Football Class 6A WPIAL Championship Game Preview

It will be a busy day at Heinz Field today with four WPIAL Football Championship Games being played, but non will be bigger than the prime time event in Class 6A between Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley.

No. 2 Pine-Richland Rams (9-2) vs. No. 5 Seneca Valley Raiders (9-3), 8 p.m.

Both these teams are familiar with the bright lights of Heinz Field. Pine-Richland is the defending WPIAL champions and although Seneca Valley is seeking its first WPIAL championship in program history, the Raiders were at this stage two years ago when they lost to Central Catholic, 42-7. The Rams enter the championship game with an easy victory in the semifinals at home against No. 3 Mt. Lebanon, 46-16. Pine-Richland enforced the Mercy Rule by the start of the second half with a 46-0 lead at the break. Mt. Lebanon hung in there for the first quarter, but it was too much power for the Rams, as they scored 39 points in the second quarter. Sophomore Cole Spencer and junior Luke Meckler led the offense in the first half. Spencer threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another and Meckler, a first-team defensive back, rushed for two scores. In last year’s championship game, Pine-Richland defeated Central Catholic, 42-7…Seneca Valley went on the road and knocked off top-seed North Allegheny in the semifinals, 31-14. The Raiders led 17-14 at halftime, and used their stout defense like they have all season long to limit the Tigers. Senior Jake Mineweaser, an honorable mention pick in Class 6A, led the offense with 142 rushing yards and two scores. It was the second playoff game in a row Seneca Valley has only allowed 14 points after defeating Central Catholic, 15-14, in the quarterfinals…In the first meeting of the season, Pine-Richland defeated Seneca Valley at home, 21-7, on Oct. 19.

For a complete look at the Class 6A bracket, click here.

Football Class 6A All-Section Teams Announced

Class 6A First-Team Photo Gallery

2018 Football Class 6A All-Conference Teams

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
Mike DorundoPine-RichlandCenterSenior
Jack GrahamNorth AlleghenyGuardSenior
Mike KaticPine-RichlandGuardSenior
Elijah BoydNorth AlleghenyTackleSenior
Andrew KristoficPine-RichlandTackleSenior
Jake StebbinsSeneca ValleyTight EndSenior
Gavin ThomsonCentral CatholicWide ReceiverSenior
Gianni RizzoNorwinWide ReceiverSenior
Seth MorganMt. LebanonQuarterbackSenior
Josh O'HareCanon-McMillanRunning BackSenior
Ben MaenzaNorth AlleghenyRunning Back Senior
Drew EngelCanon-McMIllanMulti-Purpose BackSenior
John OpalkoCentral CatholicKickerJunior
COACH OF THE YEAR
Art WalkerNorth Allegheny
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
David CooperCanon-McMillanDefensive EndSenior
Brian DallasCentral CatholicDefensive EndSenior
Richard TillmanCentral CatholicDefensive TackleSenior
JB NelsonMt. LebanonDefensive TackleJunior
Cade HokeNorth AlleghenyInside LinebackerSenior
Anthony CerminaraPine-RichlandInside LinebackerSenior
Tyler KingPine-RichlandOutside LinebackerSenior
Saige LeySeneca ValleyOutside LinebackerSenior
Dom DodsonCentral CatholicDefensive BackSenior
Joey Porter Jr. North AlleghenyDefensive BackSenior
Jayvon ThriftNorwinDefensive BackSenior
Luke MecklerPine-RIchlandDefensive BackJunior
Isaac WestNorth AlleghenyPunterSenior
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
Josh KaltenbergerSeneca ValleyCenterJunior
Nate CornibeButlerGuardJunior
David TkatchSeneca ValleyGuardSenior
Connor RustCentral CatholicTackleSenior
Fintan BroseHempfieldTackleJunior
A.J. BeattyCentral CatholicTight EndJunior
Zach CiesloHempfieldWide ReceiverJunior
Lucas DeCaroMt. LebanonWide ReceiverSenior
Jack SalopekNorwinQuarterbackJunior
Eddie TillmanCentral CatholicRunning BackSophomore
Percise ColonNorth AlleghenyRunning BackJunior
Kyler CallihanButlerMulti-PurposeSenior
Casey SorsdalMt. LebanonKickerSophomore
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
Amosis PorterNorth AlleghenyDefensive EndJunior
Miguel JacksonPine-RichlandDefensive EndSophomore
Parker TitsworthNorth AlleghenyDefensive TackleSenior
Tyler ProctorSeneca ValleyDefensive TackleSenior
JR HeroldButlerInside LinebackerSenior
Dillon FerrettiHempfieldInside LinebackerJunior
Gus SunseriCentral CatholicOutside LinebackerJunior
Dante CaputoNorth AlleghenyOutside LinebackerSenior
Nathan RobyHempfieldDefensive BackJunior
Mason VentroneMt. LebanonDefensive BackJunior
Josh McLeanSeneca ValleyDefensive BackSenior
Brennan HayesSeneca ValleyDefensive BackSenior
Charlie GordonMt. LebanonPunterSenior
HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
Ryan CrossHempfieldCenterJunior
Nathan HughesMt. LebanonCenterSenior
Ben GraftonNorth AlleghenyCenterJunior
Matt AltsmanCentral CatholicGuardJunior
Michael FreilinoMt. LebanonGuardSenior
Aaron BowenNorwinGuardJunior
Bryan BailsPine-RichlandGuardSenior
Riley NobleCanon-McMillanTackleSenior
Marcus MightSeneca ValleyTackleSenior
Clay MetzHempfieldTight EndSenior
Tanner KrevokuchNorwinTight EndSophomore
Corey MelzerNorth AlleghenyWide ReceiverSenior
Blake RemaleyHempfieldQuarterbackJunior
Jake MineweaserSeneca ValleyRunning BackSenior
Evan JonesMt. LebanonMulti-Purpose BackJunior
Luke ColellaNorth AlleghenyMulti-Purpose BackJunior
Seth WintersSeneca ValleyKickerSenior
HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE
NAMESCHOOLPOSITIONGRADE
Christian KubackaNorwinDefensive EndSenior
Drew RobertsonSeneca ValleyDefensive EndSenior
A'Meer AllenCentral CatholicDefensive TackleJunior
Liam Alker-ConnellyNorth AlleghenyDefensive TackleSenior
Aaron SteinerHempfieldDefensive TackleSenior
Alec HendalCanon-McMillanInside LinebackerSenior
Luke HarrisCentral CatholicInside LinebackerJunior
Tommy McClainMt. LebanonInside LinebackerSenior
Ethan AugustinNorth AlleghenyInside LinebackerSenior
Michael PalmerMt. LebanonOutside LinebackerSenior
Connor HetzelPine-RichlandDefensive BackSenior
Zeke HouserNorwinPunterSenior
Mason PruhsPine-RichlandPunterSenior

Shutout Sends Seneca Valley Boys Soccer Into PIAA Semifinals

The safest bet to ensure a victory is to not allow your opponent to score. That’s exactly what the Seneca Valley boys soccer team did, defeating District 1 runner-up, Abington, 1-0 in the PIAA quarterfinals on Saturday at Chambersburg High School.

The shutout was the tenth of the season for the Raiders and senior goalkeeper William Gallagher.

The score remained scoreless through the first half until senior Jackson Wotus gave Seneca Valley the only score they would need at 28:24 remaining in the game.

The win improves the Raiders to 19-2-1 on the season. This is Seneca Valley’s first state semifinal appearance since 2015. They will travel back to Chambersburg High School on Tuesday to face the fifth place team out of District 1, Radnor, in the PIAA semifinals at 6:30 p.m. The 2015 semifinal game was also played at Chambersburg High School.

Football Class 6A Semifinal Round Preview

It was a nice week off for the top two teams in Class 6A, North Allegheny and Pine-Richland, respectively, who will get to host its semifinal games tonight. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m.

No. 1 North Allegheny Tigers (10-0) vs. No. 5 Seneca Valley Raiders (8-3)

North Allegheny had its first Friday night off in 10 weeks last Friday after earning a bye as the Class 6A regular season champions. The Tigers clinched the section title with a 27-7 win against Pine-Richland in the final week of the regular season. On the season, North Allegheny was the most prolific offense in Class 6A, averaging 37.4 points per game. Defensively, they allowed 12.4 points per game, good for second in the section, only behind Seneca Valley who is letting up 9.5 points per game. The Tigers had the top rusher in Class 6A in senior Ben Maenza. Maenza rushed for 1,035 yards on 123 carriers (8.4 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. Junior Percise Colon has also been a threat, scoring 10 touchdowns on the season. North Allegheny lost to Pine-Richland in last year’s semifinal round, 49-25…Seneca Valley had a few days to catch its breath after a scintillating 15-14 come-from-behind win against No. 4 Central Catholic at Fox Chapel in the quarterfinals last week. The Raiders fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, but their stout defense wouldn’t allow another point the remainder of the game. Seneca Valley still trailed 14-3 at halftime but got second half touchdowns on a 21-yard pass from junior Gabe Lawson to senior Jake Stebbins. The two-point conversion failed but the Raiders got the winning score in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run by senior Jake Mineweaser. Seneca Valley last made the semifinals in 2016 when they defeated North Allegheny, 28-27…The regular season matchup on Sept. 28 was the closest one for North Allegheny, as they were able to pull out a 10-6 victory.

No. 2 Pine-Richland Rams (8-2) vs. No. 3 Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (6-5)

Pine-Richland had a much needed week off after losing its regular season finale against North Allegheny. It has been a different look for the Rams who went undefeated en route to a WPIAL and PIAA championship a year ago. The Rams had the second best offense in the section this year, averaging 34.8 points per game and the third best defense, allowing 14.9 points per game. In his first year as the starting quarterback, sophomore Cole Spencer threw for 1,080 yards. The most damage has been done on the ground with the legs of junior Luke Meckler. Meckler was tied for second in Class 6A with 1,014 yards on 130 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns. Pine-Richland defeated North Allegheny in the semifinal round last year at Ambridge, 49-25…It was a see-saw battle by Mt. Lebanon was able to survive its home quarterfinal matchup against No. 6 Canon-McMillan last week, 38-31. The Blue Devils fell behind 17-3 before making their comeback. Senior quarterback Seth Morgan connected with senior Lucas DeCaro for 19 yards to cut into the lead. Canon-McMillan jumped back out to a 24-10 before the Blue Devils rattled off 28 unanswered points to control the game. Mt. Lebanon scored on three touchdown runs and a punt return. Mt. Lebanon last made the WPIAL semifinals in 2005, a 39-18 loss to against McKeesport…This is the second meeting of the season at Pine-Richland between the two squads this year with the Rams winning the first one, 42-24, back on Oct. 12.

For a complete look at the Class 6A bracket, click here.

Seneca Valley Soccer Rolls On With Pair Of Dramatic Wins

It was a boys and girls doubleheader for Seneca Valley soccer in the first round of the PIAA playoffs on Tuesday at Hempfield Area High School.

It was a long night, but a good one as both squads pulled out nail-biting victories to keep their seasons alive.

In the first match, the boys team defeated Hempfield from Lancaster, 3-2 in double overtime.

After falling behind 1-0, junior Luke Rupert tied the game up just past the halfway point of the first half. The Raiders carried the momentum into the half with a goal under two minutes in the half from senior Jackson Wotus.

The Raiders held onto the one goal lead all the way until eight minutes remaining in the second half when Hempfield tied it up to force overtime.

After a scoreless first overtime, Seneca Valley delivered the game-winning goal off the foot of senior Keegan McVicker. The Raiders improve to 18-2-1 and will face District 1 runner-up, Abington, on Saturday in the PIAA quarterfinals at Chambersburg High School at 3 p.m.

The excitement continued with the girls game, with a 2-1 win in penalty kicks against Central Dauphin. The Raiders won the PK’s, 3-2. Junior Mia Zec got the Raiders on the board for a 1-0 lead with 26 minutes to play in the first half. Ten minutes later, Central Dauphin tied it up and that would be the last goal scored for the next 85 minutes of play.

In penalty kicks, Seneca Valley got the game-winning goal from junior goalkeeper Morgan Sinan. The Raiders improve to 17-2 and will face District 1 runner-up, Souderton at Chambersburg High School at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Alumni Update – Seneca Valley’s Ryan Maurer

Ryan Maurer helped guide Penn State-Behrend to an AMCC tournament title last week. He scored a pair of goals against Franciscan in the AMCC Semifinals and also added a goal in the AMCC title match against Medaille.

More importantly, Maurer captained a Penn State defense that only allowed five goals against AMCC opponents this season. For his efforts in the AMCC Tournament, the Seneca Valley graduate was named to the AMCC all-tournament team and men’s soccer defensive player of the week.

(photo courtesy of Penn State-Behrend)

Seneca Valley Sweeps Soccer Titles

It was a successful day for Seneca Valley at Highmark Stadium in Station Square on Saturday. Both the girls and boys soccer programs won Class 4A WPIAL championships.

In the first game, the top-seed girls team prevailed in overtime against No. 3 Peters Township, 2-1.

Peters Township freshman Casey Brier gave the Indians the lead in the 36th minute. It looked like that would be all Peters Township would need to hoist the championship trophy, but Seneca Valley tied it up just before the final buzzer.

With three seconds remaining in the game and the Peters Township faithful all but celebrating a win, junior Breana Valentovish scored on a free kick.

With all the momentum on their side, it didn’t take long for the Raiders to put the finishing touches on their championship. Just 1 minute and 40 seconds into overtime, senior Lauren Sileo scored on a corner kick.

It was the fifth championship for the Seneca Valley girls soccer program.

Seneca Valley will play Central Dauphin, the District 3 runner-up, in the PIAA first round on Tuesday at Hempfield Area High School at 7 p.m. Peters Township will play District 10 champion, McDowell, on Tuesday at Dollinger Field in Erie, Pa. at 3:30 p.m.

It was a less dramatic, but just as fulfilling outcome for the boys team on Saturday as the top-seed Raiders defeated No. 2 Norwin, 5-2. It was the boys’ first WPIAL title in program history.

The Raiders scored 32 seconds into the contest on a goal from junior Luke Rupert. Norwin settled down and was able to keep the score where it was for the next 25 minutes, but it was only a matter of time before Seneca Valley found the back of the net again. In the 26th minute, senior A.J. Mills made it 2-0.

Norwin responded and was able to cut the lead in half on a goal from senior Carter Breen. That momentum would be short-lived on a goal three minutes later by senior Jackson Wotus for the 3-1 lead.

In the second half, the Raiders picked up goals from Rupert, his second of the game, and sophomore Zachary LaValle.

Seneca Valley will play Hempfield, the fourth-place finisher from District 3, on Tuesday in the PIAA first round at Hempfield Area High School at 5 p.m. Norwin will play District 6 champion, State College, at Bald Eagle Area High School at 6 p.m.

Boys Soccer Class 4A Championship Game Preview

The boys soccer Class 4A Championship game will feature two new teams from a year ago with one team familiar with the title game and one team new to it. The game will be the second in a soccer doubleheader for No. 1 Seneca Valley, who will have its girls team play in the championship game prior to theirs. The game will be played at Highmark Stadium in Station Square on Saturday at 5:45 p.m.

No. 1 Seneca Valley Raiders (16-2-1) vs. No. 2 Norwin Knights (17-2-1)

Like the girls, the Seneca Valley boys soccer team held serve as the top-seed and Section 1 regular season champion. In two playoff games, the Raiders have outscored their opponents, 10-2. A big reason for that is their 7-0 quarterfinal win against No. 9 Mt. Lebanon. Seneca Valley narrowly pulled out a 3-2 win against Canon-McMillan in the semifinals with a goal in the final seven minutes to send them to the Championship Game. The Raiders are making its second trip to the finals in three years. In 2016, they lost to North Allegheny, 2-1, in overtime…Norwin isn’t experienced in the Championship Game as they will be seeking to win its first title in program history. In their two playoff games, the Knights picked up a pair of 2-1 wins against Peters Township and Upper St. Clair in the quarterfinals and semfinals, respectively…This game is a rematch of the first game of the season in the Seneca Valley Kick-Off Tournament. Seneca Valley won that game, 2-1.

For a look at the complete Class 4A bracket, click here.

Girls Soccer Class 4A Championship Game Preview

Saturday’s Class 4A WPIAL Championship Game will have two new participants from a year ago with top-seed Seneca Valley and No. 3 Peters Township earning the trip to Highmark Stadium in Station Square on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

No. 1 Seneca Valley Raiders (15-2) vs. No. 3 Peters Township Indians (16-3)

Seneca Valley held serve as the top-seed in the tournament and Section 1 regular season champions to reach the WPIAL Championship Game. In two playoff games this season, the Raiders have outscored their opponents 8-1. In the quarterfinals, they defeated No. 8 Mt. Lebanon, 6-1. They stayed within Section 2 in the semifinals, defeating Upper St. Clair, 2-0. Today’s game will be their third straight game against a Section 2 opponent. This is the Raiders first championship appearance since 2014, the year they won the title. In that game, it was another South Hills team they defeated, Canon-McMillan, 1-0. It was the third straight year the Raiders made the title game from 2012-2014…Peters Township tied for the Section 2 title in the regular season to earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. In two playoff games, they have picked up two one-goal victories. In the quarterfinals, they came back to defeat No. 11 Butler, 2-1, at home. The Indians are coming off a high, knocking out the defending PIAA champions and second-seeded Norwin Knights, 1-0. This is the Indians first Championship Game appearance since 2013 when they lost to Seneca Valley, 1-0. It was the second year in a row the two teams met in the playoffs, with Peters Township winning the first contest…This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

For a look at the complete Class 4A bracket, click here.

Football Class 6A Quarterfinal Round Preview

The WPIAL held its pairings meeting on Monday evening, but not much discussion needs to be held for the one section in Class 6A. For the playoffs, six of the nine teams made the playoffs with the top two seeds, North Allegheny and Pine-Richland, respectively, receiving byes and home games in the semifinals.

The quarterfinal round kicks off tonight with the three and four seeds hosting the five and six seeds, which was determined by the final regular season standings.

The higher seeded teams will host unless otherwise noted.

No. 3 Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (5-5) vs. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (4-5), 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Devils finished in a three-way tie for third place, but won the tiebreaker over Central Catholic and Seneca Valley. All of Mt. Lebanon’s wins this season came in conference and none bigger than the last week of the regular season, a 17-7 win at Central Catholic. Mt. Lebanon enters tonight’s game on a two-game win streak. On the season, the Blue Devils are averaging 23.1 points per game and are allowing 24.3 points per game. Offensively, senior Seth Morgan leads Class 6A with 1,839 passing yards. On the other end, senior Lucas DeCaro leads 6A with 48 receptions for 611 yards. In last year’s quarterfinal round, Mt. Lebanon lost at home to North Allegheny, 38-14…Canon-McMillan clinched its spot in the postseason on the last week of the regular season with a 43-14 win at Butler. The Big Macs were able to right the ship after starting the season 0-3. Canon-McMillan is averaging 21.8 points per game on the season and are letting up 28.6 points per game. Junior Jonathan Quinque passed for over 1,000 yards with 1,105 yards. Senior Drew Engel is one of the leaders in Class 6A with 10 touchdowns. Joshua O’Hare led all of 6A with 1,014 rushing yards. This is the Big Macs first playoff appearance since 2008 when they lost to Shaler, 16-0…In this year’s matchup, Mt. Lebanon defeated Canon-McMillan 24-17 on the road on Sept. 15.

No. 4 Central Catholic Vikings (7-3) vs. No. 5 Seneca Valley Raiders (7-3) At Fox Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

Central Catholic received the higher seed due to winning the head-to-head battle against Seneca Valley, but it is a mute point since the Vikings don’t have a home field advantage with all its  home games being played at a neutral site. The Vikings won three out of their last four games, but the one loss came in the final game of the regular season against Mt. Lebanon. On the season, Central Catholic is averaging 22.5 points per game and is allowing 17.3 points per game. Senior Gavin Thomson was the second leading receiving in Class 6A this season with 31 receptions and 482 receiving yards. In last year’s quarterfinal round, Central Catholic defeated Peters Township, 27-20…Seneca Valley was led by its suffocating defense all season long, allowing a Class 6A best 9.1 points per game, including three shutouts. In its last game entering the playoffs, the Raiders won at Norwin, 21-13. Offensively, Seneca Valley is averaging 20.5 points per game. Junior Gabe Lawson leads the Raiders with 942 passing yards and nine touchdowns. Senior Josh McLean has been his top receiver, hauling in 27 catches for 489 yards. Seneca Valley last made the quarterfinals in 2016, a 49-43 win against Mt. Lebanon…In this year’s matchup, Central Catholic pulled out a 20-14 win against Seneca Valley on Aug. 31.

For a complete look at the Class 6A bracket, click here.