The 2026 WPIAL football season is nearly upon us! Over the next few weeks we will be previewing all 18 conferences in preparation for kickoff on August 28. 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 year’s WPIAL content is sponsored by Get Recruited Consulting. Find them on Twitter and check out their offer to schedule a free film review.
This cycle saw a lot of movement out of 2A. 2024 WPIAL Champions South Park and 2024 semifinalist Ellwood City both moved up to 3A while 2025 semifinalist Washington moved down to 1A. The most notable teams to join 2A this cycle are Bishop Canevin and Neshannock. As with previous cycles, 13 teams will make the WPIAL playoffs. The top three seeds will get byes but conference champions are not guaranteed a bye. The top three teams from each conference along with four Wild Card teams will qualify for the postseason. The WPIAL Champion enters the state bracket in the semifinals, though the WPIAL has not found much success on the statewide level, winning just one 2A State Title in ten years.
The Allegheny Conference has four returning members – including the three teams that shared the conference title last year. South Allegheny went undefeated until a Week 9 loss to Steel Valley which created a three-way tie with Apollo-Ridge. Steel Valley made a run to the WPIAL finals last year while South A and Apollo-Ridge both won their first round games. The Allegheny Conference has had a team reach the WPIAL finals in five straight seasons. Steel Valley accounted for three of those with Serra Catholic (2021) and South Park (2024) the other two. 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.
South Allegheny
2025 Result: 9-1, Allegheny Conference co-champions, lost to Washington in quarterfinals
All-Time: 209-377-5 (113th in wins, 117th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1977 WPIAL Champions
The Gladiators were one of the best turnaround stories in the WPIAL in 2024 and continued their upward trajectory last season. After consecutive 1-9 seasons, they moved down to 2A in 2024 and put together an 8-win campaign that culminated in their first playoff win since 1986. Last year South Allegheny did even better, winning their first 9 games of the season and finishing in a three-way tie atop the conference. The Gladiators explosive offense averaged a 2A-leading 43 points per game. For the second straight year, their season came to an end in the quarterfinals, this time with a loss to Washington. Junior quarterback Alijah Cook returns after throwing for 1528 yards and 26 TDs. While his older brother Drew Cook graduated as South A’s all-time leading receiver, a pair of rising sophomores are waiting in the wings to step in. Tyrone Claytor was an all-around threat for the Gladiators with 190 rushing yards, 136 receiving yards and 6 total TDs. Marcel Boxley added 128 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards and scored twice. Senior Derrick Pace (274 yards, 2 TDs) is the only one of the top four rushers to return, but he did average over 10 yards per carry last season. South Allegheny got some great play in the trenches last season and if they can continue to pave the way for the running game and give Cook time in the passing game, the Gladiators should once again be in contention at the top of the conference.
Apollo-Ridge
2025 Result: 7-3, Allegheny Conference co-champions, lost to Western Beaver in quarterfinals
All-Time: 245-307-9 (106th in wins, 87th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL title
Apollo-Ridge bounced back from a 1-8 2024 season to finish 7-3 and make the playoffs last year. Starting in mid-September, the Vikings won four in a row, including a last second 18-14 victory over Steel Valley. Two weeks later they won a shootout with South Park and finished in a three-way tie atop the conference. Apollo-Ridge also won their first playoff game since 2020, knocking off Riverside in the opening round. Chris Dailey saw some time as the backup quarterback last season, throwing for 202 yards and 2 TDs. The Vikings have a pair of returning running backs in senior Sac Myers (484 yards, 2 TDs) and junior Preston Clemens (228 yards, 2 TDs). Senior receivers Logan Schrock (299 yards, 1 TD) and Gage Wingard (170 yards, 4 TDs) give Apollo-Ridge experience on the outside. Overall, Apollo-Ridge returns a number of key contributors from a team that tied for the conference title last season and if the Vikings can find a quarterback, they have the surrounding talent to make another run this year.
Steel Valley
2025 Result: 7-3, Allegheny Conference co-champions, Lost to Seton LaSalle in 2A Championship
All-Time: 345-225-12 (76th in wins, 24th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 6 WPIAL Championships (1982, 1988, 1989, 2016, 2018, 2022), 2016 State Champions
The Ironmen have been one of the best 2A squads during the six classification era. They have won three WPIAL titles and been to six Championship Games, including 2022, 2023, and 2025. They have been ousted by Seton LaSalle the last two years – falling in the semifinals in 2024 and in the Championship Game last year. The Ironmen showed tenacity in 2025, bouncing back from a slow start and last second loss to Apollo-Ridge to beat South Allegheny in Week 9 and force a three-way tie atop the conference. Steel Valley is a run-heavy team but lost their top three rushers to graduation. The top returning back is senior Ashad Dye (108 yards). Fellow rising seniors Terec Seibles and Jvon Barlow both averaged over 6 yards per carry in very limited work. With the number of players that graduated, Steel Valley will need to ride their defense early in the season. The good news for the Ironmen is they had the best unit in 2A last year, holding opponents to just 10 points per game.
East Allegheny
2025 Result: 2-8, missed playoffs in 3A
All-Time: 342-281-22 (78th in wins, 39th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1992 WPIAL Champions
In 2023, the Wildcats won their first conference title since 2000 and made an impressive run to the semifinals. Unfortunately, the last two iterations were unable to replicate that success and East A won just three games over the last two seasons. But hopes are refreshed as the Wildcats move down to 2A. East Allegheny’s two wins last year were over Deer Lakes (by 7) and Valley (by 6) but all that kept the Wildcats from the playoffs was a 1-point loss to Burrell. Senior RB Ronte Lawrence scored 5 TDs last year and is the top returning skill position player. The biggest question for East A is on the defensive side of the ball where they need to improve a unit that allowed 37 points per game.
Ligonier Valley
2025 Result: 1-9, missed playoffs
All-Time: 478-519-40 (33rd in wins, 68th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL title (played in District 6 from until 2020, won D6 titles in 2016 & 2017)
The Rams had a tough run the last two seasons, finishing at the bottom of the conference both years. Their only win last season came in a non-conference game with Charleroi (who now joins the Allegheny Conference). Ligonier Valley is a run-heavy team who turned to a number of under-classmen last season in the hopes of building towards this year. Levi Foust took over the quarterback role and threw for 524 yards and 4 TDs and was also the Rams leading rusher with 737 yards and 7 TDs. Rising seniors Brody Stitt (273 yards, 1 TD) and Jacob Petalino (260 yards, 3 TDs) also return to the backfield to complement Foust in the running game. While Ligonier Valley doesn’t throw much, leading receiver Gregory Sleasman (117 yards, 1 TD) does return to give Foust a familiar target on the outside. In order to compete for a playoff spot, Ligonier Valley will need to shore up a defense that allowed over 35 points per game last year, the third most in 2A.
Charleroi
2025 Result: 2-8, missed playoffs
All-Time: 573-489-60 (15th in wins, 45th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2 WPIAL Championships (1936, 1959)
The Cougars have not won more than 2 games in a season over the last six years. Last year they started with five straight losses before defeating Sto-Rox 45-20. Charleroi then suffered three more blowouts before ending their season on a high note with a 30-6 win over Carlynton. Charleroi struggled on both sides of the ball last season, allowing over 44 points per game, the most of any unit in 2A. Offensively, they only scored more than 14 points twice – in each of their victories. Charleroi does return some underclassmen starters, including quarterback Jaxson Klinger (629 yards, 5 TDs) and Elijah Allah who led the team in rushing and receiving. Both Klinger and Allah are rising sophomores who got significant playing time as freshmen.
Brownsville
2025 Result: 0-8, played as Independent
All-Time: 416-539-34 (49th in wins, 93rd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2 WPIAL Championships (1940, 1943)
The Falcons moved to play an independent schedule in 2022 in the hopes of rebuilding their program. They were able to snap the longest losing streak in the state in 2023 with a win over fellow independent Carrick. However, Brownsville has gone winless each of the last two seasons and returns to the WPIAL riding a 19-game losing streak. The Falcons will start the season with the National Road Rivalry game against Uniontown, celebrating the history of the first federally-funded road (now Route 40) that runs through the Fayette County communities.
