PIAA football playoffs recap: Western Pa. teams finish 2-4 in Mechanicsburg
By:
Monday, December 11, 2023 | 9:02 AM
The March to Mechanicsburg is history as the six WPIAL and City League schools playing for a PIAA title finished 2-4 overall.
Aliquippa captured its first PIAA title with an undefeated record by winning a second Class 4A state championship in three years.
Belle Vernon rolled to victory in the Class 3A finals to claim back-to-back PIAA crowns.
North Allegheny, Peters Township, Westinghouse and Fort Cherry all fell in the finals and return home with state silver.
The final district breakdown was WPIAL and District 12 with two champions while Districts 3 and 4 each captured one state title.
Here are all the final results from the 2023 PIAA football playoffs.
Class 6A
PIAA championship game
St. Joseph’s Prep 45, North Allegheny 23
(SJP: Samaj Jones 14 of 17 passing for 232 yards, 2 touchdowns; 115 rushing yards, 3 TDs)
Semifinals
North Allegheny 24, Harrisburg 12
St. Joseph’s Prep 49, Central Bucks South 0
Quarterfinals
North Allegheny 41, McDowell 7
Harrisburg 34, Manheim Township 28 (OT)
St. Joseph’s Prep 59, Nazareth 21
Central Bucks South 27, Downingtown West 7
First round
North Allegheny 44, Central Catholic 41
McDowell 47, State College 20
Manheim Township 37, Cumberland Valley 27
Harrisburg 28, Central York 21
St. Joe’s Prep 35, Abraham Lincoln 0
Nazareth 24, Parkland 17
Central Bucks South 42, Central Bucks West 14
Downingtown West 17, Downingtown East 14
Class 5A
PIAA championship game
Imhotep Charter 38, Peters Township 13
(IC: Jabree Wallace-Coleman 214 yards rushing and a touchdown)
Semifinals
Peters Township 14, Cocalico 9
Imhotep Charter 42, Strath Haven 14
Quarterfinals
Peters Township 33, Cathedral Prep 14
Cocalico 23, Ephrata 9
Imhotep Charter 31, Delaware Valley 7
Strath Haven 28, Chester 20
First round
Peters Township 43, Pine-Richland 17
Cathedral Prep – Bye
Ephrata 47, Hershey 7
Cocalico 31, Cedar Cliff 13
Delaware Valley 56, Whitehall 27
Imhotep Charter 30, Roman Catholic 26
Chester 26, West Chester Bayard-Rustin 20
Strath Haven 14, Springfield-Delco 12
Class 4A
PIAA championship game
(Aliq: Tikey Hayes 222 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, John Tracy 135 yards rushing and 2 TDs)
Semifinals
Aliquippa 52, Selinsgrove 32
Dallas 26, Bishop McDevitt 23 (2OT)
Quarterfinals
Aliquippa 35, McKeesport 21
Selinsgrove 44, Juniata 14
Dallas 28, Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 27 (OT)
Bishop McDevitt 23, Manheim Central 17
First round
Aliquippa 47, Mars 24
McKeesport 28, Montour 14
Selinsgrove 28, Bethlehem Catholic 13
Juniata 21, Meadville 7
Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 21, Pope John Paul II 13
Dallas 21, Valley View 18
Bishop McDevitt 43, Lampeter-Strasburg 7
Manheim Central 65, Twin Valley 28
Class 3A
PIAA championship game
Belle Vernon 38, Northwestern Lehigh 7
(BVA: Quinton Martin 133 yards rushing and a touchdown; Anthony Crews 69 yards rushing and a touchdown plus a kickoff return for a score)
Semifinals
Belle Vernon 42, Hickory 16
Northwestern Lehigh 33, Wyomissing 24
Quarterfinals
Belle Vernon 26, Avonworth 0
Hickory 26, Martinsburg Central 13
Wyomissing 48, Danville 27
Northwestern Lehigh 27, Scranton Prep 6
First round
Belle Vernon 49, East Allegheny 8
Avonworth 21, Elizabeth Forward 10
Hickory 14, Sharon 6
Martinsburg Central 41, Clearfield 35 (2OT)
Wyomissing 42, West Perry 14
Danville 40, Loyalsock Township 7
Northwestern Lehigh 58, Palmerton 9
Scranton Prep 26, Neumann-Goretti 16
Class 2A
PIAA championship game
Southern Columbia 21, Westinghouse 20
(SC: Loudon Murphy 137 yards rushing and a touchdown)
Semifinals
Westinghouse 28, Beaver Falls 8
Southern Columbia 39, Dunmore 7
Quarterfinals
Beaver Falls 14, Steel Valley 12
Westinghouse 36, Farrell 20
Dunmore 41, Camp Hill 25
Southern Columbia 18, Bald Eagle 8
First round
Steel Valley 34, Mohawk 21
Beaver Falls 28, Washington 26
Westinghouse 46, Central Clarion 30
Farrell 16, Mercyhurst Prep 9
Dunmore 41, Williams Valley 21
Camp Hill 32, West Catholic 26
Southern Columbia 14, Troy 0
Bald Eagle 49, Richland 0
Class A
PIAA championship game
Steelton-Highspire 42, Fort Cherry 8
(S-H: Alex Erby 29 of 39 passing for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 45 yards rushing and a TD)
Semifinals
Fort Cherry 33, Redbank Valley 24
Steelton-Highspire 48, South Williamsport 21
Quarterfinals
Fort Cherry 42, South Side 28
Redbank Valley 44, Cambridge Springs 0
South Williamsport 33, Cambria Heights 0
Steelton-Highspire 43, Lackawanna Trial 25
First round
South Side 28, Clairton 12
Fort Cherry 33, Bishop Canevin 21
Cambridge Springs 32, Lakeview 29
Redbank Valley 26, Port Allegany 7
South Williamsport 57, Muncy 20
Cambria Heights 27, Purchase Line 13
Lackawanna Trial 40, Minersville 0
Steelton-Highspire 21, Northern Bedford 7
Tags: Aliquippa, Belle Vernon, Fort Cherry, North Allegheny, Peters Township, Westinghouse
More Football
• Franklin Regional’s Bresnahan gets offer from Robert Morris• 2024 TribLive HSSN Terrific 25 Football All-Stars
• Trib HSSN 2024 WPIAL Football Player of the Year: Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg
• Trib HSSN Head of the Class 2024: Football coaches of the year in each classification
• Trib HSSN Head of the Class 2024: Football players of the year in each classification