Recapping the 2025 WPIAL football playoffs

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 9:03 PM

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Five schools began the season trying to win a second straight WPIAL championship while Fort Cherry was in search of a third consecutive district crown.

When the turf pellets settled, only Central Catholic in 6A and Avonworth in 3A were able to repeat as the gold standards in District 7.

Three teams avenged bitter losses at Acrisure Stadium in 2024 as Peters Township in 5A, Seton LaSalle in 2A and Clairton in Class A all turned WPIAL silver into gold in 2025.

Plus, the winningest program in WPIAL football history added another championship to its bloated trophy case as Aliquippa claimed a record 21st district crown.

Here is a look back at all the results and statistical leaders from the 2025 WPIAL football postseason.

Class 6A

Semifinals

Central Catholic 44, Canon-McMillan 7 (CC: Chrys Black 168 yards and a touchdown, Roman Thompson three touchdowns)

North Allegheny 35, Norwin 17 (NA: Luke Rohan 181 yards and three touchdowns, Brady Brinkley 6 of 14 for 158 and two touchdowns)

Finals

Central Catholic 42, North Allegheny 7 (CC: Roman Thompson 95 yards and three touchdowns, Jayden Alexander two touchdowns, including a 96-yard kickoff return for a score)

Class 5A

First round

Shaler 28, Kiski Area 8 (Sha: Isaac McKay 103 yards and a touchdown)

Moon 48, Armstrong 21 (Moon: Ryan Culligan two touchdowns)

Bethel Park 38, North Hills 7 (BP: Evan Devine 7 of 13 for 176 yards and a touchdown)

Upper St. Clair 46, Plum 8 (USC: Ethen Hellmann 9 of 18 for 156 yards and a touchdown)

Quarterfinals

Pine-Richland 42, Shaler 10 (P-R: Aaron Strader three touchdown passes, Khalil Taylor four touchdowns, including 90-yard kickoff return, 9-yard interception return and 87-yard punt return)

Moon 20, Penn-Trafford 13 (Moon: Andrew Cross 9 of 13 for 120 yards and two touchdowns)

Peters Township 42, Bethel Park 14 (PT: Cole Neupaver 135 yards and four touchdowns)

Upper St. Clair 36, Woodland Hills 26 (USC: John Banbury 142 yards and three touchdowns, Dante Coury 101 yards and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Pine-Richland 34, Moon 24 (P-R: Aaron Strader touchdown pass and two touchdown runs, Khalil Taylor two touchdowns)

Peters Township 31, Upper St. Clair 6 (PT: Cole Neupaver 146 yards and two touchdowns, Nolan DiLucia touchdown pass)

Finals

Peters Township 20, Pine-Richland 19 (PT: Cole Neupaver 107 yards and three touchdowns, Nolan DiLucia 5 of 12 for 76 yards and 32 yards rushing)

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

McKeesport 44, Chartiers Valley 7 (McK: Kemon Spell 187 yards and four touchdowns)

Thomas Jefferson 31, Mars 14 (TJ: Kane Eggerton six receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns)

Aliquippa 21, Trinity 14 (Ali: Akiva Woods touchdown, Marques Council Jr. 38-yard pass to Josh Lay)

New Castle 14, Montour 13 (NC: Marino Graham 6 of 11 for 141 yards and two touchdowns)

Semifinals

McKeesport 28, Thomas Jefferson 3 (McK: Kemon Spell 331 yards and three touchdowns)

Aliquippa 14, New Castle 0 (Aliq: J.J. Work 167 yards and a touchdown)

Finals

Aliquippa 21, McKeesport 12 (Aliq: Marques Council Jr. 9 of 14 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, 47 yards rushing and a touchdown)

Class 3A

First round

Freeport 35, Beaver 27 (Free: Dawson Galliot and Amos Glenn two touchdowns each)

North Catholic 56, Deer Lakes 14 (NC: Joey Felitsky 23 of 24 for 433 yards and six touchdowns)

Hopewell 42, Southmoreland 6 (Hope: Nasir Wade 113 yards and two touchdowns)

Highlands 14, Derry 0 (High: Tevin Owen-Cratsenberg 172 yards and a touchdown)

Quarterfinals

Avonworth 56, Freeport 7 (Avon: Dimitri Velisaris 111 yards and four touchdowns)

North Catholic 55, Elizabeth Forward 32 (NC: Joey Felitsky 13 of 15 for 263 yards and five touchdowns)

Imani Christian 59, Hopewell 21 (IC: Gabe Jenkins 184 yards and two touchdowns and a touchdown pass, David Davis 170 yards and a touchdown)

Central Valley 34, Highlands 10 (CV: Ethan Shearer 141 yards and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Avonworth 44, North Catholic 24 (Avon: Dimitri Velisaris 122 yards and three touchdowns, Luca Neal 93 yards and two touchdowns)

Imani Christian 48, Central Valley 0 (IC: David Davis 243 yards and three touchdowns, Gabe Jenkins 146 yards and a touchdown)

Finals

Avonworth 30, Imani Christian 6 (Avon: Luca Neal 105 yards and a touchdown, plus three receptions for 63 yards)

Class 2A

First round

Mohawk 17, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 14 (Moh: Bobby Fadden 13 of 22 for 140 yards and two touchdowns)

South Allegheny 61, Waynesburg Central 13 (SA: Alijah Cook 9 of 12 for 141 yards and three touchdowns, Joe Gamret 107 yards and two touchdowns)

Washington 37, Beaver Falls 7 (Wash: Tristan Reed two touchdown passes and two touchdown runs)

Apollo-Ridge 28, Riverside 7 (A-R: Alex Clawson 131 yards, Jaden McCray 81 yards and four touchdowns)

Ellwood City 35, Keystone Oaks 13 (EC: Tyler Smiley 24 of 36 for 269 yards and two touchdowns)

Quarterfinals

Seton LaSalle 42, Mohawk 7 (SL: Kymarr Freeman 152 yards and two touchdowns, Kia Jones 7 of 7 for 148 yards and two touchdowns)

Washington 31, South Allegheny 7 (Wash: Jahvon Woods 121 yards, Tristan Reed two touchdowns)

Western Beaver 41, Apollo-Ridge 14 (WB: Wyatt Sparbanic 124 yards and three touchdowns, Amari Marshall 103 yards and two touchdowns)

Steel Valley 42, Ellwood City 6 (SV: Da’Ron Barksdale 213 yards and five touchdowns)

Semifinals

Seton LaSalle 27, Washington 19 (SL: Kymarr Freeman 128 yards and a touchdown, Kia Jones 6 of 8 for 131 yards and a touchdown)

Steel Valley 34, Western Beaver 7 (SV: Da’Ron Barksdale 266 yards and five touchdowns)

Finals

Seton LaSalle 21, Steel Valley 14 (SL: Will Martin 47 yards rushing and three touchdowns and an interception)

Class A

First round

Fort Cherry 48, Avella 14 (FC: Matt Sieg 161 yards and two touchdowns)

Neshannock 49, Leechburg 14 (Nesh: Jino Mozzocio 6 of 8 for 133 yards and a touchdown pass and two touchdown runs)

Laurel 35, Jefferson-Morgan 0 (Lau: Luca Santini 5 of 10 for 80 yards and two touchdowns, Kolton Carlson 91 yards and two touchdowns)

Chartiers-Houston 26, South Side 21 (C-H: Domenic Andreoli two touchdowns, Dominic Cumer 72-yard interception return)

Clairton 50, Monessen 0 (Cla: Jeff Thompson III 7 of 11 for 159 yards and three touchdowns)

Jeannette 38, Bentworth 24 (Jean: Kymon’e Brown 8 of 16 for 138 yards and a touchdowns along with 132 yards rushing and a touchdown)

Bishop Canevin 50, Greensburg Central Catholic 35 (BC: Myontae Mott 182 yards and a touchdown)

Frazier 27, California 12 (Fraz: Brady Secrest 6 of 12 for 118 yards and three touchdowns)

Quarterfinals

Fort Cherry 36, Neshannock 9 (FC: Eli Salvini 206 yards and two touchdowns, Matt Sieg 131 yards and two touchdowns)

Laurel 40, Chartiers-Houston 21 (Lau: Kolton Carlson 116 yards and two touchdowns, Jack Miles 77 yards and two touchdowns)

Clairton 38, Jeannette 33 (Cla: Deon Lovelace-Pompey 92 yards and two touchdowns)

Bishop Canevin 50, Frazier 7 (BC: Myontae Mott 161 yards and two touchdowns, Damar Olds touchdown pass and touchdown run)

Semifinals

Laurel 24, Fort Cherry 14 (Lau: Jack Miles 103 yards and a touchdown, Kolton Carlson two touchdowns)

Clairton 42, Bishop Canevin 22 (Cla: Deon Lovelace-Pompey 134 yards and three touchdowns, Donte Wright 89 yards and two touchdowns)

Finals

Clairton 8, Laurel 6 (Cla: Deon Lovelace-Pompey 74 yards rushing, Jeff Thompson III 6 of 13 for 61 yards and a touchdown)