WPIAL 3A boys soccer championship preview for Nov. 1, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, October 31, 2025 | 9:01 AM

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WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship

3-Franklin Regional (18-3) vs. 8-West Allegheny (13-6)

Noon Saturday, Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh

Coaches: Nick White, Franklin Regional; Scott Zemba, West Allegheny

Players to watch: Fabrizzio Costa, Franklin Regional; Aaron Bouch, West Allegheny

Road to Highmark: Franklin Regional defeated Montour, 2-1, Chartiers Valley, 2-1 (OT), and Bethel Park, 1-0; West Allegheny defeated Latrobe, 5-0; Hampton, 2-1; and Thomas Jefferson, 1-0

WPIAL titles: Franklin Regional — 2 (2018, ‘19); West Allegheny — 1 (2013)

Corner kicks: Last year’s runner-up, Franklin Regional returns to the finals for the fifth time in seven years. It lost to Moon at Highmark last year, 3-1. Both of the Panthers’ WPIAL titles came against West Allegheny, in 2018 (2-1) and ‘19 (1-0). The Panthers edged past No. 2 Bethel Park in the semis thanks to a goal by Costa in the 63rd minute on an assist from Michael Hillebrand. The Panthers had 15 shots on goal in the win. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 63-10 and have 13 shutouts. They are on a six-game winning streak. Their losses are to Belle Vernon (1-0), Penn-Trafford (1-0) and Allderdice (2-1, OT). Costa, Cruise Lamanna and Thomas Bridges are all-WPIAL players. The Panthers are 17-0 when they score two or more goals. Aidan Alexander and Costa lead the Panthers with 14 goals each. Costa also has 13 assists. Lamanna has 11 goals and seven assists, and Hillebrand has eight goals and six assists. Midfielder Ian Johns, who has been in and out of the lineup with an injury, will miss the title game. … West Allegheny, which finished third in its section, used a 60th-minute goal by Harrison Murray, assisted by Anthony Mimna, to get past Thomas Jefferson. The Indians knocked off No. 1 seed Hampton, 2-1, in the quarters. They were the No. 8 seed last year and lost to No. 9 Hampton in the first round. The Indians, who started the season 1-4, have won six straight games. Their tough nonsection schedule includes a win over 4A finalist Fox Chapel. Goalkeeper Zach Wallace has six clean sheets. Bouch and Murray are all-WPIAL players. West Allegheny has allowed 19 goals, never more than two in a game. Bouch has 11 goals and 10 assists and Mimna has 10 goals and six helpers. Murray leads the team with 10 assists. The Indians made the finals three straight years from 2017-19. … The winner will host a PIAA playoff opener Tuesday against the fourth-place team from District 3, while the loser plays at the District 6 champion.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, West Allegheny