Although the PIAA football championships will be played two weeks earlier than scheduled, the length of the tournament and the brackets are the same as originally planned.
But the PIAA playoffs for other fall sports are drastically different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PIAA last week approved new postseason brackets for all fall sports and the changes will affect all districts around the state, including the WPIAL (District 7).
The biggest change is that only district champions qualify for the PIAA playoffs in all sports. In the past, football was the lone sport where only district champions qualified for the PIAA tournament.
That change will take away the chance for some teams to rebound in the PIAA playoffs after losing in the district tournament. For example, a year ago, the top four WPIAL girls volleyball teams qualified for the PIAA playoffs in Class 3A and 2A. This year, only the champ qualifies in each class. North Allegheny lost in the WPIAL title match a year ago to Canon-McMillan, but North Allegheny came back to win the PIAA title.
In soccer last year, the top three WPIAL boys and girls teams from Class 3A, 2A and 1A made the PIAA playoffs. That means six fewer teams from the WPIAL will make the PIAA playoffs this year in those classifications.
So, how exactly do the new PIAA playoffs look for WPIAL teams? Here is a sport by sport breakdown:
Football
The WPIAL Class 6A champion moves on to the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 6-7. The WPIAL champs in the other five classifications automatically qualify for the PIAA semifinals Nov. 13-14. All six PIAA championships will be played Nov. 27-28 in Hershey, but the order of the games has not been set.
In Class 6A, the WPIAL champ plays either the District 10 champ or a Pittsburgh City League team in the PIAA quarterfinals.
The other semifinal matchups for the WPIAL champs in the other five classifications are: Class 1A vs. either District 10, 9 or 5; Class 2A vs. either District 9, 10, 5 or City League team; Class 3A vs. either District 5, 6, 9 or 10; Class 4A vs. either District 1, 4, 6, 9, 10 or City League team; Class 5A vs. District 3.
Soccer
The four WPIAL champions in both boys and girls soccer move directly to the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 14. The PIAA semifinals are Nov. 17, and all championships for boys and girls will be in Hershey from Nov. 20-21.
Girls volleyball
The WPIAL champions in all four classifications move on to the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 14. The semifinals are Nov. 17 and all title matches Nov. 21.
Golf
The PIAA has abolished the western and eastern regional playoffs this year for individuals, and the PIAA championships will be an 18-hole, one-day event, instead of a 36-hole, two-day event.
In Class 2A, the top 12 boys and top six girls from the WPIAL championships will move on to the PIAA championships Oct. 19. In Class 3A, the top 10 boys and top five girls from the WPIAL championships qualify for the PIAA championships Oct. 20.
The WPIAL boys and girls team champions will play for the PIAA team championship Oct. 26.
All PIAA championships — team and individual — will be played at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.
Girls tennis
The WPIAL singles and doubles champions in both Class 3A and 2A will move on to the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 4. The PIAA semifinals and championship will be played Nov. 7 in Hershey.
The WPIAL team champions in both Class 3A and 2A will qualify for the PIAA quarterfinals Oct. 28. The semifinals and championship will be Oct. 31.
Cross country
There are major changes to the PIAA boys and girls championships. The WPIAL team champions in all classifications will qualify for the PIAA championship meets. But only the top five runners who aren’t on the championship team will qualify for the PIAA meets.
The Class 1A boys and girls championships will be Nov. 6 in Hershey. The Class 2A and 3A championships will be Nov. 7 in Hershey.
Field hockey
The WPIAL champions in Class 1A and 2A qualify for the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 14. Meanwhile, the WPIAL 3A champ moves onto the PIAA semifinals Nov. 17. All three PIAA championships are Nov. 21.
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
First Published: September 28, 2020, 9:14 p.m.
