NORTH HUNTINGTON, Pa. — Pittsburgh Central Catholic is back on top of the football world after they demolished North Allegheny, 45-14, in the Class-6A championship on Saturday evening. Pittsburgh Central Catholic enjoyed regular-season success against the Tigers over the last three seasons, but the Tigers beat the Vikings when it mattered the most, in both of the 2022 and 2023 Class-6A championships.
This year, Coach Ryan Lehmeier came prepared with a flawless game plan and the players executed on it to end the Tigers chance at a three-peat.
“We knew that we had to finish,” Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “We knew that we had to play great from start to finish, we just came out and did what we had to do. All week in practice it was just perfection, perfection, perfection.”
The Vikings received big-time offensive contributions from Walls and running back Elijah Faulkner in the championship game. Walls finished the game completing 10-of-17 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns while adding two more scores on the ground. Faulkner led the rushing attack with 192 yards and one touchdown.
“It feels great, almost in disbelief to be honest. We worked so hard for this, it’s just a great feeling,” Faulkner told Pittsburgh Sports Now following the game. “Our line just blocked very well, Jon Sassic, Jimmy Kalis, Matt Bowers, Sam Brackney, we just blocked so well.”
The defense of the Vikings combined to stifle the Tigers offense as they had just 43 total yards after three quarters and just 122 total yards in the entire game. All of that combined led to a victory that was three years in the making.
For a school like Central, four years is a huge gap in-between titles but that was the gap between this title and their last one which came in 2020. While the team is different from that 2020 squad, the standard in that program remains the same so not hoisting a trophy at the end of this year would have meant the season was a failure for many people in that building.
“Coming into Central, I knew I had to be great,” Walls said. “I knew I had to step up to the challenge and bring them a championship.”
While a weight has been lifted, or in this case a trophy, the Vikings still have more football to play. Their next game, which will be a part of the PIAA state playoffs, is next weekend against State College. Even with bringing the trophy home, the Vikings are still motivated to get back to work and get better.
“We’re getting better every practice so just keep practicing, don’t get complacent and do what we got to do to win,” Faulkner said.
Regardless, if the Vikings continue play like they did in the WPIAL title game, they will be a tough out for any team in the state.
Central alum disappointed in their poaching practice.