Last weekend's WPIAL championships did more than crown eight teams as best in Western Pennsylvania. They also gave new life to a handful of others.

Eight area teams are still alive in the PIAA tournament because the team that knocked them out of the WPIAL playoffs in the quarterfinals either advanced to or won the WPIAL title game.

For the boys, McKeesport (AAAA), Trinity (AAA), Montour (AAA) and Neshannock (A) get a second chance in the postseason thanks to the outcome of last week's games. For the girls, it's Fox Chapel (AAAA), Hampton (AAA) Blackhawk (AAA) and Rochester (A). Every quarterfinal team in boys' and girls' AA advanced to the PIAA tournament.

For some coaches, that can create split loyalties in the WPIAL playoffs.

After McKeesport lost to Mt. Lebanon in the quarterfinals, Tigers coach Corey Gadson paid close attention to the rest of the tournament. But when his team's postseason future butted heads with the success of a close friend, Gadson struggled to pick sides.

"I don't know if I was actually rooting for Mt. Lebanon," Gadson said, even though he needed the Blue Devils to win the title for the Tigers to play again. "[Gateway coach] Mitch [Adams] and I are good friends."

Gadson and Adams even talked about the Blue Devils before the title game. McKeesport and Gateway are section rivals.

Gadson said he and the team believed the Tigers had done as much as they could do to play in the tournament.

"We were at the point where, it is what it is," Gadson said.

But Trinity coach Joe Dunn had no such feelings after his team lost to Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals.

"We became big fans [of the Colts] the second our game ended," he said.

Trinity coaches and several players attended the Colts' semifinal and championship games.

And now that Trinity could play Charters Valley in the PIAA playoffs?

"We're no longer big fans," Dunn said.

The Tigers had light practices last week, filled mostly with shootarounds and pickup games. They avoided intense drills and conditioning exercises.

"We didn't know our fate, so we didn't want to drive them," Gadson said.

Dunn said Trinity's practices were still intense because the team knew the Colts would be favorites to win the AAA title.

But without an opponent to prepare for, practices were a little different.

"You focus on fundamentals and you focus on your team's execution," Dunn said. "It's really kind of going back to basketball camp until you find out exactly when and who you're going to play."

Trinity (15-5) will play Bradford (21-2) at Pitt-Bradford Friday.

Teams from the Post-Gazette's East coverage area fared OK in the WPIAL playoffs.

The boys' teams were 14-13 in the playoffs. Gateway was the only boys' team from the East to appear in a title game, where the Gators lost to Mt. Lebanon.

The girls did about the same, finishing 11-10 overall. Jeannette was the only East school to advance to the championship round, where the Jayhawks capped an impressive season with a championship.

Teams from the South and West won two of the eight titles and a share of a third (both areas send students to Chartiers Valley), tied for the most of any area. Teams from the North won three titles.

So, despite a winning playoff record, East teams did not win their fair share of championships.

Losing a WPIAL championship game must be bittersweet. Sure, it is a great accomplishment to make it that far in the tournament. But to come so close only to lose can create some real heartbreak.

Gateway fans had to experience those feelings twice. Less than four months after the Gators were shut out in the WPIAL football championship, the boys' basketball team lost in the title game.

The Gators were the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL football tournament and the No. 2 seed in the boys' basketball tournament.

The folks in Rochester might know how they feel.

The Rams lost by one point at Heinz Field in November, and two late 3-pointers to tie the WPIAL Class AA basketball title missed the mark.

But unlike Gateway, the Rams have some players on their roster on both teams, including starters Jasson Adamson, Trey Johnson and Terry Gettings.

Rochester was the top-ranked team in the WPIAL Class A football brackets and the No. 7 seed in the WPIAL Class AA boys' basketball brackets.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.