The West Hills high school football landscape will have a different look – in some cases, drastically different – when it comes time to kick off the 2026 season.
The WPIAL released its new conference lineups last week based on the PIAA’s biennial realignment classifications and two of the seven local teams – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Bishop Canevin – are moving up one class while Sto-Rox is dropping one level.
In addition, Moon Area, while remaining in Class 5A, will be surrounded by an entirely new group of section opponents.
The same applies to Cornell, which stays at the Class 1A level but will compete in a different section.
OLSH coach Donnie Militizer said the Chargers’ move up from Class 2A to Class 3A “is not ideal for us, but that’s what the numbers dictated.”
Those numbers are boosted by OLSH’s cooperative agreements with Eden Christian Academy and Propel Montour that allow students who attend those schools to play football for the Chargers.
Still, Militzer said there are some positive aspects to the move.
“The kids and staff are excited for the challenge,” he said. “We are super pleased with the travel aspect. We’ll be in a much better situation than we were in the previous cycle where our away games were mostly all over an hour away.”
OLSH will play in a section that also features former Class 4A power Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver Area, Ellwood City and Hopewell.
Aliquippa won the WPIAL Class 4A title last year and won three straight from 2021 to 2023.
One aspect of the new alignment, which will be in effect for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, is that the schedule makers gave OLSH a bye in Week 3.
“I’m a little confused by that,” Militzer said. “It’s not ideal and it’s one less Friday night opportunity for my kids. We are trying to find a game, but with the schedules being released so late, it’s a challenge.”
Bishop Canevin is moving up from Class 1A to Class 2A and will be in the same section with West Hills neighbor Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Quaker Valley and Seton LaSalle.
Carlynton remained at the Class 2A level but Chartiers-Houston, McGuffey and Quaker Valley will be new section rivals. The Cougars say goodbye to Charleroi, Sto-Rox, Washington and Waynesburg Central, although they are scheduled to play Charleroi in a nonconference game.
Nate Milsom, Carlynton’s athletic director, said he thinks the realignment “will be good for our kids.”
Sto-Rox has come upon hard times in recent years, compiling an combined overall record of 3-25-1 over the past three seasons. The Vikings were 41-8 the previous four seasons.
Sto-Rox’ new home conference will include Bentworth, Brentwood, perennial power Fort Cherry, Monessen and previous conference mate Washington, which also dropped from Class 2A to Class 1A.
Moon’s classification does not change from the previous two-year cycle, but the Tigers will see a whole new slate of conference opponents in Armstrong, North Hills, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland and Plum. For the past two years, Moon played in a conference with Baldwin, Bethel Park, Peters Township, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair.
Alan Alcalde, Moon’s athletic director, said the new alignment will expose the Tigers to some new opponents “and will continue to be competitive for us.”
“There is no such thing as an easy game in 5A WPIAL football,” Alcalde added, “and this schedule will certainly challenge us.”
Montour’s Class 4A scene also will see changes, as its section will drop from six teams to five. Aliquippa, as previously noted, is dropping down to Class 3A along with Ambridge. West Allegheny, meanwhile, is moving up to Class 5A. Central Valley, which played at Class 3A the past two years, is now Class 4A and moves into Montour’s section. Mars, which played in a different Class 4A section the last two years, also joins Montour in 2026.
Montour’s nonconference schedule features three Class 5A teams in South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson and West Allegheny as well as Class 4A McKeesport, which features Kemon Spell, one of he nation’s top high school running backs.
While some of the names and faces on the Spartans schedule will be different, Montour coach Lou Cerro said “it will be competitive as usual.”
“We have to survive nonconference and stay healthy to be ready for conference play,” he said. “We are excited for the challenge.”
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