Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) saw four schools capture titles at the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Soccer Championships from Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at Highmark Stadium. There were a pair of successful title defenses with Bentworth and South Park respectively winning Class 1A and Class 2A, while Moon won for the second time in three years at Class 3A, and Fox Chapel snapped a 29-year drought at Class 4A.
Fox Chapel is now a six-time WPIAL boys’ soccer champion after raising the trophy for the first time in nearly 30 seasons, moving into a tie with Seton LaSalle and Upper St. Clair for the ninth most titles in league history. The Foxes also won in 1964, 1967, 1987, 1991, and 1995.
Moon climbed into a tie for seventh all-time with Sewickley Academy with its seventh championship. The Tigers were also victorious in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1990, 2003, and 2022.
South Park is the first school to repeat as Class 2A champion since Shady Side Academy won two straight in 2017 and 2018. The Eagles now have five championships overall, pairing their newest with 2005, 2006, 2014, and 2023.
One year after winning its first WPIAL boys’ soccer title in school history, Bentworth is now a two-time champion. The Bearcats are the third different school to repeat at Class 1A in six seasons, with Winchester Thurston doing so before them in 2021 and 2022, and Greensburg Central Catholic before that in 2019 and 2020.
The top two teams in Class 4A and top three teams in Class 1A, Class 2A, and Class 3A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Soccer Championships, which begin with first round games on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and conclude with championship games on Nov. 15-16 at Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg.
CLASS 4A RECAP
Third-seeded Fox Chapel used a goal with 11 minutes remaining to capture its first WPIAL boys’ soccer championship in 29 years, as it defeated top-seeded Plum, 1-0, in the Class 4A championship game this past Friday.
Fox Chapel (13-4-2, 8-2-0 Section III) and Plum (17-1-3, 10-0-0 Section I) were deadlocked for most of regulation before a moment of brilliance in the 70th minute put the Foxes ahead. Senior forward Carson Krushansky carried the ball across the box, created just enough space against two defenders, and buried a left-footed shot inside the right post.
Fox Chapel held advantages in shot attempts (18 to 7), shots on goal (8 to 1), and corner kicks (7 to 0), while the Mustangs owned a 55 to 45 percent lead in possession. The Foxes received six shot attempts and three on goal from senior defender Aidan Stein, while Krushansky had four attempts and three on goal. Junior goalkeeper Brady Matthews made one save.
Plum saw sophomore goalkeeper Chase Eber make seven saves. Senior defender Garrett Chandler and junior midfielder Christian Alter both led the team with two shot attempts, with Chandler tallied the one on goal.
The Foxes made it to Highmark Stadium with a 3-1 win over sixth-seeded Upper St. Clair and a 1-0 triumph against second-seeded Peters Township. The Mustangs needed two overtimes to defeat eighth-seeded Canon-McMillan, then topped fourth-seeded North Allegheny, 2-1.
Fox Chapel opens the PIAA Championships at home against District III fourth-place Mechanicsburg, while Plum is on the road against District X champion McDowell. This is the 14th PIAA appearance for the Foxes, who won a state title in 1990, and it’s the fifth for the Mustangs.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Top-seeded Moon scored twice in a span of five minutes in the second half, breaking a 1-1 deadlock to defeat seventh-seeded Franklin Regional, 3-1, in the Class 3A championship game this past Saturday.
Moon (22-0-0, 12-0-0 Section IV) kept its record unblemished with goals in the fifth, 62nd, and 67th minutes. The Tigers opened the scoring when senior midfielder Luiz Silva ripped a shot from the top of the box off a pass from classmate Zechariah Balbach. With the score 1-1, seniors Aedan Costa and Evan Thomas worked together to put Moon ahead with a finish from Costa, and then five minutes later senior forward Marc Haupt slotted the ball home on an open net to give the top seed an insurance goal.
Franklin Regional (14-4-2, 8-2-0 Section III) drew even in the 21st minute when senior midfielder Joey Bayne finished inside the near post off a feed from classmate Danny Christafano.
The Tigers owned edges in shot attempts (12 to 9) and possession (58% to 42%), while the Panthers had six corner kicks to the top seed’s two. Both teams recorded five shots on goal.
Silva led Moon with four shot attempts, followed by Costa’s three. Junior goalkeeper William Guarino made four saves between the posts.
Bayne, Franklin Regional’s goal scorer, had a team-high three shot attempts and two on goal, while junior forward Fabrizzio Costa had two attempts. Senior goalkeeper Noah Walker made a pair of saves.
The Tigers began the WPIAL Championships with a 6-0 win over 16th-seeded Belle Vernon, followed by a 3-0 triumph against ninth-seeded Hampton, and 3-2 overtime thriller versus fifth-seeded Bethel Park. The Panthers were 3-0 winners against 10th-seeded Trinity, and 2-1 victors against both second-seeded Thomas Jefferson and sixth-seeded Mars.
Mars topped Bethel Park, 2-0, in the third-place consolation game to earn the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Moon begins the PIAA Championships by hosting District III fourth-place Lampeter Strasburg, while Franklin Regional and Mars are the on the road respectively against District VI champion Bellefonte and District III champion Conrad Weiser. The Fightin’ Planets are the lone school of the three to previously win a PIAA title, doing so in 2020, and are making their 10th state tournament appearance. The Tigers, who were runners-up in 1985, are in their 11th PIAA Championships, and the Panthers are in their fourth.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Top-seeded South Park used a goal in the 34th minute to successfully defend its Class 2A title, as the Eagles defeated second-seeded Avonworth, 1-0, at Highmark Stadium this past Saturday.
South Park (20-1-1, 13-0-1 Section III) rode its strong defense after the opening goal, as junior defender Caden Loveland found the back of the net in the 34th minute.
Avonworth (17-3-2, 14-1-1 Section II) led in shot attempts (15 to 7) and possession (68% to 32%), while the Eagles had a 7-to-4 shots on goal edge. Both teams generated five corner kicks each.
Loveland and senior forward Ryan Wesolowski led South Park in shot attempts and shots on goal, each collecting four and three, respectively. Junior goalkeeper Cooper Hochendoner made four saves for the Eagles.
The Antelopes saw senior forward Rowan Carmichael generate a game-high six shot attempts, with classmate Abdul Basit Sleiman Kaijie collecting four. Senior goalkeeper Alex Rowe stopped six shots for Avonworth.
South Park blanked each of its opponents in the WPIAL Championships, winning 6-0 against 16th-seeded Waynesburg Central, and 3-0 against both ninth-seeded Central Valley and 13th-seeded Burrell. The Antelopes made it to Highmark Stadium with a 7-0 victory against 15th-seeded McGuffey, a 1-0 overtime triumph over 10th-seeded Shady Side Academy, and a 3-1 win versus third-seeded Deer Lakes.
Deer Lakes bested Burrell, 2-1, in the third-place consolation contest to qualify for the PIAA Championships.
South Park starts the PIAA Championships by hosting District X runner-up Cathedral Prep. Avonworth will play on the road to District V champion Bedford, and Deer Lakes will travel to District X champion Fairview. South Park is a two-time PIAA champion and is making its 16th appearance in the state tournament, while both Avonworth and Deer Lakes were runners-up in 2018 and are playing in their third and fifth PIAA Championships, respectively.
CLASS 1A RECAP
After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, top-seeded Bentworth outlasted third-seeded Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in penalty kicks, 5-4, to capture its second straight Class 1A title this past Thursday.
Bentworth (19-0-0, 8-0-0 Section II) senior Andrew Vipperman – who moved from his defender position to goalkeeper for penalty kicks – started it off with a goal as the first shooter for the Bearcats, then made a big save to give his team momentum with the score at 2-2. Bentworth then scored on their next three kicks from sophomore forward Dillan Colbert, sophomore forward William Moyer, and senior defender Isaac Reynolds, with Vipperman making another save on the Chargers’ seventh kick to secure the title.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (15-3-0, 9-1-0 Section III) held a slight 7-to-5 shots on goal advantage, while the Bearcats owned edges in corner kicks (6 to 5) and possession (54% to 46%). Both teams generated 13 shot attempts each.
Moyer paced Bentworth with four shot attempts and two on goal, while Vipperman had three shot attempts before moving between the posts. Senior goalkeeper DJ Hays made seven saves between regulation and both overtimes.
Sophomore midfielder Aaron Callahan registered a game-high five shot attempts for OLSH, with two going on target. Junior goalkeeper Patrick Altmar stopped five shot attempts between the sticks.
The Bearcats didn’t allow a single goal over the course of the WPIAL Championships, blanking 16th-seeded California, 11-0, ninth-seeded Trinity Christian, 3-0, and fourth-seeded Beaver County Christian, 3-0. The Chargers were 1-0 overtime winners against 14th-seeded Freedom Area, won a 3-0 shootout against sixth-seeded Springdale after a 1-1 score through two extra frames, and defeated seventh-seeded Eden Christian Academy, 1-0.
Eden Christian Academy knocked off Beaver County Christian, 1-0, in the third-place consolation game to reach the PIAA Championships.
Bentworth begins the PIAA Championships against District VI champion Westmont Hilltop at Canon-McMillan High School. OLSH will play at District IX champion Brockway, while Eden Christian Academy gets District X champion Mercyhurst Prep at Fairview High School. This is the second PIAA Championships appearance for both the Bearcats and Chargers, and the third for the Warriors.
PIAA PREVIEW
Start Date: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Championship Date & Location: Nov. 15-16 at Eagle View Middle School (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)
Total Champions from WPIAL: 38 (2 in Class 4A, 14 in Class 3A, 16 in Class 2A, 6 in Class 1A)
- Previous Champions: Quaker Valley (9), Sewickley Academy (4), Upper St. Clair (4), Hampton (3),
Peters Township (3), Seneca Valley (2), Seton LaSalle (2), South Park (2),
Bethel Park (1), Fox Chapel (1), Mars (1), Mt. Lebanon (1), North Allegheny (1),
Thomas Jefferson (1), Trinity (1), West Allegheny (1), Winchester Thurston (1)
Appearances & Best Finish:
- Avonworth – 3rd (runner-up in 2018)
- Bentworth – 2nd (semifinals in 2023)
- Deer Lakes – 5th (runner-up in 2018)
- Eden Christian Academy – 3rd (semifinals in 2021)
- Fox Chapel – 14th (champion in 1990)
- Franklin Regional – 4th (semifinals in 2018)
- Mars – 10th (champion in 2020)
- Moon – 11th (runner-up in 1985)
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – 2nd (quarterfinals in 2011)
- Plum – 5th (semifinals in 2005)
- South Park – 16th (champion in 2005, 2006)
Last Class 4A Champion from WPIAL: Seneca Valley (2022)
Last Class 3A Champion from WPIAL: Hampton (2021)
Last Class 2A Champion from WPIAL: Quaker Valley (2021)
Last Class 1A Champion from WPIAL: Winchester Thurston (2021)
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