WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan forecast 2023 football playoff pairings

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, October 26, 2023 | 1:42 AM

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Pairing the WPIAL football brackets is a difficult job once the playoff field is set, but it’s much, much harder when 15 spots are still undecided. That’s the situation now.

The standings will surely change Friday night once the last dominoes fall.

The official WPIAL bracket will be revealed Saturday afternoon. But before then, TribLive HSSN’s Don Rebel and Chris Harlan provide some early insight into what the WPIAL football committee might decide.

These brackets were based on where teams were situated entering Week 9, so there’s no disrespect meant to anyone still working to boost their playoff position.

Class 6A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 4 Canon-McMillan/Mt. Lebanon loser at No. 1 Central Catholic

No. 3 Canon-McMillan/Mt. Lebanon winner at No. 2 North Allegheny

Harlan says: This bracket is as simple as it gets. Canon-McMillan and Mt. Lebanon play one another on Friday. The winner is seeded third and the loser is fourth

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 4 Canon-McMillan/Mt. Lebanon loser at No. 1 Central Catholic

No. 3 Canon-McMillan/Mt. Lebanon winner at No. 2 North Allegheny

Rebel says: This is very simple with only four teams going right to the semifinals. Remember, these games are in two weeks, not next week.

Class 5A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 8 NEC (Woodland Hills) or Big East wild card (Franklin Regional/Penn-Trafford) at No. 1 Peters Township

No. 5 Second place in Allegheny 6 (Bethel Park/Moon) at No. 4 Gateway

No. 7 Allegheny 6 wild card (Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair/Moon) at No. 2 Penn Hills

No. 6 Penn-Trafford/Franklin Regional winner at No. 3 Pine-Richland

Harlan says: Peters Township is the clear favorite for the No. 1 seed, but the Indians must win Friday against Bethel Park to secure the top spot in the Allegheny Six. This bracket will look a lot different if Woodland Hills were to hand Penn Hills its first conference loss on Friday. As the defending state champion, Pine-Richland gets the No. 3 seed if nothing changes in the standings. However, two wild cards make this bracket far more difficult to predict.

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 8 NEC (Penn Hills/Pine-Richland/Woodland Hills/North Hills) or Big East wild card (Franklin Regional/Penn-Trafford) at No. 1 Peters Township

No. 5 Penn-Trafford/Franklin Regional winner at No. 4 Second Place in NEC (Penn Hills/Pine-Richland/Woodland Hills/North Hills)

No. 7 Allegheny 6 wild card (Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair/Moon) at No. 2 First place in NEC (Penn Hills/Pine-Richland/Woodland Hills)

No. 6 Second place in Allegheny 6 (Bethel Park/Moon) at No. 3 Gateway

Rebel says: There has been a lot of chatter about the broken 5A playoff format with only eight teams qualifying and a good-third place finisher missing the boat. But let’s not forget there are only 18 teams in the classification. Should 12 of 18 make it? My answer is no.

Class 4A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Aliquippa – bye

No. 9 Latrobe at No. 8 West Allegheny

No. 13 Fourth place in GAC (Hampton/Highlands/Armstrong/Kiski Area) at No. 4 Thomas Jefferson

No. 12 Ambridge/Chartiers Valley at No. 5 Mars

No. 2 McKeesport – bye

No. 10 Trinity at No. 7 North Catholic

No. 3 Montour – bye

No. 11 Third place in GAC (Hampton/Highlands/Armstrong/Kiski Area) at No. 6 Central Valley

Harlan says: The bracket is far from decided, so this is built on the standings entering Week 9. The order could change significantly if Central Valley hands Aliquippa its first loss, Thomas Jefferson defeats McKeesport, West Allegheny beats Montour or North Catholic tops Mars — any of which could happen on Friday. The third- and fourth-place spots in the Greater Allegheny are also up in the air, with Kiski Area hosting Armstrong and Hampton visiting Highlands.

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 First place in Parkway (Aliquippa/Montour/Central Valley) – bye

No. 9 Trinity or Latrobe at No. 8 Fourth place in Parkway (Montour/Central Valley/West Allegheny)

No. 13 Fourth place in GAC (Hampton/Highlands/Armstrong/Kiski Area) at No. 4 McKeesport/Thomas Jefferson loser

No. 12 Ambridge/Chartiers Valley at No. 5 First place in GAC (Mars/North Catholic)

No. 2 McKeesport/Thomas Jefferson winner – bye

No. 10 Second place in GAC (Mars/North Catholic) at No. 7 Latrobe or Trinity

At No. 3 Second place in Parkway (Aliquippa/Montour/Central Valley) – bye

No. 11 Third place in GAC (Hampton/Highlands/Armstrong/Kiski Area) at No. 6 Third place in Parkway (Aliquippa/Montour/Central Valley/West Allegheny)

Rebel says: Now this classification has some solid depth. When possible fourth-place teams like Trinity and West Allegheny are pulling off major upsets or near eyebrow-raisers, then this bracket will be littered with unpredictability.

Class 3A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Belle Vernon/Elizabeth Forward winner – bye

No. 9 Southmoreland/Mt. Pleasant winner at No. 8 Deer Lakes

No. 4 East Allegheny – bye

N0. 12 South Park vs. No. 5 Knoch

No. 2 Avonworth – bye

No. 10 Southmoreland/Mt. Pleasant loser at No. 7 Beaver

No. 3 Belle Vernon/Elizabeth Forward loser – bye

No. 11 Shady Side Academy at No. 6 West Mifflin

Harlan says: Belle Vernon and Elizabeth Forward meet Friday to decide the Interstate Conference champion — and likely the No. 1 seed — while Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland battle for third and fourth place. If Elizabeth Forward were to win, might that open the door for Avonworth at No. 1? Another key question: Who gets No. 5? Knoch’s only conference loss was to East Allegheny, 14-13, in overtime. But West Mifflin, instead, could find itself there, if the Titans can take care of business Friday at South Park.

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Elizabeth Forward/Belle Vernon winner – bye

No. 9 Southmoreland/Mt. Pleasant winner at No. 8 West Mifflin/South Park loser

No. 4 East Allegheny – bye

No. 12 Allegheny 6 fourth place (Shady Side Academy/Deer Lakes/Freeport) at No. 5 Second place in Western Hills (West Mifflin/South Park winner or Beaver)

No. 2 Avonworth – bye

No. 10 Southmoreland/Mt. Pleasant loser at No. 7 Knoch

No. 3 Elizabeth Forward/Belle Vernon loser – bye

No. 11 Allegheny 6 third place (SSA/DL/Freeport) at No. 6 Third place in Western Hills (Beaver/WM/SP)

Rebel says: I would be stunned if Elizabeth Forward and Belle Vernon don’t get first-round byes, no matter who wins their Interstate Conference showdown. Those two along with the two other conference champs, Avonworth and East Allegheny, should get a week off. I have a lot of love in the seeding for the four teams from the Western Hills.

Class 2A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Steel Valley – bye

No. 9 Serra Catholic at No. 8 Beaver Falls/Western Beaver winner

No. 13 Fourth place in Century at No. 4 Mohawk/Neshannock loser

No. 12 Burrell at No. 5 McGuffey/Washington winner

No. 2 Mohawk/Neshannock winner – bye

No. 10 Beaver Falls/Western Beaver loser at No. 7 Keystone Oaks/Washington

No. 14 Ellwood City/Riverside at No. 3 Imani Christian

No. 11 Derry at No. 6 McGuffey/Keystone Oaks

Harlan says: As the reigning WPIAL champion, Steel Valley gets the No. 1 seed here, if the Ironmen can finish with a win Friday over Serra Catholic. The Mohawk vs. Neshannock winner gets the No. 2 seed as Midwestern champion, but don’t overlook Imani Christian for a potential top-four seed. A Washington (4-1) at McGuffey (5-0) matchup Friday will decide the Century title.

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Steel Valley – bye

No. 9 Beaver Falls/Western Beaver loser at No. 8 Second place in Century (McGuffey/Keystone Oaks/Washington)

No. 13 Ellwood City or Riverside at No. 4 Washington/McGuffey winner

No. 12 Fourth place in Century at No. 5 Second place in Allegheny (Imani/Serra)

No. 2 Mohawk/Neshannock winner – bye

No. 10 Third place in Century at No. 7 Third place in Allegheny (Imani/Serra)

No. 14 Derry or Burrell at No. 3 Mohawk/Neshannock loser

No. 11 Derry or Burrell at No. 6 Beaver Falls/Western Beaver winner

Rebel says: If Serra Catholic knocks off Steel Valley on Friday, the committee’s job will be more difficult without the cancelled Imani Christian at Serra Catholic game, which was declared a “no contest.” Serra canceled classes and extra-curricular activities that week while mourning the death of one of its students, and the WPIAL chose to not make the outcome a forfeit. The Midwestern Athletic Conference keeps up the tradition of being extremely competitive up and down.

Class A

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 16 Fourth place in TCS (Beth-Center/Monessen/Bentworth) at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Greensburg Central Catholic at No. 8 West Greene

No. 13 Fourth place in Big 7 (Laurel/Shenango) at No. 4 Clairton

No. 12 Third place in Big 7 (Rochester/Shenango) at No. 5 Cornell

No. 15 Jefferson-Morgan at No. 2 South Side

No. 10 Jeannette at No. 7 California

No. 14 Leechburg at No. 3 Bishop Canevin

No. 11 Burgettstown at No. 6 Union

Harlan says: Friday’s game between Clairton (5-0) and Jeannette (4-1) could flip the finishing order in the Eastern Conference, with Greensburg Central (4-1) also in the hunt. Likewise, if Burgettstown (4-2) could upset unbeaten Fort Cherry (6-0), then the Black Hills qualifiers could change. But this bracket is built on the current standings.

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 16 Fourth place in TCS (Beth-Center/Monessen/Bentworth) at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Third place in Eastern (GCC/Jeannette/Leechburg) at No. 8 West Greene

No. 13 Fourth place in Black Hills (Burgettstown/Cornell/OLSH) at No. 4 Clairton/Jeannette winner

No. 12 Fourth place in Eastern (GCC/Leechburg) at No. 5 Union

No. 15 Jefferson-Morgan at No. 2 South Side

No. 10 Third place in Black Hills (Cornell/Burgettstown) at No. 7 Second place in Eastern (Clairton/Jeannette/GCC)

No. 14 Fourth place in Big 7 (Laurel/Shenango) at No. 3 Bishop Canevin

No. 11 Third place in Big 7 (Rochester/Shenango) at No. 6 California

Rebel says: Last fall, Union proved how good the depth was in Class A by winning gold as the No. 10 seed. That might not happen this season, but you could make a legit argument for as many as 10 teams to walk away with this year’s crown in the district’s smallest classification.

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.