Nov 13, 2025 By Jerin Steele 5 min read

The Fort Cherry football team is so close they can sense it, but that doesn’t mean they’re taking anything for granted.

One win separates the Rangers from a third consecutive trip to Acrisure Stadium for a WPIAL Class A Championship.

Standing in the way is Laurel, which hasn’t played in a WPIAL title game since they were held at Three Rivers Stadium.

No. 1 Fort Cherry plays No. 4 Laurel tonight at Hopewell’s Tony Dorsett Stadium.

Two other local teams are in the semifinals. Peters Township faces Upper St. Clair at Canon-McMillan’s AHN Field. Washington takes on Seton LaSalle at Peters Township’s Confluence Financial Partners Stadium.

All three games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Rangers defeated Laurel’s conference foe Neshannock 36-9 in the quarterfinals last Friday, but was tested before pulling away.

Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry expects Laurel to provide a stiff test. It’s a matchup of two of the top defenses in Class A, both allowing only nine points per game.

“They’re a tough team,” Garry said. “We’ve been keeping tabs on them. They play a similar style of ball to Neshannock, but are a little more run heavy where they line everybody up and go. They do have a good quarterback (Santini) that can mix in some good throws to keep you honest.”

Laurel’s last WPIAL title game was in 1989, a 27-20 loss to Clairton. The Spartans won their lone district title in 1980.

Fort Cherry has won two consecutive titles and is seeking to become the first Washington County team to win three in a row.

“We’re just trying to enjoy it,” Fort Cherry quarterback Matt Sieg said. “It’s the last ride. We’re just taking it week-by-week. Gotta win (this) week and keep winning after that. That’s all it is. Try to go 1 and 0 every week.”

Sieg has guided the Rangers’ run-heavy offense. Fort Cherry has thrown only 38 passes all season, 25 of those by Sieg.

Sieg has 1,612 yards rushing and recently passed Mike Vernillo as Fort Cherry’s all-time leading rusher. Eli Salvini is closing in on a 1,000-yard season. He has 906 yards.

The Spartans are led by senior quarterback Luca Santini, who’s thrown for 1,178 yards and 20 touchdowns to six interceptions. Santini is also a standout pitcher and is committed to play baseball at Clarion.

Kolton Carlson is Santini’s top target with 30 receptions. Carlson is also Laurel’s leading rusher with 651 yards and has 19 total touchdowns.

Laurel’s path to the semifinals was a 35-0 shutout over Jefferson-Morgan and a 40-21 victory against Chartiers-Houston.

Fort Cherry beat Avella 48-14 in the first round before the Neshannock win.

PT seeks sweep

Peters Township got past one Allegheny Six Conference rival last week, beating Bethel Park 42-14.

Now it gets another conference rematch with Upper St. Clair in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Peters Township beat Upper St. Clair 24-20 in the regular season and 7-3 in last year’s semifinal.

Running back Cole Neupaver had five touchdowns in last week’s win. He and his teammates get another game with the Panthers.

It’s the fourth meeting in two years.

“It’s a crosstown rival and we know a lot of the kids on that team,” Neupaver said. “We talk every once in a while. They’re a good team that’s well-coached and it’s definitely exciting to play them again.”

Upper St. Clair went to the Wolvarena last week and beat Woodland Hills 36-26 to reach the semifinals and blasted Plum, 46-8, in the first round.

This matchup will feature two 2,000-yard passers.

Upper St. Clair’s Ethan Hellmann has 2,480 yards and 32 touchdowns to five interceptions. PT’s Nolan DiLucia has 2,276 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Hellman’s top targets are Nico D’Orazio, Bryce Jones, Randy Yan and Dante Coury. All four have 20 or more catches with D’Orazio leading the way with 34.

P.J. Luke has 31 catches to lead Peters Township. Lucas Rost has caught 26 passes and Lucas Shanafelt has 23.

Shanafelt, a Stanford recruit, and Pitt commit Reston Lehman lead a defense that has yielded only seven points per game.

Upper St. Clair is the only team this season that has scored 20 points against Peters Township. Every other opponent had 14 points or less.

WHS wants revenge

Sometimes the universe gives you a second chance.

Wash High will gladly take it.

In the final week of the regular season Wash High left Dormont Stadium disappointed after a 27-14 loss to Seton LaSalle in a battle for the Class 2A Century Conference title.

Now they get another crack at the Rebels in the semifinals.

If the Prexies can replicate the defensive performance they had in the quarterfinals against South Allegheny they’ll have a chance to get back to a WPIAL final for the first time since 2019. Washington had a pair of interception returns for touchdowns – one each by Tristan Reed and Blaise Naraskivich – and gave up only seven points to a Gladiators team that had put 50 or more points on the scoreboard six times.

A key for the Prexies will be containing Rebels running back Kymarr Freeman, who had 249 yards in the first meeting.