With the PIAA’s competitive balance formula enacting new alignment and WPIAL teams voluntarily jumping up a classification now set, the WPIAL has released its conferences for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Trib Live’s Chris Harlan shared the new conference slates, noting how Aliquippa’s final standing won’t be determined until after a Jan. 26 hearing and how the 6A and 5A classifications did not merge into one.
WPIAL Class-6A will be comprised of just five teams, Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny and Seneca Valley over the next two seasons.
Class-5A will be made up of three sections and could include Aliquippa pending its hearing. Section 1 will be made up of Baldwin, Bethel Park, Moon, Peters Township, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair. Section 2 is made up of Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Plum and Woodland Hills. And Section 3 is Aliquippa*, Fox Chapel, Penn Hills, North Hills, Pine-Richland and Shaler.
Class-4A is also made up of three sections. Section 1 includes Ambridge, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Chartiers Valley, Montour, New Castle and West Allegheny. Section 2 is comprised of Armstrong, Hampton, Highlands, Indiana, Kiski Area, Mars and North Catholic. Section 3 includes Connellsville, Latrobe, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson and Trinity.
Class-3A is also comprised of three sections. Section 1 includes Avonworth, Beaver, Hopewell, Quaker Valley, Seton LaSalle, South Park and West Mifflin. Section 2 includes Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Freeport, Knoch, Shady Side and Valley. Section 3 is made up of Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant, South Allegheny and Southmoreland.
Class-2A features, once again, three sections. Section 1 is comprised of Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Derry, Imani Christian, Ligonier Valley, Serra Catholic, Steel Valley and Yough. Section 2 includes Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Mohawk, Neshannock, New Brighton, Riverside and Western Beaver. Section 3 includes Brentwood, Charleroi, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Sto-Rox, Washington and Waynesburg Central.
Class-1A features four sections. Section 1 includes Clairton, Frazier, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview and Springdale. Section 2 includes Bentworth, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Monessen and West Greene. Section 3 includes Avella, Bishop Canevin, Burgettstown, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Cornell, Fort Cherry and OLSH. Section 4 includes Laurel, Northgate, Rochester, Shenango, South Side, Summit Academy and Union.
Aliquippa was assigned to Class-5A after winning the WPIAL and PIAA Class-4A titles this season, but the Jan. 26 hearing will determine where the Quips play next season.
Harlan further reported that the Quips would join Section 1 in Class-3A and 4A, with West Mifflin moving to Section 2 in 3A and Woodland Hills being moved Section 3 in 5A if Aliquippa is moved to either Class-3A or 4A.
Don’t see Fox Chapel or Pine/Richland making road trips to Aliquippa. Do you ?
If these sections are set up for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, then FC and P-R will both be scheduled to visit Aliquippa once. And, I expect that both teams will make the trip.
No way that is going to happen. As they wont be put in the same section as Fox or Pine. Perhaps you didn’t get my drift.
Please clarify what drift that I was supposed to pick up on. You said that FC and P-R won’t make the trip to Aliquippa and I disagreed with your take because I haven’t heard of a WPIAL team refusing to play a road game at another sectional opponent. Aliquippa doesn’t want to be in 5A and I support them wholeheartedly; Playing 5A football with 32 kids on your roster is absurd- regardless of talent level. Hopefully, the PIAA will come to its senses and keep Aliquippa in 4A. Regardless, why would Aliquippa not want to be in the same section… Read more »