The WPIAL released football conferences and schedules for the next two-year alignment cycle.
One key change involves Belle Vernon, which moves back to Class 3A after playing two years in 4A. The Leopards join the new-look Interstate Conference with Derry, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland and newcomer Waynesburg.
The Class A Eastern Conference lost Frazier and Brentwood, but gained Serra Catholic. The usual teams — Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview and Springdale — remain.
Yough’s new 3A conference is the head-scratcher of the local bunch. It seems to defy map logic.
The Cougars are in with Avonworth, Propel Braddock Hills, Shady Side Academy, South Park, West Mifflin and Yough.
Class 3A went from 20 schools to 26, the largest jump in the league.
The 5A Big East now has Connellsville and Fox Chapel, and Armstrong is gone. Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford and Woodland Hills are holdovers.
Kiski Area dropped from 5A to 4A and will play in the scaled-down Greater Allegheny Conference with Hampton, Indiana, McKeesport and Shaler.
The WPIAL has not announced the playoff format for 2026.
Week Zero
Most local teams have secured Week Zero games for next football season.
Westmoreland County openers include: Hempfield at Bethel Park, Norwin at Penn-Trafford, Penn Hills at Franklin Regional, Thomas Jefferson at Belle Vernon, Derry at Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant at Laurel Highlands, Greensburg Central Catholic at Yough, Southmoreland at Connellsville, Charleroi at Monessen and Ligonier Valley at Frazier.
Hempfield was going to play Latrobe but had to scramble to find a new opponent when the WPIAL cross-scheduled Hempfield and Latrobe to play in Week 8.
Derry-Ligonier Valley was initially in the works for the season opener, but plans fell through.
Soccer changes
Realignment will give WPIAL soccer a new look for the next two seasons.
One key change in boys Class 3A is Plum dropping from 4A to 3A to reunite with traditional rival Franklin Regional in the same section.
Section 5-2A will be mostly local with Belle Vernon and Ligonier Valley both down from 3A plus Derry, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland and Brownsville.
Greensburg Salem dropped from 4A and will join Franklin Regional, Latrobe and Penn-Trafford in Section 1-3A.
The Norwin girls show promise but will have to go through 3A champion Fox Chapel to win a section title. Fox Chapel moved up to 4A.
The Latrobe and Penn-Trafford girls moved down to 3A and will remain section opponents, joining Greensburg Salem, Indiana, Kiski Area and Plum.
The Jeannette girls will not field a team for the next two years as they try to rebuild roster numbers.
Other notables:
• Class 2A boys will have a record 36 teams and five sections.
• Class A boys will have only 21 teams across three sections.
• The Southmoreland girls will continue to co-op with Geibel.
• Two major changes coming this fall will be a new referee format, the diagonal system which uses one main center ref and two “linesmen,” with the center official holding the only active whistle.
Ring chasing
The Ringgold hockey team will play Burrell at 8:45 p.m. Monday in the PIHL Division 2 championship at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
In a way, it is a Westmoreland-on-Westmoreland power play.
Ringgold features 10 players from Belle Vernon, which does not have hockey.
The BVA players are Landon Vaccaro, Evan Munshower, Benito Pesi, Alexander Quiggle, Natalia Pesi, Ezra Faryna, Nicholas Mahalko, Collin Moffett, Colby Nill and Shane Hitcho.
Vaccaro had a goal, and Benito Pesi an assist in a 3-2 win over Neshannock in the semifinals.
Ringgold has one PIHL title, in 1990 (Class A).
Burrell has never won a Penguins Cup.
On the road
Because of Norwin’s massive stadium renovation project, several spring sports teams will have to practice and play away from home this season.
The Norwin track and field teams will practice and host meets at East Allegheny, whereas the boys and girls lacrosse teams will practice and host games at Yough.
Preseason volleyball
Several Westmoreland teams made the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll.
In Class 3A, Penn-Trafford is No. 4, Hempfield No. 5 and Latrobe No. 7.
Derry is No. 8 in 2A.
The No. 1-ranked teams are North Allegheny (3A) and Shaler (2A).
Recruiting
A number of Hempfield athletes signed with college programs.
• Addison Evans will cheer at Kentucky.
• Chesnee Smith will run track and cross country at Bucknell; Carson Chenometh will do both at Saint Vincent.
• Ryan Ewing (Robert Morris), Carter Moody (Saint Vincent), Isaiah Bittner (Slippery Rock) and Jonathan Stetchock (Carnegie Mellon) also will run track and cross country at the next level.
• Ligonier Valley senior Anthony Lonas, a lineman, will play at Lebanon Valley, a Division III program in the Middle Atlantic Conference.