Woodland Hills football among WPIAL teams voluntarily playing in higher classification

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, January 7, 2022 | 5:19 PM

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Football coach Tim Bostard knew folks might be a little surprised to see the PIAA list Woodland Hills as a Class 3A team after years of playing two classifications higher.

Those other 3A teams can breathe a sigh of relief.

Yes, the PIAA this week released updated enrollment numbers that showed the Wolverines do qualify for 3A, but that’s not where they’re going to play next season. Instead, Woodland Hills will voluntarily remain in Class 5A.

The PIAA on Friday released a list of schools voluntarily playing in a higher classification for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. Along with Woodland Hills, the list includes WPIAL football teams Seton LaSalle (3A) and Serra Catholic (2A), the defending WPIAL 2A champion.

In all, 13 WPIAL schools elected to play up in at least one sport.

Defending WPIAL Class 2A baseball champion Shenango is joining Class 3A for the 2023 and ‘24 seasons.

In boys basketball, Sewickley Academy (2A), Upper St. Clair (6A) and Woodland Hills (5A) are playing up, along with girls teams from Sewickley Academy (2A), Upper St. Clair (6A) and Woodland Hills (5A).

With classifications mostly set for the next two years, the WPIAL can start sorting fall sports teams into new conferences or sections. The WPIAL steering committees for fall sport are scheduled to meet in the next week to do that work. The WPIAL board is expected to approve new fall alignments at its Jan. 18 meeting.

The WPIAL will realign winter and spring sports later.

However, there are some unsettled classification decisions involving the PIAA competitive-balance rule, which forces certain football and basketball teams to play at a higher level. Among them, Aliquippa football is appealing a pending promotion to Class 5A. Some WPIAL basketball teams also could be promoted to a higher class based on their success this winter, but that is undetermined for now.

Bostard favored Woodland Hills football staying in 5A for a variety of reasons, a decision that was reached after meeting with the school’s athletic director and the school board’s athletic committee.

Among the concerns was drawing fans on Friday nights.

“It takes away all of your natural, geographic rivalries,” Bostard said of joining 3A. “That in turn cuts out your revenue generation. As we know, football is kind of what drives most of the sports here in the WPIAL, as far as your revenue. If we went to play 3A or 4A, you don’t have many close rivals. East Allegheny is right up the street, but where is the next closest? Derry? Yough? It’s somewhere that people aren’t driving from to get to the Wolvarena.”

Last season’s schedule included games with Gateway, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional and others.

“Is somebody going to drive 45 minutes to watch a football game when everything is live-streamed?” Bostard said. “The attendance is down to begin with, so you’ve got to keep as many close, natural rivalries as you can.”

Besides, Woodland Hills has traditionally been one of the WPIAL’s best football programs.

The Wolverines own five WPIAL titles and boasts an impressive list of graduates in the NFL. The team went 5-7 overall this past season, 3-2 in the Big East Conference, and reached the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. There they lost to No. 1 seed Moon, 21-13.

“The question to me from (school administrators) was, ‘Do we think we can be competitive?’ ” Bostard said. “Last year, we lost to the No. 1 seed and finished in the Top 8. Sometimes, that’s all you can ask for. You ask to make the playoffs and have a shot. With as competitive as 5A is, once you get in, anybody can make a run.”

WPIAL teams playing up

Jeannette: Boys Soccer (2A)

Keystone Oaks: Boys Cross Country (2A)

Neighborhood Academy: Girls Volleyball (2A)

Neshannock: Baseball (3A)

Peters Township: Field Hockey (3A); Boys Lacrosse (3A); Boys Soccer (4A)

Sewickley Academy: Girls Lacrosse (3A); Girls Basketball (2A); Boys Basketball (2A)

Serra Catholic: Football (2A)

Seton LaSalle: Football (3A)

Shady Side Academy: Boys Golf (3A); Girls Soccer (2A); Girls Tennis (3A); Boys Lacrosse (3A); Boys Tennis (3A); Girls Lacrosse (3A)

Shenango: Baseball (3A)

Upper St. Clair: Boys Basketball (6A); Girls Basketball (6A); Girls Soccer (4A)

Waynesburg: Wrestling (3A)

Woodland Hills: Boys Basketball (5A); Football (5A); Boys Golf (3A); Boys Tennis (3A); Boys Track/Field (3A); Wrestling (3A); Girls Basketball (5A); Girls Tennis (3A)

City League teams playing up

Carrick: Boys Tennis (3A); Boys Swimming/Diving (3A); Girls Swimming/Diving (3A)

Obama Academy: Girls Swimming/Diving (3A); Boys Swimming/Diving (3A)

Perry: Boys Tennis (3A); Boys Track/Field (3A); Wrestling (3A); Girls Track/Field (3A)

Pittsburgh CAPA: Boys Track/Field (3A)

Westinghouse: Girls Track/Field (3A); Boys Track/Field (3A); Wrestling (3A)

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.