The Clairton Bears got back on track offensively after a minor speed bump during the WPIAL Class A championship last Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. The Bears beat up District 10 champion Greenville Friday night at Ellwood City  to clinch a spot in the state championship game with Bishop Guilfoyle.

This will be the third meeting between the Bears and Marauders in the PIAA final. Bishop Guilfoyle won the two previous meetings. The Bears (14-1) never let Greenville get any ideas about springing an upset. After being limited to six points by Laurel last week, the Bears scored six first-half touchdowns.

Brandon Murphy returned two punts for touchdowns against the Trojans. Deon Lovelace-Pompey ran for 109 yards for Clairton.

Avonworth will get familiar foe
The Antelopes improved to 14-0 by sliding by Penn Cambria 41-15 in a Class 3A semifinal. Avonworth will now get to face off against Nothwestern Lehigh, which knocked off the Antelopes 36-33 in the championship game last season. Avonworth beat Penn Cambria despite playing without running back Dimitri Velisaris, who was out with a bruised leg.

Avonworth quarterback Carson Bellinger passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns.

Quips come up just short
Twin Valley will know that it deserved its opportunity to play in its first-ever PIAA Class 4A final. The Raiders built a 28-6 lead at halftime, but allowed Aliquippa to score three unanswered touchdowns in the second half of what ended up being a four-point victory.

The Quips rallied in the second half behind two touchdown passes from Yale commit Marques Council Jr. He threw touchdown passes to Qa'Lille Goode and Antonio Reddic. Akiva Woods also returned an interception for a touchdown for the Quips. Aliquippa, which finished 10-4, wrapped up an improbable WPIAL title with a memorable playoff run.

Jack Miles first role with the Laurel football program was as an eager observer. Jack's grandfather, George, led the Spartans from 1982 to 2003 and compiled a record of 201-128-4.

George led Laurel to its only WPIAL title in 1980. Jack used to go and sit and watch practice when he was 3-years-old.

"I have been around football my entire life," said Jack, who rushed for 109 yards in the Spartans' upset win over Fort Cherry last Friday. "I have always been passionate about football, so there wasn't really a time or age I wasn't interested. I would always talk to my dad and grandfather about how I wanted to be as big or as good as the football players."

Jack and his Laurel teammates will have an opportunity to leave a new chapter in the program's legacy when it takes on No. 2 seed Clairton at 11 a.m. Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. George and Jack's dad, Ryan, are assistant coaches for the Spartans.

Making trips to Pittsburgh's North Shore to play for titles has been a tradition for his family.

In 1989, Laurel and Clairton met at Three Rivers Stadium for the Class A crown. Ryan, played for George in that game. The Bears came away with a 27-20 win. Clairton was quarterbacked that day by Wayne Wade, who is now the Bears long-time head coach.

George's lone WPIAL title win also came against Clairton in 1980, but the Spartans' 14-12 win was played at Mt. Lebanon High School. 

"It's was a blessing to be able to have my family as coaches," Jack said. "Not just for them to see my become successful, but also for them to push me even farther to be this successful."

The Spartans earned their spot with a balanced offensive effort in a 24-14 semifinal win over the two-time defending WPIAL champion Rangers. Laurel didn't have any negative plays and used all of their backs to move the ball methodically down the field.

​Jack, who recovered a fumble in addition to scoring on a 33-yard rush in the third quarter, said Laurel didn't go overboard in celebrating an upset win. Fort Cherry had won 40 consecutive games against WPIAL opponents.

"I didn't do anything special after the game because the job is not done," Jack said. "Our goal was to win the WPIAL championship and Fort Cherry was a boulder we had to climb. I look forward to the community coming and watching such a big game."

Clairton (12-1) is another boulder in a similar size to Fort Cherry. The Bears made the WPIAL final last year and lost a one-point heartbreaker. Clairton has the second-most championships in the district's history with 14, but haven't raised a trophy since 2019.

The Bears' defense is led by sophomore linebacker Brandon Murphy, who has drawn Division I interest. Clairton (12-1) lost its season opener to Imani Christian before shutting out its next nine opponents. The Bears' defense hasn't looked quite so invincible in the WPIAL playoffs.

In the quarterfinals and semifinals, the Bears allowed 33 and 22 points, respectively. Clairton only conceded 19 points in the regular season.

Jack is excited for the challenge ahead. There is still work left to be done.

"When it comes to playing for Laurel, I think of it like repaying the people that helped me throughout my life," Miles said.

Seton La Salle, Steel Valley eager to get back on top
The Rebels had one of the most difficult offseasons in recent memory. Seton LaSalle thought Southmoreland transfer Anthony Smith may start at quarterback. Then his eligibility was denied.

The Rebels were set to have Khalil Taylor and Trey Littlejohn return at wide receiver. They transferred to Pine-Richland and Penn Hills, respectively. After losing its season opener to North Catholic, the Rebels haven't lost since, displaying an explosive offense.

Steel Valley is led by Pitt recruit Da'Ron Barksdale. Read about the game in my preview for the Tribune Review.

Can the Avonworth train be derailed?
The Antelopes have a strong argument to be in the top five pound-for-pound teams in the WPIAL. There is a thought that Avonworth, which came close to winning the state title last season, may be capable of making another run to Mechanicsburg.

The Antelopes (12-0) have been outscoring opponents by an average margin of 42-10. Avonworth went on the road and beat WPIAL Class 4A champion Aliquippa and has another win over perennial power Thomas Jefferson. Antelopes quarterback Carson Bellinger threw for 1,934 yards and and 26 touchdowns.

Dimitri Velisaris has been the Antelopes' top running back, picking up 1,449 yards on the ground. The Antelopes will seek their fourth WPIAL crown and to go back-to-back for the first time in program history against Imani Christian.

The Saints (12-0) were undefeated last season when Avonworth knocked them out in the WPIAL semifinals. Imani should be a worth challenger. The Saints have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 49-7. Gabe Jenkins, who decommitted from Penn State after James Franklin was let go, has passed for 1,646 yards and thrown for 29 touchdowns against five interceptions.

Jenkins has also rushed for 1,357 yards. David Davis, another player who has drawn Division I interest, has 515 receiving yards.

Pine-Richland, Peters Township set to square off again
There is a real argument to be made that Class 5A has been the most balanced division in the WPIAL since the PIAA chose to expand to six classes in 2016. But Pine-Richland and Peters Township have risen to the top of the heap. This will be the third consecutive year the two programs meet in the finals and the fourth time overall.

Pine-Richland won last year's matchup 20-9. The Rams also beat the Indians in 2020 and 2022. Peters Township is 1-3 in in the 5A title games, with their lone win coming in a 43-17 win over Pine-Richland in 2023.

The Rams are 11-1 this season, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of 6A state title contender Pittsburgh Central Catholic. The Indians (12-0) are undefeated. Pine-Richland is loaded with stars, including Jay Timmons, the son of former Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who recently committed to Ohio State.

Taylor is one of the top-recruited juniors in the country. Pine-Richland quarterback Aaron "Oobi" Strader has also put up good numbers.

Peters Township is led by quarterback Nolan DiLucia, who has passed for 2,449 yards and 22 touchdowns. Cole Neupaver has rushed for 1,314 yards. The Indians defense is led by Pitt commit Reston Lehman. This should be a worthy nightcap for the four-game Saturday slate.

Josh Rizzo is the editor of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

HOPEWELL TWP - Laurel coach Brian Cooper, according to a nearby family member shouting after the game, was celebrating his birthday on Saturday morning. It's hard to believe that Cooper would be able to sleep after leading the Spartans to an upset win over Fort Cherry, 24-14, Friday night.

The Spartans stopped a 40-game winning streak the Rangers had against WPIAL competition. Laurel out physicaled Fort Cherry to punch its ticket to the WPIAL Class 1A final for the first time since 1989. Cooper indicated that the Spartans were taking a calm approach to heading to Acrisure Stadium and taking on Clairton.

"We're exited for the opportunity," Cooper said. "We're going to enjoy tonight. We're going to refocus."

Laurel (12-1) didn't have to completely shut out Fort Cherry quarterback Matt Sieg. The Spartans just needed to bottle him up as much as possible. Laurel allowed Sieg to rush for 152 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground, but didn't allow Fort Cherry to score in the second half.

"Matt Sieg is a 4-four star, hell of a player," Laurel linebacker Jack Miles said. "But he's human and he's going to make mistakes just like we all are."

Imani Christian and Avonworth set for star-powered final
The Saints were undefeated last year when Imani met with Avonworth in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. The Antelopes, who lost four times during the regular season, didn't appear like a threat to Imani. But Avonworth heated up in the playoffs, knocking off the Saints 14-6 and made a run all the way to the PIAA final.

This time around, Avonworth (11-0) will be a heavy favorite to beat Imani. The Antelopes have blown by every team they've run into, including a 44-24 win over North Catholic in the semifinals. Avonworth is led by Dimitri Velisaris, who averages 7.7 yards per carry and has run for 1,348 yards.

The Antelopes also have a reliable quarterback in Carson Bellinger, who has thrown for 25 touchdowns against one interception. Imani Christian has North Carolina commit David Davis and highly-sought after Gabe Jenkins to power their offense. Davis ran for 242 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Saints' semifinal win over Montour.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

HAMPTON TWP - Quaker Valley boys soccer coach Sean Ryan wasn't shocked with how the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer field played out. He believed anything could happen.

Ryan, who led the Quakers to a Section 2-2A crown and the second seed, believed in the potential of every playoff team in their section. Three of those teams -- Quaker Valley, No. 4 Avonworth and No. 9 Beaver -- reached the semifinals.

 The Bobcats pounded the Antelopes 8-2 in the semifinals Monday at Hampton to reach the WPIAL Class 2A final at Highmark Stadium this week, while Deer Lakes used a pair of second half goals to topple Quaker Valley.

Beaver will have a rematch with Deer Lakes from their 2022 meeting, which the Lancers won to capture their second district crown.

Deer Lakes, which were the sixth seeded, knocked out No. 11 Central Valley and No. 3 North Catholic on its way to the final. Top-seeded South Park got knocked out in the quarterfinals by Beaver in a 2-1 decision.

The Quakers survived a 3-2 win over No. 10 Shady Side Academy in the quarterfinals.

"I said at the beginning of the season that our section is one of the strongest in 2A if not all of the WPIAL," Ryan said. "I feel pretty confident that three of our four teams made it to a semifinal. I feel Shady Side Academy was above their seeding. They weren't as low quality as a typical 10 seed, they felt like a four or five-seed. This Deer Lakes team could be a No. 2 seed in any other year as well.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

FREEPORT - The math for making the WPIAL playoffs got more difficult when the PIAA chose to expand to six classes. Due to the variety in the amount of schools in classification, the WPIAL has to have different formats for each grouping to choose who will go to the state playoffs. Hopewell is caught in the meat grinder of a section that is the Western Hills Conference.

The Vikings, who are in Class 3A, can qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2012 by finishing in the top three of their section or earning one of the three at-large wild cards. The possibility of needing a wild card to get in was reflected in Hopewell's effort last week against Freeport, which was 6-1 entering the contest.

The Vikings' offense exploded during a 48-20 win over the Yellowjackets, who dropped their second consecutive contest. Hopewell snapped a string of eight consecutive seasons under .500 now wants to make sure it reaches the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2012.

"We drove an hour and a half and took care of business," Hopewell Mottes said. "Our playoffs started last week. We had two tough losses in a row to Beaver and Avonworth. Every game is the playoffs from here on out."

The 6-2 Vikings have two losses, a 51-50 nail biter to Beaver and a big loss at the hands of defending WPIAL champion Avonworth. Hopewell fell to fifth in the conference after those two defeats. The Vikings are tied with the Bobcats, but don't have the tiebreaker.

Things won't get easier for the Vikings this Friday, as they host defending WPIAL runner-up Central Valley. The Warriors (4-4, 3-1) overall record doesn't look pretty, but they played a difficult non-conference schedule. Central Valley has a balanced offense, led by Ethan Shearer, who has 669 rushing yards.

Quarterback Braddock Ambrose has thrown for 1,018 yards. Hopewell has a talented passers of its own in James Armstrong. Armstrong has passed for 1,721 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Running back Nasir Wade ran for 180 yards against Freeport last week and has 901 for the season. Wade also showed his defensive prowess by running an interception for a touchdown last week. If the Vikings can't get past Central Valley, it will wrap up conference play with another difficult game against North Catholic.

The Vikings should be one of the top candidates for a wild card, considering their strong wins against New Castle and Freeport.

Westinghouse has something prove
The Bulldogs (5-3) have had a strange two weeks. Westinghouse had to forfeit a win on the field, 40-14 against Butler on Sept. 19, due to using an ineligible player.

The Bulldogs also took a narrow loss, 28-24, to Karns City on the road and was upended by University Prep last Friday. The loss to the Eagles snapped a 21-game winning streak in City League play.  The Bulldogs will now have to grapple with Allderdice (4-4) in the City League semifinals.

The Dragons, who beat up on Fox Chapel to open the year, looked lifeless last week during a 35-8 loss to Butler. 

Centurions battling back​
Greensburg Central Catholic took a pair of difficult losses to Riverview and Jeannette back-to-back. Now, the Centurions are hoping to find their way back into the playoff picture in a crowded Eastern Conference race. Riverview taking back-to-back losses to Frazier and Brentwood helped opened up some avenues.

The Centurions took care of business last week against Springdale. Greensburg Central Catholic (4-4, 2-3) faces a surprising Frazier team this week in a game that will clear up much of the playoff picture.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

WEST DEER - Noah Stough insisted that Derry's performance in a back-and-forth road win over Deer Lakes Friday in a non-conference road contest was a better representation of what the team is.

The Trojans did a lot of good things during a 24-21 win. Derry recovered an onside kick to start the second half. The Trojans blocked a field goal and punt. 

The Trojans came behind twice during the fourth quarter in a win.

"This is really going to give us some good momentum going into next week," Stough said. "Last week was a fluke. Some players were out injured and we made mistakes. This game, I think, is going to keep pushing us."

Stough finished with 140 receiving yards and caught two touchdown passes. He also converted a fourth down on Derry's last drive that put them in position to score the winning touchdown with 7.9 seconds remaining.

There's a real argument to be made the game shouldn't have been as close as it was. Stough had a 58-yard reception on the first drive, but Derry fumbled the ball away at the Deer Lakes 3-yard line on the next play.

Deer Lakes stopped a drive in the second quarter with an interception in the endzone.

"I thought we created a lot now and there's a lot of stuff we have to clean up," Derry coach Mike Arone said. "I think we had three touchdowns called back because of penalties. We can't make those mistakes, especially on big plays where we're scoring touchdowns and continuously come back. But our kids never quit. They didn't put their heads down. They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting, and they were able to pull it out the end."

It was a tough loss for Deer Lakes, which found a lot of success in the passing game. Luca Mangieri caught three long touchdown passes from his brother, Dante. Luca caught scoring strikes of 25, 55 and 79 yards.

Lancers coach Tim Burk said his kids were resilient, but was disappointed with the end result.

"We just didn't make plays," Burk said. "We had the opportunity and you hope one of them would step up and make a play at a key moment. We couldn't do that tonight. The lack of game experience we have is tough. You can't simulate it in practice."

McKeesport falls on hard times
There was a lot of interest in the rematch from last year's WPIAL Class 4A title game this weekend. But the Tigers' offense could never get going. Penn State commit Kemon Spell left with an injury to his ankle in the first quarter of a 16-7 loss to Thomas Jefferson.

Spell told Brad Everett of the Pittsburgh Union Progress he hoped to be back after being out for a few weeks.

"Will be in much better form when I come back," Spell wrote on X.

Despite Spell being out for much of the game, McKeesport's defense held tough. The Jaguars scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Harrison Kolling with 52 seconds remaining.

Penn-Trafford squeaks by Moon again
The Warriors have had the Tigers' number for the past five years. Penn-Trafford, which outlasted Moon in the 2021 WPIAL Class 5A title game, won by one score against the Tigers for the second straight season. 

Landyn Stikkel caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nate Demond with 6.8 seconds remaining to allow the Warriors to steal a 25-24 win. Penn-Trafford, which leads the all-time series again Moon 6-2-1, beat the Tigers 14-7 last season.

Antelopes rumble by Quips
Aliquippa got a majored boost to its storied program when Mike Warfield returned as coach. The Quips got their first major test of his new tenure, falling 23-7 at home to the defending Class 3A champions, Avonworth. Dimitri Velisaris scored two touchdowns for the Antelopes.

Avonworth will get a stiff test next weekend when it welcomes undefeated defending 4A champions Thomas Jefferson to its stadium.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted via email at [email protected] or on X @J_oshrizzo

fThe Pennsylvania State Hockey Finals wrapped up Saturday at Clearview Arena on Neville Island. Burrell won the inaugural Division 2 Challenge Cup, Garnet Valley won in Class A, North Penn in 2A and Seneca Valley in 3A. the question for hockey's governing body is will the Challenge Cup continue?

It is a two-year experiment for what used to be known as the Open Class. There was a subdued energy to the game, but that may be because the game started at 11 a.m. Some of the Pope John Paul II players drove through the night to get to Pittsburgh for the game.

​Such is life for club sports. 

Here's my story on the Division 2 Challenge Cup for the Tribune Review. Also, wrote about Garnet Valley's title for High School on SI.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshrizzo.