Oct 30, 2017 5 min read

GREEN TREE – There has been no hesitation from California High School head football coach Darrin Dillow.

From installing a new offense in the offseason and putting a 6-2, 263-pound running back in the backfield to scoring the most points in the WPIAL and going undefeated – the only team in Class A to do so – California has yet to slow down.

The Trojans’ success, however, hasn’t surprised Dillow.

In fact, when asked if he expected this type of season from his team, Dillow’s answer mirrored the decisions he’s made for California, which learned Monday night it was the No. 1 seed for the Class A playoffs.

“Yes,” Dillow said emphatically, without hesitation.

“The kids have worked so hard. We started right after last season was over. It’s nice to get the No. 1 seed. I think we deserve it. We’ve been playing well all year and have played tough non-conference games with Imani (Christian) and Rochester. We have a pretty good team.”

Slotted at the top spot, California (10-0) will open its playoff run at home Friday night against No. 16 seed Bishop Canevin (3-6), which knocked the Trojans out of the playoffs in last year’s first round, 56-21. The Crusaders finished fifth in the Eastern Conference this season.

“Hosting a playoff game is nice,” Dillow said. “I’ve been coaching for years and sometimes our first game is near Butler. It’s tough to travel that far. It’s been a long time since California has had home playoff game.”

The Trojans aren’t the only team from the Tri-County South Conference that will play at home when the first round begins. Fort Cherry will host Union while Western Beaver travels to Carmichaels.

All Friday games will begin at 7:30 p.m.

“The Tri-County South is getting much more competitive,” Dillow said about the conference being degraded by many in the past.

The only TCS team to make it past the first round last season was Fort Cherry.

“It’s important to take it game by game,” Dillow continued. “We’re going to do what we do. We’re 0-0 right now. It’s a brand new season but our recipe is very basic. If you run the ball and control the clock, (the opponent) cannot score.”

The other local team to earn a No. 1 spot was South Fayette in Class 4A after finishing with another undefeated regular season, the Lions’ sixth in a row.

South Fayette (10-0) will host No. 8 seed West Mifflin (5-4) and look for a better result than the unexpected first-round exit ot experienced last year.

Washington (9-0) and Belle Vernon (9-0) are the No. 2 seeds in Class 2A and 4A, respectively. The Prexies will stay at home to play No. 15 Freedom (5-5). With only eight playoff spots in Class 4A, Belle Vernon will host No. 7 Mars (6-4) at James Weir Stadium.

Trinity (6-3) will stay in the Big Nine Conference for its opening matchup, making the same trip it did in Week 2 to take on Thomas Jefferson (8-1), which beat the Hillers 35-7 Sept 8.

Two other teams that ended the trend of handing in equipment early, Charleroi (9-1) and West Greene (7-3), are preparing for first-round games. It will be the first playoff game for West Greene since 1993. For Charleroi, it has been 13 years since its last playoff game.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Charleroi coach Donnie Militzer. “We are really taking in the moment and being a part of it. When I took over there wasn’t a lot of hope.”

The Cougars will host Avonworth (3-5). West Greene will play at Rochester (7-2), the latter tying for the Big Seven Conference title.

“It’s been a long process,” Militzer said. “As a head coach and entire staff you have to be positive and get the kids to trust in you. That’s what I think we’ve been able to do. They understood the vision.”

Miltizer admitted it took the town longer to believe than those who wear “Charleroi”on their uniform every Friday night.

“They wanted a winner,” he said about the community. “Stuff really started to take off after that Burgettstown win. They were ready to jump on board and started saying this wasn’t a normal Charleroi team.”

The final team to qualify out of the Tri-County South, Monessen, will play No. 3 seed Jeannette (9-1). The Jayhawks were the frontrunner for the No. 1 seed before losing to Clairton in the last week of the regular season.

The third- and fourth-place finishers in the Century Conference, Burgettstown (6-3) and Beth-Center (7-3), respecitvely, will be on the road for the first round. Burgettstown plays at No. 8 seed Neshannock (6-4) and Beth-Center, the No. 11 seed in Class 2A, plays at Serra Catholic (6-4).

Peters Township (7-3) will make its first playoff appearance since 2013 when it plays Pittsburgh Central Catholic (8-2) at Cupples Stadium on the South Side.