Southern won’t be adding to its record PIAA gold collection, but St. Joe’s could
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Half of the 12 teams in this week’s PIAA football championships are familiar with the landscape; half are making their first appearance in the final game.
None is more familiar than St. Joseph’s Prep, which will be looking for its third straight Class 6A championship when it faces Pittsburgh Central Catholic Saturday at 7. The Hawks have won five of the last six and six of the eight Class 6A championships since the PIAA expanded to six classes in 2016.
St. Joseph’s Prep has eight championships overall, second-most to Southern Columbia, which is well out in front with 14.
Jim Roth’s Tigers won’t be adding to that record total this season: They had a rare offseason, finishing 7-5. They were ousted in the District 2 semifinals by Troy, 69-28.
(PhilMarPhoto)
Roth, the winningest coach in state history, has been the Tigers’ head coach for all of their state championships.
Southern Columbia has played for the most titles, 22. St. Joseph’s Prep is next with 11. Aliquippa has played for 10.
Two other finalists have enjoyed success on this stage: Pittsburgh Central Catholic has four championships in seven appearances and Class 1A finalist Bishop Guilfoyle has four trophies in five tries.
Six teams will be playing in their first state championship game: Roman Catholic in 5A, Bonner-Prendergast and Lampeter-Strasburg in 4A, Central Clarion and Troy in 2A and Port Allegany in 1A.
Two other finalists are looking for their first championship: Northwestern Lehigh in 4A and Avonworth in 3A. Each lost in its only state title-game appearance.
Imhotep Charter has the distinction of the second-most most championship-game losses, behind Southern: The Panthers have lost six times in eight appearances.
Seventy-four different schools have won football championships, including Wyomissing, which is 2012 became the first Berks school to claim one. There will be at least three first-time champions this week.
Thirty-one different program have won two or more championships.
Here is a list of programs with the most championships, courtesy of Rod Frisco, who compiles records for the PIAA website:
PIAA football champions
| Team | Championships | Appearances* |
| Southern Columbia | 14 | 22 |
| St. Joseph’s Prep | 8 | 11 |
| Berwick | 6 | 7 |
| Archbishop Wood | 6 | 8 |
| Steel-High | 5 | 5 |
| Thomas Jefferson | 5 | 5 |
| Mount Carmel | 5 | 6 |
| Cathedral Prep | 5 | 9 |
| Aliquippa | 5 | 10 |
| Bishop Guilfoyle | 4 | 6 |
| Central Bucks West | 4 | 6 |
| Farrell | 4 | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Central Catholic | 4 | 8 |
| Clairton | 4 | 7 |
| Allentown Central Catholic | 3 | 3 |
| North Allegheny | 3 | 4 |
| Pine-Richland | 3 | 5 |
| Rochester | 3 | 6 |