2025 PIAA Class 4A Championship Preview: Southern Lehigh (14-1) vs. Twin Valley (14-0)

This marks the fourth year that Cumberland Valley High School’s Chapman Field will be hosting the three-day PIAA state football championships.

This year, three defending state champions return, all looking to repeat: At Class 1A, District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle; At 3A, District 11 titlist Northwestern Lehigh; and at 5A, District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt.

There will be two rematches: undefeated District 7 champion Avonworth against defending state champion Northwestern Lehigh at 3A and defending state champion McDevitt against District 12 champion Roman Catholic at 5A.

Of the 12 teams playing in the six classifications, three are undefeated: Both 3A state finalists Avonworth (14-0) and Northwestern Lehigh, and 4A finalist Twin Valley (14-0).

Two teams will be making their first appearances in a state final, which happens to be for the Class 4A state championship between Southern Lehigh and Twin Valley, while coaching legend Jim Roth goes for his unprecedented 15th state championship for Southern Columbia, which takes on District 10 champion Farrell for the 2A championship.

Seven of the 12 teams that have reached the state championship are public school teams (Clairton, Southern Columbia, Farrell, Southern Lehigh, Twin Valley, Avonworth and Northwestern Lehigh), while five are private (Bishop Guilfoyle, Bishop McDevitt, Roman Catholic, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and La Salle College High School). Three of the games will feature an all-public matchup: Southern Columbia/Farrell at 2A, Avonworth/Northwestern Lehigh at 3A and Southern Lehigh/Twin Valley at 4A, while Class 5A (McDevitt/Roman) and 6A (Pittsburgh Central Catholic/La Salle) are all-private-school matchups. The one private-against-public matchup is at 1A between defending state champion Bishop Guilfoyle against Clairton.

District 7 has the largest representation in the state finals with three teams (1A-Clairton, 3A-Avonworth, and 6A-Pittsburgh Central Catholic), followed by two teams each from District 12 (5A-Roman Catholic, and 6A-La Salle), District 3 (4A-Twin Valley, and 5A-McDevitt) and District 11 (4A-Southern Lehigh, and 3A Northwestern Lehigh), with one each from District 6 (1A-Bishop Guilfoyle), District 4 (2A-Southern Columbia) and District 10 (2A-Farrell).

While Southern Lehigh and Twin Valley will be making their first appearances in the state championship, of the remaining 10 schools, Avonworth (3A) and Roman Catholic (5A) will be joining those two teams in search of their first state championship. Clairton (1A) has not won a state title since 2012 (20-0 over Dunmore in the 1A championship), La Salle has not won a state title since 2009 (24-7 over State College for the 4A championship under the 4A system), becoming the first Philadelphia Catholic League team to do so, Pittsburgh Central Catholic has not won since 2015 (21-18 over Parkland for the 4A championship under the 4A system), Farrell last won in 2019 (10-7 in overtime over Guilfoyle for the 1A crown) and Southern Columbia last won in 2023 (21-20 over Westinghouse for the 2A championship).

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball [twitter.com].

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Class 4A Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cumberland Valley HS

(District 11) Southern Lehigh (14-1) vs. (District 3) Twin Valley (14-0)

This will be one of the most unique matchups in the six games. Neither team has ever reached the state finals before. For Twin Valley and Southern Lehigh, the 14-win seasons are the most in school history for both programs. The intrigue here is Twin Valley coach Brett Myers was at Middletown from 2013-20. He compiled a 73-22 record while there, including guiding the Blue Raiders to three consecutive PIAA Class 3A championships from 2016-18, where they lost, respectively, to Beaver Falls, Quaker Valley, and Aliquippa. Myers’ Raiders had to hang on to dear life against Aliquippa in the state semifinals, after surging out to a 28-6 halftime lead, fueled by three touchdowns by Lucas Myers, Brett’s son. Twin Valley was only able to manage 9 yards of offense in the second half.

Southern Lehigh got here by edging out District 12 champion Cardinal O’Hara, 28-24, after blowing a 21-0 lead. The Spartans needed three Sean Steckert touchdowns, the last being the game-winner with 31 seconds left, wrapping up a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive—and three Southern Lehigh fumbles that almost cost the Spartans the game.