The WPIAL Basebal Realignments for the 2011 and 2012 seasons have been announced. I'll take a crack at summarizing the changes.
Class AAAA is going from 27 teams to 28 with Laurel Highlands moving up from Class AAA. Laurel Highlands will move into Section 2 and will replace Kiski in that section. Kiski moves to Section 4 replacing McKeesport who will move to Section 3. Section 1 is unchanged. This leaves each of the 4 sections with 7 teams.
Class AAA is going from 30 teams to 32 teams. Central Valley (jointure of Monaca and Center), Beaver, East Allegheny and Valley move into Class AAA while Laurel Highlands leaves AAA (to join AAAA) and Southmoreland moves down to AA. There will be significant movement among the 4 sections. In Section 1, only Ambridge, Blackhawk and New Castle remain. Beaver, Central Valley, Hopewell, Moon and West Allegheny all join Section 1 while Hampton, Highlands, Knoch and Mars move to what is an entirely reconstructed Section 4. Derry, Greensburg-Salem, Mt Pleasant and Uniontown remain in Section 2. Joining them will be Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Ringgold and Yough (all formerly in Section 4). Chartiers Valley, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey and Montour remain in Section 3. They are joined by South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity and West Mifflin (all formerly in Section 4). The reconstitued Section 4 includes East Allegheny, Hampton, Highlands, Indiana, Kittanning, Knoch, Mars and Valley.
Class AA goes from 42 teams to 39 teams and also reduces the number of sections from six to five. Southmoreland and Jeannette move into AA. Center, Beaver, East Allegheny, Valley and North Catholic all leave AA. Again, there are lots of changes in the sections. Freedom, Quaker Valley and Sto-Rox stay in Section 1 and are joined by Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Northgate, Seton LaSalle and South Fayette (all from from the disbanded Section 6). Section 2 remains intact, but adds Southmoreland. Section 3 remains intact but adds Summit Academy from Section 5. Section 4 loses East Allegheny and adds Brentwood and Jeannette. Section 5 loses Summit Academy and adds New Brighton and South Side Beaver.
Class A stays at 29 teams but adds North Catholic (from AA) and Elderton (no team last year) and loses Jeannette and Monaca (now part of Central Valley). The number of sections is reduced from five to four. Section 1 adds California (from Section 2) but otherwise stays intact. Section 2 loses California but adds Our Lady of Sacred Heart and Serra Catholic. Section 3 loses Monaca and adds Cornell and Quigley Catholic. Section 4 adds Elderton, Leechburg, North Catholic. St Joseph and Springdale while losing OLSH and Quigley.
Complete section listings are attached.
WPIALrealign.pdf (19.56 kb)