Scores, leaders from 2024 WPIAL football postseason

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, November 24, 2024 | 10:16 PM

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In this day and age of spread offenses and teams putting up big numbers on a weekly basis, 2024 has shown that old school, physical football with a heavy lean on the running game still works in high school football.

Thomas Jefferson, Avonworth and South Park all relied heavily on a predictable rushing attack and staunch defenses to win WPIAL gold.

Central Catholic and Pine-Richland added to their golden collections this season as well while the only team to repeat in 2024 was Fort Cherry, winning an instant classic in a thrilling title game victory over Clairton.

Here is a look back at all the results and statistical leaders from the 2024 WPIAL football postseason.

Class 6A

Semifinals

Central Catholic 38, Seneca Valley 14 (CC: Elijah Faulkner, 140 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

North Allegheny 48, Mt. Lebanon 14 (NA: Brady Brinkley, 8 of 17, 144 yards, TD)

Finals

Central Catholic 45, North Allegheny 14, (CC: Jy’Aire Walls, 10 of 17, 213 yards, 3 TD passes, 2 TD runs, Elijah Faulkner, 192 rushing yards, TD)

Class 5A

First round

Franklin Regional 17, North Hills 16 (FR: Chase Lemke, 8 of 12, 68 yards, TD pass, TD run)

Bethel Park 42, Latrobe 7 (BP: Tanner Pfeuffer, 13 of 15, 178 yards)

Penn Hills 30, Moon 27 (PH: Naytel Mitchell, 254 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Penn-Trafford 49, South Fayette 28 (P-T: Tasso Whipple, 158 rushing yards, TD)

Quarterfinals

Pine-Richland 42, Franklin Regional 0 (P-R: Maclane Miller, 104 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Bethel Park 49, Woodland Hills 22 (BP: Javaughn Moore, 280 rushing yards, 4 TDs)

Upper St. Clair 24, Penn Hills 3 (USC: Julian Dahlem, 77 rushing yards, TD)

Peters Township 42, Penn-Trafford 13 (PT: Nolan DiLucia, 10 of 17, 175 yards, 3 TDs)

Semifinals

Pine-Richland 28, Bethel Park 7 (P-R: Maclane Miller, 206 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Peters Township 7, Upper St. Clair 3 (PT: Nick McCullough, 97-yard kickoff return TD)

Finals

Pine-Richland 20, Peters Township 9 (P-R: Aaron Strader, 7 of 13, 147 yards, 2 TDs)

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

Thomas Jefferson 28, West Allegheny 7 (TJ: Tyler Eber, 238 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Aliquippa 34, Trinity 14 (Ali: Tiqwai Hayes, 176 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Mars 48, Montour 42 (Mars: Eric Kasperowicz, 192 rushing yards, 6 TDs)

McKeesport 34, Belle Vernon 11 (McK: Kemon Spell, 277 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Semifinals

Thomas Jefferson 38, Aliquippa 21 (TJ: Tyler Eber, 211 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

McKeesport 35, Mars 7 (McK: Kemon Spell, 281 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Finals

Thomas Jefferson 28, McKeesport 7 (TJ: Tyler Eber, 162 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Class 3A

First round

Highlands 56, Southmoreland 20 (High: Menage Lucas, 5 of 9, 155 yards, 3 TD passes, 3 TD runs)

Avonworth 43, Greensburg Salem 27 (Avon: Dmitri Velsaris, 206 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Freeport 44, Mt. Pleasant 20 (Free: Amos Glenn, 190 rushing yards, TD)

North Catholic 21, Deer Lakes 14 (NC: Joey Felitsky, 25 of 38, 261 yards, TD)

Quarterfinals

Imani Christian 31, Highlands 17 (IC: Gabe Jenkins, 137 rushing yards, TD)

Avonworth 42, Beaver 21 (Avon: Nico Neal, 272 rushing yards, 4 TDs)

Central Valley 35, Freeport 7 (CV: Mason Dixon, 195 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Elizabeth Forward 45, North Catholic 42 (EF: Charlie Nigut, 216 rushing yards, 4 TDs)

Semifinals

Avonworth 14, Imani Christian 6 (Avon: Luca Neal, 176 yards, 2 TDs)

Central Valley 31, Elizabeth Forward 15 (CV: Mason Dixon, 143 rushing yards, TD)

Finals

Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0 (Avon: Nico Neal, 102 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Class 2A

First round

Riverside 29, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 8 (Riv: Robert Janis, 164 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Steel Valley 49, Washington 28 (SV: Donald Barksdale, 210 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Western Beaver 41, Carlynton 6 (WB: Javin Peel, 5 touchdown passes, TD run)

Mohawk 35, Keystone Oaks 28 (Moh: Bobby Fadden, 8 of 13, 107 yards, 2 TDs)

South Allegheny 53, Waynesburg Central 14 (SA: Ryan Cortes, 13 of 22, 226 yards, 3 TDs)

Quarterfinals

Seton LaSalle 34, Riverside 7 (SL: Michael Pastirik, 12 of 18, 180 yards, 2 TDs)

Steel Valley 36, Western Beaver 13 (SV: Donald Barksdale, 175 rushing yards, 3 TDs; Da’Ron Barksdale, 170 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

South Park 19, Mohawk 9 (SP: Eric Doerue, 192 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Ellwood City 13, South Allegheny 12 (EC: Chris Smiley, 13 of 20, 165 yards, TD)

Semifinals

Seton LaSalle 27, Steel Valley 13 (SL: Logan King, 134 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

South Park 28, Ellwood City 7 (SP: Colsen Heynes, 151 rushing yards, 2 TDs; Eric Doerue, 134 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Finals

South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14 (SP: Eric Doerue, 149 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Class A

First round

Fort Cherry 56, Brentwood 14 (FC: Matt Sieg, 87 passing yards, 2 TDs; 87 rushing yards, TD)

Cornell 34, Leechburg 20 (Corn: Mark Stuckey, 12 of 16, 143 yards, 2 TDs)

Jeannette 23, Neshannock 7 (Jean: Kymon’e Brown, 7 of 16, 101 yards, 156 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Greensburg Central Catholic 54, Monessen 38 (GCC: Samir Crosby, 6 of 16, 169 yards, 4 TDs)

Clairton 56, Rochester 0 (Cla: Drahcir Jones, 132 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

California 22, Laurel 6 (Cal: Lee Qualk, 145 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Bishop Canevin 56, Bentworth 3 (BC: Kole Olszewski, 8 of 15, 111 yards)

South Side 39, Jefferson-Morgan 30 (SS: Andrew Corfield, 139 rushing yards, 2 TDs)

Quarterfinals

Fort Cherry 27, Cornell 20 (FC: Matt Sieg, 185 rushing yards, 3 TDs, TD pass)

Jeannette 29, Greensburg Central Catholic 23 (Jean: Kymon’e Brown, 8 of 16, 133 passing yards, TD, 139 rushing yards, TD)

Clairton 54, California 0 (Cla: Drahcir Jones, 100 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Bishop Canevin 17, South Side 13 (BC: Kole Olszewski, 12 of 23, 251 yards, TD)

Semifinals

Fort Cherry 49, Jeannette 14 (FC: Matt Sieg, 278 rushing yards, 6 TDs)

Clairton 24, Bishop Canevin 0 (Cla: Michael Ruffin, 98 rushing yards, TD; Drahcir Jones, 84 rushing yards, TD)

Finals

Fort Cherry 21, Clairton 20 (FC: Matt Sieg, 87 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 8 of 15, 161 yards, TD)