For some WPIAL teams, the road to Three Rivers Stadium got a lot shorter this week.

That doesn't mean winning a WPIAL title will be any easier. But more teams will get an opportunity to play at Three Rivers this season. That's because the WPIAL has decided to hold its Class AAAA and AAA semifinal games there on Nov. 20. The four games will begin at 10 a.m.

The WPIAL will hold its semifinals in Class A and AA the night of Nov. 19 at sites and times to be determined. The championship games are set for Nov. 27 at Three Rivers.

"It just sort of happened," WPIAL Executive Director Larry Hanley said. "I was at Three Rivers Stadium meeting with Jimmy Sacco (of Spectacor) about the championships. I was moaning to him about the fact Pitt Stadium wasn't available to us this year, and how it was going to be tough to play all of our semifinals on (artificial) turf.

"He suggested to me that we play the games at Three Rivers. The people down there have been trying to do more with us, and it just made sense. The Steelers are away and it's a non-holiday weekend."

Hanley said a crowd of 20,000 is needed for the WPIAL to pay the bills and give some money back to the schools. He doesn't see any reason why the crowd will not be that large.

"We should reach that because we've got some teams who will make it there who haven't been in the semifinals for a while," Hanley said. "I think it's going to work out."

Last year, the WPIAL held its Quad-A semifinals at Pitt Stadium as a doubleheader. Pitt Stadium, isn't available since it will torn down following Saturday's contest against Notre Dame.

All of which means eight teams that would not have had the opportunity to play at Three Rivers Stadium will now play on the turf there.

City final: Schenley (10-0) and Oliver (8-2) will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Stadium for the City League final.

Oliver is in the championship game for only the fourth time in its history. It last played in the final in 1990, losing to Perry. Schenley hasn't won a City League title since 1950. It lost to Perry the past two years and to Peabody in 1994.

Back