WPIAL approves new basketball sections; won’t reveal them yet

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | 3:50 PM

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Basketball sections for next season are almost ready, but WPIAL players, coaches and fans must wait a little longer to see them.

The WPIAL board approved updated section alignments at its April meeting, said associate executive director Amy Scheuneman, but those included multiple contingencies in case the PIAA competitive-balance rule forces the Lincoln Park boys, Chartiers Valley girls or North Catholic girls into a higher classification.

“We conditionally approved them,” Scheuneman said, “so that if nothing changes based on what we presented, then we can move forward without waiting until the end of May.”

However, the WPIAL won’t reveal those section alignments and schedules for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 basketball seasons until after the PIAA completes its process.

That could be early next month.

“It’s not fair to say you’re in this (schedule) grid playing all of these teams and all of a sudden we’re switching you,” Scheuneman said.

The WPIAL realigns teams into new sections every two years. Basketball is the only winter sport that still needs to be finalized. Updated alignments for wrestling, swimming, rifle and gymnastics were already announced.

Most spring sport realignments also are complete with the exception of baseball and softball, which will be approved by the WPIAL board in May. Scheuneman said the steering committees for those two sports were scheduled to meet this week through video conference.

Updated lacrosse alignments and schedules were revealed Tuesday for boys and girls.

Basketball is on hold because of the PIAA competitive-balance rule that forces teams into a higher classification if they’ve had state playoff success and added at least one transfer in a two-year span. The PIAA hasn’t yet notified the schools that must move up.

Lincoln Park, which appears headed to Class 4A, intends to appeal the decision. It’s unclear whether Chartiers Valley or North Catholic girls added the transfers required to force a team into a higher classification. If so, Chartiers Valley would move to Class 6A. North Catholic would move to Class 5A.

Here’s a look at the classification breakdown in WPIAL boys and girls basketball.

The WPIAL hasn’t announced updated sections for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 basketball seasons.

Boys basketball

Class 6A (17 teams)

North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Butler, Canon-McMillan, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Central Catholic, Baldwin, Pine-Richland, Upper St. Clair, Peters Township, Fox Chapel, Bethel Park, Penn-Trafford, *North Hills, *Greensburg Salem

Class 5A (26)

Latrobe, Connellsville, Shaler, Kiski Area, Moon, South Fayette, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Penn Hills, Woodland Hills, West Allegheny, Plum, Armstrong, Trinity, Chartiers Valley, Albert Gallatin, Mars, McKeesport, Hampton, Thomas Jefferson, Indiana, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, New Castle, Highlands, West Mifflin

Class 4A (21)

Belle Vernon, Beaver, Uniontown, Montour, Knoch, Freeport, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Elizabeth Forward, Ambridge, Quaker Valley, North Catholic, Burrell, Yough, Deer Lakes, South Park, Southmoreland, Derry, Hopewell, Keystone Oaks, Mt. Pleasant

Class 3A (26)

Valley, East Allegheny, Avonworth, South Allegheny, Brownsville, McGuffey, Beaver Falls, Freedom, Charleroi, Mohawk, Ellwood City, New Brighton, Steel Valley, Waynesburg, Shady Side Academy, Neshannock, Riverside, Apollo-Ridge, Washington, Summit Academy, Beth-Center, Seton LaSalle, Brentwood, Lincoln Park, Laurel, *Aliquippa

Class 2A (24)

Frazier, Carlynton, South Side, Chartiers-Houston, Sto-Rox, Propel Braddock Hills, Shenango, Northgate, Serra Catholic, Carmichaels, Burgettstown, Jeannette, Fort Cherry, Bentworth, California, Springdale, Winchester Thurston, Sewickley Academy, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Greensburg Central Catholic, Monessen, Riverview, Jefferson-Morgan, *Clairton

Class A (19)

Nazareth Prep, Propel Montour, Union, West Greene, Western Beaver, Rochester, Leechburg, Bishop Canevin, Eden Christian, Propel Andrew Street, Avella, Mapletown, Cornell, St. Joseph, Quigley Catholic, Aquinas Academy, Imani Christian, Geibel Catholic, Neighborhood Academy

Girls basketball

Class 6A (15)

North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Butler, Mt. Lebanon, Hempfield, Canon-McMillan, Norwin, Pine-Richland, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Peters Township, North Hills, Upper St. Clair, Shaler, Penn-Trafford

Class 5A (27)

Fox Chapel, Latrobe, Moon, Connellsville, Gateway, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Oakland Catholic, Penn Hills, Mars, Trinity, Hampton, Plum, Armstrong, Woodland Hills, South Fayette, West Allegheny, Lincoln Park, Chartiers Valley, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Gallatin, Indiana, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Uniontown, Greensburg Salem, Ringgold

Class 4A (21)

Montour, Belle Vernon, Blackhawk, New Castle, Knoch, Central Valley, Highlands, Elizabeth Forward, West Mifflin, Ambridge, Beaver, Freeport, Hopewell, Burrell, Yough, Quaker Valley, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Deer Lakes, Derry, Valley

Class 3A (21)

South Park, Keystone Oaks, Brownsville, North Catholic, Ellwood City, East Allegheny, McGuffey, South Allegheny, Beaver Falls, Waynesburg, Avonworth, Shady Side, Charleroi, Freedom, Riverside, Washington, Mohawk, Steel Valley, Brentwood, Laurel, Bentworth

Class 2A (26)

Seton LaSalle, Neshannock, New Brighton, Chartiers-Houston, Carmichaels, Shenango, Burgettstown, Carlynton, Frazier, Beth-Center, Apollo-Ridge, Propel Braddock Hills, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Serra Catholic, Sto-Rox, Aliquippa, Fort Cherry, Jeannette, California, South Side, Northgate, Ellis School, Sewickley Academy, Springdale, Greensburg Central Catholic, Winchester Thurston

Class A (19)

Riverview, Monessen, Eden Christian, Bishop Canevin, Clairton, Propel Andrew Street, West Greene, Cornell, Jefferson-Morgan, Rochester, Leechburg, Avella, Mapletown, Union, Neighborhood Academy, St. Joseph, Aquinas Academy, Geibel Catholic, Quigley Catholic

*voluntarily playing up

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.