The 2021 WPIAL Football season is right around the corner. Week 0 games kick off on Friday night with the full regular season starting next week. We have our full slate of conference previews available, along with TWO season preview episodes of the WPIAL Blitz Show. Check out Episode 1 (4A-5A-6A Preview) and Episode 2 (1A-2A-3A Preview).
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.
Be sure to keep tabs on our WPIAL Standings Page throughout the season and follow our WPIAL Twitter account @WPIAL_Blitz.
WPIAL 6A Predictions
Regular Season
Tri-County Five Conference Predicted Champion: Central Catholic
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Central Catholic over Seneca Valley
Central Catholic has been to the WPIAL finals in three straight seasons. They return the most talent of any team in 6A and are the presumptive favorites. Central has enough talent to not only win the WPIAL title but to also win the State title. That said, Seneca Valley returns three starters that have committed to D1 schools. This might be the best team the Raiders have ever fielded. Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny are both capable of making it to the title game, but in the end Seneca Valley looks like the team that could give Central a run for their money.
WPIAL 5A Predictions
Regular Season
Allegheny Six Conference Predicted Champion: Upper St. Clair
Big East Conference Predicted Champion: Gateway
Northeast Conference Predicted Champion: Penn Hills
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Penn Hills over Gateway
This might have been the hardest classification to predict. Because of the changes in the PIAA bracket (the WPIAL Champion enters at the quarterfinals now instead of the semifinals), only 8 teams will make the WPIAL playoffs. This is going to leave some good teams on the outside looking in come November. There is not much separating the top 5 teams (Penn Hills, Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Woodland Hills) and Upper St Clair isn’t far behind. It is going to be an absolute battle just to make the semifinals and the Championship Game this season. Any of those 5 teams is capable of winning the title. In the end, I went with Penn Hills and their defensive prowess being able to slow down Gateway’s passing attack.
WPIAL 4A Predictions
Regular Season
Big Seven Conference Predicted Champion: McKeesport
Greater Allegheny Conference Predicted Champion: Armstrong
Parkway Conference Predicted Champion: Central Valley
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Aliquippa over McKeesport
Aliquippa has reached the WPIAL Championship Game in an incredible 14 straight seasons. The Quips are the defending WPIAL and PIAA 4A Champions and return nearly all of their starters from last season. They have an outstanding defense loaded with D1 talent and the biggest offensive line in the WPIAL. However, the Quips have not beaten rival Central Valley since Mike Warfield took over as coach. The top 4 teams in 4A (Aliquippa, Central Valley, McKeesport, and Thomas Jefferson) are head and shoulders above the rest. In the end, I think Central Valley tops Aliquippa in the regular season for the conference title but falls in the semifinals, giving us a rematch of Aliquippa and McKeesport (the 4A Game of the Year last year) in the WPIAL title game.
WPIAL 3A Predictions
Regular Season
Allegheny Six Conference Predicted Champion: Freeport
Interstate Conference Predicted Champion: Belle Vernon
Western Hills Conference Champion: Avonworth
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Belle Vernon over Avonworth
With Central Valley and North Catholic moving up to 4A, there is a power vacuum in 3A. Belle Vernon, who went to the WPIAL finals last season, moves down from 4A and immediately becomes the presumptive favorite. They will get a challenge in conference play from Elizabeth Forward, but don’t count out a talented Avonworth team from making a run to the title game.
WPIAL 2A Predictions
Regular Season
Allegheny Conference Predicted Champion: Steel Valley
Century Conference Predicted Champion: Sto-Rox
Midwestern Conference Predicted Champion: Beaver Falls
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Sto-Rox over Steel Valley
Beaver Falls has been to the WPIAL title game each of the last two seasons, and is certainly one of the favorites in 2A. Sto-Rox returns an absolutely loaded lineup and might challenge the WPIAL scoring record this season. This group of seniors at Sto-Rox has been building up to this moment and I think they go out and take it. In a minor upset, I’m picking Steel Valley with their multiple D1 players to spring the upset on Beaver Falls in the semifinals and make it to the title game.
WPIAL 1A Predictions
Regular Season
Big Seven Conference Predicted Champion: Rochester
Black Hills Conference Predicted Champion: Bishop Canevin
Eastern Conference Champion: Clairton
Tri-County South Conference Champion: California
Postseason
WPIAL Championship Prediction: Clairton over Bishop Canevin
If I’ve learned one thing in my years of writing about WPIAL football, it’s to never pick against Clairton. Bishop Canevin is the defending WPIAL Champions and returns all but 4 starters from last season. OLSH, the WPIAL runners up, similarly return a number of starters. Rochester can never be counted out and Leechburg has a Pitt-commit in Braylan Lovelace. But Clairton, who was upset by OLSH in the quarterfinals last year due to a depleted roster, did beat Canevin by 10 in the regular season last year. The Bears get some starters back and have an insanely talented group of underclassmen that lit it up in the 7-on-7 circuit this summer. Canevin certainly has the talent to get back to the title game, and seeing these two face off would be an epic clash.
