WPIAL semifinal rewind: laurel shocks the WPIAL

Laurel's Jack Miles, center, scored on a 33-yard touchdown run to open the second half Friday at Tony Dorsett Stadium. The Spartans picked up a 24-14 win over No. 1 Fort Cherry. Josh Rizzo/Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges

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.