If the WPIAL semifinals were a TV show, it might star Tony Soprano, Bart Simpson and George Costanza.
Or for those of us who go back a little further, maybe Barney Fife, Oscar Madison and The Fonz.
In other words, many of the remaining teams are well-known characters. They seem to be in the running for titles just about every season. You know their nicknames. You know their histories. You know who their coaches are.
Teams like Aliquippa, Clairton and Thomas Jefferson are perfect examples. Aliquippa is in the Class AA semifinals for the ninth season in a row and is looking to make it to the final for the eighth consecutive season. Clairton is making its 10th consecutive Class A semifinal appearance. The Bears have won seven of the past nine titles. Thomas Jefferson will play in the Class AAA semifinals for the 17th time in 18 seasons.
Tradition never graduates at those schools, likewise at ones like Woodland Hills, Central Catholic and Jeannette. There are a handful of others, too.
And then there are championship-contending newbies such as Steel Valley, Freeport and Frazier, all of which are in the 'Final Four' for the first time in more than two decades.
• PG Interactive: Quick facts about the remaining teams:
Late tonight, eight teams will realize their dream of making it to a WPIAL championship. No matter how well known the character is, the feeling will be like no other.
Who will advance to the finals? Let The Fumbler know by tweeting him @FumblerPG.
The Fumbler went 12-6 (.666) last week to make him 522-108 (.828) on the season.
Here are his thoughts on tonight's matchups. All games will begin at 7:30 p.m.
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Woodland Hills (11-0) vs. Central Catholic (10-1) at Fox Chapel -- As Terrell Owens once said, "Get your popcorn ready." The matchup between Woodland Hills' exceptional rushing tandem of Miles Sanders and Jo-El Shaw against Central Catholic's talented front seven is worth the price of admission. But how will the Woodland Hills secondary fare against Central Catholic sophomore quarterback Troy Fisher? This game is an absolute toss-up. Winner: Woodland Hills.
Penn-Trafford (11-0) vs. Pine-Richland (10-1) at Penn Hills -- Defending champion Pine-Richland has been mighty impressive the past two weeks, throttling Penn Hills and Mt. Lebanon. Speaking of impressive, Penn-Trafford rallied from 11 points down late in regulation to force overtime and eventually beat McKeesport in the quarterfinals. Penn-Trafford is in the semifinals for the third year in a row. It will fall to 0-3 in those games. Winner: Pine-Richland.
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Central Valley (10-1) vs. Mars (10-1) at Ambridge -- Dear Central Valley: We need you to win this week to continue our streak. Sincerely, the Parkway Conference. A Parkway team has reached the title game nine years in a row. The defending champion Warriors can make it 10. Slowing down Mars' wing-T offense is never easy, but Central Valley has the personnel to do it, as well as the offensive playmakers to keep Mars moving backward. Winner: Central Valley.
Franklin Regional (9-2) vs. Thomas Jefferson (9-2) at Hempfield -- Admit it, you gave up on Thomas Jefferson after the Jaguars began the season 0-2. Shame on you. As usual, the Jaguars are one win away from a championship berth. And, as usual, coach Bill Cherpak will be wearing shorts despite the chilly weather. One of the reasons for the turnaround has been the play of running back Quinton Hill. He'll shine again tonight. Winner: Thomas Jefferson.
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South Fayette (11-0) vs. Steel Valley (10-1) at Peters Township -- The Fumbler remembers thinking he would never again see a team string together a run of wins as long as the WPIAL-record 66-game streak Clairton put the finishing touches on early in the 2013 season. Little did we know then that South Fayette had begun a streak that would eventually stretch to 43 games. The Lions are about to be two-thirds of the way to Clairton's record. Winner: South Fayette.
Aliquippa (11-0) vs. Freeport (10-1) at Seneca Valley -- There are times when The Fumbler wishes he was still playing high school football. But reality sets in when he watches an Aliquippa game and realizes he would want no part of trying to tackle star running back Kaezon Pugh. The big question is, will Freeport be able to? The feeling is that the Yellowjackets will slow down Pugh some, but the Quips will have too much speed elsewhere. Winner: Aliquippa.
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Clairton (11-0) vs. Frazier (11-0) at Elizabeth Forward -- Clairton could be considered the Muhammad Ali of WPIAL football ... talented, brash and dominant. Ali's next opponent is "Smokin' Joe" Frazier, the biggest surprise of the playoffs. Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier in two of three meetings. It's possible Clairton would beat Frazier 100 out of 100 meetings. Congrats to Frazier for getting this far, but this won't be a thriller. Winner: Clairton.
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (11-0) vs. Jeannette (10-1) at Valley -- What got into North Catholic last week? The Trojans trailed Bishop Canevin, 20-14, before rattling off 35 points to roll to the win. Meanwhile, Jeannette beat a strong Neshannock team, 25-15. The Fumbler picked against Jeannette and it cost him. Will he do it again? Yes. First-year coach Jason Gildon will guide the Trojans to his old office -- Heinz Field. Winner: North Catholic.
McDowell (6-5) vs. Brashear (7-3) at Cupples Stadium, 7 p.m. -- Last season, Brashear beat Allderdice for the City League title before losing to McDowell, 35-6, in its PIAA opener. The Bulls were happy to repeat as champs this year, but they hope history doesn't repeat itself here. McDowell beat General McLane, 35-30, for the District 10 title. Brashear has given up 12 points over its past two games, but McDowell is a step up in competition. Winner: McDowell.
First Published: November 20, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
