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

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 7:00 AM

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Math may matter, but not when it comes to WPIAL football wild cards.

This is the second year of the playoff format in which wild card teams are no longer determined by Gardner Points or the WPIAL tiebreaker formula. Now, 16 additional berths will have to wait until Selection Saturday before the WPIAL football steering committee decides which bubble teams are in and which are out.

Chris Harlan and Don Rebel offer their two cents with an early edition of high school football bracketology heading into Week 9.

Class 6A

Don Rebel’s bracket

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

No. 3 Norwin or Mt. Lebanon at No. 2 North Allegheny

Rebel says: Can Mt. Lebanon come from way back to make the playoffs for a second straight year? That is the biggest question heading into the final week as the Blue Devils visit Norwin for third place. Unless Canon-McMillan can pull off a major upset of Central Catholic, the Big Macs will have an eye on the game in North Huntingdon that could decide their playoff fate.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

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

No. 3 Norwin or Mt. Lebanon at No. 2 North Allegheny

Harlan says: Either Central Catholic or North Allegheny has received the No. 1 seed in seven of the nine years since Class 6A was created in 2016.

Class 5A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 Pine-Richland – bye

No. 9 Shaler at No. 8 Bethel Park

No. 4 Moon — bye

No. 12 South Fayette at No. 5 Penn-Trafford

No. 2 Peters Township — bye

No. 10 Kiski Area at No. 7 Penn Hills

No. 3 Woodland Hills — bye

No. 11 Armstrong at No. 6 Upper St. Clair

Rebel says: Barring upsets, the top six spots look solid after Moon upended Upper St. Clair last week. Penn Hills, Shaler and North Hills are fighting for second and third in the Northeast with Penn Hills at Plum the big Week 9 game. Kiski Area, Gateway and Armstrong are in the hunt for third place and a possible fourth place wild card from the Big East. I still think the Allegheny Six will get two of the three wild card spots.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Pine-Richland – bye

No. 9 North Hills at No. 8 Bethel Park

No. 4 Penn-Trafford – bye

No. 12 Gateway at No. 5 Moon

No. 2 Peters Township – bye

No. 10 South Fayette at No. 7 Shaler

No. 3 Woodland Hills – bye

No. 11 Kiski Area at No. 6 Upper St. Clair

Harlan says: A nonconference win over Moon should earn Penn-Trafford the No. 4 seed over the Tigers. Choosing the three wild cards deserves a good debate here. Armstrong can tie Gateway in the Big East standings by defeating Franklin Regional (1-8, 0-5) on Friday. Traditional tiebreaker formulas say Armstrong would get in over Gateway thanks to a one-point head-to-head win, but the overall schedule arguably favors the Gators. Armstrong was mercy ruled by the two best teams in the Big East while Gateway had competitive losses by 14 and 10 points.

Class 4A

Don Rebel’s bracket

If Montour wins Friday

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

If West Allegheny wins Friday

No. 8 Aliquippa at No. 1 McKeesport

No. 5 Thomas Jefferson at No. 4 Trinity

No. 7 Montour at No. 2 West Allegheny

No. 6 Mars at No. 3 New Castle

Rebel says: What a big week for West Allegheny, which could beat Montour and finish as the top team out of the Parkway Conference. Or, if the Indians lose, they could finish in fourth and miss the playoffs altogether. Does the Parkway get both wild cards? Chartiers Valley and the West Mifflin vs. Hampton winner hope not. Also, for now, you notice I have conference foes Thomas Jefferson and Trinity playing and a No. 7 vs. No. 2 game between Parkway Conference rivals. The district tries to stay away from having conference teams play each other in the first round, but these are quarterfinal games. Moving pieces to avoid those matchups messes with the integrity of the bracket.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

If Montour wins Friday

No. 8 Chartiers Valley at No. 1 McKeesport

No. 5 Montour at No. 4 Trinity

No. 7 Thomas Jefferson at No. 2 New Castle

No. 6 Aliquippa at No. 3 Mars

If West Allegheny wins Friday

No. 8 Aliquippa at No. 1 McKeesport

No. 5 Montour at No. 4 Trinity

No. 7 Thomas Jefferson at No. 2 New Castle

No. 6 Mars at No. 3 West Allegheny

Harlan says: Don’t forget that last year the football committee ignored the tiebreaker formulas when seeding tri-champions in the Parkway Conference. I’m guessing that happens again here, so I seed New Castle second regardless of the Montour vs. West Allegheny outcome. Trinity lost to Montour, but the Hillers must draw a top-four seed and a home game as a conference champion in the Big Six. Might a Week 1 loss to Chartiers Valley ultimately keep West Allegheny out of the playoffs? If the Indians lose Friday, there’ll be a debate for the last team in.

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 big game in Week 9 for this bracket is North Catholic at Hopewell, although I believe both will make the playoffs since I have two of the three wild card teams coming from the strong Western Hills Conference. There are five undefeated teams in the WPIAL heading into Week 9 and two are in Class 3A.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 Avonworth – bye

No. 9 Beaver at No. 8 Freeport

No. 4 Central Valley – bye

No. 12 Mt. Pleasant at No. 5 North Catholic

No. 2 Imani Christian – bye

No. 10 Hopewell at No. 7 Southmoreland

No. 3 Elizabeth Forward – bye

No. 11 Derry at No. 6 Highlands

Harlan says: The Western Hills gets five playoffs teams. Hopewell narrowly missed the postseason a year ago, but the Vikings should be in good shape already. Southmoreland (8-1) has only one loss, but it was a big one — 42-0 to Elizabeth Forward — dropping the Scotties a few spots here.

Class 2A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 1 South Allegheny — bye

No. 9 Keystone Oaks at No. 8 MAC third place

No. 13 MAC fifth place at No. 4 Washington/Seton LaSalle loser

No. 12 Waynesburg Central at No. 5 MAC second place

No. 2 Washington/Seton LaSalle winner – bye

No. 10 MAC fifth place at No. 7 Steel Valley

No. 3 Western Beaver — bye

No. 11 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at No. 6 Apollo-Ridge

Rebel says: There is a lot up in the air in this classification heading into Week 9, which is kind of fitting, so I leave my crystal ball on the shelf and pick positions when it comes to the Midwestern Athletic Conference. Two of the four wild cards go to the MAC, which was the most competitive conference top to bottom in 2A. This one could be a lot easier to bracket after Friday, or maybe Week 9 muddies the waters more after the top two seeds.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 1 South Allegheny – bye

No. 9 Keystone Oaks at No. 8 MAC third place

No. 13 MAC fifth place at No. 4 Seton LaSalle/Washington loser

No. 12 MAC fourth place at No. 5 Apollo-Ridge

No. 2 Seton LaSalle/Washington winner – bye

No. 10 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at No. 7 MAC second place

No. 3 Western Beaver – bye

No. 11 MAC third place at No. 6 Steel Valley

Harlan: This bracket could look drastically different after Friday’s games. Besides all of the moving parts in the Midwestern and a first-place battle between Seton LaSalle and Washington in the Century Conference, the Allegheny has a big matchup Friday between Steel Valley and South Allegheny.

Class A

Don Rebel’s bracket

No. 16 Cornell/Monessen loser at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Bentworth at No. 8 Jeannette

No. 13 Frazier at No. 4 Bishop Canevin

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 Cornell/Monessen winner at No. 3 Laurel

No. 11 Chartiers-Houston at No. 6 California

Rebel says: Most people feel that despite a deep Class A playoff field, a rematch of the 2024 epic title game between Fort Cherry and Clairton could be in the cards again in 2025. I could see the Tri-County South Conference only getting three playoff teams again. However, if Avella finishes fourth, it’s hard to ignore the Eagles as a sentimental pick as the No. 16 seed.

Chris Harlan’s bracket

No. 16 Cornell/Monessen loser at No. 1 Fort Cherry

No. 9 Jeannette at No. 8 Neshannock

No. 13 Cornell/Monessen winner at No. 4 Laurel

No. 12 Jefferson-Morgan at No. 5 Leechburg

No. 15 Shenango at No. 2 Clairton

No. 10 Chartiers-Houston at No. 7 California

No. 14 Frazier at No. 3 Bishop Canevin

No. 11 Bentworth at No. 6 South Side

Harlan says: The WPIAL finalists from last year draw the first two seeds. Bishop Canevin gets the third thanks to a 46-28 win over Laurel in Week 3. The Tri-County South traditionally doesn’t get much help from the football committee. Here the three conference qualifiers are seeded seventh, 11th and 12th.