5 things we learned in WPIAL Week 5

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 10, 2020 | 7:15 PM

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How will the WPIAL decide which football teams make the playoffs since covid-19 cancellations made the standings unbalanced?

Week 5 didn’t make the answer any easier.

The WPIAL football steering committee met last week and discussed that question at length, but the group’s recommendations won’t be revealed until after the WPIAL board meets Wednesday. WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman declined to discuss plans until then.

However, this year’s playoff field likely will include a significant number of “at-large” picks chosen at the discretion of the football committee.

The current mathematical tie-breaker systems used by the WPIAL — Gardner Points and margin-of-victory — don’t work when teams play an unequal number of games. After New Castle shut down Friday, every classification has had at least one conference game canceled over covid-19 concerns.

Freeport and Penn-Trafford also canceled Week 5 games.

As a result, the WPIAL likely will need the opinions of its football committee to complete the playoff field, including the wild cards.

In conferences like the Allegheny 7 in Class 3A, the WPIAL might be able to identify only a conference champion and then ask the committee to choose the other qualifier or qualifiers. Freeport canceled games against Valley last week and East Allegheny this week.

The WPIAL said cancellations related to covid-19 won’t be considered forfeits but rather recorded as “no contest.” Sixteen WPIAL teams have missed at least one conference game because of coronavirus with two weeks remain in the regular season.

Class 6A has a four-team bracket. All other classifications have an eight-team bracket.

2. Going the distance in 4A

A football field is 100 yards long, but two players went the extra yard — or an extra five — Friday night.

The WPIAL saw a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns in Week 5 that were longer than 100 yards, both in Class 4A.

Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark tipped a pass to himself in the end zone and returned it 102 yards in the first quarter against Chartiers Valley. The touchdown gave the Quips a 14-0 lead, and they won 35-6.

An interception return by Belle Vernon’s Devin Whitlock was even longer.

Whitlock set a school record with his 105-yard interception return in the second quarter Friday night against Ringgold. His Leopards won 56-0.

Interception returns longer than 100 yards are rare. Maybe the longest in recent WPIAL history was a 107-yarder by Beaver Falls’ Todd Thomas in a 2007 playoff game against Steel Valley.

3. Logjam in Class 6A

Welcome Mt. Lebanon back to the playoff picture.

The Blue Devils used a 343-yard passing effort from quarterback Joey Daniels and stunned Central Catholic, 37-30, Friday night. That means there are five teams in 6A with two or three wins.

North Allegheny (3-0), Seneca Valley (3-1) and Central Catholic (3-2) are just ahead of Canon-McMillan (2-2) and Mt. Lebanon (2-2).

Only four can make the playoffs.

4. A winning tradition

Aliquippa improved to 5-0 with Friday’s win over Chartiers Valley, meaning the Quips are guaranteed a winning season.

Not that anyone should be surprised.

Since 1972, Aliquippa has endured only one losing season: The Quips went 4-6 in 1994.

That’s their only blemish in a 48-year span.

5. Down to the wire

Week 5 had more than its share of blowout wins.

In all, 21 games were decided by 30 points or more Friday night including scores of 64-0, 58-0, 56-0 and 55-0. But not every game was over in the first quarter.

Six games were decided by four points or less.

Among the closest was a stunning 21-19 win by Fort Cherry (2-3, 2-3) over previously undefeated Rochester (4-1, 4-1) in the Class A Big Seven. Fort Cherry quarterback Maddox Truschel scored on a 10-yard run with 47 seconds left.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.