Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its final championship games of the 2023-2024 fall season this past Friday as Class 1A through Class 4A competed in the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Football Championships at Acrisure Stadium. At the end of the night, there were repeat champions in Class 3A and Class 4A with Belle Vernon and Aliquippa, respectively, while Beaver Falls won its second in four years at Class 2A, and Fort Cherry became a first-time winner at Class 1A.
Aliquippa increased its lead in WPIAL football championships, winning its 20th overall and third straight at Class 4A. The Quips are now the third school to win at least three straight WPIAL titles on two different occasions, joining Clairton (2008-12, 2014-16) and Thomas Jefferson (2006-08, 2015-17), and are one of 11 schools to three-peat, with Blackhawk, Braddock, Central Valley, New Castle, North Allegheny, Rochester, West Allegheny, and Wilkinsburg alongside the aforementioned teams. Aliquippa’s newest title joins ones from 1952, 1955, 1968, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2022 in its trophy case.
Belle Vernon successfully defended its Class 3A championship, which is its third overall. The Leopards moved into a tie for 36th all-time in WPIAL football titles, joining Avella, Bridgeville, Chartiers-Houston, Donora, Hurst, Johnstown, Leechburg, Monaca, New Brighton, Serra Catholic, and Western Beaver on the list. Belle Vernon’s first championship came in 1995, also at the 3A classification.
In its fourth consecutive WPIAL Championship Game appearance, Beaver Falls won its sixth overall title. The Tigers have now won in 1928, 1960, 1984, 2016, 2020, and 2023, and move into a tie for 15th all-time in league titles with Braddock, Farrell, North Allegheny, South Fayette, and Steel Valley.
At Class 1A, Fort Cherry captured its first WPIAL championship, becoming the 128th different school to claim a league football title. The Rangers were previously 0-2 in WPIAL championship games, falling 19-14 to Riverview in 1997, and 27-19 in Rochester in 2001.
All four champions join North Allegheny and Peters Township in the semifinal round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Football Championships on Dec. 1-2. North Allegheny and Peters Township previously entered in the quarterfinal round following their wins in the WPIAL Class 5A and Class 6A championship games on Nov. 18. The PIAA championship games will be held on Dec. 7-9 on the campus of Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.
CLASS 4A RECAP
Playing in its 16th consecutive WPIAL championship game and fourth straight at Class 4A, top-seeded Aliquippa completed its second three-peat with a 35-21 victory over second-seeded McKeesport.
Aliquippa (12-0, 7-0 Section I) outgained McKeesport (11-2, 6-0 Section III) on offense, 356-225, and won the turnover battle by forcing three interceptions and a fumble while not committing a mistake of its own. The Quips had possession on offense for 27:02, went 7-for-11 on third down conversions, and finished all three of their red zone trips with a touchdown.
In what was a 0-0 deadlock for most of the first quarter, Aliquippa made the first big play when junior defensive back Arison Walker forced a fumble and senior linebacker Cameron Lindsey ran it back 39 yards for the scoop and score with 0:17 on the clock. The Quips’ 7-0 lead would last all of 12 seconds however, as Tigers senior runningback Richard Beermann took the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to paydirt to make it 7-7 after a quarter.
McKeesport grabbed a 14-7 lead midway through the second frame when senior quarterback Garrett Tarker called his own number and ran into the end zone untouched from three yards out. Aliquippa answered with 2:28 remaining in the half, capping an 11-play, 72-yard drive with a Lindsey two-yard plunge. Two plays later, sophomore defensive back QaLil Goode intercepted Tarker and ran it back to the Tigers’ 40-yard line, leading to the Quips taking a 21-14 advantage into halftime after senior wide receiver Demarkus Walker found paydirt from 25 yards away on a swing pass.
Aliquippa made it 27-14 after its first drive of the third quarter. Senior quarterback Quentin Goode found QaLil Goode on a 41-yard bomb to put the Quips in McKeesport territory, and four plays later Lindsey collected his third touchdown of the night from a 12-yard run.
The Tigers pulled within a score with 10:27 remaining, as Tarker hooked up with freshman runningback Kemon Spell for a 28-yard touchdown to complete a 12-play, 78-yard drive. That would be as close as McKeesport could get though, with the Quips answering on an 11-play, 55-yard trek that ended in a Quentin Goode nine-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Michael Gaskins to make it 35-21.
For Aliquippa on offense, Quentin Goode finished with 157 yards and two touchdowns on 8-of-14 passing. Junior runningback Tiqwai Hayes rushed for 113 yards on 20 carries, while Lindsey had 36 rushing yards and two scores on seven carries. Seven different Quips pass-catchers recorded a reception, with Walker’s two catches for 33 yards leading the way.
Defensively, junior defensive end Mekhi Green collected a game-high 11 tackles. Walker added seven tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception, while QaLil Goode and Hayes also picked off passes.
Tarker finished with 106 passing yards and a touchdown on 5-of-12 attempts. Senior fullback Keith Spell led McKeesport in rushing with 55 yards on 11 carries, while Kemon Spell had 43 receiving yards and a score on two catches. On defense, junior defensive back Anthony Boyd had a team-high 10 tackles, and sophomore linebacker Matthew Sebelia recorded six tackles and a sack.
Aliquippa made it back to its 16th straight WPIAL title game with victories over ninth-seeded Greater Latrobe (37-29) and fourth-seeded Mars (47-24), while McKeesport defeated 10th-seeded Trinity and third-seeded Montour by identical 28-14 scores.
Aliquippa begins PIAA Championships play on Friday, Dec. 1 when it takes on District IV champion Selinsgrove at Central Cambria High School. The Quips have won PIAA championships in 1991, 2003, 2018, and 2021, and are looking to rebound from a 41-18 defeat to Bishop McDevitt in last year’s PIAA Class 4A Championship Game.
CLASS 3A RECAP
In one of three WPIAL Championship Game rematches from a year ago, top-seeded Belle Vernon claimed the same result with a 26-0 victory over second-seeded Avonworth, capturing its second straight Class 3A title.
Belle Vernon (11-1, 5-0 Section III) rode its defense to the championship, holding Avonworth (12-1, 6-0 Section I) to 4.3 average offensive yards per play and a combined 0-14 mark on third and fourth-down conversion attempts. The Leopards owned the possession edge on the Antelopes by holding the ball for 28:01 and gained 13 first downs to the opponents’ seven.
Belle Vernon took advantage of excellent field position on its opening drive, needing two plays to set up a touchdown from senior quarterback Braden Laux on a two-yard keeper. After forcing a turnover on downs on Avonworth’s second offensive drive, the Leopards marched down the field nine plays before sophomore Preston Rathway kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
Neither offense could break through in the second quarter, and the 10-0 score remained until the 4:58 mark of the third frame when Laux kept it from a yard out to make it 17-0. Less than two minutes later with the Antelopes pinned at their own two-yard line, junior defensive back Dominic Ghilani broke through for a sack in the end zone, adding two points via a safety.
After the safety kick, Belle Vernon put the game out of reach when Laux connected with senior runningback Jake Gedekoh for a 25-yard touchdown.
Laux finished with 155 passing yards on 12-of-21 attempts, 53 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns (1 passing, 2 rushing). Senior runningback Quinton Martin added 46 rushing yards on nine carries and tallied a game-high five receptions for 25 yards. Junior wide receiver Anthony Crews paced all players with 44 receiving yards on two catches.
Defensively for the Leopeards, senior linebacker Tanner Moody had a team-high nine tackles and classmate Adam LaCarte collected eight. Laux and Ghilani each recorded a sack, while junior linebacker Alonzo Wade tallied an interception.
Avonworth senior runningback Andrew Kuban recorded 79 rushing yards on 15 carries and added four catches for 28 yards. Classmate Brandon Biagiarelli finished with 36 rushing yards on 10 carries, and sophomore quarterback Carson Bellinger threw for 66 yards on 6-of-13 attempts.
Biagiarelli led all players with 16 tackles and added an interception. Junior linebacker Nico Neal registered nine tackles for the Antelopes, and classmate Mason Metz collected a sack.
Belle Vernon returned to the WPIAL championship game with triumphs over eighth-seeded Deer Lakes (49-6) and fourth-seeded East Allegheny (49-8), while second-seeded Avonworth defeated seventh-seeded Beaver (41-21) and third-seeded Elizabeth Forward (21-10) to return to Acrisure Stadium.
Belle Vernon starts its journey to defend the PIAA Class 3A title when it takes on District X champion Hickory on Friday, Dec. 1 at North Allegheny High School. The Leopards won their first PIAA championship last year by defeating Neumann Goretti, 9-8.
CLASS 2A RECAP
The WPIAL Class 2A Championship Game featured the same teams as a year ago, but 2023 produced a different result as 10th-seeded Beaver Falls scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with 44 seconds remaining to defeat top-seeded Steel Valley, 14-12.
Beaver Falls (9-5, 4-3 Section II) and Steel Valley (10-2, 7-0 Section I) both produced strong defensive performances, as their offenses combined for 334 yards and a 5-for-21 performance on third-down conversions. The Tigers held the edge in the yards department by a 193-141 margin and kept drives alive with a 4-for-6 success rate on fourth-down conversions.
Both teams began the game by trading three-and-outs. On Steel Valley’s next drive, the offense rode junior runningback Donald Barksdale for seven straight carries, culminating with a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 6-0 after a blocked extra point. Beaver Falls nearly answered on its next possession, only to see a fourth-down pass fall incomplete to end a 12-play, 59-yard drive.
The Tigers tied the game at 6-6 with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-goal from the Ironmen 10-yard line, senior quarterback Kadin Brickner lofted a pass into the corner of the end zone that was hauled in by classmate Da’Sean Anderson.
In the final stanza, Beaver Falls opened its next-to-last drive with a pair of first-down runs from senior runningback Da’talian Beauford. After a pair of offsides calls brought the ball to the Steel Valley 24-yard line, Ironmen senior defensive lineman Joe Ketterman forced a fumble that fell into the waiting arms of junior defensive tackle Rasaun Hough, and he scampered 78 yards for the go-ahead score. Another blocked extra point – both by Tigers senior linebacker Michael Blackshear – kept the deficit six points at 12-6.
Beaver Falls regrouped after the turnover and moved the ball 37 yards in nine plays, using a Brickner 16-yard pass to Anderson on fourth-and-five to keep its comeback hopes alive. On the next play with 44 seconds remaining, Beauford found a seam and burst through it for a four-yard score to tie it at 12-12, then added the two-point conversion to give the Tigers a late lead.
Steel Valley gained 27 yards on its first two plays of the next drive, moving the ball quickly to the Beaver Falls 23-yard line with 15 seconds left. That’s where the Ironmen’s comeback hopes would end however, as Anderson leapt to pick off a pass in the end zone, sealing the victory for the Tigers.
Beauford led Beaver Falls offensively with 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, and added a pair of receptions for 19 yards. Anderson had five catches for 51 yards and a score, and Brickner finished 8-of-13 passing for 71 yards.
Anderson was the leading tackler for the Tigers with eight, adding the game-sealing interception late. Senior defensive lineman Sy’Mauri McCoy collected seven tackles, and sophomore linebacker Kenny Jewell III tallied six.
Barksdale rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries for Steel Valley. Senior linebacker Tylyne Bursey led all players with 12 tackles and was one of three Ironmen with double figures in that category, joining junior linebacker Cay’son Simpkins and senior defensive lineman Lavon Gray with 10 apiece. Simpkins also forced a fumble.
Beaver Falls started its WPIAL championship run with a 20-7 road win against seventh-seeded Keystone Oaks, then won its next three games by two points or fewer, including victories over second-seeded Neshannock (14-13) and third-seeded Washington (28-26). Steel Valley defeated ninth-seeded Western Beaver (21-18) and fifth-seeded Mohawk (34-21) to make the title tilt.
Beaver Falls kicks off its PIAA Championships trek on Friday, Dec. 1 when it plays District VIII champion Westinghouse at West Allegheny High School. The Tigers are in search of their second PIAA title, having won their first in 2016 with a 30-13 victory over Middletown at Class 3A.
CLASS 1A RECAP
For the first time in school history, Fort Cherry is a WPIAL football champion as the second-seeded Rangers raced past top-seeded South Side, 42-28, in the Class 1A championship game.
Fort Cherry (14-0, 7-0 Section III) and South Side (13-1, 6-0 Section IV) combined for 754 yards of offense, but the Rangers outgained the Rams through the air, 173-50, and held the ball for 30:10 compared to the top seed’s 17:47. Fort Cherry also forced the game’s only turnover, went 8-for-15 on third down, and converted 3-of-5 fourth downs.
The Rangers made an immediate impact to start the game, forcing a fumble on South Side’s first offensive play and taking over from the Rams’ 47-yard line. Fort Cherry then went on a 10-play, 47-yard drive, ending with a three-yard touchdown run from sophomore quarterback Matt Sieg to make it 6-0.
South Side answered on the ensuing drive, moving the ball 63 yards over a 10-play span. The Rams also used the quarterback’s legs to reach paydirt, as senior Brody Almashy punched it in from a yard out to make it 7-6 in favor of the top seed after a successful extra point. That lead grew to 14-6 early in the second quarter, as after South Side gained 66 yards in two plays on the legs of Almashy and senior runningback Ryan Navarra, sophomore runningback Andrew Corfield scored from three yards away.
It took five players for Fort Cherry to answer and tie the game at 14-14. Senior runningback Ethan Faletto gained 20 yards on two carries to open the drive, then Sieg moved the ball downfield 14 yards on two keepers. That set up a Sieg 35-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Shane Cornali, with Sieg adding the two-point conversion to create a 14-all deadlock.
The Rams’ next drive ended in a turnover on downs and the Rangers took advantage, engineering a 10-play, 65-yard drive that ended in some trickery, as Cornali found a wide-open Faletto on a fourth-down reverse pass to make it 21-14. Fort Cherry then gained another fourth-down stop and went back to work on offense, moving the ball 64 yards on eight plays with Sieg finding Cornali over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown with three seconds left in the half.
The Rangers put the game out of reach on their opening drive of the third quarter. After the trek began with a 10-yard pass from Sieg to Cornali, Fort Cherry called 11 straight run plays from Sieg and Faletto out of its no-huddle offense, ending the 70-yard drive with a Sieg four-yard keeper to push the gap to 35-14.
Sieg finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-16 passing and added 178 yards and two scores on 32 carries. The sophomore also collected three tackles and an interception defensively, and punted twice for 90 yards with a long of 51. Faletto scored on a run and catch, finishing with 87 rushing yards on 19 carries, while Cornali accounted for three touchdowns (1 passing, 2 receiving) on four receptions for 91 yards.
Cornali shared the Rangers team lead in tackles with senior linebacker Corey Bouchelle, as both had nine takedowns. The former added a fumble recovery, while senior defensive back Nashaun Sutton recorded five tackles and two forced fumbles.
Almashy rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, and added 50 yards and a score through the air. Corfield tallied 98 yards rushing and a score on 15 carries, and Navarra added 46 yards on eight run plays. Junior wide receiver Carter Wilson hauled in a 45-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for South Side.
Defensively for the Rams, Corfield led all players with 13 tackles and was one of four with double-digits in the category. Navarra added 10, as did junior linebackers Slayton Williams and Mateja Pavlovich.
Fort Cherry reached the WPIAL championship game with wins over 15th-seeded Jefferson-Morgan (50-16), 10th-seeded Rochester (42-0), and third-seeded Bishop Canevin (33-21). South Side topped 16th-seeded Monessen (39-0), eighth-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (48-21), and fourth-seeded Clairton (28-12) to play for the title.
Fort Cherry opens the PIAA Championships on Friday, Dec. 1 when it travels to Farrell High School to play District IX champion Redbank Valley. This will be the Rangers’ first time compete for a PIAA football championship.
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