WPIAL Playoff Preview: Round 1

64 teams will take the field on Friday night with the hopes of being crowned WPIAL champions. All games are at the higher seeded team on Friday Night at 7:30.

AAAA

1. Upper St Clair (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Kiski (5-3, 5-4)
The dominant Panthers defense, which posted 6 shutouts this season, will have to contain dual-threat QB Chad Kuhn. The Upper St Clair offense boasts a 900-yard passer in Joe Repischak, an 800-yard rusher in Trevor Morrow and a workhorse short-yardage back in Mac Pope who has 13 touchdowns.

8. Bethel Park (6-2, 6-3) vs. 9. North Allegheny (5-2, 6-3)
The 3-time defending Quad-A Champions take to the road to face a well-balanced Bethel Park team. Both teams could be without their starting QB as Bethel Park QB Levi Matheny reportedly has a hand injury and North Allegheny QB Jeff Clemens injured his knee last week against North Hills.

4. Woodland Hills (7-1, 7-2) vs. 13. Pine-Richland (3-4, 5-4)
The Wolverines were tabbed by many as the #1 team in the state inthe preseason and they ride a 7-game winning streak into the playoffs. Their offense goes through sophomore RB Miles Sanders (980 yards, 12 TD). Pine-Richland has a talented squad that lost two one-score games and put up 42+ in each of their 5 wins, led by 1600-yard passer Ben DiNucci and 1000-yard rusher Connor Slomka.

5. Seneca Valley (6-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Hempfield (5-3, 6-3)
The Raiders were a bit of a surprise in the Northern Eight this year after losing most of last year's semi-final team to graduation. Dual-threat QB TJ Holl (1418 passing yards, 516 rushing yards) has the Raiders poised to make another playoff run. Standing in their way is Hempfield and 1300-yard rusher Joey DeFloria who gave every defense he faced fits this year. Hempfield might be the most dangerous team on the bottom half of the bracket.

3. McKeesport (8-0, 9-0) vs. 14. Peters Twp (4-4, 5-4)
The Tigers returned to the flexbone offense and posted an undefeated season that culminated with a convincing victory over Gateway. RB Mikell Moore ran for 795 yards and 15 TDs while QB David Queen ran for 592 yards and 12 TDs. The Indians also feature a two-headed beast in the backfield with RB Marcus Ubinger (848 yards, 10 TDs) and QB Cory Owen (762 yards, 10 TDs).

6. Penn-Trafford (6-2, 6-3) vs. 11. Penn Hills (4-4, 5-4)
900-yard rusher Devin Austin and 1000-yard passer Brett Laffon carried Penn-Trafford into the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season. Penn Hills primarily relied on dual-threat QB Billy Kisner who ran for 1100 yards and threw for 450.

2. Central Catholic (7-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Baldwin (3-5, 4-5)
The Vikings could easily have been the #1 seed and have been so good at running the ball with Luigi Lista-Brinza and played such stifling defense that Florida State recruit JJ Cosentino has only had to attempt 61 passes all season. Baldwin boasts the only 1000-yard receiver in the WPIAL in Luke Smorey, who helped propel QB Doug Altavilla into the top 10 in the WPIAL in passing.

7. Gateway (6-2, 7-2) vs. 10. North Hills (4-3, 5-4)
Another year, another Gateway team loaded with Division 1-caliber talent that vastly under achieved. Despite their 2-game losing streak at the end of the season, Gateway has enough talent on offense to get to the quarterfinals for the 12th consecutive year. North Hills has the lowest number of points scored by any team in the Quad-A Playoffs.

AAA

1. West Allegheny (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Hollidaysburg (3-5, 3-6)
The defending AAA Champs boast a much more balanced offense this year in their defense of their title. Led by QB Andrew Koester (1040 yards, 14 TDs) and RB Chayse Dillon (795 yards, 7 TDs) and scoring sensation Tory Delmonico who was the team's leading receiver, second leading rusher and leading scorer. Hollisdaysburg's -92 point differential was the worst of any AAA playoff team.

8. Ringgold (6-2, 7-2) vs. 9. Indiana (4-4, 4-5)
Don't get too caught up on Indiana being seeded over New Castle. The WPIAL was in a serious bind with the Little Indians. After the way the top 8 teams were seeded, Indiana couldn't be #10 (same conference as Highlands), #11 (same conference as Mars), #12 (played West Mifflin this year), or #13 (same conference as Franklin Regional). This meant Indiana either had to be the #9 seed or the #14 seed, which would have put teams from the GAC at 14, 15 and 16. Ringgold QB Nico Law is the true definition of a dual threat. He threw for 1353 yards and 14 TDs while rushing for 1116 yards and 13 TDs.

4. Franklin Regional (7-1, 8-1) vs. 13. Montour (4-4, 5-4)
The biggest storyline in this game is that Montour has suspended five players - including three starters - for violations of team rules. Franklin Regional has a three-headed monster in their backfield with QB Chanran Singh, RB Paul Emanuele and RB Brett Zanotto who have all rushed for over 450 yards and at least 6 TDs.

5. West Mifflin (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Moon (5-3, 6-3)
West Mifflin boasts the WPIAL's leading rusher in Jimmy Wheeler, who is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball. Wheeler has single-handedly won games for the Titans this year. Moon is in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. This game might feature the most combined yards of any two running backs this year, with Wheeler's 2022 yards and Moon's Cole Blake's 1457.

3. Central Valley (7-1, 8-1) vs. 14. Belle Vernon (4-4, 4-5)
The Warriors have pitched 5 shutouts on defense and have a dynamic RB duo in JaQuan Pennington (738 yards, 9 TDs) and Jordan Whitehead (544 yards, 14 TDs). Belle Vernon has been hot and cold all season, laying duds against good teams and blowing out bad teams.

6. Mars (7-1, 8-1) vs. 11. Elizabeth Forward (5-3, 6-3)
Junior RB Josh Schultheis ran for 1459 yards and 22 TDs to lead the Fighting Planets to a tie atop the Greater Allegheny Conference. Elizabeth Forward boats a dual-threat QB with Division 1 potential in JaQuan Davidson who has rushed for over 1000 yards and 13 TDs and threw for 870 yards and 14 TDs, the lions share going to Matt Bernadowski who is 2nd in AAA with 679 receiving yards.

2. Thomas Jefferson (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Hampton (3-5, 4-5)
Thomas Jefferson topped West Mifflin for the Big Nine Conference title thanks to a superior defensive effort led by Michigan recruit Chase Winovich. Hampton and 1200-yard passer Nick Grabowski will have to find a way to solve the Jaguars defense. TJ hasn't played a game closer than 21 points all season.

7. Highlands (6-2, 6-3) vs. 10. New Castle (6-2, 7-2)
The Rams rode RB Elijah Jackson and his 1137 yards and 14 TDs into the playoffs. New Castle's dynamic offense is led by Ohio State recruit Malik Hooker.

AA

1. Aliquippa (7-0, 9-0) vs. 16. South Park (5-3, 5-4) (played at Hopewell)
This is actually a rematch of an early September game between the Quips and the Eagles. Aliquippa won 45-14, which was actually their closest game outside of their 34-28 win over Beaver Falls. The Quips have one of the best backfield tandems in the WPIAL with 1000-yard rusher Terry Swanson and 900-yard rusher Dravon Henry. Henry has 20 TDs and Swanson has 14 while Henry is a highly recruited defensive back who has offers from Pitt, WVU and Alabama.

8. Quaker Valley (7-1, 7-2) vs. 9. New Brighton (5-2, 6-3)
Quaker Valley is hosting the first home playoff game in school history. Dual-threat QB Dane Jackson ran for 855 and threw for 600 for the Quakers. New Brighton's season was almost derailed when QB Gabe Greco was sidelined, but junior Payron Fath stepped in and threw for 878 yards and 11 TDs while rushing for 473 and 7 more scores.

4. Mt Pleasant (8-0, 9-0) vs. 13. Valley (5-3, 6-3)
Did the WPIAL purposefully matchup two teams named the Vikings? We will never know, but one thing we do know is that Mt Pleasant and workhorse back RB Tyler Mellors, who set a school record with 1370 yards and 24 TDs this season, are poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. Valley has their own talented back in 900-yard rusher Demetrius Houser.

5. Shady Side Academy (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Beaver (4-3, 6-3)
Shady Side Academy barely missed out on the conference title after missing a game-tying extra point against Kittanning that they had to attempt from 35 yards out due to an excessive celebration penalty. The Indians will have to find a way to slow down Beaver's aerial assault with the WPIAL's leading passer Alex Rowse (2151 yards, 34 TDs).

3. Kittanning (8-0, 9-0) vs. 14. Yough (5-3, 5-4)
The Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1976. Braydon Toy leads Kittanning in passing (1515 yards, 20 TDs) and rushing (816 yards, 9 TDs). Yough also features a dynamic quarterback in Tyler Donahue who threw for 1514 yards and 18 TDs and ran for 500 yards and 8 TDs.

6. Beaver Falls (6-1, 7-2) vs. 11. Summit Academy (5-3, 5-4)
The Tigers were the only team to challenge Aliquippa this year and got the benefit of being seeded on the opposite side of the bracket from the Quips, setting up a potential rematch at Heinz Field. Beaver Falls has an 1100-yard passer in Dan Stratton and a 1000-yard rusher in Damian Rawl. Summit Academy is in the playoffs for the first time in school history.

2. South Fayette (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Greensburg Central Catholic (5-3, 5-4)
Brett Brumbaugh threw for over 1900 yards and 23 TDs, leading a dominant Lions offense that also featured 900-yard rusher Grant Fetchet and 800-yard receiver Justin Watson and averaged nearly 50 points per game. The Centurions will have to hope to crack the Lions defense - something no one else has managed to do this year - and will rely heavily on 1400-yard rusher Tyler Balla.

7. Washington (7-1, 8-1) vs. 10. Seton-La Salle (6-2, 7-2)
Were the Little Prexies penalized by the WPIAL for their use of an inelligible player even though the PIAA over-ruled the WPIAL? We may never know, but the defending runners up played well after losing all-state RB Shai McKenzie to an ACL injury earlier this year. This will be a clash of styles as Washington likes to run the ball while Seton-La Salle leans heavily on QB Tyler Perone who threw for 1826 yards and 19 TDs this season.

A

1. Sto-Rox (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Avella (5-3, 6-3)
Sto-Rox has been to Heinz Field each of the last two seasons, falling to Clairton in the championship game. The Vikings feature the WPIAL's all-time leading passer Lenny Williams. Avella is in the playoffs for the first time since 1976 thanks to 1200 yards and 16 TDs from QB Santino Paris.

8. Beth-Center (8-0, 9-0) vs. 9. Apollo-Ridge (6-2, 7-2)
There was a lot of outrage on the internet, particularly on the MSA Sports website and facebook page, about Tri-County South Champion Beth-Center being given the #8 seed in Class A. While there was some creative seeding done here with Carmichaels and Fort Cherry essentially being "flipped," the fact of the matter is that the Tri-County South is the WPIAL's weakest conference and a non-conference game against Vincentian does not provide an adequate measuring stick for the conference. Apollo-Ridge is a talented squad with a 1200-yard passer in Jesse Zelonka and a talented junior receiver in Tre Tipton.

4. Clairton (7-1, 7-1) vs. 13. Frazier (6-2, 7-2)
The five-time defending Class A champions are aligned on the same side of the bracket as Sto-Rox and while they suffered a defeat this year, it is their only loss in the past 71 games.This team is stacked with young talent in dual-threat QB Aaron Matthews, RB Lamont Wade and WR JoJuan Bray. The Bears defense will need to find a way to slow down Frazier's passing attack, led by 1600-yard passer Charlier Manack.

5. Carmichales (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Fort Cherry (7-1, 8-1)
This game is really "flipped" for seeding purposes because even though Fort Cherry finished in a 3-way tie for first atop the Black Hills Conference, they lost out on tiebreakers and had to start the playoffs on the road. RB Koltan Kobrys could be a household name before the playoffs are up as he did anything and everything for the Rangers this season. Carmichaels does have a balanced offense with 800-yard rusher Brennen McMinn and 800-yard receiver Tyler Aeschbacher, who helped propel QB Brandon Lawless to a 1400-yard season.

3. Monessen (7-1, 8-1) vs. 14. West Shamokin (5-3, 6-3)
The Greyhounds were the only team to beat Clairton in their last 71 outings. The Greayhounds have been successful running the ball and playing defense this year. Their offense primarily runs through Clintell Gillaspie who led the team in both rushing and receiving, tallying over 1400 yards of total offense and 26 TDs. QB Noah Rullo threw for 1200-yards and has  not thrown a pick yet this year. West Shamokin reached the playoffs for the first time in school history.

6. Neshannock (7-1, 7-2) vs. 11. Brentwood (5-3, 5-4)
Neshannock's only two losses were in one-score games to Sto-Rox and North Catholic. QB Ernie Burkes threw for over 900 and ran for over 800 this season, tallying 26 total touchdowns. His backfield partner, Eli Owens, ran for 1100-yards and found the end zone 14 times. In a drastic contrast in styles, Neshannovk's ground and pound approach will clash with Brentwod and QB Connor McWilliams' 1600 passing yards.

2. North Catholic (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Western Beaver (5-3, 5-4)
The Trojans enter the playoffs without starting QB Adam Sharlow who was injured against Neshannock. All signs point to the Trojans turning back to the PJ Fulmore Wildcat that carried them to the semi-finals last season. Western Beaver relies heavily on RB Hunter Roknich, who ran for over 1200 yards this season.

7. Avonworth (7-1, 8-1) vs. 10. Laurel (6-2, 7-2)
The Lopes only loss came in a heartbreaker to North Catholic where they had the ball down by 1 with under 2 minutes to play and they threw a pick-6. Lopes QB Matt Donovan threw for over 1000 yards this season and RB Moses Giles ran for over 700, finding the end zone 15 times. Laurel had 3 rushers run for over 400 yards this season, making it difficult to defend against their offense.

Let's make it 8

In his 10 year career, @HSforMen's Troy Polamalu has been to the Pro Bowl 7 times. Let's make it 8 this year.

Let's make it 8

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PGProBowlChallenge

WPIAL Playoff Pairings

The WPIAL Playoff Brackets were announced tonight. Here's a quick look with more analysis to come later. All games are at the higher seeded team on Friday Night at 7:30.

AAAA

1. Upper St Clair (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Kiski (5-3, 5-4)
8. Bethel Park (6-2, 6-3) vs. 9. North Allegheny (5-2, 6-3)

4. Woodland Hills (7-1, 7-2) vs. 13. Pine-Richland (3-4, 5-4)
5. Seneca Valley (6-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Hempfield (5-3, 6-3)

3. McKeesport (8-0, 9-0) vs. 14. Peters Twp (4-4, 5-4)
6. Penn-Trafford (6-2, 6-3) vs. 11. Penn Hills (4-4, 5-4)

2. Central Catholic (7-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Baldwin (3-5, 4-5)
7. Gateway (6-2, 7-2) vs. 10. North Hills (4-3, 5-4)

AAA

1. West Allegheny (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Hollidaysburg (3-5, 3-6)
8. Ringgold (6-2, 7-2) vs. 9. Indiana (4-4, 4-5)

4. Franklin Regional (7-1, 8-1) vs. 13. Montour (4-4, 5-4)
5. West Mifflin (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Moon (5-3, 6-3)

3. Central Valley (7-1, 8-1) vs. 14. Belle Vernon (4-4, 4-5)
6. Mars (7-1, 8-1) vs. 11. Elizabeth Forward (5-3, 6-3)

2. Thomas Jefferson (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Hampton (3-5, 4-5)
7. Highlands (6-2, 6-3) vs. 10. New Castle (6-2, 7-2)

AA

1. Aliquippa (7-0, 9-0) vs. 16. South Park (5-3, 5-4) (played at Hopewell)
8. Quaker Valley (7-1, 7-2) vs. 9. New Brighton (5-2, 6-3)

4. Mt Pleasant (8-0, 9-0) vs. 13. Valley (5-3, 6-3)
5. Shady Side Academy (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Beaver (4-3, 6-3)

3. Kittanning (8-0, 9-0) vs. 14. Yough (5-3, 5-4)
6. Beaver Falls (6-1, 7-2) vs. 11. Summit Academy (5-3, 5-4)

2. South Fayette (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Greensburg Central Catholic (5-3, 5-4)
7. Washington (7-1, 8-1) vs. 10. Seton-La Salle (6-2, 7-2)

A

1. Sto-Rox (8-0, 9-0) vs. 16. Avella (5-3, 6-3)
8. Beth-Center (8-0, 9-0) vs. 9. Apollo-Ridge (6-2, 7-2)

4. Clairton (7-1, 7-1) vs. 13. Frazier (6-2, 7-2)
5. Carmichales (7-1, 8-1) vs. 12. Fort Cherry (7-1, 8-1)

3. Monessen (7-1, 8-1) vs. 14. West Shamokin (5-3, 6-3)
6. Neshannock (7-1, 7-2) vs. 11. Brentwood (5-3, 5-4)

2. North Catholic (8-0, 9-0) vs. 15. Western Beaver (5-3, 5-4)
7. Avonworth (7-1, 8-1) vs. 10. Laurel (6-2, 7-2)

WPIAL Playoff Outlook

The WPIAL will announce their playoff seedings tonight at 7:00pm. This season was one of streak-breaking as Clairton's record winning streak came to an end at the hands of Monessen, Avella qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1976 and Kittanning posted an undefeated season for the first time since 1976. Two schools, Summit Academy and West Shamokin, are making their first playoff appearance in school history. Most of the seedings should be pretty straight-forward, though in Class A there was a 3-way tie atop the Black Hills Conference. Last year when there was a 3-way tie atop the Big Seven, the WPIAL "flipped" some seedings to better reflect the "true seeds" in the bracket. Last year, Jefferson-Morgan was given the #4 seed in Class A despite finishing 2nd in the Tri-County South and Neshannock (who was 3rd in the 3-way tie, making them play on the road) got the #13 seed. This set up a scenario where the "true seeds" would have put Sto-Rox at #2, Rochester at #3 and Neshannock at #4, but since Neshannock had to play on the road, they were "flipped" to the #14 seed, rather than being put in the #9 spot as the top road team. This could happen to Fort Cherry this year as they were the 3rd team in the 3-way tie with Monessen and Clairton atop the Black Hills Conference.

AAAA

Foothills Conference: 1. McKeesport (8-0, 9-0), 2. Penn-Trafford (6-2, 6-3), 3. Gateway (6-2, 7-2), 4. Hempfield (5-3, 6-3), 5. Kiski (5-3, 5-4)

Northern Eight Conference: 1. Central Catholic (7-0, 9-0), 2. Seneca Valley (6-1, 8-1), 3. North Allegheny (5-2, 6-3), 4. North Hills (4-3, 5-4), 5. Pine-Richland (3-4, 5-4)

Southeastern Conference: 1. Upper St Clair (8-0, 9-0), 2. Woodland Hills (7-1, 7-2), 3. Bethel Park (6-2, 6-3), 4. Penn Hills (4-4, 5-4), 5. Peters Twp (4-4, 5-4), 6. Baldwin (3-5, 4-5)

Predicted Playoff Seeding
1. Central Catholic - The Vikings navigated a tough Northern Eight Conference with a strong offense led by Florida State recurit JJ Cosentino at QB and 900-yard rusher Luigi Lista-Brinza. They allowed only 3 points per game and posted 6 shutouts.
2. Upper St Clair - The Panthers were once again dominant on the defensive side of the ball, posting 6 shutouts.
3. McKeesport - The Tigers went undefeated through the Foothills Conference with the return of their flexbone running game.
4. Seneca Valley - The Raiders rode dual-threat QB TJ Holl (1418 passing yards, 516 rushing yards) to a second place finish in the Northern Eight with their only loss coming to Central Catholic.
5. Woodland Hills - Many seemed ready to press the panic button on the Wolverines after an 0-2 start, but they have not lost since then thanks to the emergence of sophomore RB Miles Sanders (980 yards, 12 TD)
6. Penn-Trafford - A balanced offensive approach with 900-yard rusher Devin Austin and 1000-yard passer Brett Laffon led Penn-Trafford to a second place finish in the Foothills Conference.
7. Gateway - The perennial postseason underachievers ride a 2-game losing streak into the playoffs, falling in back-to-back weeks to Penn-Trafford and McKeesport. The Gators are loaded with D-1 prospects but have not performed up to expectations.
8. Bethel Park - After a strong start the Blackhawks lost 2 of their last 3 games, including a shellacking by Seneca Valley
9. Hempfield - The Spartans are the team on the bottom half of the bracket that no one wants to see with 1300-yard rusher Joey DeFloria in the backfield. I had to bump them up to the #9 seed to avoid a conference matchup with Gateway or Penn-Trafford.
10. Penn Hills - Penn Hills beat North Hills in the regular season so they should get a slightly higher seeding. They jumped up to 10 over North Allegheny in order to avoid a rematch of NA and Gateway.
11. North Allegheny - The 3-time defending Quad-A Champions fall to the #11 seed not on merit but in order to avoid recurring matchups between NA-Gateway, Hempfield-Gateway, Hempfield-PennTrafford or North Hills-PennTrafford.
12. North Hills - The Indians got run off the field by rival North Allegheny in the last week of the season. They have the worst offense of any team in the Quad-A playoffs.
13. Kiski - The Cavaliers have a win over Penn-Trafford and primarily rely on dual-threat QB Chad Kuhn who has over 1200 yards of total offense and 11 TDs.
14. Peters Twp - The Indians are the definition of doing just enough to make the playoffs after beating Baldwin by 5 and Mt Lebanon by 4
15. Pine-Richland - The Rams have a dangerous offense with 1600-yard passer Ben DiNucci and 1000-yard rusher Connor Slomka.
16. Baldwin - The Highlanders beat Mt Lebanon in an overtime thriller in late September and rode that win to the tiebreaker for the last playoff spot.

AAA

Big Nine Conference: 1. Thomas Jefferson (8-0, 9-0), 2. West Mifflin (7-1, 8-1), 3. Ringgold (6-2, 7-2), 4. Elizabeth Forward (5-3, 6-3), 5. Belle Vernon (4-4, 4-5)

Greater Allegheny Conference: 1. Franklin Regional (7-1, 8-1), 2. Mars (7-1, 8-1), 3. Highlands (6-2, 6-3), 4. Indiana (4-4, 4-5), 5. Hollidaysburg (3-5, 3-6), 6. Hampton (3-5, 4-5)

Parkway Conference: 1. West Allegheny (8-0, 9-0), 2. Central Valley (7-1, 8-1), 3. New Castle (6-2, 7-2), 4. Moon (5-3, 6-3), 5. Montour (4-4, 5-4)

Predicted Playoff Seeding
1. West Allegheny - The defending AAA Champions ran through a good Parkway Conference to an undefeated season which should be enough for them to get the top seed.
2. Thomas Jefferson - TJ dominated the Big Nine Conference, beating every opponent by at least 3 touchdowns (including a West Mifflin team that boasted the WPIAL's leading rusher). TJ has reached at least the semi-finals in 14 of the last 15 years.
3. Central Valley - The Warriors have a well-balanced offense and a dominating defense that pitched 5 shutouts. Their only loss was a 13-7 defeat by West Allegheny.
4. West Mifflin - The Titans made a run to the Championship Game last season and boast the WPIAL's leading rusher Jimmy Wheeler (2022 yards, 29 TDs).
5. Franklin Regional - The Panthers Week 1 victory over Mars was enough to give them the top spot in the Greater Allegheny Conference.
6. Mars - RB Josh Schultheis ran for 1285 yards and 22 TDs this season for the Fighting Planets who tied Franklin Regional atop the GAC.
7. Ringgold - The Rams beat Highlands in convincing fashion two weeks ago so there is no reason they should be seeded behind Highlands.
8. Highlands - An upset by Knoch in the last week of the season prevented them from sharing the GAC title in a 3-way tie with Franklin Regional and Mars.
9. New Castle - The Red Hurricane gave West Allegheny one of their best games of the season and are the most dangerous team on the bottom half of the bracket.
10. Indiana - The Little Indians shouldn't be seeded ahead of Moon, but I flipped them to prevent a matchup of conference foes (Indiana-Mars or Indiana-Franklin Regional) or of a game that already happened (Indiana-West Mifflin).
11. Moon - The Tigers reached the playoffs for the first time since 2006 on the back of 1400-yard rusher Cole Blake.
12. Elizabeth Forward - Dual-threat QB JaQuan Davidson ran for over 1000 yards and threw for 870, accounting for 27 total TDs.
13. Montour - The Spartans did not have the Championship-caliber team they have boasted the past few years but they were good enough to qualify in the Parkway Conference
14. Belle Vernon - After a 1-4 start, the Leopards won 3 of their last 4 to get into the playoffs. All of their wins were by 28+ and all of their losses were by at least 21.
15. Hollidaysburg - Wins over Greensburg Salem and Hampton were enough to give Hollidaysburg the edge in the 4-way tiebreaker at the bottom of the GAC. They have the worsts point differential (-92 points) of any AAA playoff team.
16. Hampton - Wins over Greensburg Salem and Knoch were enough to get the Talbots into the postseason for the second straight year.

AA

Allegheny Conference: 1. Kittanning (8-0, 9-0), 2. Shady Side Academy (7-1, 8-1), 3. Summit Academy (5-3, 5-4), 4. Valley (5-3, 6-3)

Century Conference: 1. South Fayette (8-0, 9-0), 2. Quaker Valley (7-1, 7-2), 3. Seton-La Salle (6-2, 7-2), 4. South Park (5-3, 5-4)

Interstate Conference: 1. Mt Pleasant (8-0, 9-0), 2. Washington (7-1, 8-1), 3. Yough (5-3, 5-4), 4. Greensburg Central Catholic (5-3, 5-4)

Midwestern Conference: 1. Aliquippa (7-0, 9-0), 2. Beaver Falls (6-1, 7-2), 3. New Brighton (5-2, 6-3), 4. Beaver (4-3, 6-3)

Predicted Playoff Seeding
1. Aliquippa - The two-time defending AA Champions haven't lost to a WPIAL team since South Fayette beat them in the 2010 Championship Game.
2. South Fayette - The Lions blasted everyone in the Century Conference, averaging 49.8 points per game on the strength of 1800-yard passer Brett Brumbaugh and 900-yard rusher Grant Fetchet.
3. Mt Pleasant - Tyler Mellors ran for a school record 1173 yards and 21 TDs en route to an undefeated season for the Vikings.
4. Kittanning - The Wildcats went undefeated for the first time since 1976, winning the Allegheny Conference crown thanks to a 1-point win over Shady Side Academy.
5. Beaver Falls - The Tigers were the only team to give Aliquippa a run for their money this season
6. Shady Side Academy - The Indians had an excessive celebration penalty after a touchdown which resulted in a missed 35-yard extra point and gave Kittanning a 1-point win and the Conference Title.
7. Washington - It has been a tumultuous season for the Little Prexies. They lost all-state RB Shai McKenzie and needed a PIAA ruling to overturn the WPIAL nullifying victories to preserve their playoff spot.
8. Quaker Valley - The Quakers will host the first home playoff game in school history.
9. New Brighton - After QB Gabe Greco was injured, junior Payton Fath stepped in and threw for 781 yards and 9 TDs.
10. Seton-La Salle - Tyler Perone continued the tradition of great Rebels QBs, throwing for 1458 yards and 15 TDs.
11. Beaver - QB Alex Rouse (2041 yards, 33 TDs) led the WPIAL in passing.
12. Valley - The Vikings beat Yough and the WPIAL has been known to reorganize teams out of their conference order of finish.
13. Yough - The Cougars are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
14. Summit Academy - Elijah Hardy ran for 780 yards and 11 TDs, leading Summit Academy to the first playoff berth in school history.
15. Greensburg Central Catholic - The Centurions beat Jeanette in a casket match in the last week of the season. GCC boasts an 1100-yard rusher in Tyler Balla and one of the best linebacking units in AA.
16. South Park - The Eagles bookended their season with 2 losses to start and finish, but their 5-game winning streak in the middle was enough to get them to the playoffs.

A

Big Seven Conference: 1. Sto-Rox (8-0, 9-0), 2. Neshannock (7-1, 7-2), 3. Laurel (6-2, 7-2), 4. Western Beaver (5-3, 5-4)

Black Hills Conference: 1. Monessen (7-1, 8-1), 2. Clairton (7-1, 7-1), 3. Fort Cherry (7-1, 8-1), 4. Brentwood (5-3, 5-4)

Eastern Conference: 1. North Catholic (8-0, 9-0), 2. Avonworth (7-1, 8-1), 3. Apollo-Ridge (6-2, 7-2), 4. West Shamokin (5-3, 6-3)

Tri-County South Conference: 1. Beth-Center (8-0, 9-0), 2. Carmichaels (7-1, 8-1), 3. Frazier (6-2, 7-2), 4. Avella (5-3, 6-3)

Predicted Playoff Seeding
1. Sto-Rox - The Vikings have made two consecutive trips to Heinz Field, falling to Clairton both times and look to make it 3 straight years on the arm of the All-time leading passer in the WPIAL, Lenny Williams.
2. North Catholic - The Trojans suffered a blow against Neshannock when QB Adam Sharlow was lost for the season and it looks like they will go back to the wildcat with PJ Fulmore that they ran into the semi-finals last year.
3. Monessen - The Greyhounds are the only team to beat Clairton in the last 71 games.
4. Clairton - The Bears can thank Chartiers-Houston for keeping their game against Fort Cherry close and getting them a home playoff game.
5. Beth-Center - It is hard to gauge where the WPIAL will seed the Tri-County South Champions, but with an undefeated record, it's hard to see them being seeded poorly.
6. Avonworth - The Antelopes only loss came against North Catholic and was a much closer game than the score indicated as a late pick-6 stretched out the Trojans lead.
7. Neshannock - They lost by 3 to Sto-Rox and by 7 to North Catholic. This is a very good team that could make some noise.
8. Carmichaels - The Mighty Mikes finished 2nd in the Tri-County South, which is usually good for the #8 seed unless the WPIAL decides to "flip" a matchup into a higher position like they did last year with Jefferson Morgan and Neshannock into the 4-13 spot on the bracket.
9. Fort Cherry - Koltan Kobrys did pretty much everything for the Rangers this season, including rushing for 1681 yards and tallied 25 total TDs. The Rangers are the best of the non-home teams and their matchup could get "flipped" into a higher position to put them in the 5-12 matchup where their "true" seed would be 5th (which would put the 3 teams tied atop the Black Hills at 3-4-5 in the bracket).
10. Apollo-Ridge - They took conference champion North Catholic to overtime in Week 1. QB Jesse Zelonka threw for 1283 yards and 19 TDs this year.
11. Laurel - Laurel scored at least 20 points in each of their 7 wins and were held under 20 in their 2 losses.
12. Brentwood - The Spartans rode 1300-yard passer Connor McWilliams into the playoffs, their 6th consecutive appearance.
13. Frazier - QB Charlie Manack threw for 1653 yards and 25 TDs this season.
14. West Shamokin - The Wolves made the playoffs for the first time in school history
15. Western Beaver - Hunter Rocknich led the Golden Beavers back into the playoffs with 1208 rushing yards and 14 TDs.
16. Avella - The Eagles are in the playoffs for the first time since 1976.

A.P.B. on a Stolen Football

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A.P.B. on a Stolen Football

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Gameday: Oakland Raiders

4:00pm

Alcatraz

TV: CBS (local)

Radio: WDVE and other affiliates

What To Watch For

1. Stop Terrelle Pryor

The Raiders offense starts and ends with Terrelle Pryor. No, seriously. I challenge you to name two receivers on their team. I'll spot you Denarius Moore because if you're in a moderately deep fantasy football league you may have considered drafting him in the last round. Pryor isn't lighting the world on fire with his arm (throwing for just 212 yards per game), but he does have the capabilities to make all the throws in the book. He gets himself to trouble when his first option is covered and he has to find another receiver. The problem for the Steelers will be stopping Pryor when he gets mobile. Pryor leads the Raiders in rushing despite having 26 fewer rushing attempts than Darren McFadden. He is averaging about 8 carries per game and the Raiders will run some read-option plays with him. The Steelers will need to be defensively responsible up front and bring him down when they get the chance (like the Chiefs did to Pryor 2 weeks ago when they recorded 10 sacks).

2. Antonio Brown

Lost in the Steelers woeful offense this season is just how good Antonio Brown has been. He is second in the league with 47 receptions through 6 games, an average of 7.8 catches per game. Brown is on pace to shatter his personal best of 69 catches and could break the Steelers single-season record of 112 catches if he continues at his current pace. Brown has solidified himself as one of the most dependable receivers in the league, with 15 of his catches coming on 3rd downs. Brown is averaging 14.4 yards per catch on 3rd downs, 4 yards more than his average on first and second downs. Oakland's defense is not very good, having surrendered over 370 yards to Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers, and Brown should be in line for another big day.

3. Lamarr Houston vs Kelvin Beachum

The Raiders have 16 sacks as a team and Houston is their leader with 3. He doesn't have the pedigree that Terrell Suggs has, but Beachum needs to ride a solid performance against the Ravens through the rest of the season. Last year, Beachum had a great game against Paul Kruger then his performance dropped off in the following weeks. This year, Beachum has a chance to continue to build on his success against Baltimore. The Steelers line really started to come together last week against Baltimore and if they continue to gel this team might actually be able to build something.

4. Find the End Zone

The Steelers have won two in a row and scored 19 points in both games. In only two games this season have they reached the end zone more than once. The Steelers have one of the worst red zone conversion rates in the league, and it has to improve. The emergence of Le'Veon Bell should help their offense close to the goal line, but the receivers also need to come through. Antonio Brown dropped a touchdown pass in New York and Derek Moye dropped one last week. Both were very well-thrown balls that should have been caught. The Raiders have a knack for hanging around and keeping things close, so the Steelers will need to put 6 points on the board instead of 3 any time they get the chance.

5. Time Zones

If you've been reading the blog or following me on Twitter, I'm sure you're familiar with the stat. Since Mike Tomlin became head coach, the Steelers are 70-40 overall (63.6%). They have been successful at defending their home turf to the tune of a 41-15 record and 73.2% winning percentage. On the road in the Eastern time zone, they have been almost as good, posting a 24-10 record and a winning percentage over 70 (70.6%). The statistical anomaly in the Steelers record is their performance outside of the Eastern Time Zone. Since 2007 they are just 5-15 (25%) in games outside the Eastern Time Zone and have lost 7 straight games, dating back to the Blackout game in San Francisco in 2011. The Steelers can't afford any more bad performances against bad teams on the road. They need this win to stay relevant in the AFC. Time to break the streak.

WPIAL Regular Season Results

I'm still in the process of updating my WPIAL Standings Page, and things won't be entirely correct until after the games are completed tomorrow afternoon. However, the 64 teams for the postseason are set. Here is a quick rundown on how the final standings for each conference look. The WPIAL pairings show where the playoff brackets are revealed is Monday night.

AAAA

Foothills Conference: 1. McKeesport, 2. Penn-Trafford, 3. Gateway, 4. Hempfield, 5. Kiski, 6. Altoona, 7. Connellsville, 8. Norwin, 9. Latrobe

• McKeesport, Penn-Trafford, Gateway, Hempfield and Kiski qualified for the playoffs.
• McKeesport, Penn-Trafford and Gateway will play first round playoff games at home
• Penn-Trafford is 2nd based on a head-to-head win over Gateway and Hempfield is 4th because of a head-to-head win over Kiski
• Altoona is 6th based on a head-to-head win over Connellsville and Norwin is 8th based on a head-to-head win over Latrobe

Northern Eight Conference: 1. Central Catholic, 2. Seneca Valley, 3. North Allegheny, 4. North Hills, 5. Pine-Richland, 6. Fox Chapel, 7. Butler, 8. Shaler

• Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills and Pine-Richland qualified for the playoffs.
• Central Catholic and Seneca Valley will play first round playoff games at home

Southeastern Conference: 1. Upper St Clair, 2. Woodland Hills, 3. Bethel Park, 4. Penn Hills, 5. Peters Twp, 6. Baldwin, 7. Mt Lebanon, 8. Canon-McMillian, 9. Plum

• Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park, Penn Hills, Peters Twp and Baldwin qualified for the playoffs.
• Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills and Bethel Park will play first round playoff games at home
• Penn Hills is 4th based on a head-to-head win over Peters Twp. 
• Baldwin is 6th based on a head-to-head win over Mt Lebanon

Tiebreakers:
Two of the three 3rd place teams will play at home:
1. Gateway (7-2 overall)
2. Bethel Park (6-3 overall, 180 Gardner Points)
3. North Allegheny (6-3 overall, 150 Gardner Points)

One 6th place "Wild Card" team will make the playoffs:
1. Baldwin 4-5 overall
2. Altoona 2-7 overall, 30 Gardner Points
3. Fox Chapel 2-7 overall, 10 Gardner Points

AAAA Top 8 (home playoff games): Central Catholic, Upper St Clair, McKeesport, Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills, Penn-Trafford, Gateway, Bethel Park

AAAA Bottom 8 (road playoff teams): North Allegheny, Penn Hills, Hempfield, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Kiski, Peters Twp, Baldwin

AAA

Big Nine Conference: 1. Thomas Jefferson, 2. West Mifflin, 3. Ringgold, 4. Elizabeth Forward, 5. Belle Vernon, 6. Uniontown, 7. Laurel Highlands, 8. Albert Gallatin, 9. Trinity

• Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin, Ringgold, Elizabeth Forward and Belle Vernon qualified for the playoffs.
• Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin and Ringgold will play first round playoff games at home

Greater Allegheny Conference: 1. Franklin Regional, 2. Mars, 3. Highlands, 4. Indiana, 5. Hollidaysburg, 6. Hampton, 7. Greensburg Salem, 8. Knoch, 9. Derry

• Franklin Regional, Mars, Highlands, Indiana, Hollidaysburg and Hampton qualified for the playoffs.
• Franklin Regional, Mars, and Highlands will play first round playoff games at home.
• Franklin Regional finishes ahead of Mars based on head-to-head.
• In the 4-way tie for 5th, Hollidaysburg and Hampton finish 5th and 6th based on 2-1 records against the other tied teams. Hollidaysburg is 5th based on a head-to-head win over Hampton
• Greensburg Salem is 7th based on a head-to-head win over Knoch

Parkway Conference: 1. West Allegheny, 2. Central Valley, 3. New Castle, 4. Moon, 5. Montour, 6. Blackhawk, 7. Ambridge, 8. Chartiers Valley, 9. Hopewell

• West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon and Montour qualified for the playoffs.
• West Allegheny and Central Valley will play first round playoff games at home.

Tiebreakers:
Two of the three 3rd place teams will play at home:
1. Highlands (200 Gardner Points, +37)
2. Ringgold (150 Gardner Points, +40)
3. New Castle (150 Gardner Points, +39)

One 6th place "Wild Card" team will make the playoffs:
1. Hampton (3-5, 60 Gardner Points)
2. Blackhawk (3-5, 30 Gardner Points)
3. Uniontown (3-5, 30 Gardner Points)

AAA Top 8 (home playoff teams): West Allegheny, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Regional, Central Valley, West Mifflin, Mars, Highlands, Ringgold

AAA Bottom 8 (road playoff teams): New Castle, Moon, Elizabeth Forward, Indiana, Montour, Belle Vernon, Hollidaysburg, Hampton

AA

Allegheny Conference: 1. Kittanning, 2. Shady Side Academy, 3/4: Summit Academy/Valley. 5. East Allegheny, 6-8. Burrell/Ford City/Freeport, 9. Deer Lakes

• Kittanning, Shady Side Academy, Summit Academy and Valley have qualified for the playoffs
• Kittanning and Shady Side Academy will play home playoff games
• If Summit Academy beats Freeport, the standings will be: Summit 3rd, Valley 4th, East A 5th, Burrell 6th, Ford City 7th and Freeport 8th.
• If Freeport beats Summit Academy,  the standings will be: Valley 3rd, Summit 4th, East A 5th, Freeport 6th, Burrell 7th and Ford City 8th
• Summit Academy is making their first playoff appearance in school history.
• Kittanning is undefeated for the first time since 1976.

Century Conference: 1. South Fayette, 2. Quaker Valley, 3. Seton-La Salle, 4. South Park, 5. Steel Valley, 6. McGuffey, 7. Keystone Oaks, 8. South Allegheny, 9. Burgettstown

• South Fayette, Quaker Valley, Seton-La Salle and South Park have qualified for the playoffs
• South Fayette and Quaker Valley will play home playoff games
• This will be the first home playoff game for Quaker Valley

Interstate Conference: 1. Mt Pleasant, 2. Washington, 3. Yough, 4. Greensburg Central Catholic, 5. Jeanette, 6. Southmoreland, 7. Waynesburg, 8. Charleroi, 9. Brownsville

• Mt Pleasant, Washington, Yough and GCC have qualified for the playoffs
• Mt Pleasant and Washington will play home playoff games
• Yough finishes 3rd based on a head-to-head victory over GCC
• Southmoreland finishes 6th based on a head-to-head victory over Waynesburg

Midwestern Conference: 1. Aliquippa, 2. Beaver Falls, 3. New Brighton, 4. Beaver, 5. Mohawk, 6. Ellwood City, 7. Riverside, 8. Freedom

• Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, New Brighton and Beaver have qualified for the playoffs
• Aliquippa and Beaver Falls will play home playoff games

AA Top 8 (home playoff games): Aliquippa, South Fayette, Mt Pleasant, Kittanning, Beaver Falls, Washington, Shady Side Academy, Quaker Valley

AA Bottom 8 (road playoff teams): Seton-La Salle, New Brighton, Yough, Beaver, Summit Academy, Valley, South Park, GCC

A

Big Seven Conference: 1. Sto-Rox, 2. Neshannock, 3. Laurel, 4. Western Beaver, 5. OLSH, 6. Union, 7. Rochester, 8. Shenango, 9. South Side Beaver

• Sto-Rox, Neshannock, Laurel and Western Beaver have qualified for the playoffs
• Sto-Rox and Neshannock will play home playoff games

Black Hills Conference: 1. Monessen, 2. Clairton, 3. Fort Cherry, 4. Brentwood, 5. Chartiers-Houston, 6. California, 7. Carlynton, 8/9. Bishop Canevin/Serra

• Monessen, Clairton, Fort Cherry and Brentwood have qualified for the playoffs
• Monessen wins the 3-way tie for first on Tiebreaker points (60 to 59 to 58).
• Clairton earns second place based on a head-to-head victory over Fort Cherry.

Eastern Conference: 1. North Catholic, 2. Avonworth, 3. Apollo-Ridge, 4. West Shamokin, 5-9 will be decided by the results of the Springdale/Riverview game.

• North Catholic, Avonworth, Apollo-Ridge and West Shamokin have qualified for the playoffs
• North Catholic and Avonworth will play home playoff games
• If Springdale beats Riverview, Springdale is 5th, Wilkinsburg is 6th based on a 2-0 head-to-head record, Leechburg is 7th based on a 1-1 head to head and Northgate is 7th.
• If Riverview beats Springdale by 3 or less: Springdale is 5th, Leechburg is 6th, Wilkinsburg is 7th, Northgate is 8th, Riverview is 9th
• If Riverview beats Springdale by more than 3, Leechburg is 5th, Northgate is 6th, Riverview is 7th, Springdale is 8th and Wilkinsburg is 9th

Tri-County South Conference: 1. Beth-Center, 2. Carmichaels, 3. Frazier, 4. Avella, 5. Mapletown, 6 Jefferson-Morgan, 7. West Greene, 8. Bentworth, 9. Geibel

• Beth-Center, Carmichaels, Frazier and Avella have qualified for the playoffs
• Beth-Center and Carmichales will play home playoff games
• This is Avella's first playoff appearance since 1976.

A Top 8 (home playoff teams): Sto-Rox, North Catholic, Monessen, Clairton, Beth-Center, Avonworth, Neshannock, Carmichaels

A Bottom 8 (road playoff teams): Fort Cherry, Apollo-Ridge, Laurel, Frazier, Western Beaver, Brentwood, West Shamokin, Avella

WPIAL Week 9 Games of the Week and Playoff Scenarios

As we head into the last week of the WPIAL regular season, I believe this is the first time since I started blogging (2008) that there has not been a single casket match in the final week. Even with games involving two teams on the fringe of the playoffs, scenarios exist where the losing team could still make the postseason. There are no winner-gets-in-loser-goes-home games this week, which takes a little bit of the fun out of the last Friday night of the regular season. There was a bit of excitement this week as the WPIAL ruled that Washington had to forfeit their 6 conference wins due to using an ineligible player. This shook up the playoff race in the AA Interstate Conference (where Washington was sitting in 2nd place), putting previously eliminated Southmoreland and Waynesburg back in the hunt. However, the PIAA overruled the WPIAL and reinstated Washington's wins, allowing them to maintain their current position and play in the postseason. This then re-eliminated Southmoreland and Waynesburg from the playoff equation, though both schools could complicate the playoff picture in the Interstate Conference with wins this week. Also, don't forget to check out my WPIAL Standings Page to see where everyone stands heading into the last week.

AAAA

Game of the Week

Baldwin (3-4, 4-4) at Bethel Park (5-2, 5-3)

There aren't many great matchups to choose from since Gateway and McKeesport played for the Foothills Conference title on Thursday night. The other two conference titles are decided with the only significant games deciding who finishes 3rd in the Foothills (Penn Trafford vs Hempfield) and Northern Eight (North Allegheny vs North Hills). Bethel Park has secured 3rd place in the Southeastern Conference, but the home field will be determined by the results of this game. Two of the Three third place teams in Quad-A get home games in the first round. If Bethel Park loses, then they will be playing on the road and the other two third place finishers will play at home. If Bethel wins, then it will come down to the North Allegheny-North Hills winner and Bethel Park with the tiebreaker going to Gardner Points (see more below). The 6th place team from the Southeastern Conference will qualify for the playoffs as the "Wild Card" and Baldwin is currently in the thick of the race with Peters Twp and Mt Lebanon. 

Playoff Scenarios

Foothills Conference

• Conference Champion: McKeesport
• Playoff Berths Clinched: McKeesport, Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Kiski, 
• Important Games: McKeesport at Gateway, Hempfield at Penn-Trafford, Latrobe at Kiski
• McKeesport won the Conference Championship by beating Gateway on Thursday night.
• If Hempfield beats Penn-Trafford and Kiski wins, Hempfield will finish 3rd in the Conference, Kiski 4th and Penn-Trafford 5th
• If Hempfield beats Penn-Trafford and Kiski loses, Hempfield will finish 3rd in the Conference, Penn-Trafford 4th and Kiski 5th
• If Penn-Trafford beats Hempfield, Penn-Trafford will finish 2nd in the Conference, Gateway 3rd and Hempfield 4th
• Even if Gateway falls to 3rd, they will still get a first round home game due to their 7 overall wins, which are more than any other 3rd place team can get (winner of NA-NH will have 6, BP can only get to 6 with a win)

Northern Eight Conference

• Conference Champion: Central Catholic
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland
• Important Games: North Allegheny at North Hills
• Seneca Valley has secured a first round home game
• The winner of North Allegheny-North Hills will finish 3rd in the Conference and can get a first round home game if Bethel Park loses

Southeastern Conference

• Conference Champion: Upper St Clair
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park, Penn Hills
• Important Games: Baldwin at Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan at Peters Twp, Upper St Clair at Mt Lebanon, Woodland Hills at Penn Hills
• Woodland Hills has clinched 2nd place and secured a first round home game
• Penn Hills has clinched a playoff berth with 5 total wins, at worst they would finish as the "Wild Card" team.
• The 6th place team in the Southeastern Conference will win the "Wild Card" spot.
• Peters Twp clinches a playoff berth with a win over Canon-McMillan
• In a 3-way tie scenario for 4th place between Penn Hills, Peters Twp and Baldwin where all 3 teams are 4-4; Penn Hills would finish 4th, Peters Twp 5th and Baldwin 6th. Baldwin would earn the "Wild Card" playoff spot.
• In a 3-way tie scenario for 4th place between Penn Hills, Peters Twp and Mt Lebanon where all 3 teams are 4-4; Mt Lebanon would finish 4th, Penn Hills 5th and Peters Twp 6th. Peters Twp would earn the "Wild Card" playoff spot.
• In a 3-way tie scenario for 5th place between Peters Twp, Baldwin and Mt Lebanon regardless of record; Peters Twp would finish 5th based on head-to-head victories over both Baldwin and Mt Lebanon, Baldwin would finish 6th and Mt Lebanon would finish 7th. Baldwin would earn the "Wild Card" spot.
• In a 4-way tie scenario for 4th place between Penn Hills, Peters Twp, Baldwin and Mt Lebanon where all 4 teams are 4-4; Penn Hills and Peters Twp would be 2-1 head-to-head with Baldwin and Mt Lebanon 1-2. Penn Hills would finish 4th based on a head-to-head win over Peters, Peters Twp would finish 5th based on head-to-head wins over Baldwin and Mt Lebanon and Baldwin would finish 6th based on a head-to-head win over Mt Lebanon. Baldwin would earn the "Wild Card" playoff spot.

Battle For Home Games
The top two 3rd place teams will earn home playoff games while the third will play on the road. Per the WPIAL tiebreaking system, the two 3rd place teams with the best overall records will earn home games, non-conference games included.

• Bethel Park will finish 3rd in the Southeastern Conference and currently has 5 total wins.
• The winner of North Hills-North Allegheny will finish 3rd in the Northern Eight Conference and will have 6 total wins.
• In the Foothills Conference, Gateway or Hempfield could finish 3rd. The 3rd place team from the Foothills Conference will have 7 wins and be guaranteed a home game.
• If Bethel Park loses, the 3rd place teams from the Foothills and Northern Eight Conferences will get home games.
• If Bethel Park wins, the 3rd place finisher in the Foothills (Gateway or Hempfield) will get a home game with 7 wins. The tiebreaker between Bethel Park (6 wins) and the North Allegheny/North Hills winner (6 wins) will be decided by Gardner Points over all 9 games. Currently: Bethel Park - 130 Gardner Points, North Allegheny - 100 Gardner Points, North Hills - 120 Gardner Points. With a win Bethel Park will get to at least 180 Gardner Points (and could get more if Mt Lebanon or Penn Hills win). North Allegheny will get to at least 150 with a win and North Hills will get to at least 170. Interestingly enough, the Pine-Richland vs Plum game could decide who gets this spot as the extra 10 Gardner Points could swing the difference.

The Race For 16th
Per the WPIAL tiebreaking system, the 16th playoff team will be decided by the 6th place team with the best overall record, non-conference games included. The 6th place team in the Southeastern Conference will win the "Wild Card" spot.

AAA

Game of the Week

Thomas Jefferson (7-0, 8-0) at West Mifflin (7-0, 8-0)

Remember at the beginning of the year when I said the AAA Game of the Week would be from the Parkway Conference every week until the last week when TJ and West Mifflin played for the Big Nine Conference Title? Well, here we are. Both teams have made it through their respective schedules unbeaten and unscathed, with both averaging over 40 points per game. West Mifflin boasts the leading rusher in Western Pennsylvania in Jimmy Wheeler who has 2008 yards and 29 touchdowns through 8 games. On the other side rival Thomas Jefferson boasts a stout defense that is only allowing 7 points per game, led by Michigan recruit Chase Winovich at linebacker. TJ has a balanced offensive approach with an 800-yard rusher in Austin Kemp and a 600-yard receiver in Dalton Dietrich. This should be another good game between rival schools with the conference championship on the line.

Playoff Scenarios

Big Nine Conference

• Playoff Berths Clinched: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson, Ringgold, Elizabeth Forward, Belle Vernon
• Important Games: Thomas Jefferson at West Mifflin, Laurel Highlands at Uniontown
• The winner of West Mifflin and Thomas Jefferson will win the Conference Championship and the loser will finish 2nd
• Ringgold has clinched 3rd place, Elizabeth Forward has clinched 4th place and Belle Vernon has clinched 5th place

Greater Allegheny Conference

• Playoff Berths Clinched: Highlands, Franklin Regional, Mars
• Important Games: Hampton at Mars, Highlands at Knoch, Indiana at Hollidaysburg
• Franklin Regional, Mars and Highlands are all currently 6-1 with 1-1 head-to-head records. If all 3 end up with the same record, the tiebreaker will go to WPIAL points (currently: Mars-53, FR-47, Highlands-47)
• Franklin Regional, Mars and Highlands can all secure home games with a win
• The winner of Hollidaysburg-Indiana will clinch a playoff spot
• Hampton clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mars
• There is no scenario where Greensburg Salem or Knoch could make the playoffs, but the two can influence the playoff berths by factoring into 3-way or 4-way tiebreaker scenarios.
• If Hampton and Knoch lose, there will be a 3-way tie for 5th between Hampton, Greensburg Salem and the loser of Hollidaysburg-Indiana at 3-5.
• If the 3-way tie is between Hollidaysburg, Hampton and Greensburg Salem, Hollidaysburg would finish 5th, Hampton 6th and Greensburg Salem 7th based on head-to-head results.
• If the 3-way tie is between Indiana, Hampton and Greensburg Salem, the tiebreaker would be decided by WPIAL point differential. Currently: Indiana -4, Hampton -5 and Greensburg Salem -27. Hampton lost to Indiana head-to-head so they would need to lose by 2 less points than Indiana (assuming a loss by less than 10) than Indiana to surpass them for 5th.
• If Hampton loses and Knoch wins, there will be a 4-way tie for 5th between Hampton, Greensburg Salem, Knoch and the Hollidaysburg-Indiana loser at 3-5.
• If the 4-way tie is between Hollidaysburg, Hampton, Greensburg Salem and Knoch; Hollidaysburg (2-1 head-to-head) would be 5th, Hampton (2-1 head-to-head) would be 6th, Greensburg Salem would be 7th and Knoch would be 8th
• If the 4-way tie is between Indiana, Hampton, Greensburg Salem and Knoch, Knoch would be eliminated based on an 0-3 record head-to-head and the tiebreaker would revert back to the 3-way tie scenario between Indiana, Hampton and Greensburg Salem outlined above.

Parkway Conference

• Conference Champion: West Allegheny
• Playoff Berths Clinched: West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon, Montour
• Important Games: Ambridge at Blackhawk, Montour at Moon
• Central Valley has clinched second place and has secured first round home games
• New Castle has clinched 3rd place and could earn a home playoff game if Ringgold loses or if they win in a tiebreaker scenario
• The winner of Moon-Montour will finish in 4th place and the loser in 5th place
• The winner of Blackhawk-Ambridge will finish in 6th place and be in contention for the "Wild Card" spot.

The Race for 16th
The "Wild Card" spot in AAA is decided based solely on Conference Record. Depending on what happens in the Greater Allegheny Conference, there are a variety of scenarios in play here.

• Hollidaysburg - 3-4, 60 Gardner Pts
• Indiana - 3-4, 50 Gardner Pts
• Hampton - 3-4, 50 Gardner Pts
• Greensburg Salem - 3-5, 50 Gardner Pts
• Knoch - 2-5, 30 Gardner Pts
• Blackhawk - 2-5, 10 Gardner Pts
• Ambridge - 2-5, 10 Gardner Pts

AA

Game of the Week

Kittanning (7-0, 8-0) at Shady Side Academy (7-0, 8-0)

Where did this Wildcats come from? At the beginning of the year, everyone expected Shady Side Academy to be at the top of the Allegheny Conference, but no one expected Kittanning to be here. From the MSA Sports preview Kittanning lost its quarterback, top rushers and top receivers all to graduation. The Wildcats certainly have to rebuild at the skill positions. But if the Wildcats grow up in a hurry, there is a chance they could be in the playoff hunt once again." I'll admit I didn't see much when I looked at Kittanning's roster before the season, but junior Braydon Toy has emerged as a dual-threat QB who has racked up over 1200 yards passing and 700 yards rushing this season - accounting for 27 total touchdowns. Shady Side Academy has been outstanding on both sides of the ball, averaging 36 points per game on offense. After only surrendering 94 points last season, they have only given up 65 this year. Both teams have already secured home playoff games and the winner here will hoist the Conference Championship trophy.

Playoff Scenarios

Allegheny Conference

• Playoff Berths Clinched: Shady Side Academy, Kittanning, Summit Academy, Valley
• Important Games: Kittanning at Shady Side Academy, Freeport at Summit Academy
• The winner of Kittanning-Shady Side Academy will win the Conference Championship and the loser will come in 2nd.
• Summit Academy will finish 3rd with a win over Freeport or a Valley loss and will appear in the playoffs for the first time in school history

Century Conference

• Conference Champion: South Fayette
• Playoff Berths Clinched: South Fayette,Quaker Valley, South Park, Seton-La Salle
• Important Games: Seton-La Salle at South Park
• Quaker Valley has clinched 2nd place and the first home playoff game in school history
• The winner of Seton La Salle-South Park will finish in 3rd and the loser in 4th
• There are also head-to-head game for 5th place between Steel Valley and McGuffey, which will not matter for the playoffs because the 4 playoff spots have already been decided, but will be a big boost to the winner heading into the offseason.

Interstate Conference

• Conference Champion: Mt Pleasant
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Mt Pleasant, Washington
• Important Games: Jeanette at GCC, Southmoreland at Yough, Washington at Waynesburg
• The winner of Jeanette-GCC clinches a playoff berth
• Yough clinches a playoff berth with a win over Southmoreland
• If Yough loses to Southmoreland:
• If Waynesburg loses, there will be a 3-way tie for 4th between Yough, Southmoreland and the Jeanette-GCC loser at 4-4
• In a 3-way tie between Jeanette, Yough and Southmoreland, Jeanette will finish 4th (based on a 2-0 head-to-head record), Southmoreland 5th and Yough 6th
• In a 3-way tie between GCC, Yough and Southmoreland, the WPIAL points tiebreaker would decide 4th place. Currently: Yough +12, GCC +4, Southmoreland -17. In this case, a GCC loss by more than 1 would eliminate GCC and Yough would finish 4th, regardless of their margin of defeat. If GCC loses by 1, Yough would need to lose by 10+ in order for GCC to finish 4th.
• If Waynesburg wins, there will be a 4-way tie for 4th between Yough, Southmoreland, Waynesburg and the Jeanette-GCC loser at 4-4. 
• In a 4-way tie between Jeanette, Yough, Southmoreland and Waynesburg; Jeanette would finish in 4th (2-1 head-to-head, beat Southmoreland), Southmoreland in 5th (2-1 head-to head), Yough 6th (1-2 head-to-head, beat Waynesburg) and Waynesburg 7th (1-2 head-to-head)
• In a 4-way tie between GCC, Yough, Southmoreland and Waynesburg, Waynesburg would be eliminated based on an 0-3 head-to-head record. The tiebreaker would then revert to the 3-way tie scenario between GCC, Yough and Southmoreland as outlined above.
• It should be noted that there is no way for Southmoreland or Waynesburg to earn playoff berths, but they can complicate the playoff scenarios if they were to win their respective games.

Midwestern Conference

• Conference Champion: Aliquippa
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls
• Important Games: Aliquippa at Beaver, New Brighton at Mohawk
• Beaver Falls will finish 2nd in the Conference and play a home playoff game
• Beaver clinches a playoff berth with a win over Aliquippa
• New Brighton clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mohawk
• Mohawk clinches a playoff berth with a win over New Brighton and a Beaver win
• If Mohawk beats New Brighton and Beaver loses to Aliquippa, there will be a 3-way tie for 3rd place that would be decided by WPIAL points. Currently: New Brighton +18, Beaver +15, Mohawk -7. In this case, the 3rd place team would be decided by WPIAL tiebreaker points and the 4th place team and final playoff spot would revert to head-to-head. Since Mohawk can not surpass New Brighton or Beaver in tiebreaker points, they would need Beaver to win the tiebreaker (lose by less than 7 to Aliquippa or by 4 less than New Brighton's margin of defeat) in order to reach the playoffs. If Beaver loses to Aliquippa by 7 or more, New Brighton and Beaver will earn the last two playoff spots.

A

Game of the Week

Brentwood (4-3, 4-4) at California (3-4, 3-4)

It might seem strange that I chose two middle-of-the-road teams to be my Game of the Week in Class A. However, this is the closest thing we have to a Casket Match in Class A. Brentwood and Chartiers-Houston are currently tied for the last playoff spot in the Black Hills Conference with 4-3 records and Brentwood holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. California can turn it into a 3-way tie with a win over Brentwood and a Chartiers-Houston loss to Fort Cherry. If this were to happen, Chartiers-Houston would be eliminated based on tiebreaker points. California would have to beat Brentwood by 10 or more in order to claim the last playoff spot. 

Playoff Scenarios

Big Seven Conference

• Conference Champion: Sto-Rox
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Sto-Rox, Neshannock, Laurel, Western Beaver
• The order of finish in the Big Seven is decided. Sto-Rox is 1st, Neshannock 2nd, Laurel 3rd and Western Beaver 4th.

Black Hills Conference

• Playoff Berths Clinched: Clairton, Fort Cherry, Monessen
• Important Games: Brentwood at California, Carlynton at Monessen, Chartiers-Houston at Fort Cherry
• If Fort Cherry and Monessen win, there will be a 3-way tie for first place and the conference champion will be determined by tiebreaker points. Currently: Clairton +58, Fort Cherry +52, Monessen +50. Clairton plays a non-conference game and can not increase their tiebreaker points. 
• Brentwood clinches a playoff berth with a win over California
• Chartiers-Houston clinches a playoff berth with a win over Fort Cherry and a Brentwood loss
• If California beats Brentwood by at least 10 and Chartiers-Houston loses, California will earn a playoff spot. The current tiebreaker points are: Brentwood 10, Char-Houston -4 and California -10. A Cal win by 10+ and a Char-Houston loss would put Cal and Brentwood at 0 and Char-Houston somewhere between -5 and -14. In this case Char-Houston would be eliminated and the tiebreaker would revert to head-to-head between Brentwood and California in which California would win.
• If California beats Brentwood by less than 10 and Chartiers-Houston loses, Brentwood will earn the last playoff spot based on winning the WPIAL points tiebreaker.

Eastern Conference

• Conference Champion: North Catholic
• Playoff Berths Clinched: North Catholic, Avonworth, Apollo-Ridge, West Shamokin
• Important Games: West Shamokin at Apollo-Ridge
• Avonworth has clinched 2nd place and a home playoff game.
• The winner of West Shamokin/Apollo-Ridge will finish in 3rd place. The loser will finish in 4th.

Tri-County South Conference

• Conference Champion: Beth-Center
• Playoff Berths Clinched: Beth-Center, Carmichaels, Frazier
• Important Games: Bentworth at Avella, Frazier at Mapletown
• Avella clinches their first playoff berth since 1976 with a win over Bentworth or a Mapletown loss
• Mapletown clinches a playoff berth with a win over Frazier and an Avella loss
• If Mapletown and Avella win, there will be a 3-way tie between Frazier, Avella and Mapletown for 3rd place at 5-3. The current tiebreaker points are: Frazier +32, Avella +1, Mapletown +10. Since Frazier can not be surpassed in tiebreaker points, they would be 3rd in this scenario. The tiebreaker would revert to head-to-head where Avella has a win over Mapletown.

A New Hope: Steelers Win

 16

 19

The Steelers lose the toss but get the ball first. Ben gets things rolling with a slant to AB, but the drive can't recover from a false start penalty on Gilbert.

Joe Flacco sucks.

The Steelers get a big return from AB to finally set them up with some decent field position. Le'Veon and AB start to take over. Haley busts out the wildcat which totally blows everyone's mind but it works to pick up a first down. Ben hits Cotchery over the middle to convert a big 3rd down on the fringe of field goal range then goes back to the well to get us inside the 10. Two plays later, the Hines Ward Shovel Pass pops out of the playbook and Heath is able to plow his way into the end zone. What a play call.

HEEEEEEEATH

7-0

The Ravens go to the dink-and-dunk offense and the Steelers continue to struggle in coverage in the short middle of the field. They work their way into the edge of field goal range, but Timmons and McLendon come up with a big stuff on 3rd and 1.

7-3

Felix Jones rips off a big return to set up the offense at the 40 for the second time in a row.

Second Quarter

The Prescription puts the team on his back and gets us into Baltimore territory. On 3rd and 5 from the fringe of field goal range, Ben ropes one to Derek Moye who climbs the ladder then gets flipped head-over-heels and hangs on for a huge catch to get us into the red zone.

The offense doesn't do much else and Bill Cowher pops some wood back in New York when the Steelers run the ball on 3rd and 15 to preserve the field goal attempt.

10-3

The Ravens come out no huddle and were able to move the ball out to midfield. They had the Steelers on their heels and were inching into field goal territory when Shamarknado and Clark made a stop on 2nd down to force the first 3rd down of the drive. LeBeau dials one up with Woodley coming up the middle on a stut. Ray Rice totally whiffs on a diving attempt at Woodley's knees and LaMarr throws down Flacco, knocking the Ravens out of field goal range.

The Steelers take over with 4 1/2 minutes left inside their own 10 and grind out a first down with Felix Jones. Sanders gets us into another 3rd and short then Dwyer makes the most of his only carry and plows for 4 yards. The offense takes some time off the clock to theorhetically prevent Baltimore from having much of a chance at a 2-minute drive. It was a good idea in theory, but an offensive face mask (which I think I've seen called once before in my entire football-watching life) on Bell sets things back. Ben tries to get it back with a perfect pass to Heath down the seam, but a defender comes from behind and knocks the ball out of Heath's hands.

Heath Miller fumble?

The Ravens take over with a short field and pick their way into field goal range to cut into the lead before the half.

10-6

Halftime

I talk with people around me about how I'm promoting Troy for the Pro Bowl.

• If you reply or retweet stuff I post on twitter, I get points. If you like or comment or share stuff I post on Facebook, I get points.
• If I get more points than the other people promoting Troy in a given week, I win an NFL.com gift card. If I win this, I'll probably do a give-away.
• If I get the most points of any of the 40 people involved in promoting the 6 P&G players for the Pro Bowl at the end of the season, I win a trip to Hawaii.

Vote Troy 2014

Third Quarter

The Ravens get the ball first and Joe Flacco makes the hilarious mistake of taking a delay of game penalty after a timeout. Seriously, how do you even do that? 

Flacco is able to scamper for a first down Jay Cutler-style after the penalty, which keeps things alive. The Ravens would've had a first down anyway as Ike was flagged for an illegal contact call or something. The Ravens work it to 3rd and 1 and Troy mis-times the snap count and gets caught offsides, which nullifies a penalty. That lights a fire under Troy and he makes two great plays, diving to breakup a pass then coming up with a big stuff in the backfield. On 3rd and long, Flacco takes a shot deep for a wide open Jacoby Jones but he horribly underthrows him and William Gay comes charging in from behind to knock the ball away.

Narrow escape

A strange sequence of events follows with Ben hitting Paulson down the middle then the drive getting set back by a holding penalty, only to have a late hit actually called on Ben to bail us out. After that, Haley went to the Wildcat, which got us into 3rd and 1. Ben decided to do it himself and scrambled for 20 yards. Ben got sacked twice, but Dumervil got called for a facemask which gave us another crack inside the 20. The offense couldn't do much with it. No clue what was even going on with this drive. Penalties all over the place. But Suisham is good.

13-6

Playing Renegade. Poor playcalling + poor music = tie game.
— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) October 20, 2013

Jim Wexell isn't making any friends.

Flacco airs out a perfect pass down the sideline for Smith, who somehow makes the catch even though Ike has perfect coverage. Seriously, great catch by Smith.

The Ravens piddle their way to another first down before a strange sequence ends the 3rd quarter. Flacco hits Brown and he gets dragged out of bounds by Allen. The refs rule a first down and time runs out on the 3rd quarter. The teams walk to the other end of the field then Tomlin challenges during the break. The refs overturn the original call on the spot of the ball and say that Brown was a yard short of the first down, making it 3rd and 1. They also put time back on the clock and re-spot the ball, forcing the teams to walk back to the previous side of the field. The Ravens wisely don't waste a play with the clock running and let it run out without even snapping the ball and the teams walk back down to the other end of the field.

Fourth Quarter

The defense steps up and comes up with a huge stop of Leach on 3rd and 1 but Harbaugh rolls the dice and Flacco sneaks for the first down on 4th and 1. With the ball in the red zone, Flacco stands in the pocket forever before being flushed out by Woodley towards the sidelines. Just before he runs out, he makes a quick spin move to evade LaMarr and fires a ball to a receiver standing at the goal line. At the last minute, William Gay streaks across in front of Jones and knocks the ball out of his hands.

Huge play by William Gay. Second touchdown he saved. The Ravens don't do much else, but are close enough to cut into the lead.

13-9

During the break I pat myself on the back for predicting a 13-9 score in my guest appearance on the Purple Reign Show this week.

Apparently kicking a field goal gave Justin Tucker a giant ego boost because he tried a sneak onside kick to himself. That didn't go so well.

(h/t One For the Other Thumb)

Stevenson Sylvester absolutely blasted him.

(h/t Steelers Depot)

The best part was the Ravens also took 2 penalties on the play for being offsides and for illegal touching.

Strangely enough, on one of the biggest drives of the game, Tomlin rolls with Felix Jones over Le'Veon Bell, who had 90 yards on just 17 carries to that point. Jones is able to pick up one first down to get us into field goal range then get us to 3rd and 5. Ben has AB wide, and I mean WIDE, open across the middle but opts to take a shot for the end zone. Ben makes a perfect pass that drops right into Derek Moye's hands but he can't make the catch.

AB was SO OPEN.
(h/t Steelers Depot for the pic)

Suisham, again.

16-9

The Ravens come out no huddle and start picking their way down the field, overcoming a holding penalty on The Blind Side. The Steelers sit back in coverage, not wanting to give up the home run play, but Flacco keeps taking the short stuff, converting two consecutive 3rd and 3s to move into field goal range. Despite the no huddle, the Ravens wind all kinds of clock and convert another 3rd and short on the fringe on the red zone. They run the ball a few times and Rice is able to pick up a first down inside the 5. The defense stood strong on the goal line and forced a 3rd down right before the two minute warning when Flacco went play-action and found Dallas Clark alone in the back of the end zone.

16-15

Troy tried to jump the snap and block the game-tying extra point.

(h/t One For the Other Thumb)

Mis-timed his jump by a split second but it was CLOSE.


(h/t Steelers Depot)

Got an ovation from the crowd for the effort.

16-16

Two minutes. Ben with the ball. You pretty much knew it was going to come down to whichever QB got the ball last. If you didn't, you didn't read my game preview.

Emmanuel Sanders almost makes that null and void when he seemingly takes the kickoff back for a touchdown but he is called out of bounds.

Bizarre officiating. If it's called a scoring play on the field, they can review it to see if he stepped out, but since he was called out, it was not reviewable. Nevertheless, the officials never reset the game clock and put the 8 seconds back on the clock that should have been there if Manny had stepped out. Also, he was marked out at the 34 by the official and they gave the Steelers the ball at the 37. There are literally no pictures of this on the internet that show him being out of bounds. No clue.

Back to the game. Ben gets things rolling with a pass to Cotch then tries to take a shot down the sideline for Sanders that's nowhere close, but flags come from all directions for illegal contact. With the ball at midfield, the Steelers can take their time. Ben hits AB who makes a beautiful spin move to get away from a defender and get to the sideline. Bell gets a token carry to get us to the edge of field goal range. With the ball at the 35, the Steelers need a few more yards to feel comfortable.

And AB delivers.

Ben hits him on a double-slant route with AB cutting inside and Brown takes it down to the 24. The Ravens use a timeout but only have one left and the Steelers can pretty much run it down. Bell gets it to the middle of the field and the Steelers take their last timeout with 3 ticks left.

Post by Zoltan Mesko.

Let's roll this train into Oakland.

2-4 is better than 0-4, but there's still a lot of work to do.