PIAA tweaks fall playoff brackets, cross country qualifiers for state championship

By: Chris Harlan
Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | 10:55 PM

The PIAA made changes to its fall postseason plans Wednesday including a move that lets more WPIAL runners into the state cross country championships.

Also, the playoff brackets for team sports were altered to remove the Pittsburgh City League, which opted out, and add District 12, after the Philadelphia Catholic League decided to take part in fall sports. District 11, which includes the Allentown area, also opted out of the state playoffs.

The PIAA board met online Wednesday.

The board previously approved a cross country format that let every district send one team and five individuals to the state meet in each classification, boys and girls. The board amended that plan Wednesday and adopted a formula that’s more proportionate to the number of cross country teams in each district.

The move benefits the WPIAL.

Now, along with one team, 10 WPIAL runners instead of five will qualify for the state meet in both Class 3A boys and girls. The WPIAL will send seven boys and seven girls runners in both Class 2A and A.

The state cross country championships are Nov. 7.

The most notable changes in the team brackets were the teams opting out and opting in.

District 12 includes Philadelphia Catholic League and public school teams. The public schools aren’t participating in sports this fall but the Catholic League teams are playing, including perennial powers St. Joseph’s Prep and Archbishop Wood.

The Philadelphia schools were placed on the opposite side of the bracket from the WPIAL except in Class 4A. The teams could meet in the state semifinals.

District 12 and the WPIAL also share the same side of the bracket in Class 4A girls soccer.

The PIAA revealed dates for an alternate fall sports season for teams in the Philadelphia area that didn’t compete now. Practice for the seven-week season would start March 1. There would be no state playoffs for the alternate season.

Here are the updated #PIAA football brackets for 3A, 2A and A. #HSSN pic.twitter.com/NJsal7J7um

— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) October 7, 2020

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.