WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship breakdown: South Fayette vs. Hampton

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, November 3, 2023 | 12:58 AM

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WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship

8-South Fayette (13-4-3) vs. 2-Hampton (17-2-1)

3:30 p.m. Saturday, Highmark Stadium

Tickets: $10 (general admission)

Coaches: Rob Eldridge, South Fayette; Matt McAwley, Hampton

Players to watch: Adam Thompson, South Fayette; Luke Fiscus, Hampton

WPIAL titles: South Fayette 18 (1933-38, ‘43-52, ‘58, 2015); Hampton 4 (1990, 2010, ‘11, ‘21)

Playoff path: South Fayette defeated No. 9 Latrobe, 4-0, in the first round; No. 1 Plum, 1-0, in the quarterfinals; and No. 5 Montour, 2-1, in the semifinals. Hampton beat No. 15 Trinity, 1-0 in overtime, in the first round; No. 7 Thomas Jefferson, 2-1 in double overtime, in the quarterfinals; and No. 11 Franklin Regional, 2-1, in the semifinals.

Corner kicks: South Fayette has more WPIAL boys soccer titles (18) than any other program, but the Lions are looking for their first championship since 2015. After finishing third in Section 2 at 9-2-3, the Lions have roared in the playoffs with a pair of shutouts and a thrilling win over Montour in the semifinals. Nathan Belculfine and Cole Johnson scored to give Eldridge his 300th career victory. Senior midfielder Adam Thompson was picked to the All-WPIAL team. Senior Michael Plasko scored four times in the win over Latrobe and has a team-high 17 goals this season. … Hampton won the 2021 WPIAL and PIAA titles and was ousted in the first round last season. This year, the Talbots rolled through the regular season, capturing the Section 1 title at 11-0-1. They have outscored opponents 84-12 and average 4.2 goals per game. Fiscus, a senior forward, has 33 goals this season and was named to the all-state team. He also was named to the All-WPIAL team along with senior forward Coleman Docherty (20 goals) and senior defender Oliver Spinola. The Talbots’ lone losses came against Class 4A North Allegheny and Pine-Richland, both by one goal. They have posted 10 shutouts. Fiscus is the lone returning starter from the ‘21 team that won the state title.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Hampton, South Fayette