5 Things to Watch: Plenty at stake on season’s final night

Oct 24, 2024 By Chris Dugan 4 min read

The best scenario for a high school football season that moves into the final night of the regular season is for conference championships to be on the line and many games to impact playoff positioning.

Tonight’s last act of the regular season checks those boxes.

We have one conference championship that will be decided, only four local teams that have secured postseason berths and nine others that cling to postseason hopes as automatic qualifiers. Some teams will be seeking wins that secure automatic berths, while a loss puts them into a pool of potential wild-card entrants that will be determined by the WPIAL’s football committee that takes into account the reputation of a team or conference, records and resumes.

Here are five things to know and watch, starting with Class A and moving up in enrollment (all records are conference-only, unless otherwise noted):

1. Championship Friday – The lone outright conference championship that will be decided tonight is in the Class A Tri-County South. Jefferson-Morgan (6-0, 9-0 overall) plays at California (6-0, 7-2). The Rockets and Trojans have been on a collision course for weeks.

For J-M, the path to an undefeated regular season is simple: make California pass. That means slowing Trojans running backs Lee Qualk and Malachi Peak, who have combined for more than 2,200 rushing yards. Qualk leads the WPIAL with 1,852 yards and 32 touchdowns. Eighty-nine percent of California’s 374 offensive plays have been runs.

Jefferson-Morgan has more balance in its offense and quarterback Houston Guesman is one of only 18 players in WPIAL history with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 passing yards in a season. Guesman has a ridiculous TD-to-interception ratio. He’s thrown 21 touchdown passes with only one interception.

The third-place team in the Tri-County South – and its final playoff berth – has not been decided. Bentworth (3-3), Carmichaels (3-3) and West Greene (3-3) are tied for third place. Bentworth has the inside track based on tiebreaker points. Bentworth plays at Avella while Carmichaels is at Mapletown and West Greene plays at Beth-Center. If Bentworth wins by more than three points, then the Bearcats clinch.

In the Class A Black Hills Conference, defending WPIAL champion Fort Cherry (5-0) is first and Bishop Canevin (4-1) is second. Monessen (3-2) plays at Cornell (3-2) with the winner getting third place and the final automatic playoff spot.

2. Century of chaos – In the Century Conference, the top three finishers qualify. There are four wild cards in Class 2A.

Seton LaSalle (5-0) has clinched the championship and Keystone Oaks (4-2) has locked up a playoff berth.

Seton LaSalle plays at Washington (3-2) tonight while Waynesburg (3-2) hosts Sto-Rox and Carlynton (2-3) hosts Charleroi. If Seton LaSalle and Waynesburg win, then Waynesburg is third. If both Washington and Waynesburg win, then there is a three-way tie for second. In that case, Washington would finish second with more Gardner Points, the result of beating Seton LaSalle.

If Seton LaSalle, Sto-Rox and Carlynton win, then Waynesburg finishes third, based on head-to-head results.

3. Few spots in 4A – In Class 4A, there are just eight playoff berths and only the top two finishers in each conference are guaranteed postseason berths. There will be two wild cards.

In the Big Six Conference, Thomas Jefferson (4-0) is first. Belle Vernon (3-1) and Trinity (3-1) play tonight at Hiller Field with the winner being assured of a postseason berth. Both teams are battle-tested from playing difficult non-conference schedules. Both have played their best football over the last two weeks.

So, who wins this one? Like almost all high school football games, it will be the team that controls the line of scrimmage.

4. Battle for a better seed – In Class 5A, there are 12 playoff spots and the top three finishers in each conference advance. There are three wild cards.

Upper St. Clair (4-0) has clinched the Allegheny Six Conference title. Peters Township (3-1) hosts Bethel Park (3-1) with the winner finishing second.

South Fayette (1-3) plays at Moon (1-3). The Lions need a win to enhance their wild-card chances and stop a three-game losing streak.

5. Keeping hope alive – The top four teams in the Class 6A Quad County Conference qualify.

Central Catholic (5-0) and North Allegheny (4-1) have clinched. Seneca Valley (3-2), Canon-McMillan (2-3) and Mt. Lebanon (2-3) are vying for the final two spots. Canon-McMillan must win at Central Catholic to have a chance to advance. The Big Macs’ one-point loss to Seneca Valley and overtime loss to Hempfield are working against them.

Sports editor Chris Dugan can be reached at dugan@observer-reporter.com