WPIAL bracketology: Chris Harlan, Don Rebel forecast 2025 football playoff pairings

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 4:00 AM

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Other than the wild cards, the 2025 WPIAL playoff field is set.

In the current playoff format, the 16 wild card teams aren’t determined by tiebreaker formulas, but instead chosen at the discretion of the WPIAL football steering committee. So, bubble teams must wait until Saturday afternoon to learn whether they’re playoff bound.

Watch the WPIAL Football Playoff Pairings Show on TribLive HSSN at 3 p.m. Saturday to find out which teams qualified and how the brackets got seeded.

Until then, Chris Harlan and Don Rebel update their final edition of WPIAL football bracketology for the year.

Class 6A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 4 Canon-McMillan at No. 1 Central Catholic

No. 3 Norwin at No. 2 North Allegheny

Rebel says: Canon-McMillan can thank Norwin for helping the Big Macs get into the playoffs. The Big Macs lost to Central Catholic on Friday but clinch because Mt. Lebanon lost to Norwin. Canon-McMillan wins the head-to-head tiebreaker against both Lebo and Seneca Valley. The reward for the Big Macs is a second contest with the defending champion Vikings in two weeks, this time on the road. What has happened to North Allegheny? Two losses in a row makes you wonder if we will see Central Catholic vs. North Allegheny for the fourth straight year in the 6A finals in three weeks.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 4 Canon-McMillan at No. 1 Central Catholic

No. 3 Norwin at No. 2 North Allegheny

Harlan says: This bracket has seemingly become Central Catholic vs. Everyone Else. Kudos to Canon-McMillan interim coach Brian DeLallo, who stepped in for Mike Evans and led the Big Macs to the playoffs. The Norwin vs. North Allegheny rematch should be interesting. NA escaped with a 20-17 victory in Week 4.

Class 5A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Pine-Richland – bye

No. 9 South Fayette* at No. 8 Kiski Area

No. 4 Penn-Trafford – bye

No. 12 North Hills at No. 5 Moon

No. 2 Peters Township – bye

No. 10 Shaler at No. 7 Bethel Park*

No. 3 Woodland Hills – bye

No. 11 Plum* at No. 6 Upper St. Clair

Rebel says: Three teams — Kiski Area, Shaler and North Hills — clinch playoff berths on a night when they lose. Defending champion Pine-Richland gets the top seed. Wild cards go to Bethel Park, South Fayette and Plum, which gets the nod over Armstrong thanks in part to wins over Kiski Area and Penn Hills in the past two weeks.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Pine-Richland – bye

No. 9 Shaler at No. 8 South Fayette*

No. 4 Penn-Trafford – bye

No. 12 Kiski Area at No. 5 Moon

No. 2 Peters Township – bye

No. 10 North Hills at No. 7 Bethel Park*

No. 3 Woodland Hills – bye

No. 11 Plum* at No. 6 Upper St. Clair

Harlan says: Plum won with a 24-yard field goal attempt on Friday, not by kicking it through the uprights but by running the blocked kick into the end zone for a touchdown. The wild scoring play with 2 seconds left also pushed the Mustangs into the playoff field as a wild card. A nonconference win over Moon earns Penn-Trafford the No. 4 seed and a bye. The Allegheny Six got five teams into the playoffs and they’re all seeded among the top eight here. South Fayette vs. Shaler is a rematch from Week 1, won by South Fayette, 35-27.

Class 4A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 8 Chartiers Valley* at No. 1 McKeesport

No. 5 Thomas Jefferson at No. 4 Trinity

No. 7 Aliquippa* at No. 2 New Castle

No. 6 Mars at No. 3 Montour

Rebel says: Rough night for West Allegheny which could have shared the Parkway crown and been the top-team out of the conference with a win over Montour. Instead, the Indians fall to fourth place after losing a head-to-head tiebreaker with Aliquippa and might be left home for the playoffs. Chartiers Valley’s overtime win over West Allegheny in Week 1 carries huge ramifications and gets the Colts back into the district playoffs with Aliquippa as wild cards. TJ gets the nod over Mars for No. 5 thanks in part to a win over No. 1 McKeesport earlier in the season. The district tries to stay away from having conference teams rematch in the first round, but these are quarterfinal games. Moving pieces around to avoid those matchups messes with the integrity of the bracket, thus Jaguars vs. Hillers and Quips vs. Canes, part II.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 8 Chartiers Valley* at No. 1 McKeesport

No. 5 Aliquippa* at No. 4 Trinity

No. 7 Mars at No. 2 New Castle

No. 6 Thomas Jefferson at No. 3 Montour

Harlan says: Aliquippa has lost its Ivy League-bound quarterback to injury, but the Quips have a solid resume (a 13-point win over Mars) and an impeccable playoff tradition, so I don’t think a No. 5 seed is out of line. Unlike Rebel’s bracket above, this one avoids any opening-round conference rematches. The top four seeds fall in line easily. With running back Kemon Spell healthy again, McKeesport is the clear favorite. Montour defeated Trinity, 35-27, in Week 2, and lost to New Castle, 34-14, in Week 6.

Class 3A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Avonworth – bye

No. 9 Derry at No. 8 Freeport

No. 4 Central Valley – bye

No. 12 Burrell* at No. 5 North Catholic

No. 2 Imani Christian – bye

No. 10 Beaver* at No. 7 Southmoreland

No. 3 Elizabeth Forward – bye

No. 11 Hopewell* at No. 6 Highlands

Rebel says: The Western Hills Conference gets two of the three wild cards with strong seasons by Beaver and Hopewell despite finishing fourth and fifth. A Hopewell wild card would end the longest current WPIAL playoff drought at 12 years. Burrell gets the nod over Mt. Pleasant based on a Week 2 win for the Bucs over the Vikings. Following a slow start, keep an eye on surging Central Valley, which should earn a bye. Avonworth is a strong No. 1 and the favorite to repeat.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Avonworth – bye

No. 9 Hopewell* at No. 8 Highlands

No. 4 Central Valley – bye

No. 12 Burrell* at No. 5 North Catholic

No. 2 Imani Christian – bye

No. 10 Freeport at No. 7 Beaver*

No. 3 Elizabeth Forward – bye

No. 11 Derry at No. 6 Southmoreland

Harlan says: The Western Hills gets two wild cards and five teams among the top nine seeds. Hopewell might prefer a spot farther from section foe Avonworth, but the Vikings should be above Freeport after a 48-20 nonconference win over the Yellowjackets two weeks ago. One-loss Southmoreland is a tough team to analyze because of a recent 42-0 loss to Elizabeth Forward in Week 8.

Class 2A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Seton LaSalle – bye

No. 9 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart* at No. 8 Mohawk

No. 13 Waynesburg Central* at No. 4 Western Beaver

No. 12 Beaver Falls* at No. 5 Washington

No. 2 Steel Valley – bye

No. 10 Riverside* at No. 7 Apollo-Ridge

No. 3 South Allegheny – bye

No. 11 Keystone Oaks at No. 6 Ellwood City

Rebel says: Well, this changed on a dime with the results of the Allegheny Conference game in Glassport. The thought here was South Allegheny would be the top seed with a home win against Steel Valley, but the Ironmen made things interesting in the building of this bracket with the convincing victory. Both teams join Seton LaSalle with byes, dropping MAC champion Western Beaver to No. 4. I think the MAC gets two of the four wild cards and might land a third with sixth-place New Brighton. OLSH helped its resume with a victory over playoff-bound Keystone Oaks on Friday. All four conference winners could make an argument to be on the top line in this bracket. The team with the hip nickname gets the nod here.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Seton LaSalle – bye

No. 9 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart* at No. 8 Mohawk

No. 13 Waynesburg Central* at No. 4 Western Beaver

No. 12 Beaver Falls* at No. 5 Washington

No. 2 Steel Valley – bye

No. 10 Riverside* at No. 7 Apollo-Ridge

No. 3 South Allegheny – bye

No. 11 Keystone Oaks at No. 6 Ellwood City

Harlan: South Allegheny was the clear No. 1 seed before losing to Steel Valley, 33-12, on Friday. So now, the Eagles and Ironmen join Apollo-Ridge as tri-champions in the Allegheny Conference, clearing the way for Seton LaSalle to take the top spot. Western Beaver (9-1) could make a case for a No. 1 or 2 seed, but here I have the Midwestern champ fourth.

Class A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 16 Greensburg Central Catholic* at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Bentworth at No. 8 Jeannette

No. 13 Monessen* at No. 4 Laurel

No. 12 Jefferson-Morgan at No. 5 South Side

No. 15 Shenango* at No. 2 Clairton

No. 10 Neshannock at No. 7 Leechburg

No. 14 Frazier* at No. 3 Bishop Canevin

No. 11 Chartiers-Houston at No. 6 California

Rebel says: Clear cut top two in what otherwise is a balanced classification. Laurel finished strong with wins over South Side and Neshannock, but Bishop Canevin gets the nod at No. 3 after beating the Spartans earlier this season. Monessen, Frazier and — assuming a win on Saturday — Shenango get wild cards as fourth-place finishers. Despite finishing fourth in the Tri-County South, Avella loses out to Greensburg Central Catholic for the final wild card after the Centurions’ impressive Week 9 win over Leechburg.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 16 Greensburg Central Catholic* at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Jeannette at No. 8 Neshannock

No. 13 Monessen* at No. 4 Laurel

No. 12 Chartiers-Houston at No. 5 California

No. 15 Cornell* at No. 2 Clairton

No. 10 Bentworth at No. 7 Leechburg

No. 14 Frazier* at No. 3 Bishop Canevin

No. 11 Jefferson-Morgan at No. 6 South Side

Harlan says: Clairton just shut out an eighth straight opponent, yet the Bears probably will settle for the No. 2 seed in this bracket. The WPIAL tends to reward undefeated defending champions, and Fort Cherry has won two league titles in a row. I could see a toss-up between Cornell (5-5) and Shenango (3-6) for one of the last wild cards. But whoever gets it will be rewarded with a trip to Tyler Boyd Stadium in Clairton.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.