If you were looking for a predictable finish to the high school season in Pennsylvania, you probably weren’t watching the games at Chapman Field this past December. Honestly, the piaa football playoffs scores from the 2025 state championships told a story of "revenge tours" and historical "firsts" that most people didn’t see coming back in August.
Remember how Bishop McDevitt was supposed to be a lock? Or how Northwestern Lehigh looked like an unstoppable machine after a 31-game win streak? Yeah, about that. The 2025 season wrapped up with a massive power shift toward the Philadelphia Catholic League and a few Western PA teams that decided they were tired of being bridesmaids.
The Big Rematches: PIAA Football Playoffs Scores That Settled Grudges
It’s kinda wild when you look at how many of these state finals were actually rematches of either the previous year’s championship or early-season non-conference games. The Class 6A final was basically a "do-over" of Week Zero. La Salle College High School faced off against Pittsburgh Central Catholic, and for the second time in one season, the Explorers had the Vikings' number.
La Salle walked away with a 34-20 victory. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. Joey O’Brien, the five-star Notre Dame commit, basically lived in the highlight reel. He had three interceptions—one of which he took 95 yards back for a touchdown—and caught 10 passes on top of that. Central Catholic has now gone home with state silver two years in a row, which has to be a bitter pill for the WPIAL powerhouse to swallow.
Then you’ve got Class 5A. Last year, Roman Catholic lost a heartbreaker to Bishop McDevitt in overtime. This year? Not even close. Roman Catholic won 28-6 to secure the program's first-ever state title. Semaj Beals, headed to Akron, threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns. They held a 21-0 lead at halftime and basically never looked back.
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Why the 2025 Results Shook Up the State Rankings
A lot of fans focus on the big 6A and 5A schools, but the piaa football playoffs scores in the middle classifications were arguably more shocking.
Take Class 3A, for example. Northwestern Lehigh came into the final with a 31-game winning streak. They were the defending champs. They looked invincible. But Avonworth, who lost to them in a 36-33 thriller the year before, absolutely dismantled them 31-7. The Antelopes finished the season 15-0 and outscored their opponents by a total margin of 590-142. That’s not just winning; that’s a demolition.
- Class 4A: Southern Lehigh 43, Twin Valley 21. This was Southern Lehigh's first-ever football state title.
- Class 2A: Southern Columbia 43, Farrell 22. Some things never change. The Tigers have now won nine titles in the last 11 years.
- Class 1A: Clairton 35, Bishop Guilfoyle 3. The "Bears" got back on top for the first time since 2012, ending Bishop Guilfoyle's run as defending champs.
Breaking Down the District 12 Dominance
If you follow PA high school football, you know the debate. Is the Philadelphia Catholic League (District 12) too dominant? Looking at the piaa football playoffs scores from this year, it’s hard to argue against it. Between La Salle in 6A and Roman Catholic in 5A, the biggest trophies are staying in the East.
Gavin Sidwar, the La Salle quarterback and Missouri commit, even leaned into the "East vs. West" rivalry on social media after the game. His post saying "Wawa > Sheetz" probably ruffled more feathers in Pittsburgh than the actual score did. But that’s the beauty of the PIAA playoffs; the cultural divide between the two ends of the state makes these games feel like a civil war every December.
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What the Numbers Actually Tell Us
If we look at the offensive production across the board, the 2025 playoffs were surprisingly high-scoring in the early rounds but tightened up significantly in the finals. During the quarterfinals, we saw teams like Roman Catholic putting up 55 points and State College dropping 52.
By the time everyone got to Mechanicsburg, the defenses found their legs. Aside from Southern Columbia and Southern Lehigh both hitting 43, the scoring was relatively controlled. It shows that while high-flying offenses get you to the dance, the teams that can actually tackle in the freezing December wind are the ones holding the gold at the end.
Common Misconceptions About the Playoff Format
People always complain that the private schools have an unfair advantage because they don't have traditional "boundaries." You'll hear this every time the piaa football playoffs scores show a District 12 team winning. While it's true that the Philadelphia schools are on a tear right now, don't forget that public programs like Southern Lehigh and Twin Valley made massive runs this year.
Southern Lehigh's win in 4A was a huge victory for public school football. They didn't just win; they controlled the game from start to finish. And Twin Valley, even in a loss, proved that a District 3 public school can navigate a bracket filled with traditional heavyweights like Aliquippa.
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Actionable Insights for the Next Season
If you’re a fan or a coach looking at these results to prepare for the 2026 cycle, there are a few things you should take away.
First, the "gap" between the WPIAL and the PCL is currently favoring the Philly teams in the high-enrollment classes. To compete with the likes of La Salle or Roman, teams are going to need elite-level secondary play to counter those D1-bound quarterbacks.
Second, the Southern Columbia dynasty in 2A isn't going anywhere. Jim Roth has built a machine that seems to reload rather than rebuild. If you're in Class 2A, the road to the title still runs through Catawissa.
Finally, keep an eye on the sophomore and junior classes at Avonworth and Roman Catholic. A lot of the playmakers who fueled those piaa football playoffs scores are coming back. Jaden Jones at Avonworth, for instance, set a PIAA record for receiving yards in the final as a sophomore. That’s terrifying for the rest of Class 3A.
The 2025 season is officially in the books. To keep up with the upcoming 2026 schedule or to check historical stats for your local team, your best bet is to stay locked into the PIAA interactive brackets or follow the District-specific feeds like PA Football News or EasternPAFootball. They usually have the updated rosters and scrimmage dates posted by mid-summer.
Plan your travel for early December now—Chapman Field is usually better when you aren't scrambling for a hotel at the last minute.