Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its championship games for the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Lacrosse Championships last Thursday and Friday at Upper St. Clair High School. Both classifications produced the same champions for at least the third straight year, as Mt. Lebanon won its third straight Class 3A title, while Mars continued its historic streak to nine consecutive championships at Class 2A.
Mt. Lebanon is now the second school to ever win at least three consecutive WPIAL boys’ lacrosse championships, and sit second all-time in league history with seven. The Blue Devils have won in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
Mars has now won nine consecutive Class 2A titles, which adds to its record haul among WPIAL schools. The Fightin’ Planets have raised the trophy each year beginning in 2016, apart from 2020 which didn’t contest a season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the results of the WPIAL Girls’ Lacrosse Championships, this marks the second straight year that the same two schools won both the boys’ and girls’ lacrosse titles. This also marks the seventh time in which the WPIAL girls’ lacrosse champion also won gold in boys’ lacrosse, with the previous instances coming in 2021 (Mars), 2022 (Shady Side Academy), 2023 (Mars), and 2024 (Mars, Mt. Lebanon).
The top three teams in both Class 2A and Class 3A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Lacrosse Championships, which begin Tuesday, June 3 and conclude with all championship games on Saturday, June 14 at Panzer Stadium on the campus of Penn State University.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Trailing 10-7 with 10:19 to go in the Class 3A championship game, top-seeded Mt. Lebanon stormed back with five of the last six goals – including the game decider with 32 ticks on the clock – to defeat second-seeded Shady Side Academy, 12-11, in the final game of three played last Thursday. Blue Devils senior midfielder Joey Hetz scored the tying goal with 1:16 remaining before junior attack Max Prezioso buried the winner 44 seconds later.
Mt. Lebanon (15-4, 6-0 Section I) owned a 2-to-1 advantage at the X, winning 18-of-27 draws. The Blue Devils and Shady Side Academy (12-8, 5-1 Section II) posted the same number of shot attempts with 39 each, with the Bulldogs holding the upper hand in ground balls (26-23) and turnovers committed (10-18).
Mt. Lebanon saw three players record hat tricks with Prezioso collecting four, and both sophomore attack Garrett Cramer and Hetz netting three each. Senior midfielder Mason Prettyman went 14-of-19 on faceoffs and scooped up a team-high five groundballs, and classmate Ty Pirain caused a pair of turnovers. Cramer added four groundballs, and both senior midfielder Keegan Green and junior defender Aidan Carlstrom collected three. Junior goalkeeper Zach Lynam made eight saves for Mt. Lebanon.
Shady Side Academy was led offensively by senior midfielders Seamus Riordan and midfielder James Rost, who both recorded hat tricks. Riordan added two assists and Rost tallied one, while classmate Landon Mauser scored twice and senior midfielder Emmerich Braham recorded three points (1g, 2a). Junior faceoff specialist Morgan Bender led the Bulldogs with five ground balls, and freshman defender Landon Tierney registered a game-high five caused turnovers. Junior goalkeeper Joe Hosteny stopped seven shots in relief.
Mt. Lebanon defeated eighth-seeded Central Catholic in the quarterfinals, 17-1, then topped fourth-seeded North Allegheny, 9-4, in the semifinals. Shady Side Academy was a 15-2 winner over seventh-seeded Canon-McMillan before defeating third-seeded Upper St. Clair, 14-8, to make the final.
In the third-place consolation game played last Friday, North Allegheny edged Upper St. Clair, 8-7, for the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Mt. Lebanon will open the PIAA Championships against the District III fourth-place team, while Shady Side Academy gets the District VI or X champion, and North Allegheny plays the District III champion. All three teams are seeking their first PIAA title – Mt. Lebanon is making its 13th appearance, Shady Side Academy is making its 10th, and North Allegheny is making its ninth.
CLASS 2A RECAP
In a rematch of the last two Class 2A championship games, second-seeded Mars opened the contest with five of the first six goals, extending its championship streak with a 7-5 win over top-seeded South Fayette in the final game of three played last Friday.
Mars (18-2, 10-0 Section II) only owned advantages in groundballs (19-18) and saves (11-5), and went 19-of-21 on clear attempts. South Fayette (19-1, 11-0 Section I) topped the Fightin’ Planets in shot attempts (34-32), faceoffs (8-7), and turnovers (14-19).
Mars was led offensively by junior midfielder Grant Weaver, who posted a hat trick and added an assist, and also received goals from senior midfielder Ben Bowser, senior midfielder Sean Brennan, sophomore attack Blake Cote, and sophomore attack Jack Tirch. Brennan collected a team-high six groundballs for the Fightin’ Planets, and both senior defender Jack Mueller and freshman defender Carter Yokum caused two turnovers. Senior goalkeeper Luke Spreng made 11 saves.
South Fayette received a hat trick and assist from junior attack Drew Welhorsky, who added three groundballs and two caused turnovers. Senior defender Carter DeWitt recorded six groundballs to pace the Lions, and led all players in caused turnovers with three. Senior goalkeeper Travis Watkins stopped five shots.
Mars began its run to a ninth title with an 18-0 win over seventh-seeded Bethel Park in the quarterfinals, followed by a 13-6 triumph against third-seeded Hampton in the semifinals. South Fayette defeated ninth-seeded Indiana in the quarterfinals, 17-4, and beat fourth-seeded Peters Township in the semifinals, 12-5.
In the third-place consolation game played last Thursday at Fox Chapel High School, Hampton bested Peters Township, 7-4, for the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Mars begins the PIAA Championship against the District III fourth-place team, with South Fayette getting the champion from District VIII or District X, and Hampton taking on the District III champion. The Fightin’ Planets are seeking their second PIAA title after winning in 2022, while the Lions and Talbots are searching for their first. Mars is making its eighth PIAA appearance, and both Hampton and South Fayette are playing in their fifth PIAA tournaments.
PIAA PREVIEW
Start Date: Tuesday, June 3
Number of Champions from WPIAL: 1 (1 in Class 2A)
- Previous Champions: Mars (1)
Appearances & Best Finish:
- Hampton – 5th (quarterfinals in 2019)
- Mars – 8th (champions in 2022)
- Mt. Lebanon – 13th (semifinals in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017)
- North Allegheny – 9th (semifinals in 2013)
- Shady Side Academy – 10th (quarterfinals in 2012, 2014, 2022)
- South Fayette – 5th (semifinals in 2024)
Last Class 3A PIAA Champion from WPIAL: None
Last Class 2A PIAA Champion from WPIAL: Mars (2022)
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