PIAA football playoffs recap: Western Pa. teams finish 2-4 in Mechanicsburg

By: Don Rebel
Monday, December 11, 2023 | 9:02 AM

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The March to Mechanicsburg is history as the six WPIAL and City League schools playing for a PIAA title finished 2-4 overall.

Aliquippa captured its first PIAA title with an undefeated record by winning a second Class 4A state championship in three years.

Belle Vernon rolled to victory in the Class 3A finals to claim back-to-back PIAA crowns.

North Allegheny, Peters Township, Westinghouse and Fort Cherry all fell in the finals and return home with state silver.

The final district breakdown was WPIAL and District 12 with two champions while Districts 3 and 4 each captured one state title.

Here are all the final results from the 2023 PIAA football playoffs.

Class 6A

PIAA championship game

St. Joseph’s Prep 45, North Allegheny 23

(SJP: Samaj Jones 14 of 17 passing for 232 yards, 2 touchdowns; 115 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Semifinals

North Allegheny 24, Harrisburg 12

St. Joseph’s Prep 49, Central Bucks South 0

Quarterfinals

North Allegheny 41, McDowell 7

Harrisburg 34, Manheim Township 28 (OT)

St. Joseph’s Prep 59, Nazareth 21

Central Bucks South 27, Downingtown West 7

First round

North Allegheny 44, Central Catholic 41

McDowell 47, State College 20

Manheim Township 37, Cumberland Valley 27

Harrisburg 28, Central York 21

St. Joe’s Prep 35, Abraham Lincoln 0

Nazareth 24, Parkland 17

Central Bucks South 42, Central Bucks West 14

Downingtown West 17, Downingtown East 14

Class 5A

PIAA championship game

Imhotep Charter 38, Peters Township 13

(IC: Jabree Wallace-Coleman 214 yards rushing and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Peters Township 14, Cocalico 9

Imhotep Charter 42, Strath Haven 14

Quarterfinals

Peters Township 33, Cathedral Prep 14

Cocalico 23, Ephrata 9

Imhotep Charter 31, Delaware Valley 7

Strath Haven 28, Chester 20

First round

Peters Township 43, Pine-Richland 17

Cathedral Prep – Bye

Ephrata 47, Hershey 7

Cocalico 31, Cedar Cliff 13

Delaware Valley 56, Whitehall 27

Imhotep Charter 30, Roman Catholic 26

Chester 26, West Chester Bayard-Rustin 20

Strath Haven 14, Springfield-Delco 12

Class 4A

PIAA championship game

Aliquippa 60, Dallas 14

(Aliq: Tikey Hayes 222 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, John Tracy 135 yards rushing and 2 TDs)

Semifinals

Aliquippa 52, Selinsgrove 32

Dallas 26, Bishop McDevitt 23 (2OT)

Quarterfinals

Aliquippa 35, McKeesport 21

Selinsgrove 44, Juniata 14

Dallas 28, Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 27 (OT)

Bishop McDevitt 23, Manheim Central 17

First round

Aliquippa 47, Mars 24

McKeesport 28, Montour 14

Selinsgrove 28, Bethlehem Catholic 13

Juniata 21, Meadville 7

Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast 21, Pope John Paul II 13

Dallas 21, Valley View 18

Bishop McDevitt 43, Lampeter-Strasburg 7

Manheim Central 65, Twin Valley 28

Class 3A

PIAA championship game

Belle Vernon 38, Northwestern Lehigh 7

(BVA: Quinton Martin 133 yards rushing and a touchdown; Anthony Crews 69 yards rushing and a touchdown plus a kickoff return for a score)

Semifinals

Belle Vernon 42, Hickory 16

Northwestern Lehigh 33, Wyomissing 24

Quarterfinals

Belle Vernon 26, Avonworth 0

Hickory 26, Martinsburg Central 13

Wyomissing 48, Danville 27

Northwestern Lehigh 27, Scranton Prep 6

First round

Belle Vernon 49, East Allegheny 8

Avonworth 21, Elizabeth Forward 10

Hickory 14, Sharon 6

Martinsburg Central 41, Clearfield 35 (2OT)

Wyomissing 42, West Perry 14

Danville 40, Loyalsock Township 7

Northwestern Lehigh 58, Palmerton 9

Scranton Prep 26, Neumann-Goretti 16

Class 2A

PIAA championship game

Southern Columbia 21, Westinghouse 20

(SC: Loudon Murphy 137 yards rushing and a touchdown)

Semifinals

Westinghouse 28, Beaver Falls 8

Southern Columbia 39, Dunmore 7

Quarterfinals

Beaver Falls 14, Steel Valley 12

Westinghouse 36, Farrell 20

Dunmore 41, Camp Hill 25

Southern Columbia 18, Bald Eagle 8

First round

Steel Valley 34, Mohawk 21

Beaver Falls 28, Washington 26

Westinghouse 46, Central Clarion 30

Farrell 16, Mercyhurst Prep 9

Dunmore 41, Williams Valley 21

Camp Hill 32, West Catholic 26

Southern Columbia 14, Troy 0

Bald Eagle 49, Richland 0

Class A

PIAA championship game

Steelton-Highspire 42, Fort Cherry 8

(S-H: Alex Erby 29 of 39 passing for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 45 yards rushing and a TD)

Semifinals

Fort Cherry 33, Redbank Valley 24

Steelton-Highspire 48, South Williamsport 21

Quarterfinals

Fort Cherry 42, South Side 28

Redbank Valley 44, Cambridge Springs 0

South Williamsport 33, Cambria Heights 0

Steelton-Highspire 43, Lackawanna Trial 25

First round

South Side 28, Clairton 12

Fort Cherry 33, Bishop Canevin 21

Cambridge Springs 32, Lakeview 29

Redbank Valley 26, Port Allegany 7

South Williamsport 57, Muncy 20

Cambria Heights 27, Purchase Line 13

Lackawanna Trial 40, Minersville 0

Steelton-Highspire 21, Northern Bedford 7

Tags: Aliquippa, Belle Vernon, Fort Cherry, North Allegheny, Peters Township, Westinghouse