Steelers Fan Playoff Power Rankings

Let's face it. No one wants to be here right now. And by here, I mean sitting on your couch, trying to figure out which teams to root for this weekend. You'd much rather be preparing for a trip to Cincinnati to watch the Steelers try to replicate their 2005 playoff magic. Instead, the Bengals will be taking on the Chargers and are in danger of having their game blacked out as around 8,000 tickets still remain. Oddly enough, Cincinnati isn't even in the worst situation as the Colts and Packers are also on Blackout Watch.

Last year, I wrote a wildly popular (i.e. got more than 25 pageviews) post about who Steelers fans should root for in the playoffs. Rather than going matchup-by-matchup this season, I'm going to rank the 12 playoff teams in order of preference for who Steelers fans should or should not root for to ultimately hoist the Lombardi. In my post last year, I detailed three criteria for helping to rank teams when trying to choose a non-Steelers team to root for:

1. Rivalries

Baltimore, Cincinnati and New England go to the bottom of the list. Always. I didn't include Cleveland or Oakland in this list because the thought of them making the playoffs would cause this post to lose all legitimacy.

2. Super Bowl Rings

As Steelers fans, we love holding the "Sixburgh" or "First to Six" or "How Many Yinz Got?" over fans of all 31 other teams. Therefore, we don't want to see anyone else get to 6 or even get within striking distance of 6 Rings. Looking at the 12 playoff teams this year, San Francisco leads the pack with 5 rings, followed by Green Bay with 4, New England with 3, Denver and Indianapolis with 2, and New Orleans and Kansas City with 1.

3. General Jagoffery

Does the team have a player that it's really easy to hate (i.e. Tom Brady)? Does the team have someone it's really easy to cheer for (i.e. Adrian Peterson)? Is their coach a Harbaugh?

So with those criteria in mind, here is your list, in descending order to preserve some drama, of the teams you should be rooting for this year in the playoffs. I also included some recommended blogs to read and folks to follow on twitter. They're good people who are knowledgeable about their teams, so don't troll them too hard.

12. New England

Recommended Blogs: Foxboro Blog

What to like: The Patriots losing.

What not to like: Rooting for the Patriots violates all 3 of the Steelers Fan criteria. They are a rival that has beaten us in Championship games in the past, they have 3 Super Bowl Rings and a win would tie Brady/Belichick with Bradshaw/Noll at 4, and their team and coaching staff are chalk full of jagoffs.

The Verdict: Under no circumstance should you root for the Patriots

11. San Francisco

Recommended Twitter Follows: @jamesmann23

What to like: The way they run the ball. Colin Kaepernick is a cool dude. They have one of the best groups of linebackers in the league.

What not to like: The only rule they don't violate is #1. A Super Bowl win for the 49ers would tie them with the Steelers with 6 Lombardis. Also, they are coached by a Harbaugh.

The Verdict: Colin Kaepernick's coolness does not outweigh Harbaugh's douchebaggery. Also, there's that Super Bowl thing. The 49ers were my favorite NFC team when I was growing up, but on this list they get placed close to the bottom, mostly because of Rule #2.

10. Cincinnati

Recommended Blogs: Cincy Jungle

Recommended Twitter Follows: @whodeybaby, @OhioBrian

What to like: Andy Dalton throwing interceptions. Also, Marvin Lewis, who is from Fort Cherry. He's a Pittsburgh guy and a good coach that had to deal with a pack of douchebags for years before the organization finally cut ties with most of them.

What not to like: They are in our division and are a rival team. If you're considering rooting for any team from Cincinnati, go watch videos of Reds pitchers beaning Andrew McCutchen.

The Verdict: Unless you have money riding on the Bengals, who were 25-to-1 before the season started, don't root for them.

9. Philadelphia

Recommended Blogs: Inside the Iggles

Recommended Twitter Follows: @VoiceofthePhan, @InsidetheIggles, @MattThorntonNFL

What to like: LeSean McCoy. Also, Nick Foles if he helped you win a Fantasy Football Championship.

What not to like: They are from Philadelphia. Chip Kelly is one of the under-rated jagoffs of the coaching world, which makes him fit perfectly in Philadelphia.

The Verdict: The only reason to align with a team from Philadelphia would be if they are playing a team from Boston or New York.

8. Kansas City

Recommended Blogs: Arrowhead Addict, Arrowhead Pride

What to like: An underdog story riding a strong defense through the first half of the year. They did enough in the first half to get them into the playoffs and slept through the second half. If you had Jamaal Charles on your fantasy team, lots to like here.

What not to like: There is plenty for Steelers fans to hate about the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs. For starters, Andy Reid prolonged a meaningless preseason game against the Steelers by kicking a field goal and sending the game to overtime. Then there was Ryan Succop against the Chargers.

The Verdict: The bads outweigh the goods here. The Chiefs are not a recommended team.

7. Green Bay

Recommended Twitter Follows: @PackersTherapy

What to like: Aaron Rodgers' mustache. Mike McCarthy is from Greenfield. Dom Capers used to coach for the Steelers.

What not to like: The Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. If you're still hung up on that, you may not want to root for them. A Super Bowl win would give them 5 which would put them in striking distance of the Steelers 6.

The Verdict: Toss-up. This is a middle-of-the-road choice. It really all depends on how much Super Bowl XLV still irks you.

6. Denver

Recommended Twitter Follows:  @empulse

What to like: The Peyton Manning face. The Broncos had one of the most explosive offenses in the history of football. It would be fun to see them take on an elite defensive team like Seattle or Carolina in the Super Bowl.

What not to like: The thought of Peyton Manning playing in the Super Bowl and just having to listen to all the talk about his legacy in the two weeks before the game.

The Verdict: Another middle-of-the-road choice. Manning has been much less of a jagoff since he left Indianapolis, but it is totally legitimate to not root for Denver simply because of Manning.

5. San Diego

What to like: Ken Whisenhunt is their offensive coordinator. They closed the season strong with two wins over Kansas City and wins over Denver and Indianapolis. They are one of the few teams with an offense that can keep up with the Broncos.

What not to like: Phillip Rivers plays like a petulant child.

The Verdict: Steelers fans shouldn't hold it against the Chargers that the officials sucked in their season finale against the Chiefs. The Chargers did what they needed to do (and got some calls along the way).

4. Indianapolis

Recommended Blogs: Colts Authority, The Blue Mare

Recommended Twitter Follows: @NateDunlevy, @ColtsAuth_Kyle, @MarcusDugan,  @TheBlueMare

What to like: Andrew Luck's beard. Robert Mathis' 19.5 sacks.

What not to like: Chuck Pagano used to coach for the Ravens.

The Verdict: If an AFC team is going to win the Super Bowl, the best option would be for it to be the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck is a lot of fun to watch and there isn't a lot to dislike about their organization.

3. New Orleans

Recommended Blogs: Saints Nation

Recommended Twitter Follows: @SaintsNationBlg

What to like: Black and Gold. Keenan Lewis.

What not to like: Drew Brees playing outside in January. Rob Ryan is their defensive coordinator.

The Verdict: The Saints are a dome team, and the prospect of them going into Philadelphia and winning a game in the freezing cold seems like a bit of a stretch. That said, there isn't a lot to dislike about the Saints and they are a totally viable option for your rooting interests.

2. Carolina

Recommended Twitter Follows: @mimiwootiewoot

What to like: The way they play defense. The Panthers have one of the most dominating defensive fronts in the league and Luke Kuechly might be the best inside linebacker in the game right now. The Panthers haven't been blowing teams out but have cut their teeth with some late-game wins.

What not to like: Panthers running backs in Fantasy Football, for their total unpredictability. However, in the playoffs, it is an asset to have 3 different backs that can shoulder the load.

The Verdict: There is nothing wrong with rooting for the Panthers, as long as they don't wear their teal uniforms.

1. Seattle

Recommended Blogs: Seahawk Addicts,

Recommended Twitter Follows: @30AcreFortress, @pkc808

What to like: Everything about the way this team operates. They run the ball. They play defense. Their secondary abuses receivers. Richard Sherman might be the second coming of Mel Blount. The best home crowd in football.

What not to like: Pete Carroll could be a bit of a jagoff from his days at USC, but he has built a good team that believes in his system and genuinely has fun on the sidelines.

The Verdict: They run the ball. They play defense. They have a young quarterback that makes ridiculous plays in the pocket to get away from pressure and find open receivers. Does that sound familiar? It should. That was basically the formula the Steelers used in 2004 and 2005. The Seahawks have never won a Super Bowl before and have built a team out of blood, sweat and work ethic. Sure some of their players have big mouths and talk a lot (Sherman), but they back it up with their play on the field. The Seahawks have the best secondary in the league with Sherman and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. I fully endorse rooting for the Seattle Seahawks in every game they play this postseason.

Gameday: Cleveland Browns

1:00pm

Heinz Field

TV: CBS

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

What To Watch For

1. Last Ride for 99 and 25

In what seems to be a common theme over recent years, the Steelers will likely be bidding farewell to two of their longstanding starters. Both Brett Keisel and Ryan Clark's contracts expire at the end of this season and it is unlikely that either will return next year. Get a good look at these two in black and gold, because it is probably the last time you'll see them.

2. Record Chasing

Antonio Brown has already broken the Steelers single-season receiving yards record and is the first Steelers receiver to ever top 1400-yards. Brown is 11 catches shy of tying Hines Ward's record of 112 receptions and would need 12 catches in the finale against Cleveland to surpass Hines. Joe Haden is listed as "questionable" and it would be to AB's advantage if Haden doesn't suit up. Brown also needs at least 70 yards to set the Steelers single-season record for most yards per game, which is currently held by Buddy Dial who averaged 92.5 in 1963. Ben Roethlisberger has already surpassed his previously-held franchise records for attempts and completions in a season and needs 247 yards to break his own single-season yardage record. The franchise record for touchdown passes (32) seems a bit out of reach (Ben has 27 right now), but with 2 TD passes, Ben's 2013 season could move into 2nd on the franchise list. Finally, Shaun Suisham is currently 28 of 30 (93.3%) which is tied for the best single-season field goal percentage in franchise history with Gary Anderson (who was also 28-of-30 in 1993).

3. The Scoreboard

Somehow, some way, the Steelers are still in the playoff hunt. Football Outsiders has put the Steelers chances at about 9%. All it takes is 4 steps: the Steelers beat the Browns, the Jets beat the Dolphins, the Bengals beat the Ravens, and the Chiefs beat the Chargers. The first 3 games are all at 1:00, which means we'll be doing plenty of scoreboard watching during the game. Of course, it could all go to hell at 4:25 when Andy Reid makes the final decision on which starters he will play and which he will rest.

4. Finish Strong

Sitting at 2-6 at the halfway mark of the season, it seemed almost impossible that the Steelers could rebound to an 8-8 finish. Now, despite everything else that has happened this year, the Steelers can not only finish 8-8 but could make the playoffs. On one hand that is a testament to how bad the AFC is this year. This is also not a time to feel sorry for ourselves that we are in this position. When you lose games to Oakland and Tennessee and Minnesota, this is the situation you find yourself in, relying on other teams to win. That said, this season has an entirely different feel to it than last year. In 2012, the Steelers limped to a 3-5 finish and played themselves out of playoff contention. This season, they are closing strong at 5-2 over the second half of the season and the offense is clicking. Since losing to Oakland, the Steelers haven't been held under 20 points and have surpassed 27 points all but twice. Contrast that with the first 7 games when the Steelers highest output was 27 and they only broke 20 points twice. These are all good signs heading into next season and the most important thing this team can do is finish with a strong showing and a win over the Browns.

Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal: Steelers Win

 38

 31

Things couldn't have gone better early Sunday afternoon. The Jets won. The Bills won. When the coin was flipped, the Steelers were still clinging to their slim playoff hopes.

The Steelers came out of the gates quick, with a Timmons sack forcing a 3-and-out then moving the ball out to midfield on the legs of Le'Veon Bell. Two penalties set things back and a give-up play on third and long sent the ball back to the Packers.

Playing for field position didn't work out so well as Matt Flynn started working the short passing game, moving Green Bay down the field. Eddie Lacy starts to take over on the ground once the Packers get into Steelers territory and moves Green Bay into the red zone. On first and goal, Flynn goes back to the air and lobs one up for Jarrett Boykin who makes a leaping grap over Cortez Allen. Pretty good coverage, Boykin just made a better play.

0-7

Before this game, the Steelers were 0-6 this season when they allowed a first quarter touchdown.

Thankfully, the Steelers weren't going to take any of that crap. The Prescription went to work, busting a big 22-yarder up the gut then Ben went up top and hit Antonio Brown streaking down the sideline to move us all the way into the red zone. The Prescription gets us down to the 1 where Ben hits Manny in the back of the end zone.

7-7

Second Quarter

The Packers go right back to Boykin who picks up 20 yards then they get 15 more on a roughing the passer call. Thankfully, a packers lineman decides to grab Jason Worlids' facemask on 3rd down, nullifying a conversion and knocking them out of field goal range. Worlids is pissed off and sacks Flynn.

AB rips off a great return to get us back to midfield before he's knocked out of bounds by a defenseless punter. The offense can't do anything but pins Green Bay deep. A holding penalty pretty much ends the Packers drive, and the Steelers get it back.

AB makes another grab to get us into Green Bay territory, but we can't get any farther. Clay Matthews injures himself sacking Ben.

Flynn starts picking on William Gay and Lacy picks up a few big chunks before cutting one back across the field and hurdling over Ike Taylor into the end zone.

7-14

Terrible backside contain by Chris Carter.

The Steelers took over with just under 2 minutes to go and got a great return from Manny Sanders across midfield. However, the Steelers "hurry up" offense wasted 50 seconds running just 2 plays that gained just 13 total yards. A pass to Cotchery got us into 3rd an short and we used our second timeout with 40 ticks left. The Prescription ripped one for 10 yards up the middle to get us to the 13, and Tomlin decided not to use a timeout. The clock kept winding and the Steelers didn't get another snap off until the 16 second mark. That's 24 seconds in between snaps. Two incompletions later, only 6 seconds remained on the clock and the Steelers opted for a field goal and took their last time out into the locker room with them.

10-14

Third Quarter

The Steelers got the ball to start the second half and Ben and AB went to work. Two quick strikes over the middle get us near midfield where things stall out. On 4th and 2, Tomlin shows his mettle with a ballsy call for a fake punt and Mat McBriar rolls out and lofts one down the field to David Paulson who hurdles a defender and takes it inside the 30.

What a job by McBriar standing in under pressure and hitting his second option and collecting a roughing the passer call to go with it.

On the next play, Ben steps away from pressure then takes off upfield, rumbling 13 yards into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

17-14

The Packers came back and slowly picked their way down the field, alternating passes and runs and slowly plodding against the Steelers defense. We finally caught a break when Flynn couldn't connect with Jordy Nelson on 3rd down and the Packers opted to punt it away and pin the Steelers deep.

That wound up being the right decision as Bell fumbled for the first time this season right on the goal line, giving the Packers the ball right on the doorstep. Despite gashing us on the ground all game, Green Bay threw two passes and had to settle for a field goal, which set off the most bizarre sequence you'll see all season.

Steve McLendon gets a great push and blocks Crosby's field goal attempt. Ryan Clark scoops up the ball then makes a bizarre decision to try to lateral the ball to William Gay who can't handle it and Ziggy Hood eventually knocks the ball out of bounds. Ziggy gets flagged for illegaly batting the ball out of bounds. The refs rule that the Steelers never possessed the ball (despite Ryan Clark having two hands on the ball and being able to lateral it to Will Gay) so they inexplicably gave the ball back to Green Bay.

(Credit to @SteelersDepot for the gif)

Not possession? Also, not down by contact?

When Tomlin tried to challenge, he was told that the play was not reviewable.

Of course, this is the same officiating crew that thought this wasn't pass interference:

Somehow, the Packers got the ball on the 1 and Lacy punched it in. 

Ludicrous.

17-21

Unlike in the past when Tomlin had benched backs for fumbling, he put Le'Veon back in the game. And The Prescription answered.

Bell busted the first carry right up the gut for 25, followed by a penalty on the Packers that moved us into field goal range. Dwyer made the most of a few chances to get us to the 11 before Ben zips one to Matt Spaeth down the seam for the touchdown.

Spaeth's first catch of the year. Huge.

24-21

After a big return from Dr Jekell and Micah Hyde, Flynn throws a hilariously bad pass out to Boykin that is tipped and picked off by Cortez Allen who takes it 40 yards back to the house.

Big-time turn of events for the Steelers after the terrible officiating.

31-21

A holding penalty on the Packers pretty much ended their next drive and the Steelers took over with good field position. Rather than running the ball (and running out the quarter), Ben tries to fit on in to Heath and it gets picked off by AJ Hawk.

Fourth Quarter

With a short field, the Packers were able to work it down inside the 5 but the defense held and forced a field goal.

31-24

The Steelers really needed to keep their defense off the field, but couldn't do it, going 3-and-out. A poor punt gave Green Bay the ball far too close to midfield.

After being on the field for so long, it was a lot to ask this beleagured defense to come up with a stop. James Starks started gashing the defense then Flynn found Nelson on Gay for 31 yards to get into the red zone. Starks got them to the 1 before Kuhn pounded it in to tie the game.

31-31

On second down from the 10, Ben buys time moving around in the pocket and comes back to AB on the right side who makes some guys miss and goes for 30 yards, moving him into first place on the Steelers single-season receiving yardage list. With the ball near midfield and the clock winding under 5 minutes, Tomlin uses a timeout and opts to go for it on 4th down. Ben hits Will Johnson out in the flat to keep the drive rolling, but the drive doesn't go much further from there.

Pinned deep, the defense stands strong with Brett Keisel coming up with a sack on first down then Troy running down a scrambling Flynn on 3rd down and knocking the ball out while flying through the air. Keisel falls on it to give us the ball in the red zone with 2 minutes to go.

Vintage Steelers defense turnover right there.

Green Bay had all 3 timeouts left, so the Steelers had to run the ball to use the clock. On second down, they make a bizarre decision to throw for the end zone and Ben overthrows AB, stopping the clock with 1:40 to go. Bell gets 5 on a 3rd down pass to get us to 4th and 3. The Steelers catch a huge break when the Packers jump offsides on the field goal, giving us a first down at the 5 with 1:35 to go.

And Mike Tomlin's clock management struck again.

At this point, with the Packers only having 1 timeout remaining, the Steelers should have taken 3 knees and kicked the field goal. Brian Burke at Advanced NFL Stats detailed this.

With 1:35 left, the Steelers could have kneeled the ball 3 times and run all but about 8 seconds off the clock, which would have enabled them to kick a 25-yard field goal for the win. Even after Le'Veon Bell's first down carry got them to the 1 and forced the Packers to use their final timeout, the Steelers had about a 99% chance of winning if they had simply kneeled it out. However, Tomlin opted to run the ball on 2nd down and Bell scored, which actually increased Green Bay's chances of winning from less than 1% to 9%.

38-31

Rather than kicking a field goal with under 8 seconds to play, the Steelers kicked off to Green Bay with 1:28 to play, and Micah Hyde returned the kickoff 70 yards back to the Steelers 31 (which actually gave the Packers a 21% chance to win the game).

Flynn went to work with new life, hitting Nelson and Quarless to get them down to the 5 with 43 seconds left. They opted to run the ball and Will Allen and Cam Heyward made the biggest tackle of the season, keeping Starks out of the end zone. With the clock rolling and 20 seconds to play, the Packers got flagged for a false start penalty, which ran 10 seconds off the clock. That was huge for the Steelers defense.

With 10 seconds left, you would think that the Packers could get 2 plays off, but Flynn lets the clock roll all the way to 3 before taking the snap and his slant pass for Boykin bounces off of his hands, incomplete.

Game.

Whew.

Can someone buy Mike Tomlin a clock for Christmas?

Ride or die with the Steelers, Bengals, Jets and Chiefs this weekend.

Gameday: Green Bay Packers

4:15pm

Lambeau Field

TV: CBS

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

What to Watch For

1. Let It Snow

It's going to snow in Green Bay on Sunday. A lot. There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for most of Wisconsin for Sunday and there could be upwards of 5 inches of snow on the field for this game. Neither team has played particularly good defense this year and the game could devolve into an Eddie Lacy vs. Le'Veon Bell affair.

2. Antonio Brown

Last week, AB tied Hines Ward's mark of 95 catches (2003, 2009) that put him second on the Steelers single-season receptions list. The franchise record for receptions in a season is Ward's 112 (set in 2002). It's unlikely that Brown will get 17 catches this week, but a big performance against Green Bay could set him up to break or tie the mark at home next week in the season finale. Look for the Steelers to try to get him some easy catches on WR screens to boost his numbers. On the yardage front, Brown currently has 1307, which puts him 5th on the Steelers single-season yardage list and only trails Yancey Thigpen's franchise record 1398 yards by 91, which he could break this week against Green Bay's weak secondary.

3. That Time Zone Thing

I bring it up every time the Steelers leave the Eastern Time Zone, because the stat is just so startling. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 74-44 (.627) overall and 69-28 (.711) when the game is played in the Eastern Time Zone. But when the Steelers leave the Eastern Time Zone, they are just 5-16 (.238). To make matters worse, the Steelers have now lost 8 in a row outside of EST, dating back to December 2011. The last time the Steelers won a game outside of EST was against the Tyler Palko-led Kansas City Chiefs 13-9 on Monday Night Football on November 27, 2011. It's not like the Steelers have been toppled by great teams. Their current 8-game losing streak features losses to Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, Tony Romo, Matt Cassel, and Terrelle Pryor. Don't think for a minute that just because Aaron Rodgers isn't playing that Matt Flynn isn't capable of adding his name to that list.

4. Matt Flynn

Aaron Rodgers will miss this week's game and Matt Flynn will start his fourth game of the season for the Packers. Flynn has a habit for keeping games close - he is credited with Game Winning Drives in each of the last two weeks (though arguably Tony Romo deserves more for the Packers winning last week than Flynn). Flynn has been decent the last two weeks and the Steelers secondary is only a shell of their former selves. As usual, it all starts up front with getting pressure, as Flynn is significantly less mobile than Rodgers.

5. Finish Strong

I'm not going to talk about the playoffs, even though we are not mathematically eliminated. What I am going to say is that the Steelers have an opportunity to build some momentum heading into the offseason and into next year. They came into this season as a team that didn't know how to win. This was painfully obvious with an 0-4 start in the preseason followed by an 0-4 start in the regular season. Slowly, this team has begun to put it together, albeit too late in the season. But a strong finish to the season can close out 2013 on a high note (possibly even finish at 6-2 in the second half).

PIAA Classifications Announced

Today the PIAA published a series of documents listing the classifications for every school in every sport across the state. It takes a bit to comb through the documents, but I made it through the football pdf and discovered that 11 schools will be changing classifications next season in the WPIAL.

As a brief reminder of the process: schools are realigned by the PIAA every two years, which then trickles down into a realignment of the WPIAL conferences. Since Football is a boys sport, the classifications are based on the enrollment numbers of 9th-11th grade boys in each participating school. Schools had to submit their enrollment figures earlier this year, which the PIAA will make public in the coming weeks.

The new enrollment cutoffs for football, which will impact the 2014 and 2015 Classifications are:

Class A: 1-174
Class AA: 175-299
Class AAA: 300-492
Class AAAA: 493 and up

Schools are not permitted to "play down" in a lower classification, but school districts are permitted by majority decision to vote to "play up" in a higher classification. The only school that has chosen to "play up" in the upcoming cycle (2014 & 2015) is Aliquippa, playing up in AA though their enrollment would put them in Class A.

Class A

The Departed: Apollo-Ridge, Carlynton, Laurel, Sto-Rox, West Shamokin

New Arrivals: Riverside, Jeanette, Greensburg Central Catholic, Vincentian

Jeanette and GCC had been playing up for the last few years and will be playing to their enrollment figures now. Vincentian has been playing a WPIAL schedule for the last two years but was not officially part of a conference. Now that their "trial run" is over, they should be added to a conference in 2014. If all of the listed schools are placed into conferences for 2014, there will be 35 Class A teams, which will mean 3 conferences of 9 teams and 1 conference of 8. The wild card here is Geibel Catholic, which was listed on the PIAA list but had to forfeit two games last season and one in 2013 due to a lack of players. If Geibel doesn't play varsity football, then there will be two conferences of 9 and two conferences of 8. 

Projected Conference Alignment:

Big Seven: Neshannock, OLSH, Riverside, Rochester, Shenango, South Side Beaver, Union, Western Beaver

Black Hills: Brentwood, California, Clairton, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, GCC, Jeanette, Monessen, Serra 

Eastern: Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Leechburg, North Catholic, Northgate, Riverview, Springdale, Vincentian, Wilkinsburg

Tri-County South: Avella, Bentworth, Beth-Center, Carmichaels, Frazier, [Geibel], Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene

Notes: California wants to get back to the Tri-County South, but unless the WPIAL moves one of the teams from the TCS to the Black Hills, I have a hard time seeing that happening. If they do, Avella and Bentworth would be the likely candidates as the have played in the Black Hills in the past. When aligning the other conferences, swapping Laurel and Riverside was an easy move, along with adding GCC and Jeanette to the Black Hills which was their only logical geographic fit. The WPIAL could put GCC and Jeanette in the Eastern Conference to replace Apollo-Ridge and West Shamokin, but that would be an excessive amount of traveling for a lot of the Eastern Conference schools. When it came down to it, I was left with Bishop Canevin and Vincentian without a home and I had open spots in both the Big Seven and the Eastern Conference. I decided on Vincentian in the Eastern based on their geographic proximity to Avonworth, Northgate and North Catholic. Since Bishop Canevin was in the Eastern Conference in the 2010-11 cycle, I put them back in the Eastern Conference as well, though they could have gone to the Big Seven.

Class AA

The Departed: Riverside, Jeanette, Greensburg Central Catholic, Yough

New Arrivals: Apollo-Ridge, Carlynton, Derry, Highlands, Laurel, Sto-Rox, West Shamokin

AA is adding 7 teams and losing 4, which will create some very interesting realignment scenarios for the WPIAL to work out. Their most difficult hurdle will be in the Allegheny Conference where three new arrivals (Apollo-Ridge, Highlands and West Shamokin would all fit geographically. AA will go from having 35 teams to having 38 teams. The WPIAL will likely stick with 4 conferences (two of 10 and two of 9) rather than stretching AA out into 5 conferences (two of 7 and three of 8).

Projected Conference Alignment:

Allegheny Conference: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Ford City, Freeport, Highlands, Kittanning, Summit Academy, Valley, West Shamokin

Century Conference: Burgettstown, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley, Seton-La Salle, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, South Fayette, South Park, Steel Valley, 

Interstate Conference: Brownsville, Charleroi, Derry, East Allegheny, McGuffey, Mt Pleasant, Southmoreland, Washington, Waynesburg

Midwestern Conference: Aliquippa, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, New Brighton, Sto-Rox

Notes: As I did in Class A, swapping Laurel and Riverside was an easy move. I added Sto-Rox to the Midwestern Conference to bring it up to 9 teams. East Allegheny, after a brief time in the Allegheny Conference was sent back to the Interstate Conference (replacing the departed GCC). Derry and Yough were a direct switch as well. Shady Side Academy got the short end of the stick by being the furthest south of the Allegheny Conference teams. The only logical fit for SSA was the Century Conference, which then bumped McGuffey to the Interstate Conference, which isn't a terrible place for them since Washington and Waynesburg are also there. The Midwestern Conference is potentially brutal with the addition of Laurel and Sto-Rox. Carlynton, given their proximity to KO, Seton and South Fayette was placed in the Century Conference, though they could have also landed in the Midwestern.

Class AAA

The Departed: Derry, Highlands

New Arrivals: Gateway, Yough

Things are status quo in AAA. It's hard to see any major changes coming as the number of teams will remain the same (27). Gateway and Yough will likely replace Highlands and Derry in the Greater Allegheny Conference, which is a geographic fit for both schools. 

Projected Conference Alignment:

Big Nine: Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown, West Mifflin

Greater Allegheny: Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Hollidaysburg, Indiana, Knoch, Mars, Yough

Parkway: Ambridge, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Chartiers Valley, Hopewell, Montour, Moon, New Castle, West Allegheny

Notes: The Parkway Conference is essentially secure. Some shuffling could occur between the Big Nine and the Greater Allegheny, but that doesn't seem likely.

Class AAAA

The Departed: Gateway

The only question here is whether or not Gateway's spot in the Foothills Conference will be filled by one of the teams from the Southeastern Conference (Plum, Penn Hills and Woodland Hills would be the candidates). There will still be three Quad-A Conferences with two conferences having 8 teams and one having 9. My bet would be that the WPIAL leaves Quad-A alone and doesn't move anyone to replace Gateway.

Projected Conference Alignment:

Foothills: Altoona, Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Latrobe, McKeesport, Norwin, Penn-Trafford

Northern Eight: Butler, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler

Southeastern: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Peters Twp, Plum, Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills

O Ye of Little Faith

Fortes In Fide.

"Strong in Faith"

The motto of North Catholic High School, my alma mater. Anyone who has been following me on Twitter or that has been a long-time reader of my blog knows how much interest I take in high school football. For years, my alma mater had never been able to break through. They had lost in the Semi-Finals 4 times since 1997 and had never reached the WPIAL Championship Game since joining the league when the Catholic League disbanded in the early 1970s. I was in the band during my time in high school and had to sit through some brutal games. Homecoming my senior year saw us down 14 to Deer Lakes with 2 minutes to go in the half. Two blocked punts and a pick-6 later, Deer Lakes led 35-0 at halftime. In spite of having to watch some really bad football teams, I grew a love for High School Football. I would go home after games and update standings sheets in Microsoft Works (because that was before Excel existed) and I would have all the playoff scenarios figured out by the time I got to school on Monday morning.

This has been a long time coming. Coach Bob Ravenstahl has resurrected the program and brought them to the top of the mountain. I couldn't be more proud to be an alumni of North Catholic High School.

After the State Championship Game today, Senior linebacker/Offensive Lineman Josh Churchin put it better than anyone ever could:

I would like to thank all those who doubted my team this entire year because it was the best motivation you could ask for!! #STATECHAMPIONS
— Josh Churchin (@church_52) December 13, 2013

On the surface, you might just think this was something a high school kid said. You might think "How could anyone doubt the undefeated state champions?" But this wasn't just an off-the-cuff remark. From the beginning of the season, everyone doubted this team. Two of the biggest names in WPIAL prognostication doubted them time and time again. And every week the Trojans went out and proved them wrong. Yet still they doubted, and still the Trojans persevered.

Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette features a weekly predictions column by "The Fumbler" in order to maintain the anonymity of the prognosticator. This season, "The Fumbler" picked against the Trojans an astonishing 7 times in their 16 outings this season.

Week 1: Apollo-Ridge over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 22, Apollo-Ridge 21 (OT)

Week 6: Avonworth over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 21, Avonworth 12

Week 8: Neshannock over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 21, Neshannock 14

Quarterfinals: Avonworth over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 14, Avonworth 7

Semifinals: Neshannock over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 27, Neshannock 14

Championship: Sto-Rox over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 14, Sto-Rox 0

PIAA Championship: Old Forge over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 15, Old Forge 14 (OT)

MSA Sports

MSA Sports is pretty much a Godsend for any high school sports fan in Western Pennsylvania. They broadcast almost all of the games each week over the internet and have a scoreboard on their website that they update during games and are always the first ones to have all the final scores posted each week. Melissa Carle is one of their broadcasters and also writes a weekly "Chick's Picks" segment on their website. Melissa was not as bad as The Fumbler, "only" picking against the Trojans 5 times in the 13 weeks of WPIAL play.

Week 6: Avonworth over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 21, Avonworth 12

Week 8: Neshannock over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 21, Neshannock 14

Quarterfinals: Avonworth over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 14, Avonworth 7

Semifinals: Neshannock over North Catholic

Actual Result: North Catholic 27, Neshannock 14

Championship: Sto-Rox over North Catholic 

Actual Result: North Catholic 14, Sto-Rox 0

After going 1-3 in the WPIAL Championship Games, Chick's Picks did not continue making predictions for the PIAA Playoffs. 

In spite of all the doubters, of everything that was written about how great the players on the other teams were, of all the postseason awards Lenny Williams is receiving, the Trojans just kept winning. They ran the ball. They played defense. They dominated on the offensive and defensive lines. They held Avonworth to just 19 points over 8 quarters of play when the Lopes averaged 39 points per game in the rest of their contests. North Catholic held Neshannock to 14 points twice after the Lancers averaged 43.5 in their other games. The Trojans shut out the WPIAL's all-time leading passer Lenny Williams in the Championship game, pitching a shutout against a Sto-Rox team that averaged 43.8 points per game. After claiming victory at Heinz Field, they did something that many alumni thought would never be done.

They rang the bell.

The Bell has hung in the corner of the gymekklesiatorium for ages. It used to be run whenever North Catholic beat Central Catholic. But the two schools ceased their annual rivalry games in the early 2000s. As North Catholic's enrollment declined, it seemed unlikely that the bell would ever be run again. But they rang it this year after winning the first WPIAL Championship in school history.

And now, after winning the State Championship, the Bell will ring AGAIN.

If you drive by the school on Troy Hill Road, you'll notice this sign above the entrance to the gymekklesiatorium (which is a combination of gym, ekklesia (church) and auditorium for the uninitiated):

North Catholic is moving to a new school in Cranberry this summer, but in the mean time, they are going to need to add a sign with something other than basketballs. 

Today, Josh Rowntree was on the radio call for MSA Sports, just as he was when the Trojans captured the WPIAL Championship three weeks ago. Here's his call of the game-winning two point conversion that junior PJ Fulmore converted in Overtime to give the Trojans the State title:

You can listen to the whole game on MSA's website

You can also follow them on Twitter: @JRown32 and @MSASports

Incredible.

The Tribune-Review tweeted out the cover of their Sports Page tomorrow:

This is PJ Fulmore, going in for the touchdown in overtime that would pull the Trojans within 1 and set up the Championship-winning two point conversion, which Fulmore also converted.

This group, this team, has done something that no other football team in the history of North Catholic High School has accomplished. They are State Champions. They made not have been as athletically overwhelming as the Clairton team that won last year, and they may not have as many Division 1 recruits as teams that win the AAA or Quad-A titles, but at the end of the day, the same trophy will sit in the halls of North Catholic that sits in Clairton and that will sit with Archbishop Wood.

That trophy means one thing: STATE CHAMPIONS.

And the Bell Will Ring Again.