WPIAL Boys Soccer Class 1A First Round Playoff Schedule and Match Day Notes

Let the postseason begin!

The WPIAL Boys Class 3A and Class 1A playoff tournaments begin on Saturday with eight matches in each classification as the teams battle to move their way to the Finals which will be played at Highmark Stadium.

This is the thread for Boys Class 1A first round which includes our Match Day Notes and schedule below.

Match Day Notes

Unbeaten Bentworth are the Defending Champs!

The big question heading into the Boys Class 1A tournament this year will be — can anyone knock off Bentworth?

The Bearcats (15-0, 8-0 in section) have steamrolled through the regular season, looking for back-to-back WPIAL titles with a roster that’s filled with postseason experience from last year, when they defeated fellow Mon Valley/Washington County side, Charleroi, in the WPIAL Final and also made it to the PIAA Semifinal Round.

Among the upperclassman leading the way include brothers Adam Moessner and Ryan Moessner along with Andrew Vipperman.  The Bearcats have outscored their opponents by a whopping 106-4 margin  this season.  They’ll kick off their title defense at Peters Township against California, who won the play-in game

Who Has the Best Chance to Knock Off the Defending Champs?

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Winchester Thurston and Beaver County Christian round out the top four, each winning their respective section titles.

Way back in August, in post match interview with PSN, Winchester Thurston Head Coach Adam Brownold said his team will go “where ever the bus will take us”.  Well, Winchester Thurston has once again has shown they’re a program that could once again be taking the bus to Highmark Stadium in a few weeks. They were not afraid to play up at the start of the season, losing tight matches against playoff teams from higher classifications, Central Valley and Moon at the JRK Memorial Classic. In fact, Central Valley needed a very late goal to shake off the Bears in a 3-2 win.  Winchester Thurston have not lost since, closing out the season with back-to-back shutout wins against their closest competitors in section, Trinity Christian and Springdale to firmly secure another Section title.  With a team that includes upperclassmen who were part of back-to-back WPIAL title teams in 2021 and 2022, the Bears are led by Riverhounds Academy product Michael Miller, who you usually can’t miss on the field, as one of the tallest players in the WPIAL, who can be a dangerous presence in air on set pieces and when covering ground from box-to-box, has shown his versatility playing in high school competition both as a midfielder and defender.

Beaver County Christian, Section 1 title winners, enter the playoffs riding a seven-game winning streak. BCC outscored its opponents 49-14 and produced eight shutouts.  OLSH were the Section 3 winners, who didn’t drop a match against 1A competition until its finale against second place Aquinas Academy.

Beyond Winchester Thurston, the rest of the field is fairly inexperienced in making deep playoff runs, but the first few rounds could be wide open and provide for some thrilling games between some teams talented enough and eager to make a big splash.

Matches To Watch on Saturday

Some of the traditional programs who have historically been very good in Class 1A, will have First Round tests — with two of those programs facing each other:

• Springdale vs Sewickley Academy –  With new coach  Mario Liberati, who played for the last Springdale team to play in a WPIAL final in 2017, the Dynamos finished second to Winchester Thurston in Section 4. The Dynamos are led by several all-section players: senior left wing Patrick Wylly, senior striker Nate Dubas, junior center mid Brennan Mattie, senior goalkeeper Noah Skaugen and sophomore center back Alex Wylly. Sewickley Academy tied Freedom for third place in Section 1. The Panthers are led by junior defender Blake Wilmot, a three-sport standout along with juniors Luca Peluso and Finn Wentz who are the top scoring threats.
• Greensburg Central Catholic vs Aquinas Academy – It wasn’t that long ago that GCC won back-to-back WPIAL titles, but this year, they finished in a tie for second with Beth-Center, in Section 2 behind Bentworth, as they’re led by Jackson Vacanti, Grant Brewer and Isaac House.  It will be a stern test for GCC, as Aquinas is rolling, winning six straight to close out the season, including an impressive 3-0 win against first place OLSH last week.

Last Five Boys Class 1A WPIAL Champions

• 2023 – Bentworth
• 2022 – Winchester Thurston
• 2021 – Winchester Thurston
• 2020 – Greensburg Central Catholic
• 2019 –  Greensburg Central Catholic

Saturday’s First Round Schedule

11 a.m.    Sewickley Academy vs Springdale at Franklin Regional

2 p.m.  Serra Catholic vs Winchester Thurston at Graham Field, Wilkinsburg

2 p.m.  Riverview vs Beaver County Christian at Moon

2 p.m.  California vs Bentworth at Peters Township MS

4 p.m.  Trinity Christian vs Bethlehem-Center at Peters Township MS

4 p.m.  Greensburg Central Catholic vs Aquinas Academy at Mars

4 p.m.  Freedom vs Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at West Allegheny

4 p.m.  Carlynton vs Eden Christian Academy at Moon

John Krysinsky

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).