Jun 19, 2024 3 min read

The release of the basketball sectional alignments by the WPIAL has created changes for local teams, which some are happy with and others are not.

On the boys side in Class 6A, Canon-McMillan will play Central Catholic, Connellsville, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin and Upper St. Clair.

Imani Christian and Upper St. Clair are voluntarily playing up.

Peters Township, Ringgold and Trinity remain in Class 5A, and will be joined in Section 3 with South Fayette, Baldwin, Bethel Park and Thomas Jefferson.

Belle Vernon remains in Class 4A with Elizabeth Forward, as Uniontown, Laurel Highlands and Albert Gallatin have moved to 5A. Lincoln Park has also moved to 5A, which is good news for Belle Vernon.

Charleroi and Waynesburg remain in Class 3A, but have moved to a different section from McGuffey and Washington, who are in their own section with Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks and Sto-Rox. The Cougars and Raiders are in a section with Brownsville, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland.

Fort Cherry will stay in Class 2A and battle familiar foes in Beth-Center, Burgettstown, Carmichaels and Chartiers-Houston. Mapletown has voluntarily moved up, while Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene have moved up a classification. Bentworth has moved to a different section but remains in Class 2A while California is up from Class A.

Avella and Monessen will stay in Class A, but are in different sections.

Canon-McMillan girls remain in Class 6A, and will play the likes of Connellsville, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon and defending WPIAL champion Norwin in Section 2. Upper St. Clair has voluntarily moved up to the highest classification.

Peters Township moves down to Class 5A. The Indians will be placed in Section 4 with Albert Gallatin, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity and Uniontown.

South Fayette is the returning WPIAL champion in Class 5A, and the Lions will remain in the same classification but will see some new faces in Section 3.

South Fayette will play new teams in Chartiers Valley, Mars and New Castle, while Montour, Moon and West Allegheny remain.

Belle Vernon and Ringgold will stay in Class 4A and play relatively the same section opponents with South Park and Yough moving up from Class 3A.

Charleroi, McGuffey and Waynesburg will stay in Class 3A, but Washington has moved up from 2A and will be in Section 3.

Chartiers-Houston tied with Washington for the section championship last year, but with the Prexies moving up, the Bucs could be the favorite to win Section 3 in Class 2A.

Chartiers-Houston will play Bentworth, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Frazier and Jefferson-Morgan.

The Rockets were in Class A the last cycle.

Fort Cherry and Burgettstown tied for the section title last year and the two are in Section 2 in Class 2A with Brentwood, Carlynton, Northgate and South Side.

Avella, Mapletown, Monessen and West Greene will stay put in Class A, Section 2.