What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 6, 2025: Central Catholic to close out high school football season

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 12:28 AM

After three and a half months, the final day of the 2025 high school football season is here.

The last two PIAA football championship games conclude at Chapman Field at Cumberland Valley as two WPIAL teams try to turn 2024 state silver into 2025 state gold.

PIAA Class 3A championship

No. 1 Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) vs. No. 2 Avonworth (14-0)

1 p.m. Saturday, Chapman Field at Cumberland Valley in Mechanicsburg

Coaches: Josh Snyder, Northwestern Lehigh; Duke Johncour, Avonworth

How they got here: Northwestern Lehigh won another District 11 Class 3A title with wins over Palmerton, North Schuylkill and Notre Dame-Green Pond before knocking off Scranton Prep and Camp Hill Trinity in the PIAA quarterfinals and semifinals. Avonworth repeated as WPIAL Class 3A champions with victories over Freeport, North Catholic and Imani Christian by a combined score of 130-37, then rolled past Penn Cambria in the state semifinals.

Last week: Northwestern Lehigh 48, Camp Hill Trinity 13; Avonworth 31, Penn Cambria 15

Players to watch: Shane Leh, Northwestern Lehigh (Sr., 6-1, 187, QB/FS); Luca Neal, Avonworth (Sr., 5-10, 190, WR/OLB/S)

Team notes

Northwestern Lehigh: Fresh off a fourth straight District 11 Class 3A championship, the Tigers knocked off Scranton Prep and Camp Hill Trinity in the PIAA quarters and semis by a combined score of 90-27. The defending PIAA Class 3A champions have been led by senior quarterback Shane Leh. In the last two Tigers wins, the Marist commit has been outstanding, connecting on 27 of his 31 attempts for 417 yards and eight touchdowns. Last week, senior running back Braxton Lakatosh ran for 158 yards and three scores.

Avonworth: On offense last week against District 6 champion Penn Cambria, the Antelopes showed a little of this in the first half to build up a 14-7 lead, then a little of that in the second half to beat the Panthers by 16 points. In the first two quarters, senior quarterback Carson Bellinger threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns. In the second half, senior Luca Neal rushed out of the wildcat formation for 141 yards and two scores to go with 115 yards in receiving and a touchdown.

Historic factoids

• This is the second meeting between Northwestern Lehigh and Avonworth and the second straight year they face each other in the PIAA Class 3A championship game.

• In the state title game a year ago, the Tigers edged the Antelopes in an overtime thriller, 36-33. Northwestern Lehigh quarterback Shane Leh threw for 111 yards and a touchdown while Luca Neal for Avonworth rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns. In overtime, after the Antelopes kicked a field goal, Eli Zimmerman scored his second touchdown, the game-winner for the Tigers.

• This is the third appearance for Avonworth in the PIAA playoffs with a 3-2 overall record. However, the Antelopes are 0-2 in state championship games. They lost to Southern Columbia in the 2019 Class 2A title game, 74-7, and they lost in heartbreaking fashion to Northwestern Lehigh in overtime in 2024, 36-33.

• This is the ninth appearance in the PIAA postseason for Northwestern Lehigh, which has an overall record in the state playoffs of 10-6. The Tigers are 1-1 in PIAA championship games as they appear in their third straight. They lost to Belle Vernon in the 2023 finals, 38-7, and then defeated Avonworth in overtime in the 2024 title game, 36-33.

PIAA Class 6A championship

No. 1 LaSalle College (12-1) vs. No. 2 Central Catholic (13-1)

7 p.m. Saturday, Chapman Field at Cumberland Valley in Mechanicsburg

Coaches: Brett Gordon, LaSalle College; Ryan Lehmeier, Central Catholic

How they got here: LaSalle College defeated St. Joseph’s Prep and Imhotep Charter to win the District 12 Class 6A championship, then eliminated Easton and North Penn in the PIAA playoffs. Central Catholic knocked off Canon-McMillan and North Allegheny to claim the WPIAL Class 6A championship before ousting State College and Harrisburg in the state quarterfinals and semifinals.

Last week: LaSalle College 49, North Penn 14; Central Catholic 32, Harrisburg 14

Players to watch: Gavin Sidwar, LaSalle College (Sr., 6-3, 195, QB); Chrys Black Jr., Central Catholic (Soph., 5-7, 162, RB/DB)

Team notes

LaSalle College: The Explorers have won eight games in a row since suffering their only loss of the season to Class 5A finalist Roman Catholic in Week 4. In two state playoff wins, LaSalle College has outscored Easton and North Penn, 98-21. In last week’s semifinal victory, Explorers quarterback and Missouri commit Gavin Sidwar connected on 16 of 21 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Senior defensive back Joey O’Brien and senior tackle Grayson McKeough are both Notre Dame commits.

Central Catholic: Since coming back from a hamstring injury before the WPIAL championship game in mid-November, the Vikings have relied on the running of sophomore Chrys Black Jr. In wins over North Allegheny and State College, he combined for 26 carries for 171 yards. Against Harrisburg, Black carried the ball 38 times and rushed for 212 yards and scored three touchdowns. Teammate Roman Thompson also had a rushing TD for Central Catholic while kicker Antonio Difatta converted a 43-yard field goal.

Historic factoids

• This is the second meeting between LaSalle College and Central Catholic and both have been this season.

• In Week Zero of this year, LaSalle College handed Central Catholic its only loss this season at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, 23-6. Vikings quarterback Owen Herrick threw for 100 yards and a touchdown while Roman Thompson rushed for 53 yards. Gavin Sidwar threw two touchdown passes for the Explorers and Ahzir Nelson scored on a 5-yard run.

• Central Catholic is 21-6 all-time in PIAA playoff games, including a 4-4 record in state finals. The Vikings defeated Cedar Cliff in the first PIAA Class 4A championship in 1988, cruised past Neshaminy in 2004, shut out Parkland in 2007 and edged Parkland again eight years late in 2015. Central Catholic lost in the state finals to North Penn in 2003, St. Joseph’s Prep in 2013, 2016 and 2024.

• LaSalle College is making its sixth trip to the PIAA postseason and has an all-time record of 9-4, including 1-1 in state championship games. The Explorers defeated State College in the 2009 Class 4A title game 24-7, and then a year later lost to North Allegheny in the 2010 Class 4A finals, 21-0.

Girls hoops conclusions

Saturday is Day 2 of many girls and boys basketball tipoff tournaments around the WPIAL.

Some of the tournaments are round-robin events while others are old school with consolation and championship games set for the second day.

We ran down the boys games Friday, so here are the girls games already set for Saturday.

• Baldwin/Peters Township Tournament: Upper St. Clair at Baldwin at 1:30 p.m. and Pine-Richland at Peters Township at 1:30 p.m.

• Bethel Park Tournament: Mars vs. Elizabeth Forward at 12 p.m. and Avonworth at Bethel Park at 1:30 p.m.

• Brentwood Tournament: Carrick at Brentwood at 1 p.m. and Freedom at Brentwood at 5 p.m.

• Freeport Tournament: Fox Chapel at Freeport at 1:30 p.m.

• Greensburg Salem Tournament: Ringgold vs. Mt. Pleasant at 11:30 a.m. and Hempfield at Greensburg Salem at 2:30 p.m.

• Lakeview Tournament: Neshannock vs. Fairview at 2:30 p.m. and General McLane at Lakeview at 5:30 p.m.

• Monessen Tournament: Derry vs. Jeannette at 2 p.m. and Charleroi at Monessen at 3:30 p.m.

• Moon Tournament: Franklin Regional vs. Canon-McMillan at 5 p.m. and Hopewell at Moon at 6:30 p.m.

• Plum Tournament: Latrobe vs. Shaler at 2 p.m. and North Hills at Plum at 3:30 p.m.

• Slippery Rock Tournament: Knoch vs. Slippery Rock at 1 p.m.

• The Clash at New Castle Tournament: Farrell at New Castle at 1:30 p.m.

The girls basketball tournaments with consolation and championship games on Saturday include Aquinas Academy, Brownsville, Carlynton, Fort Cherry, Laurel Highlands, Neighborhood Academy and St. Joseph.

Bucs mat invitational

For the next month plus, Saturdays are for wrestling events and county tournaments.

This Saturday, 27 WPIAL teams head to Washington County to take part in the Chartiers-Houston Invitational.

Here are the teams expected to participate: Albert Gallatin, Bentworth, Beth-Center, Bethel Park, Burgettstown, Butler, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Elizabeth Forward, Freedom, Hampton, Jefferson-Morgan, Mars, Montour, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, North Hills, Peters Township, Quaker Valley, Ringgold, Shaler, South Fayette, South Side, Upper St. Clair, Washington, West Greene.