The 2022 WPIAL football season is nearly upon us! Over the next few weeks we will be previewing all 17 conferences in preparation for kickoff on August 26. We are also thrilled to announce that the WPIAL Blitz Show will be back on the YouTube airwaves this season. Follow the Sports Stream Premium channel with new shows dropping each Tuesday during the season!
This year, our WPIAL coverage is proudly presented by Sports Solutions Marketing. The Sports Solutions network provides pay per view hosting and broadcasting for high school sporting events. More information is available via EasternPAFootball.com.
The 2022 season is a realignment year in Pennsylvania. New classification and conference alignments were announced back in the spring. Class 4A added a team this cycle and will have 22 teams, including two defending state champs. Aliquippa won the 4A state title last season while two-time 3A State Champs Central Valley also moved up to 4A this cycle and joins the Parkway Conference. Once again, 13 4A teams will make the WPIAL playoffs. The top three seeds will get first round byes and the eventual WPIAL Champions will enter the state playoffs at the semifinals.
This cycle’s alignment of the Parkway Conference looks very similar to the conference’s lineup in the 1980s. From last cycle, Beaver moves back down to 3A. Moving up are three-time defending 3A WPIAL Champs (and two-time defending 3A State Champs) Central Valley along with Ambridge who made the playoffs last year after a 5-year drought. West Allegheny also drops down from 5A to join the Parkway, giving the conference a full gamut of 8 teams.
Be sure to keep tabs on our WPIAL Standings Page throughout the season and follow our WPIAL Twitter account @WPIAL_Blitz. Teams are listed in their predicted order of finish.
Central Valley
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 5
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 21
2021 Results: 15-0, 3A WPIAL Champs (3rd straight), 3A PIAA Champs (2nd straight)
The Warriors are the three-time defending WPIAL 3A Champions and two-time defending State Champions. They move up to 4A this season and land in a conference very similar to the AAA Parkway from the early 2010s. This is not unfamiliar territory as they faced Aliquippa, Blackhawk, and New Castle in non-conference play last season. The Quips were the only WPIAL team to come within 20 points of Central Valley as they rolled to a second straight State title. Senior QB Antwon Johnson stepped in as an injury replacement last year and excelled, throwing for 1259 yards and 19 TDs. Leading receiver Jayvin Thompson (767 yards, 11 total TDs) returns after a standout defensive season that included 11 interceptions, 4 of which came in the WPIAL Championship game. Thompson has offers from a few MAC schools. Deniro Simpson (266 yards, 5 TDs) also returns at receiver. In the backfield, second-leading rusher Brett FitzSimmons (445 yards, 12 TDs) will take over the lead back role after averaging over 8 yards per carry last season. All in all, the Warriors return a talented lineup and should be neck-in-neck with Aliquippa to compete for both the conference and WPIAL titles. Central Valley has topped Aliquippa in all four head-to-head matchups since former CV assistant Mike Warfield was hired as Aliquippa head coach. With both teams coming off WPIAL and State titles, this season’s Week 9 game should be a showdown for the ages between two defending State Champs.
Aliquippa
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 2
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 11
2021 Results: 13-1, 4A WPIAL Champs, 4A PIAA Champs
The Quips are coming off an incredible run that included a WPIAL and State Championship. Their only loss came to Central Valley, who is now a conference opponent. Aliquippa had to battle the PIAA’s ridiculous “success formula” that attempted to force the 1A-sized school up into 5A, and was allowed to stay in 4A (which they were forced up into last cycle). The Quips have been to an amazing 14 consecutive WPIAL Championship Games and return a number of starters from last year’s State Title team. Four of the five “Trench Dawgs” of the Quips massive line return – seniors Naquan Crowder, Jason McBride, and Neco Eberhardt along with junior Braylon Wilcox. Eberhardt has offers from Georgia State, Air Force, and a number of FCS schools and Crowder has some D-II offers. Behind the line, the tandem of sophomore Tiqwai Hayes (who ran for an astounding 1746 yards and 23 TDs as a freshman!) and junior Jon Tracy (683 yards, 14 TDs) both return. Hayes is just a sophomore but already has offers from Penn State, Pitt, and Michigan and should compete for the WPIAL rushing crown. Junior QB Quentin Goode (1927 yards, 17 TDs) lost his top two receivers to graduation but will have plenty of options as Donovan Walker (203 yards, 7 TDs) and Brandon Banks both return on the outside. In one of the feel-good stories of the offseason, the WPIAL granted an extra year of eligibility to WR Antonyo Anderson who missed last season after being injured in a shooting. Anderson has thankfully progressed in his recovery. On defense, the Quips have playmakers all over the field. The aforementioned Walker and Banks are both outstanding defensive backs with loads of offers from MAC schools. Senior LB Nate Lindsey has a Kent State offer and junior LB Cameron Lindsey has offers from Penn State, Pitt, Cincinnati, Syracuse, and Maryland. All in all, Aliquippa returns an absolutely loaded lineup from a team that won the State Title and the biggest threat to their repeat might be their nearby rivals Central Valley.
West Allegheny
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 4
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 16
2021 Results: 4-5, missed 5A playoffs
The Indians have struggled in the three seasons since Bob Palko left, failing to qualify for the playoffs in all three. Last year’s campaign got off to a promising 3-0 start but was derailed by injuries as West A lost 5 of their last 6 games. This year, they move down from 5A to 4A in the hopes of rejuvinating the program. Nodin Tracy led the team in rushing (638 yards), receiving (342 yards), and scoring (8 TDs) last season and returns for his senior year with an offer from Fordham. At quarterback, Gage Upton saw a handful of snaps in backup duty and figures to take on a larger role. In order to break their playoff drought, West A will need to improve an offense that averaged just 18 points per game, the 5th-lowest in 5A last season.
New Castle
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 12
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 36
2021 Results: 7-5, lost to Belle Vernon in quarterfinals
The Red Hurricanes returned to the playoffs last year thanks to close wins over Montour, Blackhawk, and Chartiers Valley. In the opening round, they flexed their muscles in a win over Highlands before falling to Belle Vernon in the quarterfinals. Malik Jefferson (288 yards) and Braylen Sibley (287 yards, 2 TDs) will take on larger roles in the New Castle backfiled this season. On the outside, senior receivers Owen Ciavarino (241 yards, 2 TDs) and Tyler Leekins (236 yards, 3 TDs) both return. The biggest question mark will be finding a new quarterback to lead the offensive attack.
Montour
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 13
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 38
2021 Results: 4-7, lost to Armstrong in the first round
The Spartans beat Chartiers Valley in the season finale to earn their 13th playoff appearance in the last 15 seasons. Jake Wolfe gained significant starting experience as a sophomore, throwing for 733 yards and 4 TDs and running for 290 yards and 3 TDs. His top two receivers graduated so look for TE John Midili (114 yards, 1 TD) and junior Keino Fitzpatrick to take on bigger roles in the receiving game. Senior Brock Janeda (599 yards, 3 TDs) split carries in the backfield last season and should be a solid complement to Wolfe.
Chartiers Valley
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 10
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 34
2021 Results: 4-6, missed playoffs
The Colts moved down to 4A in 2020 and it paid dividends. Char Valley snapped a 6-year playoff drought and reached the postseason in 2020. Last year after a 4-2 start, they dropped their last four games to just miss the playoffs. Their final three losses were each by 7 points. Penn State-commit Lamont Payne headlines this year’s team at receiver (395 yards, 7 TDs) and defensive back. Gavin Owens (472 yards, 5 TDs) stepped in at QB towards the end of the year due to injuries and showed some dual threat abilities (172 rushing yards, 4 TDs). In order to get back into the mix for a playoff spot, Char Valley will need to improve a defense that allowed 29 points per game, the third-most in 4A last season.
Blackhawk
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 16
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 41
2021 Results: 2-8, missed playoffs
The Cougars finished at the bottom of the Parkway last season. However, they were competitive as 3 of their 5 conference losses were by just one score and another by two scores. Their only blowout losses came against Aliquippa and Central Valley. One of their wins was in non-conference play over Ambridge, who moves up to 4A this season. Senior RB Zach Ours (289 yards, 6 TDs) is the top returning offensive skill position player. Blackhawk graduated a number of seniors from their line and will need to find new starters in the trenches.
Ambridge
WPIAL ELO Rank (4A): 22
WPIAL ELO Rank (Overall): 62
2021 Results: 2-9, lost to Freeport in the first round of the 3A playoffs
When is a 2-win season considered a resounding success? When it comes after winning just 1 game over the prior 5 seasons. Ambridge’s 2 wins last year were enough to get the Bridgers back into the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Now, Ambridge has to move up from 3A to 4A. They will need to improve statistically on both sides of the ball to compete at this higher level after scoring just 10 points per game and giving up 32.5 per game last season. The Bridgers graduated 11 seniors from last year’s squad, but only one of them was on the offensive line which will need to be their strength this year. Sophomore receiver Adam Fernandez is the top returning skill player after scoring twice last season.
