Clairton Overcomes Self-Inflicted Errors to Defeat Laurel in WPIAL Class-A Championship
By Joe Fitzgerald
PITTSBURGH — In a gritty, low-scoring Class A championship that embodied everything Western PA football stands for, Clairton outlasted Laurel 8–6 in a bruising dog fight at Acrisure Stadium.
The Bears opened the game with several self-inflicted wounds, an interception, a botched punt, and a turnover on downs, all of which gave Laurel favorable field position. Yet in typical Clairton fashion, as they have done all season long, the defense refused to crack. The Spartans missed two field goals, and the Bears kept them scoreless despite repeatedly defending a short field.
Finally, in the waning moments of the first half, Clairton broke through. Senior quarterback Jeff Thompson rolled out and delivered a 12-yard strike to Brandon Murphy, who hauled in the game’s first touchdown.
The Bears then converted a crucial two-point attempt on a powerful run from Donte Wright, a decision that proved pivotal.
Laurel, trailing by eight, tried to steal momentum by opening the second half with an onside kick, but Clairton recovered and mounted another promising drive. Thompson connected with Wright for what looked like a back-breaking touchdown, but an offensive pass interference penalty wiped the score off the board, forcing a long fourth-down attempt the Bears couldn’t convert.
Laurel’s offense, however, sputtered. The Spartans went three-and-out on back-to-back possessions before finally creating a spark by blocking a Clairton punt and setting up shop deep in Bears territory.
This time, Clairton committed two defensive pass interference penalties, and Laurel finally punched it in from five yards out on a run from 5-yards out. But the Bears held firm again, stuffing the two-point try to preserve an 8–6 lead.
With under five minutes left, Clairton tried to bleed the clock, but Laurel forced another turnover on downs, once again taking over in striking distance. The Spartans seemed poised to flip the script, until the Bears’ sophomore sensation made the championship play.
Brandon Murphy ripped the ball free on a Laurel run, recovered the fumble himself, and put the exclamation mark on a dominant two-way performance. After scoring Clairton’s only touchdown, Murphy finished the night with seven tackles and multiple pass breakups, proving why he’s viewed as one of the top young athletes in Western Pennsylvania.
From there, the Bears drained the clock and secured the program’s latest WPIAL title, a redemption moment after last season’s heartbreaking one-point loss to Matt Sieg and Fort Cherry.
A major key to the victory was Clairton’s dismantling of Laurel’s prolific rushing attack. Kolton Carlson entered the game averaging 9.3 yards per carry, but the Bears’ front limited him to just 2.6, a statistical snapshot of the stingy, blue-collar defense Clairton has built its dynasty on.
In a championship defined by toughness, defense, and big-time plays in the biggest moments, the Bears were once again the toughest team on the field.
