A-K Valley high school soccer playoff matchups for Saturday, Oct. 21

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, October 20, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Boys

Class 3A

First round

16-Chartiers Valley (7-9) at 1-Plum (17-1)

1 p.m. Saturday

Winner plays: Winner of 8-South Fayette (10-2-3)/9-Latrobe (13-3) Wednesday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: John Krug, Chartiers Valley; Tristan Ralph, Plum

Throw-ins: Chartiers Valley is led by forwards John Krug and Angad Kohli, who have dealt with injuries this season. The Colts are in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They played the first half of their season on the road while awaiting stadium renovations to be completed. … Plum lost its first game of the season to Upper St. Clair and has won 17 straight since, including 11 shutouts. Senior forward Tristan Ralph was named the Section 4-3A player of the year. Junior Garrett Chandler and seniors Tyler Yurisinec and Travis Kodman, all representing the defense, also were selected to the all-section team. Senior keeper Owen Zalewski was an honorable mention. The Mustangs lost to No. 11-seeded Ambridge in overtime in the semifinals last season.

Class A

First round

12-Carlynton (9-6-1) vs. 5-Springdale (13-3) at Plum

3 p.m. Saturday

Winner plays: Winner of 4-Seton LaSalle (13-2-1)/13-Beth-Center (11-7) Wednesday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Mateo Carrasco, Carlynton; Billy Lawrence, Springdale

Throw-ins: Carlynton finished third in Section 4 with a 6-4 record. … The Cougars are 3-1-1 in their last five games, outscoring opponents 15-6 in that span. Forward Ryan Lewis was the 2022 co-section player of the year after scoring 29 goals. … Springdale tied Burrell for the Section 3 championship with a 10-2 record. The Dynamos outscored opponents 51-13 this season. They have won six of their past seven games with four shutouts. Billy Lawrence scored six goals against Greensburg Salem on Monday.

14-Greensburg Central Catholic (7-10) at 3-Burrell (12-3)

1 p.m. Saturday

Winner plays: Winner of 11-Trinity Christian (9-5)/6-Serra Catholic (12-4) Wednesday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Grant Brewer, GCC; Jayson Ireland, Burrell

Throw-ins: Greensburg Central Catholic finished under .500 during the regular season, which is rare. The Centurions played top-seeded Charleroi close before falling, 1-0. Grant Brewer and Jackson Vacanti each have 15 goals. … Burrell, which had an 11-game winning streak earlier in the season, has lost two in a row. The Buccaneers tied Springdale for the Section 3 title.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Burrell, Carlynton, Chartiers Valley, Plum, Springdale