What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 31, 2024: Championship weekend kicks off

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 12:01 AM

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Welcome to the start of Championship Weekend in the WPIAL, where 15 teams will be crowned with district titles in three sports.

The golden treats will be flowing on a steady basis from Thursday through Saturday.

Highmark Stadium in Station Square will be the site of the eight soccer championships, Peters Township is the venue for the four girls volleyball title matches and W&J’s Cameron Stadium is the home of the three field hockey finals.

Here is the championship lineup for each of the next three days.

Thursday

Girls A soccer – No. 6 Winchester Thurston vs. No. 1 Springdale at 6 p.m.

Boys A soccer – No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart vs. No. 1 Bentworth at 8 p.m.

Friday

Girls 4A soccer – No. 2 Seneca Valley vs. No. 1 Peters Township at 6 p.m.

Boys 4A soccer – No. 3 Fox Chapel vs. No. 1 Plum at 8 p.m.

Saturday

Girls 2A soccer – No. 2 Quaker Valley vs. No. 9 Burrell at 11 a.m.

Boys 2A soccer – No. 2 Avonworth vs. No. 1 South Park at 1:15 p.m.

Girls 3A soccer – No. 2 South Fayette vs. No. 1 Fox Chapel at 3:30 p.m.

Boys 3A soccer – No. 7 Franklin Regional vs. No. 1 Moon at 5:45 p.m.

Girls A volleyball – No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic vs. No. 1 Frazier at 11 a.m.

Girls 2A volleyball – No. 3 Hopewell vs. No. 1 Quaker Valley at 1 p.m.

Girls 3A volleyball – Freeport/Mars winner vs. Hampton/Beaver winner at 3 p.m.

Girls 4A volleyball – North Catholic/Canon-McMillan winner vs. Upper St. Clair/North Allegheny winner at 5 p.m.

Girls A field hockey – No. 2 Aquinas Academy vs. No. 1 Shady Side Academy at 2 p.m.

Girls 2A field hockey – No. 2 Fox Chapel vs. No. 1 Peters Township at noon

Girls 3A field hockey – No. 2 Mt. Lebanon vs. No. 1 Pine-Richland at 4 p.m.

Tricks or treat

Eight teams will spend Halloween night on the pitch determining their 2024 soccer futures.

If they win, they get the treat of continuing their season in the PIAA playoffs. If they lose, the trick is dealing with the sudden end of their successful season.

• The lone boys soccer consolation match pits Section 1-A foes as Eden Christian Academy (10-7-2) takes on Beaver County Christian (15-4) at North Allegheny at 6 p.m. The Eagles won both meetings during the regular season, defeating the Warriors by scores of 2-1, and 2-0.

• The match that follows at North Allegheny on Thursday is the girls 3A consolation match as Plum (17-2) takes on Mars (17-3) at 8 p.m. Neither team scored in their semifinal losses as the Mustangs were blanked by Fox Chapel, 3-0, and the Fightin’ Planets and South Fayette were scoreless through two overtimes before the Lions won in penalty kicks, 4-2.

• The girls soccer 2A consolation match is the second game of a doubleheader at Hampton as South Park (15-5-1) goes up against North Catholic (15-4) at 8 p.m. The Eagles were bounced by Cinderella Burrell (No. 9 seed) in the semifinals, 3-2, while the Trojans were shut out by Quaker Valley, 2-0.

• In the first match at Hampton at 6 p.m., it’s the girls Class A consolation match between Section 3-A co-champions Sewickley Academy (13-4-1) and Seton LaSalle (14-3-2). Expect a tight one as both contests this season went beyond regulation. The Rebels have regular season bragging rights after beating the Panthers in their second meeting in double overtime, 3-2. The first match between the two ended in a 2-2 tie.

Second chance and seeding

There are two consolation matches in the district girls volleyball playoffs set for Thursday, one for seeding purposes and one with a PIAA postseason berth on the line.

• Both Neshannock and Southmoreland clinched a state playoff spot once they advanced to the semifinals. Now when the two meet at North Allegheny at 7:30 p.m., the winner will get the No. 3 seed out of the district while the loser will be the No. 4 seed.

• A state berth is at stake in the Class A girls volleyball consolation match as St. Joseph goes up against Eden Christian Academy at North Allegheny at 6 p.m. The Spartans lost to top seed Frazier in the semifinals while the Warriors went five games before falling to Greensburg Central Catholic.

The Class 3A girls volleyball consolation match is set for Saturday at noon at the Peters Township auxiliary gym.

There is no 4A consolation match since only two teams qualify from the WPIAL for the PIAA postseason.