TribLIVE High School Sports Network unveils WPIAL playoff pairings on Saturday night with surprises

It’s time for playoff season in high school football, and the TribLIVE High School Sports Network released all of the pairings on Saturday.

The playoffs start Friday.

Five championship games will be played at Heinz Field on Nov. 26-27. The Class 6A final is a week earlier, on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at Norwin.

Here are the No. 1 overall seeds:

• Mt. Lebanon (6A)
• Moon (5A)
• Belle Vernon (4A)
• Central Valley (3A)
• Steel Valley (2A)Clairton (1A)

6A

In 6A, there is only one conference and five teams qualify for the playoffs. The top three teams have a bye week. Teams No. 4 and No. 5 play each other next Friday.

Undefeated Mt. Lebanon is the overall No. 1seed. Defending WPIAL champion Central Catholic is the No. 2 seed and will host Seneca Valley on Nov. 12 at Baldwin High School.

North Allegheny will host Canon-McMillan to see who gets to face Mt. Lebanon in the semifinals.

The 6A Championship is the only one not being played at Heinz Field. It will be played Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Norwin High School Stadium.

5A

In 5A, 12 teams qualify and the top four teams get a bye week.

Moon is the only unbeaten team in 5A and is the No. 1 seed.

Penn-Trafford was No. 2.  Defending WPIAL and state champion Pine-Richland is the No. 3 seed, despite being Tri-Conference champions with North Hills and Penn Hills. Gateway is the No. 4 seed.

The 5A WPIAL Championship will be on Nov. 27 at 6:00 p.m. at Heinz Field.

4A

In 4A, 13 teams qualify for the playoffs, and the top three get a bye week.

Undefeated Belle Vernon is the No. 1 seed. WPIAL runner-up Aliquippa is the No. 2 seed. McKeesport comes in at the No. 3 seed. Undefeated Hampton ended up as the No. 4 seed, but does not receive a bye. They will face Plum next Friday.

Defending WPIAL and state champion Thomas Jefferson finished third in its conference behind Belle Vernon and McKeesport. They are the No. 5 seed.

Aliquippa is seeking its 14th consecutive trip to the WPIAL Championship game.

The 4A WPIAL Championship will be on Nov. 27 at 3:00 p.m. at Heinz Field.

3A

In 3A, 12 teams qualify for the playoffs and four teams receive a bye.

Defending WPIAL and state champion Central Valley is the No. 1 seed.

North Catholic, Avonworth and Elizabeth Forward also received byes.

Ambridge was 2-3 in conference play and was 2-8 on the season, but since they finished fourth in their conference, they made it into the playoffs.

The 3A WPIAL Championship will be on Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. at Heinz Field.

2A

16 teams qualify for the playoffs in 2A, and no team receives a bye. Steel Valley, Sto-Rox, Laurel and Washington were all undefeated, with the No. 1 seed going to Steel Valley.

Defending WPIAL champion Beaver Falls is the No. 5 seed.

The 2A WPIAL Championship will be on Nov. 26 at 5:00 p.m. at Heinz Field.

1A

15 teams qualify for the playoffs in 1A. Only one team gets a bye, and that is No. 1 seed Clairton, last year’s WPIAL runner-up.

Defending WPIAL champion and state runner-up Jeannette did not qualify for the playoffs.

Leechburg is in the playoffs for the first time since 1988 and is hosting its first-ever home playoff game next Friday.

The 1A WPIAL Championship will be on Nov. 26 at 2:00 p.m. at Heinz Field.

Check out the WPIAL playoff brackets here.