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 did not see a ton of movement in 1A. Three teams moved up to 2A and three teams moved down to 1A. Most notably, Washington (a 2A semifinalist last year) moved down to 1A. As with previous cycles, 16 teams will make the WPIAL playoffs. 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.
California has been the most consistent team in the Tri-County South over the last decade. Over the years other teams have risen and fallen. The top challenger this year will likely be Frazier, who moved over from the Eastern Conference and beat California in the playoffs last year. Jefferson-Morgan has been to the playoffs in three straight seasons. The Tri-County South is always one of the most wide open conferences in the middle of the pack (the last two years have had three way ties!). 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.
California
2025 Result: 9-1, Tri-County South Conference Champions, lost to Frazier in first round
All-Time: 472-446-41 (34th in wins, 53rd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1949 WPIAL Champions
The Trojans have won a playoff game in six of the last nine seasons, but were upset in the opening round by Frazier last year. California is one of just nine teams in the WPIAL that have made the playoffs in all ten years of the six classification era and have been the most consistent team in the chaotic Tri-County South. The Trojans tend to run a ground-and pound offense and their top six backs all averaged over 6 yards per carry last season. Four of them return led by juniors Alan Dennis (190 rushing yards, 136 receiving yards, 5 total TDs) and Brayden Crockett (143 yards). Sophomore Brandon Meier (157 yards, 7 TDs) saw time as the backup quarterback last year and may step into the starting role, giving the Trojans a dual-threat option from the position. Senior Chase Shemansky (129 yards, 2 TDs) only had a handful of touches but averaged over 10 yards per carry. With their consistent rushing attack, expect the Trojans to once again be the team to beat in the Tri-County South.
Frazier
2025 Result: 6-4, lost to Bishop Canevin in quarterfinals
All-Time: 350-480-16 (73rd in wins, 98th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL Championship
The Commodores 2025 season was the culmination of years of hard work and determination. After winning just two games in the 2022-23 cycle (both over Springdale), they won 2 games in 2024 before a 6-win season and playoff berth last year. Their 2025 campaign was defined by winning close games, including a 3-point victory over Summit Academy, a 7-point win over Brentwood, and a 2-point Week 8 victory over GCC that got them into the playoffs. Frazier not only made the postseason, but won a playoff game for the first time since 2015, defeating California. Now Frazier moves over to the Tri-County South and should benefit from the improved travel schedule. Frazier’s leading rusher and leading receiver graduated, so the weight of the offense will likely fall to senior QB Brady Secrest who threw for 1265 yards and 16 TDs last year (and added 100 yards and 7 TDs on the ground). The Commodores had a balanced offensive attack last season and will need to tighten up defensively if they want to compete with California for the conference crown.
Avella
2025 Result: 6-4, lost to Fort Cherry in first round
All-Time: 368-512-26 (68th in wins, 99th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 3 WPIAL Championships (1941, 1957, 1961)
The Eagles returned to the Tri-County South last cycle after a few years in the Black Hills Conference. Avella is a small school in western Washington County and while they might be a better geographic fit for the Black Hills, their size and setting (mostly rural farmland) is more aligned with the other TCS schools. The move paid off as Avella went 6-4 last year and was awarded a Wild Card after winning a three-way tie with Carmichaels and Beth-Center for fourth place in the TCS. The Eagles will be led by senior dual-threat QB Charles Rush (832 passing yards, 9 TDs); 540 rushing yards, 7 TDs). Other than Rush, sophomore Luca Davis (143 yards, 2 TDs) is the top returning rusher. Avella won games with their defense last year, which held teams to just 21 points per game.
Jefferson-Morgan
2025 Result: 8-2, lost to Laurel in first round
All-Time: 484-406-31 (28th in wins, 43rd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2 WPIAL Championships (1973, 1974), predecessor school Jefferson tied for the 1951 WPIAL title
A year after winning their first conference title since 2006, Jefferson-Morgan got off to another hot start, winning their first seven outings of 2025. The Rockets skidded to a halt, losing three of their final four games, including a Week 9 matchup with California for the conference title. Their top three rushers and top two receivers both graduated, leaving senior QB Triton Farabee (1065 yards, 14 TDs) as the top returning offensive skill position player. Rising junior Alek Palko is a name to watch in the running game after averaging over 7 yards per carry in limited work last year. On the outside, the top returning receiver is junior Liam Rogers (110 yards). Jefferson-Morgan lost a lot of production from last year’s high-flying team that averaged 33 points per game.
Beth-Center
2025 Result: 3-7, missed playoffs
All-Time: 376-275-16 (65th in wins, 33rd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 1975 WPIAL Champions
The Bulldogs have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons since moving down to 1A. Last year was the closest Beth-Center came, finishing in a three-way tie with Avella and Carmichaels for fourth place. Beth-Center closed the season on a high note, winning two of their last three games. Leading rusher Enzo Brown (867 yards, 7 TDs) returns for his junior season after averaging over 6 yards per carry. Senior Homer Headlee (344 yards, 3 TDs) also returns for the Bulldogs run-heavy approach. Senior QB Chase Bebout (677 yards, 5 TDs) averaged under 10 pass attempts per game last year. If Beth-Center can get a little more out of an offense that averaged just 18 points per game last year, they can put themselves right in the mix for a playoff spot once again.
West Greene
2025 Result: 1-9, missed playoffs
All-Time: 227-435-10 (108th in wins, 119th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL Championship
Since their run to the semifinals in 2019, the Pioneers have made the playoffs two more times. Last year’s team won just one game (a blowout of Mapletown), but was not that far behind the three-way tie for fourth place. West Greene lost to Avella by 11, Carmichaels by 14, and Beth-Center by 5. If they can turn those losses into wins the Pioneers will be right back in playoff position. Joel Rizor was given control of the offense as a freshman at quarterback, throwing for 440 yards and 4 TDs and running for 1011 yards and 11 scores. Fellow rising sophomores Kyle Cunningham ran for 203 yards and Lane Stephenson ran for 151 yards. With that young trio returning to the backfield, West Greene should continue building towards a bright future. West Greene will need to tighten up defensively after allowing nearly 35 points per game last year, the second-most in the conference.
Carmichaels
2025 Result: 4-5, missed playoffs
All-Time: 526-397-38 (22nd in wins, 35th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2 WPIAL Championships (1952, 1962)
For the second year in a row, Carmichaels finished in a three-way tie for the final playoff spot. Last year the Mighty Mikes rebounded from five straight losses (including a four week stretch when they scored just 12 total points) to win their final three outings. The run to the finish started with a 1-point win over Avella and built into a 14-point win over West Greene and 54-0 shutout of Mapletown. The Mighty Mikes were a run-heavy team last year but lost their top three rushers to graduation. Replacing that production will be the most important part of finding their way back into the postseason.
Mapletown
2025 Result: 1-9, missed playoffs
All-Time: 350-509-39 (73rd in wins, 101st in win%)
Championship Pedigree: Never won a WPIAL Championship
After winning the conference title and claiming their first playoff victory in school history in 2022, Mapletown struggled to overcome several graduations and fell to the bottom of the conference the last three years. Mapletown did have a decent start to 2025 with a 1-point win over Frazier and 7-point loss to Chartiers-Houston (both of whom not only made the playoffs but won first round games). After that, the wheels fell off the wagon and Mapletown scored just 18 points in their final 7 games (being shut out 5 times). Senior Carson Vanata (511 yards, 5 TDs) went down with an injury early in the season, which derailed a lot of Mapletown’s offensive potential. With Vanata back this season, the Maples should be more competitive in the TCS.
