 and the Pittsburgh City League (District 8) qualified for any of the six state championship games this week.

Now, a history lesson: Here are the teams that won PIAA football championships:

30 years ago: Central Bucks West, Erie Strong Vincent, Aliquippa and Schuykill Haven won in 1991.

25 years ago: Downingtown, Berwick, Mount Carmel and Farrell won in 1996.

20 years ago: Neshaminy, West Allegheny, Washington and Rochester won in 2001.

10 years ago: Central Dauphin, Archbishop Wood, Lancaster Catholic and Clairton won in 2011.

5 years ago: St. Joseph’s Prep, Archbishop Wood, Erie Cathedral Prep, Beaver Falls, Steel Valley and Bishop Guilfoyle won in 2016.

WPIAL Class 3A

Central Valley Warriors (14-0) vs. Wyomissing Spartans (15-0)

Noon Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium on Trib HSSN

• Central Valley has the longest active winning streak in both the WPIAL and the PIAA with 26 wins in a row. Wyomissing has the second-longest win streak in the state with 15 in a row. Both teams suffered their most recent losses at Hersheypark Stadium, the Warriors in 2019, the Spartans to CV in 2020.

• The Warriors are 1-2 in PIAA football championship games. Last year, Central Valley won state gold for the first time, coming from behind to beat Wyomissing, 35-21. Two year ago, the Warriors lost to Wyoming Area in the 3A finals, 21-14. Seven years ago, CV lost to Archbishop Wood, 33-14, in the 2014 Class AAA state title game.

• In the 2020 3A championship game, Ameer Dudley was 5 of 11 passing for 93 yards and a touchdown and junior running back Landon Alexander rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns in the Warriors’ 14-point victory over the Spartans.

• Central Valley is 6-3 all-time in PIAA playoff games; Wyomissing is 9-5.

• Wyomissing is playing in the PIAA championship game for the second straight year and the third time in school history. The Spartans won state gold eight years ago when they defeated Aliquippa, 17-14, in the 2012 Class AA finals. They then lost to Central Valley last November.

• This is the third time in PIAA 3A history that there has been a rematch for a second straight year. Berwick defeated Sharon in both the 1994 and 1995 AAA finals while West Allegheny and Strath Haven battled for AAA gold in three straight years. The Panthers beat the Indians 21-7 in 1999 and 31-28 in 2000. West A finally claimed state gold in 2001, 28-13.

WPIAL Class 6A

Mt. Lebanon (14-0) vs. St. Joseph’s Prep Hawks (11-2)

6 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium on Trib HSSN

• This is the third time in the six years of Class 6A that the WPIAL champion has reached the PIAA championship game. The two previous District 7 representatives came away with a split decision. Central Catholic lost to St. Joseph’s Prep in the 2016 6A title game, 42-7. Then a year later, Pine-Richland beat St. Joe’s Prep, 41-21, to win state gold in 2017.

• In the 33 previous PIAA playoffs, a WPIAL team has won a championship in the highest classification 14 times. However, six of those titles came in the first eight years. Then after an eight-year drought, the WPIAL won six in nine years between 2004-2012. However, it has been rough winning state gold in the highest class for District 7 since, with only Central Catholic in 2015 and Pine-Richland in 2017 winning it all in the last eight years.

• Mt. Lebanon is 2-1 all-time in PIAA playoff games; St. Joseph’s Prep is an amazing 21-1 with that lone loss coming to Pine-Richland in the 2017 6A finals.

• Three-time defending state 6A champion St. Joseph’s Prep has won six PIAA championships since their first PIAA playoff appearance eight years ago in 2013.

• The Hawks are playing in their eighth consecutive state championship game. St. Joseph’s Prep won six PIAA crowns with gold collected in wins over Central Catholic in 2013 and 2016, Pine-Richland in 2014, Harrisburg in 2018, Central Dauphin in 2019 and Central York in 2020.

Tags: Central Valley, Mt. lebanon