WPIAL Boys Soccer Class 3A Playoff Preview: Five Keys on the Road to F.N.B.

Photo courtesy Jared Todhunter

WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer is notoriously one of the most volatile, hyper-competitive, and unpredictable playoff brackets in Pennsylvania high school sports.

Year in and year out, lower seeds shock the district—just look at West Allegheny capturing the WPIAL crown as a No. 9 seed last fall, or South Fayette pulling off a similar Cinderella run in 2023.

As the Round of 16 kicks off today, undefeated top seed Plum drops down from Class 4A aiming to conquer 3A, while a lethal group of section rivals and defending champions wait to pounce.

🔑 Five Keys to the Road to F.N.B. Stadium

Undefeated Plum’s Drop-Down Dominance

After reaching the Class 4A semifinals last autumn and the 4A Championship game in 2024, enrollment adjustments ushered head coach Raf Kolankowski’s Plum Mustangs back down to Class 3A. They responded with an unblemished regular season, surrendering a mere eight goals all fall (and just two in Section 3 play).

Powered by playmakers Chase Eber and Hudson Strasser, Plum’s defense has been an absolute fortress. Their only non-win on the entire schedule was a 1-1 draw against neighboring eastern suburbs power Franklin Regional. With marquee wins over 4A Peters Township, Pine-Richland, and Gateway under their belts, the Mustangs hold the No. 1 overall seed and a massive target on their backs.

Franklin Regional’s Five-Goal Firepower & Section Showdown

The Panthers enter as last year’s WPIAL runner-up riding a blistering 16-game unbeaten streak, having reached the finals five times in the last eight years. Anchored by talented Thomas Bridges and goalkeeper Michael Hillebrand, Franklin Regional has posted six consecutive shutouts while outscoring foes 72-4 overall. Their defining moment came on Tuesday in a winner-take-all section showdown against Penn-Trafford, where the Panthers unleashed an explosive five-goal blitz in the first half. Sitting as the No. 2 seed, Franklin Regional looks every bit like a championship favorite.

Penn-Trafford’s Bounce-Back & “Sleepy Saturday” Warning

Prior to dropping their final two matches against West Allegheny and Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford (#5 seed) rattled off a 10-game unbeaten streak. Fueled by All-WPIAL engine Noah Haslam (15 goals, 10 assists), Dom Daykon (20 goals), and keeper Santino Caruso (8 clean sheets), P-T possesses the scoring punch to beat anyone in the state.

Penn-Trafford head coach Ryan Hankey echoed sentiment shared and backed-up by coaches regarding Saturday kickoff times in our recent PSN coaches survey and then on Kids on the Pitch Podcast, emphasizing that 3A playoff matches belong under the prime-time lights rather than matinee slots.

P-T opens at 12:00 PM against Chartiers Valley.

The Early Wake-Up Call: Why WPIAL Soccer coaches dread ‘Sleepy Saturday’ matinees

Defending Champ West Allegheny & Central Valley’s Surge

Never count out the defending champions.

No. 3 seed West Allegheny captured last year’s WPIAL title from the No. 9 spot and has not lost since September 15, conceding just eight goals since that date behind star Harrison Murray. However, West A faced a fierce challenge in Section 2 from Central Valley (#6 seed).

After moving up from Class 2A, CV head coach Drew Lewis has seamlessly maintained the program’s winning culture following the departure of alumnus Jack Shearer (who accepted the head coaching role at Wheeling University). Central Valley stands ready to make a deep run of its own.

Section 2 Champions Trinity & The Dangerous Sleeper Contingent

Section 2 champion Trinity (#4 seed) earned its crown by edging Thomas Jefferson by a single point, led by Cooper Cincinnati.   Thomas Jefferson 

Class 3A is famous for its second-place sleepers and lower-seed disruptors. Thomas Jefferson (#8 seed) made the semifinals a year ago and features a veteran core, while Mars (#7 seed) and South Fayette (#10 seed) bring proven postseason pedigree.

For Thomas Jefferson, Michael Kulish III stepped in as the head coach ollowing the passing of his father, longtime head coach Michael “Doc” Kulish, in September.  Doc Kulish was a legendary coach in the WPIAL ranks, having won multiple titles and PIAA crown in 2002 (in a run when TJ made three straight PIAA finals).

Remembering longtime Thomas Jefferson Boys Soccer Head Coach Michael ‘Doc’ Kulish

We caught up with Mars Head Coach Joe Haefner after Tuesday night’s battle and loss to 4A North Hills. A Mars alumnus and former assistant coach, Haefner was approved in March 2026 to succeed long-time legendary head coach Chris Knauff — helping lead the Fighting Planets to a second place finish in Class 3A, Section 1, finishing second only to the top overall seed, Plum.

“All I know is we have a home game Saturday and whoever whoever we get we’re going to prepare for. Anything happens. I think last year West A was a nine seed. So, you know what I mean?” Haefner said. “People get moved different places that might not deserve it, that might deserve higher, might deserve lower. You just you roll with the punches and you play who you play and you got to beat four teams, you know. 3A is always extremely deep.”

The depth of the field has programs that have won the entire thing, like Hampton and South Fayette hanging around as No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, and a team that finished unbeaten in section play, Ringgold (5-0-5!!), but behind Trinity and Thomas Jefferson who are lurking as a No. 11 seed.

Furthermore, Shaler (#15 seed) enters buoyed by momentum, with head coach Tyler Schultz noting in our survey that their late-season win over rival Hampton represented the peak performance they had been building toward all fall.

📋 Mini Team Capsules & Round of 16 Matchups

All First-Round matches kick off Saturday, October 24.

• No. 1 Plum Mustangs (15-0-1)

  • Coach: Rafal Kolankowski

  • The Scoop: Undefeated 4A drop-down entry that allowed only 8 goals all season. (Hosts #16 Laurel Highlands, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 2 Franklin Regional Panthers (15-1-1)

  • Coach: Nick White 

  • The Scoop: Last year’s runners-up carrying a 16-game unbeaten streak and 6 straight shutouts. (Hosts #15 Shaler, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 3 West Allegheny Indians (13-3-2)

  • Coach: Scott Zemba

  • The Scoop: Defending WPIAL champions who haven’t lost since mid-September. (Hosts #14 Armstrong, Sat. 3:00 PM)

• No. 4 Trinity Hillers (12-2-3)

  • Coach: Alex Nikolopoulos

  • The Scoop: Section 2 champions led by a balanced, physical midfield block. (Hosts #13 Greater Latrobe, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 5 Penn-Trafford Warriors (12-3-1)

  • Coach: Ryan Hankey

  • The Scoop: High-octane attack seeking redemption after dropping its section finale. (Hosts #12 Chartiers Valley, Sat. 12:00 PM)

• No. 6 Central Valley Warriors (12-4-1)

  • Coach: Drew Lewis

  • The Scoop: Made a seamless jump from 2A to push West A to the wire in Section 2. (Hosts #11 Ringgold, Sat. 3:00 PM)

• No. 7 Mars Planets (12-3-2)

  • Coach: Joe Haefner

  • The Scoop: Always a dangerous, tactically organized postseason threat. (Hosts #10 South Fayette, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 8 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (11-4-2)

  • Coach: 

  • The Scoop: Last year’s semifinalists missed the section title by a single point. (Hosts #9 Hampton, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 9 Hampton Talbots (11-4-3)

  • The Scoop: Battle-tested group heading to TJ for a classic 8/9 matchup. (Travels to #8 Thomas Jefferson, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 10 South Fayette Lions (10-6-0)

  • The Scoop: 2023 WPIAL champions who know exactly how to navigate as a lower seed. (Travels to #7 Mars, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 11 Ringgold Rams (10-6-1)

  • The Scoop: Physical squad traveling to Central Valley for an opening-round test. (Travels to #6 Central Valley, Sat. 3:00 PM)

• No. 12 Chartiers Valley Colts (9-7-1)

  • The Scoop: Opens the 3A slate at noon on the road at Penn-Trafford. (Travels to #5 Penn-Trafford, Sat. 12:00 PM)

• No. 13 Greater Latrobe Wildcats (8-8-1)

  • The Scoop: Draws Section 2 champion Trinity in the opening round. (Travels to #4 Trinity, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 14 Armstrong River Hawks (8-8-1)

  • The Scoop: Faces the tall task of visiting defending champion West Allegheny. (Travels to #3 West Allegheny, Sat. 3:00 PM)

• No. 15 Shaler Titans (7-9-1)

  • Coach: Tyler Schultz

  • The Scoop: Peaked late with a statement win over Hampton heading into playoff play. (Travels to #2 Franklin Regional, Sat. 1:00 PM)

• No. 16 Laurel Highlands Mustangs (8-8-1)

  • Coach: Alexander Guie

  • The Scoop: Survived a thrilling 2ET play-in game on Thursday to earn the right to challenge top-seeded Plum. (Travels to #1 Plum, Sat. 1:00 PM)

🗺️ Official Tournament Bracket & Schedule Roadmap

Preliminary Play-In Round (Thursday, October 22)

• • #16 Laurel Highlands 2, #17 Uniontown 1 (2ET)

First Round (Saturday, October 24)

• • #12 Chartiers Valley at #5 Penn-Trafford — 12:00 PM @ Penn-Trafford HS

  • #16 Laurel Highlands at #1 Plum — 1:00 PM @ Plum HS

  • #9 Hampton at #8 Thomas Jefferson — 1:00 PM @ Thomas Jefferson HS

  • #13 Greater Latrobe at #4 Trinity — 1:00 PM @ Trinity Area MS

  • #10 South Fayette at #7 Mars — 1:00 PM @ Mars Athletic Complex

  • #15 Shaler at #2 Franklin Regional — 1:00 PM @ Franklin Regional HS

  • #14 Armstrong at #3 West Allegheny — 3:00 PM @ West Allegheny HS

  • #11 Ringgold at #6 Central Valley — 3:00 PM @ Central Valley HS

Quarterfinals (Wednesday, October 28)

• • Advancing winners meet at higher seed / neutral venues.

Semifinals (Monday, November 2)

• • Neutral site doubleheaders.

WPIAL Championship & Third-Place Consolation (November 4–7 Window)

• • Third-Place Consolation Match: Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Time & Location TBA

  • WPIAL Championship Game: Date & Time TBA @ F.N.B. Stadium (South Shore, Pittsburgh)

📝 Class 3A Notes / Recent Coverage

• Coach Survey Insights: Survey feedback from Laurel Highlands coach Alexander Guie noted how the PIAA’s no-OT regular-season rules tightened section standings district-wide, making postseason composure crucial when golden-goal extra time returns today.

https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2026/10/20/inside-the-touchline-what-wpial-soccer-coaches-are-really-saying-about-seeding-ties-and-the-2026-season/

• PIAA State Bids: Class 3A awards three PIAA state tournament berths, meaning the WPIAL’s Third-Place Consolation Match (officially a PIAA Play-In game) on Nov. 4 or Nov. 5 will carry big stakes for semifinalists!