WPIAL Class 6A preview: North Allegheny looks for 3-peat in beefed-up class

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 6:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

For the first time since expansion to six classifications eight years ago, the number of teams playing in the highest class has actually gone up.

In 2016 and ’17, there were 14 district teams playing in the newly formed Class 6A.

That number dwindled to nine in ’18 and ’19, eight in ’20 and ’21 and a paltry five teams in ’22 and last fall.

However, the realignment winds of change have increased the 6A conference by two teams as Norwin and Hempfield return to the classification following two years as Class 5A schools.

“We are excited to be back in 6A and compete with some of the best in the state,” Norwin coach Mike Brown said. “We will still be able to compete with some local rivals in nonconference and also play in the conference where we belong. It’s going to be a challenge, but our program welcomes challenges.”

It looked like the class would return to eight teams with Butler coming back, but the school district decided to remain independent for the next two-year cycle.

Not much has changed when it comes to the 6A postseason.

The top four teams will qualify for the WPIAL playoffs with the regular-season champion hosting the fourth-place team while the third-place finisher visits the second-place team in the semifinals Nov. 8 or 9.

The two winners meet in the Class 6A championship game Nov. 16 at Norwin. The WPIAL champion advances to the PIAA quarterfinals on Nov. 22 or 23.

While the top class postseason hasn’t changed, big changes are coming under center for most of the 6A teams.

Five of the seven teams will have new quarterbacks this fall following the loss to graduation of some of the district’s heavy hitters over the last several seasons.

Two-time defending champion North Allegheny, three-time runner-up Central Catholic and Canon-McMillan lost outstanding talents who started for them most of this decade when Logan Kushner, Payton Wehner and Michael Evans graduated.

“Defense and the run game will be important for the teams that have new quarterbacks, including us,” North Allegheny coach Art Walker said. “As the quarterbacks mature and gain confidence, offenses may change. We will see how that plays out.”

“It’s the hardest position to play in sports,” Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier said. “There’s a ton of factors that come into play when you’re talking about winning or losing a football game. In my opinion, quarterback play is as close to the top of list as it gets. The way the game has evolved, that position has to play well for your team to have success.”

“There are some very good head coaches in this league, very good,” Canon-McMillan coach Mike Evans said. “They will have their guys ready, no doubt about it.”

Seneca Valley lost senior quarterback Sean O’Shea, but SV coach Ron Butschle believes the next group of top quarterbacks will take over with positive results.

“In 6A, there is always another guy in the pipeline,” he said. “I think after Week Zero and the rust falls off, it doesn’t matter if the quarterback is a first-year guy or a third-year guy. Athletes and football players will be who they are. We have four young guys competing. They are all capable, but they all have different skill sets.

“We will all figure it out.”

The new coaching kid on the 6A coaching block is Greg Perry at Mt. Lebanon. He has a reputation of being a quarterback whisperer of sorts with the great success he has had with youngsters he worked with at Seton LaSalle, Keystone Oaks and other schools.

“(Class) 6A had a really good group of quarterbacks with Wehner, Evans and Kushner, all multiyear starters who were all good leaders as well,” he said. “How those teams develop the next guy will go a long way in determining how 6A shakes out.”

The two “new” teams returning to 6A are the only teams in the class with returning quarterbacks, led by Norwin junior standout Tristyn Tavares.

“Any time you have experience coming back at QB, it sure helps with the offense,” Brown said. “Tristyn did some really good things for us last year, but we know he’s not satisfied and will continue to keep working. We look for Tristyn to be one of the leaders of this team because of his work ethic and his toughness. Add that with his athleticism and skill, and he should really have a good year.”

The one opposing 6A coach who knows Tavares best realizes he is special.

“Great player who stays in the pocket and can deliver any throw he needs to make,” Hempfield coach Nick Keefer said. “Making first team all-conference last year in the 5A Big East Conference tells you how much the other coaches thought of him.”

Keefer returns his own starting quarterback from a year ago in Dom Detruf, who threw for over 1,000 yards last fall. The junior may miss time early in the season because of an offseason illness.

“Having a kid like Dom Detruf back is a huge advantage for us,” Keefer said. “He is like another coach out there on the field. He is mature well beyond his years, and all the players look up to him as a leader. Our expectations are very high for him, and our offense is in good hands when he is running the show.”

No matter how good the QB play is, everybody is chasing North Allegheny as the Tigers try to make history.

NA is the only football program to win three straight outright WPIAL championships in the highest classification when it captured 4A titles from 2010-2012.

After beating Central Catholic in the 6A district finals in 2022 and 2023, the Tigers are trying to repeat the three-peat this fall.

PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. North Allegheny (13-2)

The Tigers only return five starters on each side of the ball from a team that won a second straight WPIAL 6A championship last fall before losing to state power St. Joseph’s Prep, 45-23, in the PIAA championship game last December. Could this be the third year in a row NA battles Central Catholic for district gold? The Vikings were also his hard by graduation. Not including the covid season of 2020, last year marked only the second time in 6A football history that a team did not finish in first place and won the title after Central Catholic was 4-0 in the regular season and North Allegheny was 3-1. In 2018, North Allegheny was 8-0 in 6A and Pine-Richland finished 7-1, yet the Rams won the WPIAL title.

2. Central Catholic (10-2)

3. Canon-McMillan (6-5)

4. Seneca Valley (3-7)

5. Norwin (3-7)

THE STARS

Matt McMahon

Canon-McMillan, Sr., C/DT

The Big Macs team captain has started over 30 games in his three previous years at Canon-McMillan. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior has anchored both the offensive line at center and the defensive line at tackle. Big Macs coach Mike Evans calls him, “our rock.” He was first team all-conference on defense last year while holding a 4.0 grade-point average in the classroom. McMahon is a football commit to the Naval Academy.

Elijah Faulkner

Central Catholic, Sr., RB

Faulkner was the top running back in Class 6A a year ago in yards gained, rushing for 1,426 yards on 194 carries for an average of 7.4 yards per tote. He also led the Vikings in scoring with 19 touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder enjoyed his biggest game in the regular season’s biggest game. Faulkner carried the ball 32 times, gained 229 yards and scored four touchdowns as Central Catholic beat North Allegheny on its way to the regular season title, 50-22.

Tristyn Tavares

Norwin, Jr., QB/DB

Tavares is coming off a record-breaking sophomore season. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound quarterback and defensive back had a breakout season last fall. Tavares broke the Norwin records for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season in 2023. He connected on 145 of 244 passes for 2,459 yards and 25 TDs and was second on the team in rushing as the Knights missed the postseason by one game. He is ranked the No. 14 quarterback in the state for the Class of 2026.

Xxavier Thomas

Central Catholic, Sr., WR/CB

While X may mark the spot, many of Central Catholic’s opposing coordinators know that Xx marks the spot they need to pay attention to. One of the top athletes in the district, Thomas makes big plays on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete has committed to play at Penn State as a defensive back. Thomas led the Vikings in interceptions in 2023 with four. Thomas began the 2023 6A championship game against NA with a 99-yard kickoff return for a score.

Jack Yatchenko

North Allegheny, Sr., OL/DL

Yatchenko is a four-year letter winner and a Princeton recruit. He will anchor both the offensive and defensive lines this fall. “He is strong, physical and a very hard worker,” North Allegheny coach Art Walker said. An example of the strength of the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder is his work in the weight room. He can bench press around 440 pounds and can squat more than 500 pounds. This past spring, he finished in eighth place in the shot put at the WPIAL track and field championships.

DON’T MISS

9.20: Canon-McMillan at Mt. Lebanon

South Hills rivals collide in a matchup of teams expected to be in the hunt for a playoff spot. This Week 4 matchup will be the 6A opener for the visiting Big Macs while the Blue Devils will be coming off their 6A opener in Week 3 against Central Catholic. Canon-McMillan defeated Mt. Lebanon in Week 9 of the 2023 season, 49-7, to secure third place in the standings. That victory for the Big Macs was only their second win in the last nine Class 6A contests against the Blue Devils.

9.27: North Allegheny at Central Catholic

The rematch of the 2022 and 2023 WPIAL 6A championship games could once again be the game that decides the 2024 regular-season title. The Tigers beat the Vikings in both of those title games and the two powers have split their last two regular-season meetings. While both teams have undergone some big changes since meeting for gold the last two falls, both still have big-time players in their lineups. This battle of north and east district powerhouses will be played in the south at Baldwin.

10.4: Norwin at Hempfield

The two new kids returning to the Class 6A block collide in a Week 6 battle of Westmoreland County rivals. In their Week 9 clash last fall, the host Knights defeated the Spartans, 41-27. With only five teams and four conference games for each team, every Class 6A game, no matter when it is played, is a big one.

10.11: North Allegheny at Canon-McMillan

To say this game could be a playoff preview is not a reach. The Tigers and Big Macs are tied for the most 6A meetings this decade with seven, four in the regular season and three in the postseason. North Allegheny and Central Catholic have also met seven times in the last four seasons. This meeting at Big Mac Stadium could be a historic one for the hosts. Canon-McMillan is 0-11 against North Allegheny all-time, including 0-5 in the WPIAL playoffs.

10.18: Seneca Valley vs. Central Catholic

This is a rematch of the first Class 6A championship game eight years ago when Central Catholic defeated Seneca Valley at then-Heinz Field, 42-7, to win the 2016 6A championship. In Week 8 last fall, the Vikings rolled past the Raiders, 42-7, as first-year Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier defeated his former boss, Ron Butschle. Lehmeier was the offensive coordinator at Seneca Valley in 2021 and 2022 before becoming the head coach at Central. The Vikings have won six straight against the Raiders and are 10-1 against them since expansion to six classes in 2016.

Tags: Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Hempfield, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, Norwin, Seneca Valley