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. The Big East saw some shuffling with realignment. The core three teams – Penn-Trafford, Gateway, and Franklin Regional all remain. Norwin and Hempfield moved up to 6A while Latrobe, Armstrong and Kiski moved into the conference after spending last cycle in 4A. The other change was the WPIAL swapping Plum and Woodland Hills to move Woody High into the Big East. This makes geographic sense with the footprint of the conference but will make for an absolute grind of a schedule. All seven teams finished at or above .500 last season
The biggest changes in 5A happened at the state level. To start, the PIAA returned the WPIAL Champion to entering the state playoffs in the semifinals. In the last cycle, because the WPIAL Champion entered the state bracket in the quarterfinals, there were only enough weeks for three rounds of WPIAL playoffs so only 8 teams could qualify. This resulted in an 8-2 Upper St Clair team missing the playoffs last year. This cycle is a return to normalcy for 5A. In total, 12 teams will make the playoffs. The top 3 finishers in each conference will be guaranteed a playoff spot and the WPIAL Committee will select three Wild Card teams to round out the bracket. 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.
Woodland Hills
2023 Result: 6-4, Missed playoffs in 5A
All-Time: 286-147-0 (94th in wins, 8th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 5 WPIAL Championships (1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2009)
The Wolverines narrowly missed the playoffs last year after a run to the semifinals in 2022. For geographic reasons, the WPIAL flipped them with Plum into the Big East Conference for this cycle. Woody High has one of the most talented junior classes in the WPIAL, led by QB Cam Walter (1554 yards, 18 TDs) and explosive WR Scoop Smith (851 yards, 17 TDs). Smith has offers from Nebraska, UNLV, and a number of MAC schools. Senior WR Amere Brown (227 yards, 2 TDs) salso return to give Cam Walter a plethora of weapons. Leading rusher Zykir Moore (609 yards, 10 TDs) is also a rising junior with offers from Syracuse, UConn, and some MAC schools as a linebacker. Also on defense, linebacker George Hill has D1 offers from Temple, UConn and several MAC schools. Woodland Hills will need to replace a talented group of linemen that graduated if they are going to challenge for the WPIAL title.
Penn-Trafford
2023 Result: 5-5, Lost to Penn Hills in the 5A quarterfinals
All-Time: 332-206-10 (78th in wins, 20th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2021 WPIAL and State Champions
The Warriors rebounded from a 1-3 start to beat Franklin Regional in Week 9 and make the playoffs for the 7th straight season. Penn-Trafford has a number of key starters returning as they will look to challenge for the Big East title. Senior QB Jonny Lovre threw for 1314 yards and 8 TDs last season. Leading rusher Tasso Whipple ran for 1388 yards and 14 TDs, adding 313 yards and 3 TDs as a receiver. Keep an eye out for sophomore sensation Ben Grabowski who ran for 779 yards and 10 TDs last year as a freshman. Fellow sophomore Nick Ponko (218 yards) is the top returning receiver.
Gateway
2023 Result: 5-5, Big East Conference Champions, Lost to Moon in the 5A quarterfinals
All-Time: 461-231-13 (32nd in wins, 7th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 7 WPIAL Championships (1969, 1972, 1974(t), 1985(t), 1986, 2017, 2019)
The Gators were an absolute force in 5A at the beginning of the six classification era, reaching the semifinals in five straight seasons and winning two WPIAL titles. However, they have been one-and-done in the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Gateway had 13 seniors graduate and will now hand over the reigns of the offense to Elsidro Bryant who saw some time as a backup QB last year, throwing for over 300 yards. Leading receivers Kenny Lewis (890 yards, 11 TDs) and Derek Selby (394 yards, 2 TDs) give Gateway experience, talent, and playmaking ability on the outside. Lewis has offers from Temple, Marshall, and UNLV. The Gators typically employ a pass-heavy offense but will need to find a new lead back after their top two rushers graduated. Junior RB Terrance Cole averaged over 10 yards per carry in limited work last year. Lineman Remy Bose has offers from Toledo and UMass. On the defensive side of the ball, junior DB Carlos Diggs has offers from Akron and Marshall.
Franklin Regional
2023 Result: 6-4, Lost to Peters Twp in the 5A quarterfinals
All-Time: 324-369-17 (82nd in wins, 75th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2005 WPIAL and PIAA Champions
The Panthers have made the playoffs in 19 of the last 20 years with the only miss coming in the truncated 2020 campaign. They should be contenders once again this season with senior QB Chase Lemke (1296 yards, 13 TDs) returning to lead the offense. Lemke also flashed some dual-threat abilities, running for 222 yards and 3 TDs. Leading rushers Kyle Dupill (1175 yards, 15 TDs) and Jude Gentile (344 yards, 3 TDs) are also members of a talented class of rising seniors. Franklin Regional will have to work in some new receivers after two of their top three graduated, leaving Austin Kerns (163 yards, 3 TDs) as the top returning target. Junior DB Jaymier Austin is an absolute force on the back end and has already garnered offers from Purdue, Marshall, and Youngstown State.
Latrobe
2023 Result: 7-3, Lost to Aliquippa in 4A quarterfinals
All-Time: 475-556-38 (28th in wins, 80th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1968 WPIAL Champions
The Wildcats have burst onto the scene recently, but will be challenged by the move up in classification from 4A to 5A. In 2022 they won their first playoff game since 1968 by defeating Highlands in overtime. Last year, they gave eventual State Champs Aliquippa all they could handle in a narrow quarterfinal defeat. Even with the move up in classification, Latrobe has their most talented roster in decades and should be able to compete for a playoff spot. Dual-threat QB John Wetzel is a Marshall-commit as a safety. Last year Wetzel threw for 1190 yards and 14 TDs and ran for 989 yards and 15 TDs, narrowly missing the elite 1000/1000 club. Senior LB Alex Tatsch was one of the rising stars last season and has committed to Penn State. He was also used in the running game and put up 364 yards and 6 TDs. In addition to Wetzel and Tatsch, senior RB Brady Prohovic (598 yards, 5 TDs) also returns to the Wildcats backfield to give them a three-pronged attack. Senior Jack Drnjevich (247 yards, 3 TDs) is the top returning receiver, along with junior Andy Tatsch WR/DB who has landed an offer from WVU.
Armstrong
2023 Result: 5-5, Missed playoffs in 4A
All-Time: 54-39 (119th in wins, 32nd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Armstrong, along with predecessor schools Kittanning, and Ford City, has never won a WPIAL title
The Riverhawks move up from 4A to 5A this season and bring their high-powered passing attack to the Big East Conference. Sophomore Jaydon Oliver took over at QB halfway through last season and put up 1358 yards and 12 TDs while running for 263 yards and 4 scores. He returns his top three receivers in seniors Ian Olsen (991 yards, 10 TDs), Kyan Kline (585 yards, 9 TDs), and Chase Jablonski (382 yards, 4 TDs). Oliver is the top returning rusher but with all the talent at receiver, Armstrong should be able to score with anyone this season. The Riverhawks narrowly missed the playoffs last year after losing a Week 9 Casket Match against Kiski, but should be right in the mix for wild card consideration this season.
Kiski
2023 Result: 5-5, Lost to Thomas Jefferson in the first round of the 4A playoffs
All-Time: 316-303-7 (84th in wins, 55th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1971 WPIAL Champions
The Cavaliers rebounded from a 1-4 start to beat Highlands and Armstrong in their final two conference games to earn a playoff spot. Along with Armstrong and Latrobe, Kiski moves back up to 5A this season. The Cavaliers have a number of offensive playmakers returning, led by dual-threat QB Carson Heinle (1805 passing yards, 19 TDs, 485 rushing yards, 5 TDs). Leading rusher Landon Kucic (867 yards, 11 TDs) also returns for his senior season. Kiski will need to work in some new receivers after three of their top four graduated. Junior Andrew Finney (371 yards, 4 TDs) and senior Connor Jordan (111 yards, 1 TD) are Heinle’s top returning targets.
