close

WPIAL reclassification: Class 6A shrinks, Class A swells

4 min read
article image -

As the WPIAL’s largest classification gets smaller, its smallest classification gets bigger.

That is the result of the PIAA’s new classification guidelines released Tuesday.

The classifications begin with the 2022 fall seasons and will last through the 2023-2024 school year.

The classifications will not be official until the PIAA releases which schools decide to “play up” in classification during the two-year cycle. The PIAA will release that information later this week. Schools had until yesterday to notify the PIAA of any intention to play up.

In football, the WPIAL’s Class 6A will have just five teams, including Canon-McMillan. That does not include Butler, which has Class 6A enrollment but opted out of WPIAL football. The past two seasons, there have been eight 6A teams.

At the same time, the WPIAL’s Class A in football, volleyball, baseball and softball will grow. The local area will have 12 Class A football and volleyball teams, and eight baseball teams.

Canon-McMillan athletic director Frank Vulcano, Jr. said he’s “definitely” concerned about scheduling and that he knows proposals are on the table but has no idea how Class 6A football will operate.

Speculation is centered on the WPIAL possibly putting together dual-classifications for Classes 5 and 6 – thus intermixing teams from the two classifications.

Vulcano did say the Big Macs will open the season at Chambersburg on the opening weekend of next football season.

The changes locally are highlighted by:

  • The Class 2A football Century Conference seeing three teams dropping to Class A, including Beth-Center and Chartiers-Houston, the latter last season’s runner-up.
  • Belle Vernon dropping to Class 3A in football, Class 2A in boys soccer and wrestling.
  • Waynesburg, which has a Class 2A wrestling enrollment, will remain in Class 3A. Chris Minerd, the Raiders’ athletic director, confirmed that Tuesday.
  • California, Carmichaels and Fort Cherry are all dropping to Class A in baseball.
  • California, Jefferson-Morgan and Monessen will also return to Class A in boys basketball. It would appear those three teams will be joined by Avella, Geibel, Mapletown, and West Greene in one section.
  • Also in boys basketball, Peters Township drops into 5A, Ringgold into 4A and Beth-Center into 2A. Washington is the smallest 3A team, one student over the limit from playing in 2A.
  • In boys’ soccer, Peters Township moves to 3A, Washington to 2A and Charleroi to 1A.
  • Three local teams drop to Class A in softball, including California, Carmichaels and Chartiers-Houston.
  • Finally, in girls volleyball, Fort Cherry is moving up to Class 2A, while Burgettstown, Carmichaels and Chartiers-Houston drop to Class A.

Tricia Alderson, Chartiers-Houston softball coach, said that while the Bucs are dropping nothing much will change since many teams are moving into the classification.

“A lot of good teams are moving down with us,” she said. “It’s a large classification. Not a lot is going to change as far as opponents go. There were already a lot of good teams in single-A. Basically, it’s going to be the same as before.”

Dan Bosnic, Monessen boys’ basketball coach, is glad the Greyhounds are headed back to Class A.

“It puts us with teams we are familiar with,” Bosnic said. “The success we hope to have this season should carry us right into that next season. We’ll know what to expect and it looks like we’ll have a pretty good idea of who we will be with in a section.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today