2025 PIAA Class 1A Championship Preview: Clairton (14-1) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (13-2)

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 1A Thursday at 1 p.m. at Cumberland Valley HS

(District 7) Clairton (14-1) vs. (District 6) Bishop Guilfoyle (13-2)

It’s the seventh time in the state finals for Guilfoyle, which is 5-1 in state championship games, and are the defending Class 1A state champions. Coach Justin Wheeler has the Marauders rolling, winners of five-straight games. Guilfoyle has outscored its last five opponents, state-playoff caliber teams, by a combined 184-12, averaging 36.8 points a game, while giving up a mere 2.4. Guilfoyle received a scare on the way to defending its state title, beating District 8 champion Westinghouse in the state quarterfinals, 7-6, on a four-yard Jake Kissell touchdown, and Carter Boland extra point.

This is the first time Clairton has been to the state finals since 2016 when the Bears lost to Guilfoyle, 17-0, in the Class 1A championship. The Bears only loss came in their season opener to Imani Christian Academy, and have since reeled off 14-straight victories, including eight times in which they scored 50 points or better, and have shut 10 opponents. This will be Clairton’s eighth trip to the state finals, where the Bears are 4-3. The last time Clairton won a state title was in 2012, shutting out Dunmore, 20-0, in the Class 1A championship. Deon Lovelace-Pompey led the way with a 110 yards rushing for the Bears in their 57-0 mercy-rule state semifinal blowout over District 10 champion Greenville.