The 2024 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 23. 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 and watch our live broadcasts on Monday nights or on replay any time.
This is a realignment season but some statewide changes have caused some shakeups in the WPIAL. Beginning with this two-year cycle, the PIAA changed the way students who attend charter or homeschools are counted. This enabled a lot of private schools to slide down in classifications while increasing the enrollment numbers for nearly every public school. This enabled Serra Catholic to move down from 2A to 1A while moving Carlynton up from 1A to 2A. In the WPIAL, 16 teams will make the 1A playoffs. The top three from each conference are guaranteed a playoff spot and the final four spots will be given to wild cards selected by the WPIAL Committee.
Clairton is the defending conference champions and reached the semifinals last season. In 2022 Clairton was the only Eastern Conference team to win a playoff game after conference champs GCC were upset in the opening round. Last year, both Clairton and GCC won their opening round games with the Bears making it back to the semifinals where they had been a fixture for the better part of the last two decades. Jeannette has rebounded from their down year and Leechburg is a program on the rise, having made the playoffs in 3 straight seasons. The Eastern Conference adds Brentwood who moved down from 2A, but otherwise is the same as last cycle. 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.
Clairton
2023 Result: 10-3, Eastern Conference Champions, lost to South Side Beaver in 1A semifinals
All-Time: 725-373-41 (5th in wins, 9th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 14 WPIAL Championships (1929, 1931, 1954, 1989, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019), 4 State Championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
The Bears returned to the semifinals last year after a two-year drought. For a team with the rich tradition and history of Clairton, a quarterfinal exit is seen as an anomoly. Prior to that two-year blip, Clairton had made at least the semifinals in 15 straight seasons. The biggest offseason news out of Clairton is the proposal for much-needed rennovations to Neil Brown Stadium. Leading rusher Drahcir Jones (1489 rushing yards, 124 receiving yards, 15 total TDs) returns for his senior season to lead the Bears offense. Jones was one of four Clairton backs to average over 7 yards per carry and tally over 400 yards last season. All four of them return, including a trio of rising juniors Michael Ruffin (554 rushing yards, 321 receiving yards, 8 total TDs), Donte Wright (517 rushing yards, 517 receiving yards, 11 total TDs), and Dion Pompey (429 rushing yards, 7 TDs). At quarterback, fellow junior Jeffery Thompson saw some spot duty as a backup last year and figures to step into the starting role. The most heralded player of Clairton’s senior class is 6’4″ WR Zaemere Correll (633 yards, 8 TDs) who has a D1 offer from Monmouth. Incoming freshman Brandon Murphy already has a Syracuse offer and is a rising star.
GCC
2023 Result: 8-4, lost to South Side Beaver in 1A quarterfinals
All-Time: 377-251-10 (58th in wins, 27th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2009 WPIAL Champions
The Centurions have put together strong regular seasons the last two years but it has not translated into a deep playoff run. They won the conference title in 2022 but were upset in the opening round of the playoffs. Last year, they fell in the quarterfinals to eventual runners-up South Side Beaver. Do-it-all junior Samir Crosby has offers from UNLV, Kent State, Miami (OH) and Buffalo. Last year Crosby served in a backup QB role, throwing for 273 yards and 2 TDs and was also GCC’s leading receiver (690 yards), second-leading rusher (634 yards) and leading scorer (20 total TDs). Landon Honick (179 rushing yards, 230 receiving yards, 5 total TDs) also returns the Centurions. With the multi-talented playmakers GCC has, they should be right in the mix for the playoffs once again but will need to figure out the distribution of roles in their offense.
Leechburg
2023 Result: 6-5, lost to Bishop Canevin in 1A first round
All-Time: 404-522-38 (49th in wins, 91st in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 3 WPIAL Championships (1953, 1965, 1966)
The last three years have been quite the run for the Blue Devils. In 2021 they made the playoffs for the first time in 33 years. Leechburg followed it up by making the playoffs each of the last two seasons to give themselves a three-year streak. Senior QB Jayden Floyd joined the 1000/1000 club last year, throwing for 1475 yards and 8 TDs and running for 1156 yards and 19 TDs. In addition to Floyd, Leechburg brings back a number of other playmakers, including Floyd’s backfield counterpart Tim Andrassy (437 yards, 5 TDs). Leading receiver Jake Cummings (507 yards, 4 TDs) was also part of the running game (244 yards, 8 TDs). Junior WR Tristen Zalenski (274 yards, 1 TD) figures to take on a bigger role in the Blue Devils passing attack this season. All in all, Leechburg has the offensive firepower to potentially challenge Clairton at the top of the conference, but will need to improve a defense that allowed 28 points per game.
Jeannette
2023 Result: 7-4, lost to California in 1A first round
All-Time: 777-341-40 (2nd in wins, 5th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 10 WPIAL Championships (1932, 1939, 1956, 1971, 1981, 1983, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2020), 2 State Championships (2007, 2017)
The Jayhawks have bounced back in a big way after their down year of 2021. The team was wracked by graduations and transfers but have rebuilt themselves into a contender. Jeannette went 7-4 last year, averaging 30 poitns per game. In order to take the next step to get back into the Championship conversation, Jeannette will need to improve a defense that allowed nearly 26 points per game. The top returning playmaker is junior Kymon’e Brown who was the Jayhawks leading receiver (477 yards, 10 TDs). Brown also stepped in at the end of the year when the starting quarterback was injured and started Jeannette’s playoff game at QB. Sophomore WR Jayce Powell (270 yards, 2 TDs) also returns for a Jeannette team who should challenge for a playoff spot once again.
Brentwood
2023 Result: 2-8, missed playoffs in 2A
All-Time: 429-432-28 (44th in wins, 62nd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL Championship
The Spartans fell on hard times the last few years but hope that the move down from 2A to 1A will help to reinvigorate their program. Brentwood made a run to the 2A semis in 2019 but did not win more than three games in any of the last four seasons. After an 0-7 start to the season, Brentwood won two in a row to set up a casket match with Keystone Oaks in the final week of hte season. Junior QB Cedric Davis returns after throwing for 1444 yards and 13 TDs. Davis is also the Spartans top returning rusher (101 yards, 8 TDs). On the outside, two of the top three receivers return in seniors Forrest Betz (634 y ards, 7 TDs) and Colton Rosing (175 yards, 2 TDs). Watch out for rising sophomore Daysaun Spencer who put up 136 receiving yards and 2 TDs last year as a freshman in limited work. Brentwood allowed 38 points per game last season, the third-most in 2A and they will need to tighten up defensively in order to contend for a playoff spot.
Riverview
2023 Result: 5-5, missed playoffs in 1A
All-Time: 267-253-11 (99th in wins, 54th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1997 WPIAL Champions, predecessor schools won 3 WPIAL Championships Oakmont won 2 (1928, 1965) and Vernoa won 1 (1962)
The Raiders have not made the playoffs since 2016. but optimism is growing after a 5-5 campaign last season. That was Riverview’s first non-losing season since 2010. The Raiders run a triple-option offense but lost four of their top seven rushers to graduation. Junior Rio Stotts (468 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards, 8 total TDs) is the top returning rusher. Dino Yario (186 yards, 1 TD) saw just a handful of carries last season and should take on a bigger role this year. Leading receiver Alex Schultheis (392 receiving yards, 108 rushing yards, 7 total TDs) also returns for a Riverview team that doesn’t throw the ball much. The Raiders averaged just 8 pass attempts per game last season and will need to work in a new quarterback – which likely means more for their running game than their passing attack.
Frazier
2023 Result: 1-9, missed playoffs in 1A
All-Time: 341-467-16 (73rd in wins, 98th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: WPIAL Champions
The Commodores won just two games during the prior cycle, both coming against Springdale. Stretching back farther, Frazier is 2-27 over their last three seasons. Frazier does bring back some starters from last year’s team as they hope to build back towards contention. Senior QB Dailan McManus threw for 544 yards and 3 TDs before an injury shortened his season. Leading rushers Derek Diamond (550 yards, 2 TDs) and Chase Fulmer (298 rushing yards, 194 receiving yards 4 total TDs) are both rising juniors. On the outside, leading receiver Andrew Bandish (462 yards, 2 TDs) returns for his senior season. This group of experienced offensive skill players will need to take Frazier’s offense to the next level in order to compete this season. Frazier’s 9.5 points per game were the second-lowest mark in 1A last season.
Springdale
2023 Result: 1-9, missed playoffs in 1A
All-Time: 426-493-30 (45th in wins, 78th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 4 WPIAL Championships (1932, 1946, 1973, 2003)
The Dynamos were a consistent playoff participant for the entire 2000s decade but over the last 10 years have been more hit-and-miss. They made the playoffs just twice in the last seven years and won just one game during the last two-year cycle. Springdale’s top three rushers all graduated, along with their starting quarterback. The top returning playmakers is leading receiver Caleb Gent (617 receiving yards, 106 rushing yards, 9 total TDs). Senior WR Garrett Myers (124 yards, 3 TDs) and RB Colton Gent (3 TDs) are the only other returning playmakers to find the end zone more than once last season. The biggest issue for Springdale has been on the defensive side of the ball where they allowed 42 points per game, the second-highest mark in 1A.
