Oct 28, 2014 7 min read

Ignore the projections of who will be playing at Heinz Field for the WPIAL titles. Pundits are rarely correct and a lot of that has to do with a bias toward schools in Allegheny and Beaver counties.

You can’t argue with history since those two counties have some of the biggest football powers in the WPIAL and the media in Western Pennsylvania rarely pays attention to teams in Washington County.

The bottom line is championships aren’t won based on how many Division I recruits a school has. The idea that Apollo Ridge has a better football team than Wash High is laughable. I don’t care how many “stars” recruiting sites are giving players like Malik Wells.

Football games are won on the field. Some of the greatest teams in WPIAL history did not produce high profile Division I players.

Everyone will talk about Aliquippa being its usual self, but I guess everyone forgot how much the Quips lost from last season. Dravon Henry is already one of the top safeties in the Big 12 and Terry Swanson is one of the best tailbacks in the Mid-American Conference.

We won’t truly know which teams can beat which until the helmets are strapped up and the ball is kicked off. We are still a month away from the highly anticipated lineup of championships games at Heinz Field, so let’s start with this week’s games for local teams.

Class AAA

Gateway (4-4, 4-5) at Ringgold (7-1, 8-1)

This isn’t the same Gateway teams of years past, but the Gators will be well-coached with Tom Nola leading the charge. Gateway does have a Division I recruit in junior wide receiver Aidan Howard, but Nola’s first year in Monroeville has not gone as planned.

The Gators are only averaging 18.4 points per game and are allowing 23.3. They lost their first three games of the season and three of their four wins came against inferior opponents. Gateway barely made the playoffs as the fifth-place team out of the Greater Allegheny Conference.

They run into a Ringgold team that has won eight straight games and is averaging almost 40 points per game. The key has been the development of the offensive line and running back Chacar Berry. The Rams are well-positioned to make a run this season after three straight first round disappointments.

Class AA

Waynesburg (5-3, 6-3) at South Fayette (8-0, 9-0)

The Lions have won 25 straight games with the best offense in the WPIAL and the best quarterback, Brett Brumbaugh. South Fayette has shown no sign of slowing down and the team has few weaknesses.

On the other side, the Raiders are decimated by injuries. It’s a shame because they have been a playoff-caliber team all season long and with John-Glen Davis, Waynesburg was a better team than Mt. Pleasant.

It’s a matter of bad timing for Waynesburg, but the program is in good hands under head coach Russ Moore. We won’t be seeing the last of the Raiders in the playoffs.

Steel Valley (6-3, 6-3) at Wash High (8-0, 9-0)

Critics will bring up the first round playoff loss to Seton-LaSalle last season, but this Wash High team is nothing like last year’s. I’ve written about their leadership on both sides of the football, the play of DeQuay Isbell and the development of the offensive line.

While the Ironmen are led by talented tailback DeWayne Murray (102 carries for 1,255 yards and 24 touchdowns), they are one-dimensional. That doesn’t translate to success against the Prexies’ defense. It will require a team that can do it all to beat Wash High. The only two teams in Class AA that possess those traits are South Fayette at Aliquippa.

McGuffey (6-2, 7-2) at Seton-LaSalle (8-1, 8-1)

Home field advantage is usually a great commodity for first round playoff games, but the Rebels play at Chartiers Valley High School. That will help the Highlanders, who escaped the grueling Interstate Conference without any major injuries.

This will be the closest game of any and probably the most difficult to pick. McGuffey is entering the playoffs underrated with its only two losses coming against Mt. Pleasant and Wash High, which resulted in two bad halves of football.

If the Highlanders can stop wide receiver Danzel McKinley-Lewis, they’ll win this game. The senior class is not going to go down without a fight.

Class A

Riverside (4-3, 5-4) at Beth-Center (8-0, 9-0)

It’s going to take a strong passing game and an ability to stop the run to take down the Bulldogs. While the Panthers are strong at quarterback with Jason Dambach, their defense is allowing 25.1 points per game.

Look for Beth-Center to finally get over the first round woes it has suffered in recent years to set up a potential second round game against Avonworth.

Avella (4-4, 5-4) at North Catholic (7-0, 9-0)

The Eagles had a remarkable second-half surge to reach the playoffs for the second straight year, but they are playing a team that is loaded. North Catholic’s campus looks a like small college and its football team plays like one.

I hope Avella puts up a fight, but the deck is stacked against them.

Chartiers-Houston (4-3, 5-4) at Clairton (8-0, 9-0)

The Bears are averaging 67.8 points per game. The Bucs can’t do much on offense and are definitely the favorite to win the title at Heinz Field. Chartiers-Houston is a great story with breaking its playoff drought, but I don’t think any Class A team can beat Clairton.

Mapletown (6-2, 7-2) at Avonworth (6-1, 8-1)

George Messich will likely be a candidate for coach of the year and the Maples were one of the stronger teams in the Tri-County South, but Avonworth is stacked and would have gone unbeaten in the Tri-County South.

It’s tough team for Mapletown to draw. Avonworth is allowing less than 13 points per game and is one of the better teams in Class A. I don’t see this being much of a game, but I’ve been wrong before. Plenty of times, actually.