One of former Steelers coach Chuck Noll's favorite sayings was "The only constant is change." Perhaps it's time for the WPIAL to change the way it handles its championship football games.

Now, we like the idea of playing all four of the football finals on the same day and at the same site. But when the site is Heinz Field with its natural grass surface, it's time to rethink the situation.

Playing the championship games on grass in late November when there are any number of high school and college stadiums available with artificial surfaces doesn't make sense. If the field conditions don't matter, then why doesn't the WPIAL schedule a couple quarterfinal or semifinal games at natural grass fields?

OK, we understand that it's nice for high school athletes to have an opportunity to play at the Steelers' home. It will be a lasting memory, but is it fair to the players?

Gateway coach Terry Smith pointed out that his players don't like working out on the school's grass practice field. Bet the Gators, who were upset by Bethel Park in the Class AAAA final, would have been more comfortable on artificial turf this past Saturday night.

The fact the surface at Heinz Field wasn't covered between the Steelers-Bengals game last Thursday and the WPIAL finals Saturday is a head-scratcher no matter what WPIAL officials said. It wouldn't have had anything to do with the Steelers re-sodding the field following the WPIAL finals, would it?

WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley told the Post-Gazette's Mike White, "I don't think anyone could be of the opinion that the field had any bearing on the outcome of any of the games."

Play the games on artificial turf fields and there is no question about field conditions.

That brings us to the question: If not Heinz Field, then where?

The answer won't be a popular one, but why not four games at four sites? Or two games, at two sites? There are plenty or venues available with artificial turf -- Geneva College, Carnegie Mellon University, Robert Morris University, California (Pa.) University, Washington & Jefferson College, Pine-Richland, North Allegheny, West Mifflin, Ambridge, Hempfield, Seneca Valley, Penn-Trafford and Chartiers Valley high schools, plus Keystone Oaks' Dormont Stadium.

Should the Rooney family see the light and put artificial turf at Heinz Field, then the WPIAL should continue its one-day football extravaganza.

Until then, it should go to stadiums with fake grass.

For years we've advocated the WPIAL should select MVPs at the championship games. For years our suggestion has fallen on deaf ears.

That doesn't mean we can't pick our own MVPs. So here are one guy's opinion on this year's championship MVPs.

• Class A -- This one is simple. The MVP is Clairton's Troy Webb who stepped in to play quarterback and rushed for 103 yards and passed for 111, including the 71-yard toss to Deontae Howard for the winning score.

• Class AA -- Another simple selection. Aliquippa's Maurice Carter, who didn't play in the first meeting between the Quips and Beaver Falls, is our pick. He rushed for 111 yards and blocked a punt that went out of the end zone for a safety and what proved to be the winning points.

• Class AAA -- This was a toughie since the entire Thomas Jefferson team played well. But our choice is Brock DeCicco, who caused a fumble that teammate Ryan Vietmeier scooped up and ran in for the first score of the game. Defense wins titles and scoring first in a final is important.

• Class AAAA -- We've never been into group MVP awards, but this is a case where it can't be helped. Bethel Park's defense is the MVP in this game for holding Gateway to 55 yards rushing and 107 yards total offense.

Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said a few weeks ago that if a team wants to win in November in Western Pennsylvania, it had better be able to run the football. In Saturday's finals all of the winning teams had more yards rushing than their opponents.

OK, Thomas Jefferson had just 1 more yard on the ground than Blackhawk, but the Cougars also threw three interceptions.

What's that saying coaches use about only three things can happen when a team passes and two of them are bad?

The WPIAL champions must gear it back up for the PIAA playoffs that begin this weekend.

Although WPIAL advocates -- the best high school football in the state is played in Southwestern Pennsylvania, right? -- figure all four champs will reach the PIAA finals in Hershey, the guess here is that two of them won't make it. Look for Thomas Jefferson and Aliquippa to make the trip to Chocolate Town, but for Bethel Park and Clairton to lose in the next two weeks.