​The Pittsburgh Central Catholic football team opened up the season by testing itself against La Salle College at the Wolvarena. Thanks to a 32-14 win over Harrisburg in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals Saturday night, the Vikings will end their season against the Explorers, but at a different venue.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic (12-1) hasn't lost since La Salle College handed them a 23-6 defeat in the season opener. The Explorers are led by Mizzou commit Gavin Sidwar at quarterback. This will be the third time that Central Catholic has reached the final since the PIAA expanded to six classes in 2016.

The Vikings previously lost to St. Joseph's Prep in 2016 and 2024. Central Catholic has four state championship wins, including the first-ever Class 4A title in 1989. The Vikings last brought home the crown in 2015, when it knocked off Parkland, 21-18.

Farrell rolls over Seton LaSalle
The District 10 champion Steelers flexed their offensive muscles in a 40-19 win over Seton LaSalle. Farrell leaned on Juelz Johnson, who rushed for more than 200 yards.

The Rebels (12-2) fell behind 24-0.

Bishop McDevitt breaks Peters Township's heart
Crusaders kicker Aidan Greall made a 24-yard field goal as time expired to help District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt beat Peters Township, 31-28. The Indians nearly had another wild comeback win. Peters Township trailed 14-0 and 21-10.

The Indians took their only lead, 25-21, when quarterback Nolan DiLucia threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to P.J. Luke.

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.

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.

Will the Anthony Smith case set a precedent for Pennsylvania football?  The Seton LaSalle sophomore quarterback was denied eligibility by the WPIAL and PIAA this offseason. But Smith's family hired an attorney, Steve Toprani, who posted on X Monday evening that he was seeking a preliminary injunction to allow him to play this season.

The WPIAL's offseason has been filled with eligibility battles. Smith was denied eligibility because the WPIAL felt the transfer was motivated at least partly by athletic intent. Smith appealed to the PIAA, which upheld the WPIAL's ruling.

Smith, who passed for more than 2,000 yards as a freshman, will have depleted options to throw to if he is allowed to play. Rebels standout Khalil Taylor, a Penn State commit, transferred to Pine-Richland this offseason and will have an eligibility hearing of his own.

Seton LaSalle also lost all-conference receiver Trey Littlejohn, who transferred to Penn Hills.

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.

The annual wave of PIAA and WPIAL transfer hearing meetings are already causing a lot of headaches for athletes, administrators and sports fans around the area.

The WPIAL and PIAA agreed that Bishop Canevin's Brady Wagner will be ineligible for this football season after being ruled as having transferred due to "athletic intent." Wagner enrolled at Bishop Canevin and played baseball for the Crusaders last spring.

Another piece of transfer news is likely to cause waves soon. Former Seton LaSalle standout Khalil Taylor enrolled at Pine-Richland. There will be pressure on the district and state to be consistent with their rulings. There has already been plenty of clamoring about decisions made over the past few weeks.

Here's a look at some of the other notable decisions:

• Former Steel Valley great Charlie Batch, who went on to a professional career with the Steelers and Detroit Lions, was vocal over his disappointment when Seton LaSalle sophomore quarterback Anthony Smith was ruled ineligible by the WPIAL for the 2025 season.
• Lincoln Park's Josh Pratt was approved to transfer from Aliquippa to Lincoln Park, but is ineligible under PIAA rules to play in the postseason. 
• A pair of brothers who transferred from Knoch to Moon, Jackson and Brody Bauman, already had their postseason waivers denied. The Bauman boys moved schools after their dad, Alan, resigned as coach at Knoch
  

​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. 

The top spots in the Week 8 poll remain unchanged in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Week 8 rankings. Meadville maintained the top spot in Class 2A, while Cumberland Valley is at the top of 3A.

A pair of District 3 teams: Brandywine Heights Area and Northeastern, moved into the top 10 in Class 2A and 3A, respectively. 

Here's a look at the top 10 for each class:

                                        Class 3A
              Team                   District           Previous Ranking

1. Cumberland Valley         3                           1
2. North Allegheny             7                           2
3. Seneca Valley                 7                           4 
4. Governor Mifflin             3                           5
5. Central York                   3                           3
6. Emmaus                        11                          7
7. Cedar Crest                    3                           8
8. Warwick                         3                           6
9. Northeastern                  3                          N/A
10. Central Dauphin              3                           9     

                                        Class 2A
              Team                   District           Previous Ranking

1. Meadville                       10                           1
2. Manheim Central              3                           2
3. Shaler                              7                           4 
4. York Suburban                  3                           3
5. Holy Redeemer                 2                          5
6. Seton LaSalle                    7                          6
7. Saegertown                     10                         7
8. Ambridge                          7                          8
9. South Fayette                   7                         10
10. Brandwine Heights Area     3                         N/A