PIAA factoids for Thursday’s Class 4A, A state championship games

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 | 9:28 PM

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In 34 years of PIAA football playoffs, the WPIAL has never had more than three state champions crowned in a single year.

One record already was set this postseason as the WPIAL prepares to send five champions to Hershey to play in the PIAA finals. Another record will be set if more than three win state titles.

WPIAL champions Mt. Lebanon (Class 6A), Penn-Trafford (5A), Aliquippa (4A), Central Valley (3A) and Serra Catholic (2A) head east to Chocolate Town in the hopes of winning their second football title this fall.

So here are some PIAA factoids to go with your chocolate binge.

The district breakdown has the WPIAL leading with five teams in the PIAA finals, followed by two teams each from districts 3 and 12 and one team each from districts 4, 6 and 9.

Districts 1, 2, 5, 10, 11 and the City League (District 8) will not be represented in the championship games.

Now, a history lesson: Here are the teams that won PIAA football championships:

30 years ago: Central Bucks West, Erie Strong Vincent, Aliquippa and Schuylkill Haven won in 1991.

25 years ago: Downingtown, Berwick, Mount Carmel and Farrell won in 1996.

20 years ago: Neshaminy, West Allegheny, Washington and Rochester won in 2001.

10 years ago: Central Dauphin, Archbishop Wood, Lancaster Catholic and Clairton won in 2011.

5 years ago: St. Joseph’s Prep, Archbishop Wood, Erie Cathedral Prep, Beaver Falls, Steel Valley and Bishop Guilfoyle won in 2016.

PIAA Class 4A championship factoids

Aliquippa Quips (12-1) vs. Bishop McDevitt Crusaders (12-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey on Trib HSSN

* Aliquippa is making its eighth trip to the PIAA finals — the most of any WPIAL school. It breaks a tie with Central Catholic and Clairton. Thomas Jefferson and Rochester are next with six PIAA title game appearances.

* In their seven previous state championship games, the Quips are 3-4.

1991: Aliquippa beat Hanover, 27-0

2003: Aliquippa edged Northern Lehigh, 32-27

2018: Aliquippa crushed Middletown, 35-0

1988: Aliquippa lost to Berwick in first year of state playoffs, 13-0

2000: Aliquippa lost to Mount Carmel, 26-6

2012: Aliquippa lost to Wyomissing, 17-14

2015: Aliquippa lost to Southern Columbia, 49-14

* The Quips are one of five WPIAL schools to win a PIAA football championship in two classifications (classes 3A and 2A) and are a win away from becoming the first district school to win in three classes. The other four District 7 schools are Pine-Richland (5A, 4A), Penn Hills (5A, 4A), Thomas Jefferson (4A, 3A) and Jeannette (2A, A).

* Aliquippa is 15-7 all-time in PIAA playoff games; Bishop McDevitt is 8-11.

* This is the fifth PIAA championship game for the Crusaders. They are 1-3 with their lone victory coming in 1995 when they beat Burrell, 29-0. Since then, Bishop McDevitt lost to Allentown Central Catholic in 2010, and Archbishop Wood in the ‘11 and ‘13 3A state title games.

* Bishop McDevitt is 2-3 against WPIAL teams in the state playoffs. It defeated Burrell in ’95 and Montour in 2011. It lost to Central Catholic in 2004, McKeesport in ‘05 and Central Valley in ‘14.

* According to the enrollment numbers for the 2020-21 and 21-22 two-year cycle, Bishop McDevitt has 268 male students grades 9 through 11; Aliquippa has 117.

PIAA Class A championship factoids

Redbank Valley Bulldogs (13-1) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders (9-4) at 1 p.m. Thursday at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey

* This is Redbank Valley’s first state championship game in any team sport.

* Redbank Valley becomes only the third District 9 team to play for a PIAA football championship and the first in nearly 30 years. District 9 was represented in the PIAA finals in 1989 when Keystone lost to Dunmore in Class A and three years later when Smethport fell to Scotland School in the 1992 Class A title game.

* Redbank Valley is 3-2 all-time in PIAA playoff games; Bishop Guilfoyle is 10-2.

* District 6 hasn’t fared much better than D9 in the PIAA football playoffs. This is only the fifth time a District 6 team has reached the championship game. Bishop Guilfoyle qualified for this title game from the ‘eastern’ side of the bracket.

* Though D6 hasn’t had a lot of success in reaching the state finals, Bishop Guilfoyle has done just fine in recent years. The Marauders won three straight PIAA Class A title games in 2014, ‘15 and ‘16.

* The WPIAL has won 50 state championships. Class A teams have 13 of those titles; second most behind Class AAAA with 15. Rochester, Farrell, Duquesne and South Side won seven state titles from 1993 through 2001 while Clairton, North Catholic and Jeannette won six championships since 2009.

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