Notable changes to the 2024-25, 2025-26 WPIAL wrestling alignment

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, August 26, 2024 | 10:50 AM

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The WPIAL released new section alignments for the next two-year cycle in all sports, and changes will be implemented starting this fall.

This summer, the Tribune-Review will break down changes for each of the WPIAL sports.

Here’s a look at the upcoming WPIAL wrestling season:

2023-24 WPIAL championships

Class 3A: Connellsville

Class 2A: Burrell

Notable changes

The WPIAL took a different approach with wrestling realignment this cycle, creating more sections with fewer teams in each.

There are 18 sections evenly divided between Class 3A and 2A, featuring 42 teams in Class 3A and 41 in 2A.

That’s a change from the last cycle, which had six sections in each class.

The 18 sections form six sectionals — Southern, Northern and Eastern — with three sections in each.

• The top six wrestlers from each sectional advance to the WPIAL individual tournament.

The WPIAL team tournaments qualify the top two teams from each section and two wild cards chosen by the wrestling committee.

• There were a few teams that changed classifications this cycle.

Blackhawk and Montour moved up to compete in Section 1-3A, Hampton and Indiana moved up to Section 5-3A and Belle Vernon (7-3A) and Albert Gallatin (8-3A) also bumped up.

In and out

• Penn Hills is back as a full-fledged WPIAL team after a two-year hiatus and will compete in Section 6-3A.

Chartiers-Houston also has returned after not wrestling a WPIAL schedule in the last cycle and will compete in Section 1-2A.

• Other new teams this season are Avella and Lincoln Park in Section 2-2A, Brownsville in Section 3-2A and Neighborhood Academy in 9-2A. Penn Hills (5-5), Lincoln Park (4-4), Brownsville (1-4), Chartiers-Houston (0-1) and Neighborhood Academy (0-21) competed as independent teams last season.

• Fort Cherry will not have a WPIAL schedule this cycle after finishing 3-9 overall and 2-5 in Section 1-2A last season.

Past champions

Burrell added to its championship total last season with its 18th title, which is third most in WPIAL history behind Canon-McMillan (22) and Waynesburg Central (21).

After winning 15 straight championships from 2007-21, the Bucs now have won 16 titles in the past 18 years.

Connellsville captured the Class 3A crown and now has eight WPIAL championships.

Girls Season 2

The PIAA started sponsoring girls wrestling as an official sport last winter.

Twenty-one WPIAL schools fielded teams for dual meets: Beaver, Burrell, Butler, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Fort Cherry, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, New Castle, North Allegheny, Norwin, Pine-Richland, Plum, Seneca Valley, Southmoreland, Trinity, Upper St. Clair, Valley and Woodland Hills.

That will continue this winter along with the individual tournament to decide WPIAL, regional and PIAA champions.

Key dates

Nov. 15: First practice date

Nov. 23: First scrimmage date

Nov. 29: First play date

Dec. 11: First section date

Feb. 1: WPIAL team championships

Feb. 3-8: PIAA team championships

Feb. 15: WPIAL girls individual championships

Feb. 21-22: WPIAL boys 2A individual championships

Feb. 28-March 1: WPIAL boys 3A individual championships

Feb. 28-March 1: Southwest Regional boys 2A individual championships

March 6-8: PIAA individual championships

2024-25, 2025-26 alignment

Class 3A

Southern Sectional

Section 1: Blackhawk, Montour, Moon, West Allegheny

Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley, South Fayette, Trinity, Waynesburg

Section 3: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair

Northern Sectional

Section 4: Butler, Mars, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley

Section 5: Armstrong, Fox Chapel, Hampton, Indiana, Kiski Area

Section 6: Central Catholic, North Hills, Penn Hills, Shaler

Eastern Sectional

Section 7: Belle Vernon, McKeesport, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin

Section 8: Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Hempfield, Latrobe

Section 9: Franklin Regional, Gateway, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Plum

Class 2A

Southern Sectional

Section 1: Chartiers-Houston, McGuffey, Washington, West Greene

Section 2: Avella, Burgettstown, Hopewell, Lincoln Park, South Side

Section 3: Bentworth, Beth-Center, Brownsville, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan

Northern Sectional

Section 4: Ellwood City, Knoch, Laurel, North Catholic, Summit Academy

Section 5: Ambridge, Beaver, Central Valley, Freedom

Section 6: Avonworth, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley

Eastern Sectional

Section 7: Elizabeth Forward, South Allegheny, South Park, Southmoreland, Yough

Section 8: Derry, Greensburg Salem, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant

Section 9: Burrell, Highlands, Neighborhood Academy, Riverview, Valley

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Avella, Brownsville, Burrell, Chartiers-Houston, Connellsville, Fort Cherry, Lincoln Park, Neighborhood Academy, Penn Hills