Times' high school notebook: Moon's Pfeifer wins 500th game, HS football playoff scenarios
With two weeks left in the regular season, the WPIAL playoff picture for football teams in the Beaver County Times coverage area is coming into focus.
Right now, five local teams have already clinched postseason berths: Aliquippa, Central Valley and West Allegheny in Class 4A; Western Beaver in 2-A; and South Side in 1A.
Three local teams can clinch with wins Friday: Beaver in 3A and Ellwood City and Beaver Falls in 2A.
Three other local teams – Moon in 5A; and Cornell and Rochester in 1A – are still very much in the playoff hunt.
But for them to qualify, it will come down to how they, as well as other contenders in their respective conferences, fare the next two weeks.
Here’s a look at the playoff scenarios involving conferences that include Beaver County area teams:
CLASS 5A ALLEGHENY SIX
Moon, the only team from the Beaver County Times coverage area in 5A, controls its own destiny. The Tigers are 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the Allegheny Six Conference. They are currently in second place.
Of the 18 teams in the three 5A conferences, eight make the playoffs: the first- and second-place teams from each conference, and two wild cards. Those wild cards will be two of the three third-place teams.
If Moon beats Upper St. Clair (6-2, 1-2) on Friday, it will strengthen its grip on second place and will all but clinch a playoff berth. If Moon loses to USC, it will still be alive. The Tigers finish the regular season by hosting Baldwin (1-7, 0-4), a game they should win.
CLASS 4A PARKWAY
Of the 22 teams in 4A, 13 qualify: five teams from the Parkway Conference and the top four in the Big Seven and the Greater Allegheny. The top three seeds earn first-round byes.
Aliquippa (7-0, 5-0), the reigning 4A champs, has already clinched. So have Montour (7-1, 4-1), Central Valley (6-2, 4-1) and West Allegheny (6-2, 4-1), who are all tied for second place. The exact order of finish in the conference will be decided over the last two weeks. Among the big Parkway games in the next two weeks include Central Valley at West Allegheny on Friday and Aliquippa at Central Valley on Oct. 27.
Ambridge (2-6, 1-4) still hasn’t been eliminated. The Bridges are in sixth place right now, but if they win their last two games – Friday at home against New Castle (0-8, 0-5) and at Chartiers Valley (2-6, 2-3) on Oct. 27 – they’re in.
CLASS 3A WESTERN HILLS
Beaver (6-2, 2-2) just needs one more win to clinch one of the 12 playoff berths in Class 3A. Securing that win shouldn’t be a problem for the Bobcats, who are currently in fourth place in the conference. They finish with games against Quaker Valley (1-7, 1-3) and Hopewell (1-7, 0-4).
Avonworth (8-0, 4-0), West Mifflin (4-4, 3-1) and South Park (6-2, 3-2) have already clinched.
CLASS 2A MIDWESTERN ATHLETIC
Of the 23 teams in Class 2A, 14 make the playoffs: the top five teams from the Midwestern Athletic and Allegheny conferences (because they have eight teams in the conference) and four from Century Conference.
In the Midwestern Athletic, Mohawk (7-1, 5-0) and Neshannock (7-1, 5-0) have clinched. So has third-place Western Beaver (5-3, 4-1).
But the conference title is still up for grabs. Mohawk hosts Western Beaver on Friday and then travels to Neshannock on Oct. 27.
Fourth-place Beaver Falls Tigers (4-4, 3-2) can clinch with a win Friday against Freedom (2-6, 1-4).
Ellwood City (4-4, 2-3) can hold on to its fifth-place position by upsetting Neshannock on Friday or winning at Riverside (0-7, 0-5) on Oct. 27.
CLASS A BIG 7 and BLACK HILLS
In the Big 7, South Side (8-0, 4-0) has clinched. The first-place Rams play Friday at second-place Union (7-1, 4-0). The winner wins the conference championship.
Rochester (4-3, 2-2), which is currently in third place, can clinch on Friday with a win over Northgate (4-4, 2-3).If the Rams don’t beat Northgate, their playoff hopes will all but snuffed out. They finish regular-season play at South Side on Oct. 27 and have already lost to Shenango (4-4, 2-3). So, they would lose the head-to-head tie-breaker to the Wildcats.
In the Black Hills Conference, Cornell (6-2, 3-2) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (4-4, 3-2) are still in the hunt.First-place Fort Cherry Rangers (8-0, 5-0) is the only Black Hills team to have clinched. But second-place Bishop Canevin (6-1, 4-1) can do so Friday with a win at OLSH.
Third-place Cornell may clinch with a win Friday over Chartiers-Houston (0-8, 0-5). They definitely will clinch with a win over OLSH on Oct. 27.
MORE MILESTONES FOR MOON GIRLS SOCCER
Last year after winning WPIAL and PIAA Class championships with a perfect 24-0 record, the Moon girls soccer team ranked No. 2 in the country according to United Soccer Coaches.
The Tigers started the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, but have since dropped out of the top 25.But they are still having an outstanding season with an 11-1-2 overall record, including 8-1-2 in Class 3A Section 4. They can clinch the section title with a win Tuesday against Chartiers Valley (4-9, 2-8).
And just like last year when Moon coach Bill Pfeifer was named the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Girls Soccer Coach of the Year, he’s picked up another national honor.
Pfeifer was recently selected to coach the East team in the 2023 High School All-American Game on Dec. 9 in Charleston, S.C. It’s a showcase featuring the top boys and girls seniors from across the country.
“That’s just a great honor,” Pfeifer said. “And it really surprised me. I feel honored that somebody would think enough of me to nominate me.”
While Pfeifer will coach in that game, there’s a chance that two Moon girls may play in it. Forward Sydney Felton and goalkeeper Serayah Leech, who recently committed to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, are on the watch list for the game. Pfeifer expects that at least one of them will be chosen when the final rosters are soon announced.
"I'm happy for Serayah and Sydney,” Pfeifer said. “It’s a well-deserved honor for both of them. I assume at least one of them will be picked."
Two other WPIAL players are also on the watch list: Riverview forward Lola Abraham, a Pitt recruit, and Latrobe’s Ella Bulava.
Beside the honor of getting to coach in the All-American game, Pfeifer got to celebrate another recent milestone. Last week when Moon beat Blackhawk, 3-0, Pfeifer became the first girls soccer coach in WPIAL history to record 500 career wins.
“Like I’ve said many times, it’s just not me,” Pfeifer said. “I’ve had a lot of great people around me. I’ve had the honor of coaching a lot of good players. The kids buy into what we do. The administrations and the athletics directors at the places I’ve coached … my wife had been good enough to let me do this for all this time … just a lot of good people who’ve supported me along the way.
“A lot of things had to fall into place,” Pfeifer added. “I had to be at the right places at the right times. So, it’s a lot more than just me. I’m just one piece.”
Pfeifer, 57, is in his 28th year as a head coach. He’s in his second stint at Moon, where his teams have won five WPIAL titles and five PIAA championships.
He had previously coached at Center, Seneca Valley, Hopewell and Central Valley.
RUNNERS GEARING UP FOR WPIAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
With the WPIAL Boys & Girls Cross Country Championships less than two weeks ago, several teams from the Beaver County Times coverage area got in some intense competition last Wednesday at theMidwestern Athletic Conference Championships. Those races were run at Settler’s Cabin in Robinson Township.
In the boys division, 130 boys from 15 MAC schools ran the 5K trek.
In the girls division, 105 girls from 14 MAC schools participated.
Clark LaLomia led Quaker Valley to the boys team title by finishing first with a time of 16:49. QV teammate Tyler Bell placed third at 17:12.
Beaver, which finished second in boys team scoring, had two runners in the top four: Eli Bechdel, second at 17:06, and Tyler Biss, fourth with a 17:16.
In the girls division, Beaver finished third in team scoring behind Montour and Moon.
Montour’s Lakyn Schaltenbrand placed first with a time of 19:33. Finishing second and third, respectively, were Moon’s Lyla Brew (19:41) and Riverside’s Lexi Fluharty (19:48).
The next big meet for most WPIAL cross country teams will be the Tri-State Coaches Association Championship on Oct. 19 at White Oak Park near McKeesport.
Beaver, however, will skip that event. Instead, the Bobcats will host the inaugural Beaver Invitational at Brush Creek Park in North Sewickley Township. Bobcats coach Steve Goldcamp is resurrecting the former Freedom Invitational that former Bulldogs coach Ed Shepherd used to host.
This year’s WPIAL Championships will be held Oct. 26 at White Oak Park.
ETHAN DAI TIED FOR SEVENTH AT PIAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Six golfers from the BCT coverage area – four boys and two girls -- are competing at the PIAA Individual Golf Championships that began Monday and conclude Tuesday at the Blue and White Courses at Penn State University.
Of those six, Quaker Valley’s Ethan Dai has positioned himself for a top-10 finish in the boys Class 2A division. Dai shot 1-over 73 in the first round and is one of eight contestants tied for seventh place.
Two other local golfers are in the 2A field. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s Jonah Schollaert is tied for 16th at 2-over 74, while Sewickley Academy’s Severin Harmon is in 53rd place with a 9-over 81.
Nick Werner of Wyoming Seminary is the first-round leader in 2A with a 4-under 68.
In boys 3-A, Moon’s Zack Ross is tied for 55th after shooting a 7-over 79. There’s a two-way tie for first place in 3A after Aidan Farkas of St. Joe's Prep and Plum’s Wes Lorish Plum shot 6-under 66s.
In girls 3A, Moon’s Angelina Schild is tied for 24th after shooting an 11-over 83. Rhianna Gooneratne of Plymouth Whitemarsh leads the 3A girls with a 5-under 67.
In girls 2A, Lincoln Park’s Savanna Stile is tied for 29th after carding a 93. The 2A girls leader is Hickory’s Sasha Petrochko at even-par 72.
The only Beaver County area team in the PIAA Team Championships that will be played Wednesday is Central Valley. The Warriors landed an at-large bid after finishing second this past Thursday at the WPIAL Championships.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Times' high school notebook: Moon's Pfeifer wins 500th game, HS football playoff scenarios
