WPIAL Class 5A preview: Increased playoff field a welcomed change

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Upper St. Clair and Woodland Hills felt the disappointment last season, and Penn Hills experienced it two years ago.

They all had winning records and narrowly missed the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs in what was unquestionably the toughest classification to qualify. But there is added hope for 5A teams this fall since the playoff bracket has increased from eight teams to 12.

That’s a welcomed change.

“It was us last year, but there have been teams like us the past few years,” said Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko, whose team missed the playoffs on tiebreakers despite an 8-2 overall record.

At the time, WPIAL used mathematical formulas to determine wild cards and said each conference could have no more than one. The WPIAL has changed that policy starting this fall, largely because of some recent snubs in 5A.

“Sometimes you have a conference that’s stronger and a conference that’s not as strong,” said Junko, who supports the change. “Some teams get in and you go, ‘Wow!’”

Starting this season, the WPIAL will empower members of its football committee to choose the wild-card teams in all classifications. In 5A, the top three finishers in each conference qualify automatically, leaving three at-large spots for the committee to pick.

It’s a change that has drawn support.

“It’s going to be a pretty strong field coming into 5A because nobody is going to fall through the cracks,” Junko said. “The teams that do get in are certainly going to be deserving, no doubt about it.”

Class 5A is again deep in talent, starting with defending champion Peters Township. The Indians bring back 11 combined starters from a lineup that won its first WPIAL title and finished as the state runner-up

Among those starters is junior quarterback Nolan DiLucia, the WPIAL’s leading passer last season.

The Indians were coming off consecutive 2-7 seasons when coach T.J. Plack took over the program in 2016. This year, Peters Township will try to reach the WPIAL finals for the fourth time in six years.

“I always said from Day 1, ‘We want people to respect us,’” said Plack, entering his ninth year. “We want Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair to treat us like a rival. We’ll maybe never be a rival like Lebo, but I know they respect us now.”

Peters Township entered this fall as the preseason favorite in 5A, which is a relatively new feeling for the Indians.

“We might have a target on our backs,” Plack said. “I’m pretty sure we did last year, and I’m sure we will again this year. We’ve just got to keep everything in perspective.”

Since the sport expanded to six classes in 2016, no team has repeated as WPIAL 5A champion. The teams likely standing in Peters Township’s way this fall are some of the same contenders from a year ago.

“It’s going to be the usual suspects,” Plack said. “I think 5A is absolutely loaded.”

The six teams in the Allegheny Six remain the same as last year, but the two other conferences have changed. The Northeast’s one switch was trading Woodland Hills for Plum.

The Big East changed the most with the addition of Woodland Hills, Armstrong, Kiski Area and Latrobe. Leaving the Big East was Plum, Norwin and Hempfield.

“We’re probably going to have some late nights burning the midnight oil,” Woodland Hills coach Brian Tarrant said about scouting new opponents. “But those are kind of the fun things. I got into coaching for that stuff.”

The size of the WPIAL bracket is determined by where the 5A champion enters the PIAA playoffs — either the state semifinals or quarterfinals. That switched for the next two years, letting the WPIAL go back to a larger bracket in 5A.

That switch also will let the WPIAL hold the 5A final at Acrisure Stadium. Still, being one of the final three teams to qualify via wild card might be stressful.

“If you find yourself hoping to get the vote of a committee member,” Junko said, “somewhere along the line you didn’t take care of business when you had the opportunity.”

PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. Peters Township (15-1)

The Indians won their first WPIAL title last season and finished the year as the state runners-up. They bring back five starters on offense and six on defense, making them the team to beat in Class 5A.

2. Pine-Richland (9-4)

3. Woodland Hills (6-4)

4. Penn Hills (9-3)

5. Upper St. Clair (8-2)

*Records from 2023

THE STARS

Nolan DiLucia

Peters Township, jr., QB

DiLucia was the WPIAL’s top passer a year ago with 3,131 yards and he added almost 500 more rushing. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder passed for 30 TDs and led the Indians to their first WPIAL title as a first-year starter.

Ryan Petras

Bethel Park, sr., WR/DB

Petras leads all returning WPIAL receivers with 52 catches last season. He turned those receptions into 734 yards, rushed for 409 more and scored 14 TDs. Petras committed to Northwestern baseball last year, but 14 football offers have changed his mind.

Scoop Smith

Woodland Hills, jr., WR/DB

The WPIAL’s 100-meter dash champion is a big-play threat for the Wolverines. Five of his 17 touchdowns were longer than 60 yards last season, including a 99-yard kickoff return. He had 44 catches for 851 yards.

Nate Stohl

Upper St. Clair, sr., OL/DL

The Princeton recruit is an anchor on both sides of the ball for the Panthers. A third-year starter at guard and defensive end, Stohl earned all-conference honors both ways as a sophomore and junior. He has 10 career sacks.

Mickey Vaccarello

Peters Township, sr., TE/LB

Opposing teams often found the Stanford linebacker recruit in their backfields. Vaccarello (6-3, 210) led the Indians’ with 29 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks, including one in the WPIAL finals. He had 61 total tackles.

DON’T MISS

8.30: Penn Hills at Woodland Hills

Tough nonconference test in Week 1 for teams with playoff expectations.

9.27?: Peters Township at Upper St. Clair

There’s no easing into conference play with this matchup as an Allegheny Six opener.

10.4: Penn-Trafford at Gateway; Penn Hills at Pine-Richland

These conference matchups decided the Big East and Northeast titles last season.

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.

Tags: Bethel Park, Gateway, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills