WPIAL football championship factoids for Nov. 15, 2025: Class 6A and 4A

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 4:52 PM

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On Saturday, the WPIAL will crown two football champions with the playing of the district’s Class 4A and 6A title games.

This will be the sixth straight year that the Class 6A championship game will not be played on the North Side. The last four were at Norwin and the 2020 finals were played at Martorelli Stadium in the North Hills.

This also marks the second time outside of the covid season of 2020 that the Class 4A finals will be played somewhere other than Three Rivers Stadium, Heinz Field or Acrisure Stadium in over four decades. The 2020 game was at North Allegheny and the 2024 game was at Norwin.

Let’s acknowledge some championship anniversaries from both Class 6A and 4A in the WPIAL.

• This is the 10th WPIAL Class 6A championship game and the fifth time it has come down to North Allegheny against Central Catholic.

• The only 6A championship game that did not include the Tigers or Vikings was in 2018 when Pine-Richland defeated Seneca Valley, 34-7.

• The first 6A championship game was in 2016 when Central Catholic rolled past Seneca Valley, 42-7.

• Five years ago in the first clash for gold between the Vikings and Tigers, Central Catholic defeated North Allegheny, 38-24.

• WPIAL Class 4A turned 45 years old this season.

• In the first “Quad-A” title game in district history, Mt. Lebanon knocked off rival Bethel Park in 1980, 30-14.

• Forty years ago, North Hills and Gateway were declared co-champions after they played to a scoreless tie in the 1985 finals. It was the last time co-champions were ever declared in the WPIAL.

• Thirty years ago, Penn Hills won the fourth of its five district championships with a close victory over Upper St. Clair in the 1995 title game, 20-13.

• Twenty-five years ago, Mt. Lebanon knocked off defending champion Woodland Hills on a missed extra point, 14-13. That 2000 4A title game was the final high school game played at Three Rivers Stadium.

• Twenty years ago, McKeesport won its most recent WPIAL crown when it knocked off rival Woodland Hills in the 2005 championship game, 19-7.

• Ten years ago, in the final title game in which Class 4A was the highest classification, Central Catholic edged Penn-Trafford in the 2015 finals, 24-17.

To prepare for the WPIAL championship football games Saturday, we open up a fresh tin of WPIAL football championship factoids.

WPIAL Class 6A

North Allegheny Tigers (8-3) vs. Central Catholic Vikings (10-1)

6 p.m. Saturday at Pine-Richland Stadium with audio on Trib HSSN

• This great rivalry is as close as it gets. This is the 33rd meeting between the big school powers. Central Catholic has 16 victories and North Allegheny has 15 wins with a scoreless tie played in 1981.The Tigers won the first meeting in 1975, 9-7.

• This is the 10th time the two have played each other in the WPIAL playoffs and the fifth time they have met with district gold at stake. Central Catholic beat North Allegheny 38-24 in the 2020 6A finals, then the Tigers defeated the Vikings 35-21 in the 2022 finals and 44-41 in a wild 2023 championship contest. A year ago, Central rolled past NA in the title game, 45-14. In non-championship postseason games, Central Catholic won playoff meetings in 1988, 2001 and 2015 while North Allegheny prevailed in postseason clashes in 2000 and 2010.

• This is the first time in WPIAL history that the same two teams have met in the finals four straight years.

• Central Catholic will try to repeat as 6A champs for the second time. North Allegheny became the third school to repeat as WPIAL 6A champions in 2022 and 2023. Pine-Richland accomplished it in 2017 and 2018 and Central Catholic did it in 2019 and 2020. No team has won three straight 6A crowns.

• The Tigers are in search of their seventh district crown. NA’s first championship was 35 years ago in 1990 coached by Jim Rankin. They followed with a three-peat in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

• NA coach Art Walker is trying to win his eighth WPIAL championship. He has won five as the North Allegheny head coach and he also led Central Catholic to back-to-back district championships in 2003 and 2004.

• The Vikings are hoping to win their 10th WPIAL championship, which would move them into a tie with Jeannette for fourth place on the all-time district list. Central Catholic captured its first WPIAL crown 22 years ago in 2003. It repeated in 2004 and won more gold in 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2024.

• Now in his third year as Central Catholic head coach, Ryan Lehmeier is trying to win his second district crown.

• When these teams met Sept. 26, Central Catholic knocked off North Allegheny, 21-6. The Vikings led 7-3 at the half before taking control with 14 third-quarter points. Roman Thompson rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns for Central while Brady Brinkley threw for 122 yards and kicker Ethan Maravich provided the NA points with two field goals.

WPIAL Class 4A

Aliquippa Quips (8-3) vs. McKeesport Tigers (9-3)

Noon Saturday at Pine-Richland Stadium with audio on Trib HSSN

• The WPIAL record for consecutive championship game appearances ended last season at 16 in a row. Now the holder of that record is starting anew. Aliquippa is playing in the district title game for a 17th time in the last 18 years. In their 16 previous trips, some in 2A, some in 3A and recently in 4A, the Quips are a combined 8-8, including 3-1 in Class 4A finals.

• This is the 14th all-time meeting between Aliquippa and McKeesport. The Quips have won the last four times and now lead the series, 8-5.

• This is the fourth time in five years the Quips and Tigers have met in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. In the 2021 semifinals, Quentin Goode connected with Jayce Williams on a touchdown pass in the second overtime as Aliquippa beat McKeesport in a postseason classic, 27-21. In the 2022 semifinals, Tikey Hayes rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns as the Quips eliminated the Tigers, 42-7.

• In the 2023 WPIAL title game, Aliquippa defeated McKeesport, 35-21. Tikey Hayes rushed for 114 yards, Quentin Goode threw for 157 yards and two TDs and Cam Lindsey scored twice for the Quips. Freshman running back Kemon Spell rushed for 23 yards on only four carries while older brother Keith Spell rushed for 55 yards.

• The other 10 meetings between the teams came in the 1950s. The Quips’ other five wins over the Tigers were in 1951 (14-7), 1952 (26-6), 1954 (26-7), 1955 (18-12) and in 1959 (19-0). The McKeesport wins were in 1950 (24-12), 1953 (20-0), 1956 (25-6), 1957 (27-12) and in 1958 (12-0).

• McKeesport has won five WPIAL football championships with its first outright title coming 87 years ago when it beat Johnstown to win the 1938 3A title, 38-20. The Tigers also won outright championships in 1994 when they beat Upper St. Clair in the 4A finals, 21-14, and in 2005 with a victory over Woodland Hills, 19-7.

• The first football championship McKeesport won was a unique title 93 years ago. It was the only time in WPIAL football history that the district named tri-champions when the Tigers, along with Jeannette and New Castle, shared the Class 3A crown.

Tags: Aliquippa, Central Catholic, McKeesport, North Allegheny