By Mike White | Sunday, Nov. 2, 1:34 p.m.
Look for WPIAL playoff pairings on the Post-Gazette web site under breaking news later tonight. We'll also put them on this blog.
We'll have some thoughts on the WPIAL playoff seedings and pairings after they are announced tonight at a meeting. But where the WPIAL places Aliquippa will be interesting because the No. 1 seed in Class AA might have to play the Quips in the quarterfinals.
You could make a case for Aliquippa being one of the top five teams in Class AA. The Quips tied Center and Beaver Falls for the Midwestern Conference championship and the Post-Gazette ranks the Quips No. 5 in Class AA behind South Fayette, Center, Mount Pleasant and Beaver Falls. Although Aliquippa tied for the conference title, they finished as the No. 3 seed because of tiebreaker points and head-to-head competition.
First- and second-place teams play at home in the first round of the playoffs while third-and fourth-place teams go on the road. Because first- and second-place teams are at home, they are seeded in the top eight. Teams in third and fourth are seeded in the bottom eight.
No question Aliquippa is the best third-place team from a Class AA conference. That means the Quips will be seeded No. 9 and play the No. 8 team, most likely McGuffey or Keystone Oaks. The winner of that game then plays the winner of the 1-16 game. Thus, the No. 1 team in the Class AA field might play Aliquippa in the quarterfinals.
Oh well, that's the way the system works.
Posted
Nov 02 2009, 01:33 PM
by
Mike White