Column: 'the big one is in two weeks' Clairton football knows the job isn't done

Clairton's Donte Wright, seen here carrying the ball against Riverview earlier this season, recovered the fumble to seal the Bears' 8-6 win over Clairton in the WPIAL Class A title game. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and College

PITTSBURGH - Wayne Wade didn't need to worry about the Clairton football team tuning him out about their being more meat on the bone after winning the WPIAL Class A football championship Saturday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.

The Bears needed all of their mettle to trip up fourth-seeded Laurel, 8-6. Clairton (13-1) now has 15 WPIAL championships to its name, but Wade would like to see this Bears squad be the first one not led by Tyler Boyd to win a state championship. Boyd, who went on to play in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans, was on the sidelines and spoke to the team after the game.

The Bears won four consecutive PIAA titles during Boyd's career.

​"Tyler was just telling the kids in the locker room, it's not over," said Wade, who has led Clairton to five WPIAL titles in 12 seasons as coach. "He was saying that we did this four times and we had this (WPIAL championship), but the big one is in two weeks."

The Bears will try to return to the final by knocking off District 10 champion Greenville in the semifinals next weekend. Clairton has made the state finals seven times, winning four times between 2009-12. The Bears lost to Steelton-Highspire in 2008 and Bishop Guilfyole in 2014 and 2016.

This current group of players hasn't experience the type of that some of their previous classes had. Clairton's win over Laurel gave the Bears first WPIAL championship since 2019. After losing by one point to Fort Cherry in the final last season, everyone was feeling the pain.

Clairton senior quarterback Jeff Thompson found Brandon Murphy for a 12-yard touchdown right before halftime to give the Bears their only points against Laurel. Last season, Thompson had injured his shoulder during the playoffs and couldn't throw in the championship game.

"I feel like I let the city down last year," Thompson said. "I wasn't healthy. I couldn't throw the ball, like there was just nothing I could do. But I still stayed out there and ran the offense, but we came out short. It feel good to be back out there throwing the ball and just being myself, man. I got my guys here with me and they help me out too."

Wade said this championship started with all of the players getting in the weight room back in February. The Bears have chipped away at the things that caused their close calls in the past to fall short.

Wade also said he was encouraged with a lot of the things that has happened for Clairton off the field. The Bears have received a few shots in the arm.

Money was raised to renovate Neil C. Brown Stadium, a total of $10 million through donations and a taxpayer bond, which has been rechristened Tyler Boyd Field. Recently, Pittsburgh Steelers minority owner Thomas Tull announced that $2 million was being donated through the Tull Family Foundation to help out schools in the Pittsburgh area with high school athletics.

The Bears received $100,000.

"We've had a lot of adversity," Wade said. "We stood here as runners up last year and this group of seniors decided since Feb. 5 that they were going to help us win a championship and they did it. I don't know I can even name everyone who truly helped us get here this year."

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.