The 2023 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 25. We are also thrilled to announce that the WPIAL Blitz Show will be back on the YouTube airwaves this season. Subscribe to the Sports Stream Premium channel with new shows dropping each Tuesday during the season!
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The playoff format in 4A is relatively straightforward. Four teams from the Big Eight and Greater Allegheny Conferences make the playoffs and five from the Parkway Conference qualify. Last year the Greater Allegheny Conference lived up to the “GACrazy” nickname we gave it on Twitter years ago. Mars, Hampton, and North Catholic finished in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. North Catholic missed the playoffs by 1 tiebreaker point, which amounted to a missed extra point in overtime against Hampton. If North had made that kick, the three would have had to go to a coin flip to determine who made the playoffs.
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.
Mars
Last year was a season of change for the Fighting Planets. Eric Kasperowicz was hired as head coach after winning state titles at neighboring Pine-Richland. Kasperowicz is known for his dynamic downfield passing attack and revolutionized the Mars offense which had traditionally been extremely run-heavy. Mars went from averaging 7.7 points per game to averaging 35 points per game – the highest-scoring team in the conference. They made the playoffs on a 3-way tie by beating North Catholic in the final week of the season. Eric Kasperowicz Jr took the helm at quarterback last season and threw for 1353 yards and 13 TDs and ran for 401 yards and 9 TDs. Kasperowicz’s top two receivers also return. He formed an immediate connection with Gabe Hein who led the team with 551 yards and 7 TDs as a freshman. Rising senior Aiden Alessio (251 yards) was the second-leading receiver. Mars didn’t completely forget about the ground game in their new offense and leading rusher Evan Wright returns for his senior season after running for 1333 yards and 17 TDs. With a year under their belt in the Kasperowicz offense, Mars should be even better this season and could be a contender to make a deep run in the WPIAL playoffs.
Armstrong
The River Hawks won the conference title last season and, for the second straight year, fell to McKeesport in the quarterfinals. The biggest question for Armstrong will be who takes over at quarterback after WPIAL-leading passer Cadin Olsen graduated. The new QB will have the benefit of a full slew of returning skill position players. Leading receivers Ian Olsen (1074 yards, 10 TDs), Isaiah Brown (966 yards, 18 TDs), and Kyan Kline (558 yards, 4 TDs) all return. Leading rusher Alex Patton (966 yards, 5 TDs) will also return for an Armstrong team that averaged 40 points per game last year. Armstrong certainly has the talent all over the field to stay right in the mix for the conference title again this season.
Highlands
The Golden Rams cruised through the regular season with a 9-1 record, their only loss coming against Armstrong in Week 8 in a game that decided the conference title. Unfortunately, Highlands’ foray into the playoffs did not go as planned and they were upset by Latrobe in overtime in the opening round. Halfway through last season, Highlands found an offensive spark by inserting the dynamic Aaran Randolph in as a wildcat quarterback. Against Mars, Randolph scored touchdowns on five consecutive offensive plays out of the wildcat. He may step in as the primary quarterback this season after throwing for 214 yards and 3 TDs, running for 699 yards, adding 136 receiving yards, and scoring a team-high 13 TDs. Leading rusher Luke Bombalski (798 yards, 10 TDs) also returns to give the Rams a one-two punch in the backfield that will be difficult to defend. Julius Saunders (214 yards, 1 TD) should also see his role in the running game increase this season. Second-leading receiver Brayden White (282 yards, 1 TD) is the top returning players on the outside. Highlands had the best defense in the conference last season, holding opponents to 15 points per game. If their ground game continues to click, the Rams should be right in the mix for the playoffs again this year.
North Catholic
The Trojans moved up to 4A last season and missed out on the playoffs by the slimmest of margins. They lost the three-way tie with Hampton and Mars on tiebreaker points. The margin was literally one point, which could be tied back to a missed extra point in overtime against Hampton (which would’ve sent the 3-way tie to a coin flip!) Chris Rizzo has taken over as the head coach of the Trojans and will have a number of returning starters to build around. Jason Siket threw for 700 yards and 5 TDs last season but missed a few games due to injury which Kaden Sarver started. Jack Fennell has been a dynamic offensive playmaker since his freshman year which has resulted in a commitment to Davidson. Last season Fennell led the team with 591 rushing yards, 238 receiving yards, and 9 total TDs. Gavin Kamody (197 yards, 4 TDs) also returns at receiver to give Siket a reliable target on the outside. In addition to Fennel, Samir Ware (188 yards, 4 TDs) also returns to the Trojans backfield. Up front, Brady O’Hara has received offers from Pitt, Penn State, and West Virginia. He is a force off the edge as a pass rusher and also plays some tight end. With the group of rising seniors all being multi-year starters on offense, North Catholic should be able to take the next step in 4A and play postseason football this year.
Hampton
The Talbots made the playoffs for the third straight season last year, winning a 3-way tie with North Catholic and Mars on tiebreaker points. Hampton earned their way to the postseason with a stout defense that held opponents under 20 points per game. Injuries at quarterback resulted in Adrian Midgley (678 yards, 6 TDs) starting about half the season. Midgley will take the helm full time this season and will benefit from the return of backfield counterpart Brock Borgo who ran for 1015 yards and 14 TDs last season. Hampton’s leading receivers all graduated so the Talbots may turn to a more run-oriented approach this season. Watch out for sophomore Evan McAneny who averaged 7.4 yards per carry in limited work last year as a freshman.
Indiana
The Little Indians had an exciting start to the 2022 season, beating Knoch in overtime 32-31 and topping Shady Side Academy 23-22. But once conference play started things began to unravel. They went just 1-5 against conference foes and struggled offensively, scoring more than 14 points just once (in their win over Kiski). Dual-threat QB Trevor Smith returns after throwing for 449 yards and 3 TDs and rushing for 242 yards and 3 more scores. Leading receivers James Mill (153 yards, 2 TDs) and Anthony Kowchuck (127 yards) both return for their senior seasons. Indiana needs to improve on both sides of the ball after averaging just 15 points per game last season while allowing over 35 per game.
Kiski
The Cavaliers moved down from 5A to 4A last season and struggled in the new classification. They won just one game over Fox Chapel. The Cavaliers started a number of underclassmen but showed some steady improvement over the season. After scoring just 21 points through the first four games, they put up 20+ in their next 3 games before scoring 50 in their sole victory over Fox Chapel. Kiski’s biggest struggle last year was on the defensive side of the ball where they allowed 38 points per game. Junior QB Carson Heinle returns after splitting time under center last season. Kiski also returns some rising juniors in the trenches with two-way linemen Cam Murphy and Ryder Ekas.
