The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL, pronounced ) is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) was founded in 1907 by a group of educators from four public and private

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

schools who sought increased regulation and governance of student athletic eligibility and interscholastic athletic competition. The founding schools in the league included Shady Side Academy, Allegheny Prep, Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue High School, and Pittsburgh Central High School. William R. Crabbe of Shady Side Academy acted as a central force in the formation of the League and served as its first president. At its inception the league was poorly received by the public and the press, and found it difficult to enforce its rules. However, the league slowly spread throughout the Pittsburgh area. The league controlled the growth to small numbers that they could handle. As such, the only organization absorbed as a whole was the old Allegheny Valley League. Following the local success of WPIAL, the idea was brought to the whole state in 1914 when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) was founded. Within PIAA, WPIAL has been designated as District 7, and since 1982, WPIAL/District 7. Although officially known as District 7, the WPIAL is grandfathered to keep the older name due to it predating the PIAA. Originally numbering three high schools, WPIAL had a high of 156 participating school as late as the 1981–82 school year. As of October 2012, there are 137 high schools and 148 junior high school members in the WPIAL.

Member schools

The league is responsible for administering the interscholastic athletic participation/competition of public school districts and

private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

s located in Allegheny (except Pittsburgh Public Schools), Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington, Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. Exceptions as of the 2022-23 school year include: * Slippery Rock Area School District and Moniteau School District in Butler County participate in District 10 and District 9 respectively. * Wilmington Area School District in Lawrence and Mercer counties participates in District 10. *Since 2012, four high schools from Pittsburgh Public Schools in Allegheny County, which makes up PIAA District 8, compete in the WPIAL for baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, golf, and cross country. * Indiana Area School District, despite being located in Indiana County, which is part of District 6, competes in the WPIAL.

Sports

:''Note: While some sports are dominated by one sex, there is no rule that mandates sex segregation in PIAA sports, even if a school has teams for each sex.'' Fall:

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

, Golf, Tennis (girls), Cross Country, Volleyball (girls),

Field Hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

, Soccer Winter: Rifle, Gymnastics, Swimming & Diving,

Wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

, Basketball Spring:

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

(girls), Tennis (boys),

Softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

, Baseball, Volleyball (boys), Track & Field

Football champions, 2016–present

* 2024 ** Class AAAAAA (6A): Central Catholic **Class AAAAA (5A): Pine-Richland **Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson **Class AAA (3A): Avonworth **Class AA (2A): South Park **Class A (1A): Fort Cherry * 2023 ** Class AAAAAA (6A): North Allegheny **Class AAAAA (5A): Peters Township **Class AAAA (4A): Aliquippa **Class AAA (3A): Belle Vernon **Class AA (2A): Beaver Falls **Class A (1A): Fort Cherry *2022 **Class AAAAAA (6A): North Allegheny **Class AAAAA (5A): Pine-Richland **Class AAAA (4A): Aliquippa **Class AAA (3A): Belle Vernon **Class AA (2A): Steel Valley **Class A (1A): Union *2021 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Mount Lebanon **Class AAAAA (5A): Penn-Trafford **Class AAAA (4A): Aliquippa **Class AAA (3A): Central Valley **Class AA (2A): Serra Catholic **Class A (1A): Bishop Canevin *2020 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Central Catholic **Class AAAAA (5A): Pine-Richland **Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson **Class AAA (3A): Central Valley **Class AA (2A): Beaver Falls **Class A (1A): Jeannette *2019 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Central Catholic **Class AAAAA (5A): Gateway **Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson **Class AAA (3A): Central Valley **Class AA (2A): Avonworth **Class A (1A): Clairton *2018 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Pine-Richland **Class AAAAA (5A): Penn Hills **Class AAAA (4A): South Fayette **Class AAA (3A): Aliquippa **Class AA (2A): Steel Valley **Class A (1A): Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) *2017 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Pine-Richland **Class AAAAA (5A): Gateway **Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson **Class AAA (3A): Quaker Valley **Class AA (2A): Trinity **Class A (1A): Jeannette *2016 **Class AAAAAA (6A): Central Catholic **Class AAAAA (5A): West Allegheny **Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson **Class AAA (3A): Beaver Falls **Class AA (2A): Steel Valley **Class A (1A): Clairton

Boys' basketball champions, 2000–present

Class AAAAAA (6A): *2022: New Castle *2021: Upper St Clair *2020: Butler *2019: Mt. Lebanon *2018: Penn Hills *2017: Pine Richland Class AAAAA (5A): *2021: New Castle *2020: Laurel Highlands *2019: Mars *2018: Mars *2017: Moon Class AAAA (4A): * 2021: Lincoln Park * 2020: Highlands * 2019: New Castle * 2018: New Castle * 2017: New Castle * 2016: Pine-Richland * 2015: Mt. Lebanon * 2014: Mt. Lebanon * 2013: New Castle * 2012: Gateway * 2011: Gateway * 2010: Mt. Lebanon * 2009: Peters Township * 2008: Pittsburgh Central Catholic * 2007: Bethel Park * 2006: Mt. Lebanon * 2005: Upper St. Clair * 2004: Mt. Lebanon * 2003: Penn Hills * 2002: Uniontown * 2001: Chartiers Valley * 2000: Penn Hills Class AAA (3A): * 2021: Ellwood City * 2020: North Catholic * 2019: Lincoln Park * 2018: Lincoln Park * 2017: North Catholic * 2016: Beaver Falls * 2015: Indiana * 2014: Central Valley * 2013: Montour * 2012: New Castle * 2011: Montour * 2010: Chartiers Valley * 2009: Hampton Township * 2008: Blackhawk * 2007: West Allegheny * 2006: Moon * 2005: Moon * 2004: Moon * 2003: Blackhawk * 2002: Steel Valley * 2001: Brownsville * 2000: Blackhawk Class AA (2A): * 2021 OLSH * 2020 OLSH * 2019 OLSH * 2018 Sewickley Academy * 2017: Sewickley Academy * 2016: Aliquippa * 2015: Aliquippa * 2014: Seton-LaSalle * 2013: Beaver Falls * 2012: Beaver Falls * 2011: Monessen * 2010: North Catholic * 2009: North Catholic * 2008: Jeannette * 2007: Aliquippa * 2006: Aliquippa * 2005: Beaver Falls * 2004: Aliquippa * 2003: Aliquippa * 2002: Sto-Rox * 2001: Sto-Rox * 2000: Aliquippa Class A (1A): * 2025 The Neighborhood Academy * 2021 Bishop Canevin * 2020 Vincentian Academy * 2019 Nazareth Prep * 2018: Vincentian Academy * 2017: Monessen * 2016: North Catholic * 2015: Monessen * 2014: Lincoln Park * 2013: Vincentian Academy * 2012: Lincoln Park * 2011: Vincentian Academy * 2010: Sewickley Academy * 2009: Sewickley Academy * 2008: Serra Catholic * 2007: Leechburg * 2006: Clairton * 2005: Duquesne * 2004: Sewickley Academy * 2003: Union Township * 2002: Monessen * 2001: Monessen * 2000: Cornell

Girls' basketball championship games, 2001 - present

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.wpial.org
High School Football – WPIAL
Pennsylvania high school sports conferences Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Sports in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area