Waynesburg needs wins, and a lot of help
This is a big week in the Class AA Interstate Conference, but that’s nothing new. Every week has been big in the Interstate, where the nine-team conference plays only one non-conference game all season. It’s a meat-grinder conference that includes Greensburg Central Catholic, which is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL and PIAA rankings, plus defending Class AAA Keystone Conference champion Yough and traditional power Jeannette.
Only three Interstate teams qualify for the WPIAL playoffs and Jeannette (5-1, 6-1) will wrap up the third one with a win tonight at East Allegheny (1-6). GCC (6-0, 7-0) and Yough (6-1) already have clinched.
Three area teams compete in the Interstate Conference and, even though the outlook is bleak, there is a slim chance for Waynesburg Central (3-3, 4-3) to enter post-season play. Southmoreland (2-4, 2-5) and Brownsville (1-5, 1-6) have been eliminated.
The 16th and final Class AA WPIAL playoff team will be the top fourth-place finisher among the five teams that will occupy those spots in their respective conferences.
All the Raiders need to do to qualify is go to Greensburg and beat the top-ranked team in the state, beat Brownsville at home a week later … and hope some help comes along the way.
If the Raiders finish 5-3 in the conference and have enough tiebreakers fall their way to make the playoffs, they’d likely earn a return trip to Greensburg for a rematch with the Centurions. Ouch.
It’s not the easiest of roads to the WPIAL playoffs, but it’s what Class AA football is all about. Class AA offers the best, truest challenge in WPIAL football. Any team that plays well enough through an entire season to make the field deserves to be there.
The same cannot be said for any other classification, where four teams (out of seven in Classes AAA and A and out of six in Class AAAA) make the playoffs. In effect, the other three classes play the season to eliminate fewer teams than they qualify.
McGuffey (2-4, 3-4) visits Brownsville tonight, while Southmoreland travels to Washington (2-4, 2-5).
Tri-County South
Three teams share first place with two weeks remaining and all three are at home tonight. California (3-1, 4-3) hosts West Greene (1-3, 2-5), Jefferson-Morgan (3-1, 4-3) entertains Geibel Catholic (0-5, 0-7) and Monessen (3-1, 4-3) draws Mapletown (2-2, 4-3).
Carmichaels (3-2, 3-4) is fourth and hosts Bentworth (3-4) in a non-section game. The Mikes opened 0-4, but have won three in a row to jump back into the picture. Carmichaels hosts California next Friday in a game that likely will determine the playoff pecking order out of this conference.
Another key game next Friday sends Jefferson-Morgan to Mapletown. The Maples need to win at Monessen tonight to make next week’s showdown with the Rockets meaningful.
Black Hills
Beth-Center, by far the area’s best team, carries a perfect record (4-0, 7-0) into tonight’s conference match-up at home against Fort Cherry (3-1, 5-2). The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs, who already have clinched a playoff berth, close the regular season at Bentworth.
Frazier (1-3, 2-5) hosts Serra Catholic (4-1, 6-1) needing a win to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. The Commodores must beat Serra, also already in the playoffs, and Avella (0-4, 1-6) next Friday to have a shot at the playoffs.
Keystone
With two conference games to play, Mount Pleasant (4-0, 4-3) is the only Keystone Conference team to have qualified for the playoffs. The Vikings host Uniontown (1-3, 1-6) before traveling to Derry (0-4, 0-7).
Mount Pleasant has beaten all four Keystone teams with only two losses and would win any tiebreaker it may become involved in. Two of them meet when Albert Gallatin (3-2, 3-4) visits Laurel Highlands (2-2, 2-5). The winner puts itself in good playoff position.
Belle Vernon (2-2, 3-4) hosts Derry before closing its conference schedule at Ringgold (3-2, 3-4). The Rams are out of conference tonight, hosting No. 3-ranked Pine-Richland (7-0).
The Red Raiders must win at Mount Pleasant tonight and beat cross-town rival Laurel Highlands a week later to reach .500 in the conference, which would likely forge a tie for third or fourth place. However, Uniontown would lose any tiebreakers.
Foothills
Connellsville has yet to win a Foothills Conference game, but has yet to be eliminated from the playoffs either.
The Falcons (0-3, 1-6) host Norwin (2-1, 3-4) Friday night and a win would keep Connellsville in the running for one of four playoff berths. The bad news is the Falcons close the season at Central Catholic (3-0, 6-1). Even if Connellsville were to beat Norwin and upset the Vikings, the Falcons would likely lose any tiebreakers, having lost to Latrobe, Hempfield and Penn-Trafford.