Two local teams earn top seeds
Thirteen local teams are playoff bound as the WPIAL announced the brackets for the football tournament that will begin Friday evening.
Peters Township (10-0) and Fort Cherry (10-0) finished the regular season undefeated, and the Indians were awarded with the top seed in Class 5A, but the Rangers were tabbed the No. 2 seed in Class A.
Defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A Champion Belle Vernon is the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season at 8-1. The Leopards’ lone loss was a 24-19 setback to Class 4A Thomas Jefferson in a game that Belle Vernon led until the final three minutes.
The Leopards have a bye into the quarterfinals and will host the winner of Deer Lakes-Southmoreland on Nov. 10 at James Weir Stadium.
If byes were awarded in Class 5A Peters Township would be resting this week, but the Indians open with Franklin Regional (6-4) at 7 p.m. The Class 5A championship is scheduled for Nov. 18 at Norwin High School. Kickoff is slated for noon.
Fort Cherry ran through the regular season unscathed, but South Side (10-0) earned the top spot.
The Rangers host Jefferson-Morgan (6-4) in a first-round matchup that features two local teams. South Side plays the fourth-place team out of the Tri-County South, Monessen, in the round of 16.
The Greyhounds (4-6) started their season at 1-5, including 0-3 in the conference, but closed the regular season winning three of its last four, which culminated in a 36-16 triumph over Beth-Center to earn the last playoff berth in Class A.
West Greene (8-2) finished second in the Tri-County South, but the Pioneers were seeded ninth and must travel to Plum High School and play Greensburg Central Catholic (7-3). The Centurions defeated West Greene, 48-30, on Sept. 8 in non-conference play.
California (9-1) won the Tri-County South with its lone loss being in non-section action to Class 2A Waynesburg, 27-9, on Sept. 8. The Trojans will host their first-round playoff game but will meet a Jeannette (7-3) squad that has postseason history on its side.
Burgettstown (5-4) comes in as the fourth-place team out of the Class A Black Hills Conference and travels to Union (8-2), who is the defending WPIAL champion in Class A.
Washington (9-1) edged McGuffey, 13-7, in the last game of the regular season to secure the higher seed out of the Class 2A Century Conference. The Prexies host Ellwood City (5-5) in the first round.
The Highlanders (7-3) earned a home contest in the first round and will host Derry (5-5). If Washington and McGuffey win their first games, the two would meet in the quarterfinals.
Waynesburg (7-3) clinched its first playoff berth since 2014 after defeating Charleroi, 45-27, in last Friday’s regular-season finale. The Raiders travel to UPMC Graham Field in Wilkinsburg and will play Imani Christian (7-2) in the first round.
Trinity (6-4) finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Class 4A Big Seven Conference, but Thomas Jefferson (8-2) and Latrobe (7-3) were tabbed as the second and third-place teams when the committee. The Hillers were awarded as the 10th seed, as they defeated the Jaguars, 23-6, on Oct. 6.
Canon-McMillan (6-4) will face a familiar foe in North Allegheny (9-1) in the semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs on Nov. 10 at a site and time to be determined. The Tigers downed the Big Macs, 30-6, on Sept. 1. The Class 6A championship is scheduled for Nov. 18 at Norwin High School. The kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Class A, 2A, 3A and 4A championship games are scheduled for Nov. 24 at Acrisure Stadium. The Class A game is set for 11 a.m., followed by Class 2A at 2 p.m., Class 3A at 5 p.m. and Class 4A at 8 p.m.