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Five things to watch for the week of Nov. 26 - Dec. 1. * It will be a state championship rematch … in the semifinals. Some teams from the eastern part of the state are on the western side of the PIAA football bracket this season. One of them is Philadelphia Catholic League power St. Joseph’s Prep (11-0), which will play WPIAL champion Pine-Richland (11-2) in a Class 6A semifinal Saturday at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona. Pine-Richland defeated St. Joseph’s Prep, 41-21, in last year’s championship. Both teams coasted to quarterfinal wins. Pine-Richland beat State College, 56-33, and St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Bethlehem Freedom, 42-14. * After winning its first WPIAL title since 1995, Penn Hills will try to punch a ticket to the PIAA final for the first time since 1995 when the Indians (14-0) face another perennial power from Philadelphia, Archbishop Wood (9-3), in a Class 5A semifinal Friday at Chambersburg. Archbishop Wood is the two-time defending champion and has won titles five of the last seven seasons. A year ago, Archbishop Wood trounced Gateway, 49-14, in the championship game. Penn Hills defeated West Allegheny, 28-18, last Friday to win the WPIAL title, while Archbishop Wood topped Hollidaysburg, 38-7, in a PIAA quarterfinal. * Aliquippa is back in the PIAA playoffs after a two-year hiatus and will play its first game in two weeks when it takes on District 10 champion Sharon (10-3) Saturday in a Class 3A semifinal at Slippery Rock University. The Quips (12-1) beat Derry, 42-19, to win the WPIAL title Nov. 24 and had a bye this past weekend. They’ll be looking to advance to the title game for the first time since 2015. Sharon has not been to the championship game since 1995. The Tigers defeated Bald Eagle Area, 28-7, in the quarterfinals. * Steel Valley captured its first PIAA title two years ago. The Ironmen (12-1) are two wins away from winning another. They’ll square off against District 10 champion Wilmington (12-1) in a Class 2A semifinal Friday at Ambridge. The Ironmen claimed their fifth WPIAL title Saturday when they hammered South Side Beaver, 48-6. Wilmington also coasted to a win last week, rolling to a 56-14 quarterfinal triumph against Ridgway. Wilmington is looking to advance to the championship for the second year in a row. Two years ago, Steel Valley defeated Wilmington, 49-13, in the semifinals. * It’s been a season of firsts for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which had never even reached the WPIAL semifinals before this year. Now, two weeks after beating Rochester, 28-6, to win the Class 1A title, the Chargers (12-1) will play their first ever PIAA playoff game when they take on District 10 champion Farrell (13-0) in a semifinal Friday at Slippery Rock University. The Chargers received a bye last week, while Farrell routed Coudersport, 48-6, in the quarterfinals. Farrell has been eliminated by a WPIAL team the last two seasons, losing to Jeannette last season and Clairton in 2016. The Steelers were the runner-up in 2015. |