WPIAL Class A preview: 3-peat within reach for Fort Cherry, but contenders are lurking

By: Bill Hartlep
Sunday, August 17, 2025 | 7:01 AM

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Fort Cherry defeated Clairton by the slimmest margin in the WPIAL football final at Acrisure Stadium last season. That 21-20 victory showed just how evenly matched the Class A powerhouses were.

Expect much of the same this fall.

The Rangers are chasing a three-peat while the perennial power Bears will try to add to a trophy case that includes 14 WPIAL titles, second most in District 7 behind Aliquippa’s 20.

Both teams have plenty of returning star power to make their case for contention.

Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg was the Willie Thrower Award winner and Black Hills Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and enters his senior season as one of the area’s top talents. The Penn State recruit has rushed for 6,176 yards and passed for 4,177 yards in his career, joining Jeannette great Terrelle Pryor as the only players in WPIAL history to rush and pass for more than 4,000 yards.

“I just want them to show up and compete,” Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry said. “I know it’s cliche, (but) we believe we’re blessed to be in a (competitive) conference. … There’s no break in the schedule where we have to think a couple of games ahead. So we’ll have to keep grinding and let the chips fall where they may.”

Clairton also returns a talented passer in senior Jeffrey Thompson, who threw for nearly 1,900 yards and 27 touchdowns last season.

He was hampered by a shoulder injury in the playoffs, which limited his ability to throw throughout the postseason run when Clairton outscored Rochester, California and Bishop Canevin a combined 134-0 en route to the finals. The Bears defense compiled 10 shutouts.

Clairton will be tested again in the Eastern Conference as Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette return key players after facing off in the quarterfinals last season, with the Jayhawks earning a 29-23 win.

Greensburg Central Catholic’s Samir Crosby threw for nearly 1,500 yards and ran for more than 1,000 last season but is likely moving to receiver. Jeannette quarterback Kymon’e Brown threw for more than 1,800 yards, and rushed for more than 1,200.

“I know Neshannock was ranked high, but Jeannette came on as well,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “The regular teams — Greensburg Central Catholic, Clairton, Fort Cherry and Bishop Canevin — are going to be there. Cornell is also returning some guys. It’s going to be exciting.”

Neshannock’s first season in Class A after dropping down from 2A was a success — the Lancers went 6-0 to win the Big 7 Conference title and earned the WPIAL’s No. 4 seed — before a first-round playoff loss to Jeannette.

The Lancers, who are 18-4 over the past two seasons, will lean on the reigning Big 7 Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Jino Mozzocio, who helped Neshannock average 32 ppg.

Fort Cherry’s top competition in the Black Hills Conference last year came from Bishop Canevin and Cornell. Both again return formidable lineups capable of making postseason runs.

Cornell, a WPIAL quarterfinalist a year ago, will look for production from running back/wide receiver Khylil Johnson, a William & Mary commit who had more than 1,400 yards combined in rushing and receiving last season.

Bishop Canevin was the No. 3 seed and reached the semifinals before falling to Clairton. The Crusaders, now under the guidance of veteran coach Rod Steele, feature returning skill player Damar Olds and 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman Charles Butler, as well as a WVU recruit in junior outside linebacker Minikon Johnson.

Steele is among six new coaches who will roam the sidelines for Class A teams, joining Tim Trump (Beth-Center), Tony Battaglini (Frazier), Mark Fratangelo (Northgate), Don Phillips (Rochester) and Akeeme Robinson (Serra Catholic). Phillips, a veteran high school and college coach, replaces Gene Matsook, who retired in December after 25 seasons leading the Rams as head coach and 14 others as an assistant, compiling more than 300 wins, seven WPIAL titles and three state championships.

Jefferson-Morgan took control of the Tri-County South Conference last season, going 7-0 in conference play and averaging nearly 40 points before falling to South Side in the first round of the playoffs. Deakyn DeHoet, who was an all-conference wide receiver with 52 catches for 1,038 yards and 20 TDs, steps under center this season for the Rockets.

California earned a first-round win after finishing 6-1 in the TCS and averaging 37.5 ppg. The Trojans will miss graduated running back Lee Qualk, who ran for 2,145 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Class A

Preseason rankings

1. Fort Cherry (14-1)

The back-to-back WPIAL Class A champion Rangers have been dominant the past two seasons with a 29-2 record in that span. They averaged 37.9 points in reaching the PIAA final for the second straight year. After losses to Steelton-Highspire and Port Allegany in the 2023 and ’24 state championship games, the Rangers have unfinished business.

2. Clairton (13-1)

3. Bishop Canevin (9-3)

4. Neshannock (9-2)

5. Jeannette (9-4)

*Records from 2024

The stars

Samir Crosby

Greensburg Central Catholic, Sr., WR/DB

Crosby (5-10, 175), the Eastern Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, will show his versatility this season by moving to wide receiver after he rushed for 1,060 yards and 18 touchdowns and also threw for 1,481 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. Defensively, he had 67 tackles and five interceptions.

Jino Mozzocio

Neshannock, Sr., QB/CB

The Big 7 Offensive Player of the Year last fall, Mozzocio threw for 1,115 yards and 12 scores and helped Neshannock’s offense average 32 points per game.

Damar Olds

Bishop Canevin, Sr., WR/DB

An all-conference receiver in the Black Hills last fall, Olds will also be a threat in the backfield this season. He has offers from Akron and Kent State after catching 47 passes for 867 yards and scoring 13 times in 2024.

Matt Sieg

Fort Cherry, Sr., QB/DB

The Penn State recruit threw for 1,350 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 1,840 yards and 32 scores for the WPIAL champs. Sieg (6-0, 180) also made 50 tackles (34 solo) and had four interceptions and one punt return touchdown.

Jeffrey Thompson

Clairton, Sr., QB

One of the WPIAL’s top 15 passers last season, Thompson threw for 1,882 yards and 27 touchdowns in leading the Bears to a WPIAL runner-up finish. He’ll have a talented target in sophomore Brandon Murphy Jr.

Don’t miss

10.3 Greensburg Central Catholic at Jeannette

These neighborhood rivals split last season, with GCC winning 44-27 in the regular season but the Jayhawks getting revenge, 29-23, in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Jeannette leads the all-time series 22-12-1.

10.10 Bishop Canevin at Fort Cherry

The Crusaders remember last season’s 49-34 loss that snapped a five-game winning streak. This one will go a long way to deciding the Black Hills Conference champ.

10.24 Neshannock at Laurel

The season finale could decide the champion in the Big 7 Conference. The Lancers won the Lawrence County showdown 27-7 last season en route to a 6-0 finish in conference play.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, California, Clairton, Cornell, Fort Cherry, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan, Laurel, Neshannock