The PIAA announced realignment moves for WPIAL schools earlier this week, with a couple of football powerhouses being forced to play up a division, and some voluntary moves have now been announced.
The shuffling between divisions 1A through 6A took place in large part due to the PIAA’s “competitive balance formula” that takes into account success — namely postseason success — and the number of transfers. If a team accrues six points (four for PIAA title berth, three for a semifinal berth, two for a quarterfinal berth, etc.) and three transfers, a school is reclassified up a division.
Aliquippa, notably, has been most impacted by the PIAA’s competitive balance formula, having been reclassified to Class-5A despite a 1A enrollment. With Aliquippa voluntarily playing in 3A prior to being moved to 4A and subsequently 5A, that decision came back to greatly impact the Quips.
While Aliquippa is a special case, both in terms of success and circumstances, a couple of WPIAL teams have made the decision to voluntarily reclassify.
Woodland Hills is the most notable school, choosing to play 5A football despite qualifying for 3A enrollment. WPIAL 2A champion and PIAA runner-up Serra Catholic chose to remain in the 2A classification (along with Freedom choosing to remain in the same classification) while Seton LaSalle volunteered to make the jump from 2A to 3A.
Aliquippa is appealing its reclassification still, and the fall alignments approval will come later this month.
Full voluntary reclassification decisions:
Freedom — football (2A)
Jeannette — boys soccer (2A)
Jefferson Morgan — girls basketball (2A)
Keystone Oaks — boys cross-country (2A)
Neighborhood Academy — girls volleyball (2A)
Neshannock — baseball (3A)
Peters Township — field hockey (3A), boys lacrosse (3A), boys soccer (4A)
Central Catholic — football (6A)
Sewickley Academy — girls lacrosse (3A), girls basketball (2A), boys basketball (2A)
Serra Catholic — football (2A)
Seton LeSalle — football (3A)
Shady Side — boys golf (3A), girls soccer (2A), girls tennis (3A), boys lacrosse (3A), boys tennis (3A), girls lacrosse (3A)
Shenango — baseball (3A)
Upper St. Clair — boys basketball (6A), girls basketball (6A), girls soccer (4A)
Waynesburg Central — wrestling (3A)
Woodland Hills — boys basketball (5A), football (5A), boys golf (3A), boys tennis (3A), boys track & field (3A), wrestling (3A), girls basketball (5A), girls tennis (3A)
Carrick – boys tennis (3A), boys swimming & diving (3A), girls swimming & diving (3A)
Obama Academy — girls swimming & diving (3A), boys swimming & diving (3A)
Perry — boys tennis (3A), boys track & field (3A), wrestling (3A), girls track & field (3A)
Pittsburgh CAPA — boys track & field (3A)
Westinghouse — girls track & field (3A), boys track & field (3A), wrestling (3A)
How about St. Joe’s Prep that wins in football just about every year with recruiting from three states This is not fair unless you are a St. Joe Allum
Since St. Joe’s can’t move up in class, somebody has to move up, and that somebody is…….405-student (boys & girls grades 9-12) Aliquippa to 5A!
That is thr most ridiculous forced movement I have ever seen. The PIAA should be ashamed of themselves. When a kid gets seriously injured they will have some explaining to do.
Why hasn’t Southern Colombia been forced to move up? They own more state titles than anybody at any class. They are nicknamed Title Town for God’s sake. Yet they remain 2A and dominate year after year after year. I don’t feel that any school should be forced to move up; only voluntarily.
I read that based on their winning, Southern Columbia will be moving up to 3A. Then again, SC was supposed to move up to 3A for the same reason when the 2019 reclassification took place, but won their PIAA appeal and ended up staying in 2A.