NEW WPIAL FOOTBALL ALIGNMENT FOR 2012 and 2013

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 | 3:57 PM

Major changes have taken place to the look of the WPIAL football conference alignment for the next two years, which was officially set with the approval of the WPIAL Board of Control Tuesday afternoon. The biggest change comes in Class AAAA and Class AAA where both classifications have shrunk from the standard four conferences to three conferences. Both Class AA and Class A will remain with four conferences.                      
   
While the playoff picture in AA and A remains the same with the top four teams in each classification qualifying for the playoffs, the wild card is back in AAAA and AAA where the top FIVE teams in each conference make the playoffs along with one of the sixth place teams entering as the wild card team. Head-to-head, Gardner points and WPIAL tiebreaker points will help determine playoff positioning in all four classifications as well as the wild card spots in AAAA and AAA.         
           
AAAA will have two nine-team and one eight team conference, while AAA will have three nine-team conferences. In Class AA, there will be three nine-team conferences and one eight-team conference while in Class A, there will be three nine-team conferences and one ten-team conference.      

Two other big changes come with the fact that non-conference games could factor into the wild card determination and teams from the same conference could end up playing each other in the First Round of the WPIAL playoffs.       
    
Schedules, which also wuill be affected with conference games in Week One in all four classifications, will be released by the WPIAL in two weeks.  

WPIAL CLASS AAAA CONFERENCE #1:
Butler Golden Tornado
Fox Chapel Foxes
North Allegheny Tigers
North Hills Indians
Pine-Richland Rams
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings
Seneca Valley Raiders
Shaler Titans

WPIAL CLASS AAAA CONFERENCE #2:
Baldwin Highlanders
Bethel Park Black Hawks
Canon-McMillan Big Macs
Mount Lebanon Blue Devils
Penn Hills Indians
Peters Township Indians
Plum Mustangs
Upper St. Clair Panthers
Woodland Hills Wolverines

WPIAL CLASS AAAA CONFERENCE #3:
Altoona Mountain Lions
Connellsville Falcons
Gateway Gators
Hempfield Spartans
Kiski Area Cavaliers
Latrobe Wildcats
McKeesport Tigers
Norwin Knights
Penn-Trafford Warriors
 

WPIAL CLASS AAA CONFERENCE #1:
Albert Gallatin Colonials
Belle Vernon Leopards
Elizabeth Forward Warriors
Laurel Highlands Mustangs
Ringgold Rams
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars
Trinity Hillers
Uniontown Red Raiders
West Mifflin Titans

WPIAL CLASS AAA CONFERENCE #2:
Ambridge Bridgers
Blackhawk Cougars
Central Valley Warriors
Chartiers Valley Colts
Hopewell Vikings
Montour Spartans
Moon Tigers
New Castle Red Hurricane
West Allegheny Indians

WPIAL CLASS AAA CONFERENCE #3:
Derry Trojans
Franklin Regional Panthers
Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions
Hampton Talbots
Highlands Golden Rams
Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers
Indiana Little Indians
Knoch Knights
Mars Fighting Planets
 

WPIAL CLASS AA CENTURY CONFERERNCE:
Burgettstown Blue Devils
Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles
McGuffey Highlanders
Quaker Valley Quakers
Seton-LaSalle Rebels
South Allegheny Gladiators
South Fayette Lions
South Park Eagles
Steel Valley Ironmen

WPIAL CLASS AA ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE:
Burrell Buccaneers
Deer Lakes Lancers
East Allegheny Wildcats
Ford City Sabers
Freeport Yellowjackets
Kittanning Wildcats
Shady Side Academy Indians
Summit Academy Knights
Valley Vikings

WPIAL CLASS AA MIDWESTERN CONFERENCE:
Aliquippa Quips
Beaver Bobcats
Beaver Falls Tigers
Ellwood City Wolverines
Freedom Bulldogs
Mohawk Warriors
New Brighton Lions
Riverside Panthers

WPIAL CLASS AA INTERSTATE CONFERENCE:
Brownsville Falcons
Charleroi Cougars
Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions
Jeannette Jayhawks
Mount Pleasant Vikings
Southmoreland Scotties
Washington Little Prexies
Waynesburg Raiders
Yough Cougars
 

WPIAL CLASS A EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Apollo-Ridge Vikings
Avonworth Antelopes
Leechburg Blue Devils
North Catholic Trojans
Northgate Flames
Riverview Raiders
Springdale Dynamos
West Shamokin Wolves
Wilkinsburg Tigers

WPIAL CLASS A BIG SEVEN CONFERENCE:
Laurel Spartans
Neshannock Lancers
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers
Rochester Rams
Shenango Wildcats
South Side Rams
Sto-Rox Vikings
Union Scotties
Western Beaver Golden Beavers

WPIAL CLASS A TRI-COUNTY SOUTH CONFERENCE:
Avella Eagles
Bentworth Bearcats
Beth-Center Bulldogs
Carmichaels Mighty Mikes
Frazier Commodores
Geibel Catholic Gators
Jefferson-Morgan Rockets
Mapletown Maples
West Greene Pioneers

WPIAL CLASS A FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE:
Brentwood Spartans
Bishop Canevin Crusaders
California Trojans
Carlynton Cougars
Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers
Clairton Bears
Fort Cherry Rockets
Imani Christian Saints
Monessen Greyhounds
Serra Catholic Eagles