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 Seton LaSalle and Shady Side Academy to move down from 3A to 2A while moving Carlynton up from 1A to 2A. OLSH and Union voluntarily opted to play up in 2A this cycle. In the WPIAL, 13 teams will make the 2A 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.
Beaver Falls is the defending WPIAL Champions. The Tigers have reached the WPIAL finals in all four seasons since moving down from 3A in 2020. Last year, Beaver Falls finished third in the conference but got hot in the playoffs with a series of wins on late two-point conversions that led them to the title. Neshannock won the Midwestern Conference last season, but moved down to 1A. One of the best stories in the WPIAL last year was Ellwood City who snapped a 13-year playoff drought. 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.
Western Beaver
2023 Result: 7-5, lost to Steel Valley in 2A quarterfinals
All-Time: 322-265-6 (83rd in wins, 40th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 3 WPIAL Championships (1976, 1983, 1994)
The Golden Beavers have made the playoffs in four straight seasons and boast one of the most exciting young players in the WPIAL. Sophomore QB Jaivin Peel threw for 2898 yards and 32 TDs last year, setting a WPIAL freshman record. Peel is one of the top sophomore QBs in the country and spread the ball around to five different receivers last season. Unfortunately, four of them graduated leaving just Chris Kirkland (287 yards, 1 TD) as the top returning player on the outside. Western Beaver also lost their leading rusher to graduation, leaving sophomores Wyatt Sparbanie and Nate Vula as the top returning rushers. Both averaged around 5 yards per carry last season. With Peel behind center, Western Beaver is the clear favorite in the Midwestern Conference and could look to contend for the 2A title. They were not far off last season, beating eventual 2A champions Beaver Falls in the regular season finale and losing to runners-up Steel Valley by just 3 points in the quarterfinals.
Mohawk
2023 Result: 10-3, lost to Steel Valley in 2A semifinals
All-Time: 376-485-41 (59th in wins, 90th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL Championship
Last year was a historic campaign for the Warriors as they reached the semifinals for the first time in school history. The Warriors had 6 different receivers finish with over 100 yards and at least one touchdown last season, led by rising junior Bobby Fadden (777 yards, 17 TDs) who will move to quarterback this year. Additionally, senior Blake Logan (409 yards, 6 TDs) and junior Joe Nail (192 yards, 2 TDs) also return to the receiving corps. Senior RB Sam List (174 yards, 2 TDs) is the top returning rusher but watch out for sophomore Cash Stratton (151 yards, 3 TDs) who averaged 7 yards per carry last year as a freshman.
Beaver Falls
2023 Result: 9-6, 2A WPIAL Champions, lost to Westinghouse in PIAA semifinals
All-Time: 705-428-52 (8th in wins, 18th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 6 WPIAL Championships (1928, 1960, 1984, 2016, 2020, 2023)
The Tigers have reached the WPIAL Championship Game in all four seasons since moving down from 3A to 2A in 2020. Beaver Falls is the defending WPIAL Champions, avenging their loss to Steel Valley with a 2-point win in the title game. After a 4th place finish in the conference, Beaver Falls had an incredible playoff run that featured comeback victories over Neshannock (14-13), Washington (28-26) and Steel Valley (14-12). Beaver Falls lost a number of senior leaders to graduation and will need to find new starters at nearly every offensive skill position. Their top five rushers all graduated. The top returning rusher is Sincere Freeman who ran for 166 yards and 1 TD. Despite the large graduating class, Beaver Falls has the tradition of excellence and plenty of talent waiting in the wings to remain a competitor in 2A.
Ellwood City
2023 Result: 5-6, lost to Washington in 2A first round
All-Time: 438-587-44 (42nd in wins, 95th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1925 WPIAL Champions
Ellwood City broke through in 2023 and snapped a 12-year playoff drought. The Wolverines clinched a spot by throttling their archrivals Riverside 41-0 in the final game of the season. Ellwood City returns a number of key starters from last year’s drought-breaking team and will look to take the next step and win their first playoff game since 2011. Senior QB Chris Smiley threw for 1689 yards and 17 TDs last season. The Wolverines loaded backfield returns their top three rushers who all averaged over 5 yards per carry. Elijah Palmer-McCane (1485 rushing yards, 106 receiving yards, 18 total TDs) leads the way for the Wolverines ground game. Luciano Gagric (291 rushing yards, 199 receiving yards, 2 total TDs) and Dayntae Pierce (143 yards, 4 TDs) supplement the attack. On the outside, Gagric and rising juniors DaiLonn Currie (329 yards, 2 TDs) and Domenik Hogue (165 yards, 2 TDs) are the top returning receivers for Smiley. All in all, Ellwood City’s talented senior class has already snapped their playoff drought and can leave a lasting legacy with a strong season.
Union
2023 Result: 9-3, lost to Clairton in 1A quarterfinals
All-Time: 380-500-27 (57th in wins, 94th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2 WPIAL Championships (1959, 2022)
The Scotties move up to 2A this cycle after a historically successful run in 1A. In 2022 they captured their first WPIAL title since 1959 and went on to the State Championship Game. Last year, the Scotties lost in the quarterfinals to a tough Clairton squad. With a decorated senior class graduting, Union will need to replace a number of key starters, including dual-threat QB Braylon Thomas. Senior Lucas Stanley (145 yards, 2 TDs) saw a few opportunities as a backup last season and figures to step into the starting role. Junior RB Nick Cook (114 yards, 1 TD) is the top returning rusher after averaging over 6 yards per carry last season. The Scotties will need to replace their entire receiving corps after the top five receivers all graduated. The step up in competition will be tough for a Scotties squad that lost a ton of talent to graduation, but they should be able to hang in the middle of the pack and potentially compete for a wild card spot.
Freedom
2023 Result: 3-7, missed playoffs in 2A
All-Time: 383-557-54 (54th in wins, 103rd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL title
The Bulldogs missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season after going 3-7 for the second straight year. Senior QB Isaiah Leasha threw for 208 yards and 3 TDs in a backup role last year. He gets back two of the top three receivers in seniors Cooper Young (179 yards, 2 TDs) and Dekota Roberts (129 yards, 1 TD). Freedom’s feature back graduated, leaving sophomore Kaiden Bailey as the top returning rusher. Freedom was the second-lowest scoring team in the conference, averaging just under 11 points per game. They will need to improve offensively in order to challenge for a playoff spot this season.
New Brighton
2023 Result: 0-10, missed playoffs in 2A
All-Time: 563-505-59 (16th in wins, 50th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 3 WPIAL Championships (1950, 1951, 1994)
After a quarterfinal appearance in 2021 where New Brighton upset Washington in the first round of the playoffs, the Lions have not won a game. New Brighton is coming off consecutive 0-10 seasons and their 21-game losing streak is the second-longest in the WPIAL. A number of young players saw time last year for the Lions. Nyzeir Humphries (104 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore Heath Lewis (102 yards, 1 TD) are the top returning rushers. Lewis averaged over 7 yards per carry and figures to take on a bigger role this season. Leading receiver Michael Veon (536 yards, 6 TDs) is a rising junior with a bright future ahead. For this year, the goal for New Brighton is to end their losing streak and start building around their young core to get back into playoff contention. To do that, they will need to improve on defense where they allowed the most points in 2A (43.7 per game).
Riverside
2023 Result: 1-8, missed playoffs in 2A
All-Time: 290-257-4 (93rd in wins, 46th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1985 WPIAL Champions
The Panthers made the playoffs once in the last four years, but are coming off a 1-win season. Riverside had to start a number of underclassmen last season but returns a lot of experienced starters this year. Senior QB Ayden Garcia wasn’t asked to throw much but put up 509 yards and 3 TDs. Leading rusher Robert Janis (599 yards, 2 TDs) returns to the Panthers backfield. Leading receiver Zachary Hare (430 yards, 2 TDs) also returns to give Riverside a trio of experienced offensive playmakers. The Panthers were the lowest-scoring team in 2A last year, averaging just 9 points per game. They also allowed the fourth-most points in the classification (37.5 per game).
