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

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc., also known by its acronymn PIAA, is one of the governing bodies of high school and middle school athletics for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The PIAA's main ...

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 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

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 } Shady Side Academy is an independent preparatory school located in the Borough of Fox Chapel (suburban Pittsburgh), and in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883 as an all-male night school in the Shadyside ...

, 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 A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...

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 Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

s located in Allegheny (except

Pittsburgh Public Schools Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district serving the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (except for two small parts served by the Baldwin-Whitehall School District) and adjacent Mount Oliver. As of the 2021–2022 school year, the ...

), Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette,

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

, Washington, Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. Exceptions as of the 2022-23 school year include: * Slippery Rock Area School District and

Moniteau School District Moniteau School District is a small rural public school district in Butler County, Pennsylvania, Located on PA 308. The boroughs of Cherry Valley and Eau Claire, and West Sunbury, as well as the townships of Venango, Marion, Cherry, Washin ...

in Butler County participate in

District 10 District 10 may refer to: Places * District 10 (Ho Chi Minh city), Vietnam * District 10 (Zürich), in Switzerland * District 10, an electoral district of Malta * District 10, a police district of Malta * District 10 School, a historic school in ...

and District 9 respectively. * Wilmington Area School District in Lawrence and Mercer counties participates in District 10. *Since 2012, four high schools from

in Allegheny County, which makes up PIAA District 8, compete in the WPIAL for baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, golf, and cross country.

Sports

:''Note: While some sports are dominated by one sex, there is no rule that mandates

sex segregation Sex segregation, sex separation, gender segregation or gender separation is the physical, legal, or cultural separation of people according to their Sex, biological sex. Sex segregation can refer simply to the physical and spatial separation by s ...

in PIAA sports, even if a school has teams for each sex.'' Fall: Football, Golf, Tennis (girls), Cross Country, Volleyball (girls),

Field Hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

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

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, Basketball Spring:

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a 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 was extensiv ...

(girls), Tennis (boys),

Softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

, Baseball, Volleyball (boys),

Track & Field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

Football champions, 2016–present

*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): Washington **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): *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: Mt. Lebanon * 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): * 2021 Bishop Canevin * 2020 Vincentian Academy * 2019 Nazareth Prep * 2018: Vincentian Academy * 2017: Monessen * 2016:

North Catholic North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

* 2015: Monessen * 2014: Lincoln Park * 2013: Vincentian Academy * 2012: Lincoln Park * 2011: Vincentian Academy * 2010: Sewickley Academy * 2009: Sewickley Academy * 2008:

Serra Catholic Serra (Latin for " saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil * Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Amp ...

* 2007: Leechburg * 2006: Clairton * 2005: Duquesne * 2004: Sewickley Academy * 2003: Union Township * 2002: Monessen * 2001: Monessen * 2000: Cornell

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