Steel City Blitz
The 2025 WPIAL football season is nearly upon us! Over the next few weeks we will be previewing all 17 conferences in preparation for kickoff on August 22. We are also thrilled to announce that the WPIAL Blitz Show will be back on the YouTube airwaves this season. Subscribe to the Sports Stream Premium channel and watch our live broadcasts on Monday nights or on replay any time.
Twelve teams qualify for the 5A playoffs. The top three teams from each of the three conferences are guaranteed playoff spots. The final three wild card spots are decided by the WPIAL selection committee, rather than by a formula as was the case in prior cycles. This proved to the benefit of the Allegheny Six Conference last season when five teams got in with Moon and South Fayette both earning Wild Cards. The Allegheny Six Conference has put a team in the WPIAL finals in seven straight seasons. Upper St Clair won the regular season title last year but was bested by Peters Twp in the playoffs en route to a Championship rematch with Pine-Richland. Be sure to keep tabs on our WPIAL Standings Page throughout the season and follow our WPIAL Twitter account @WPIAL_Blitz. Teams are listed in their predicted order of finish.
2024 Result: 9-1, Lost to Pine-Richland in WPIAL Championship Game
All-Time: 295-338-16 (94th in wins, 77th in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 2023 WPIAL Champions
The Indians captured their first WPIAL Championship in school history in 2023 and followed it up with another run to the WPIAL finals where they lost to Pine-Richland. Peters had one of the stingiest defenses in 5A, allowing just 10 points per game. This year’s unit will be led by the best pass rushing tandem in the WPIAL in Pitt-commit Reston Lehman and Stanford-commit Lucas Shanafelt. Offensively, Peters boasts an explosive passing attack on the back of senior QB Nolan DiLucia (a Villanova-commit). DiLucia threw for 1903 yards and 18 TDs last season, adding 475 yards and 3 scores on the ground. DiLucia will spread the ball around and had 6 receivers last year with over 100 yards. While the top two graduated, Lucas Rost (195 yards, 2 TDs) and Jeremy Poletti (188 yards, 1 TD) both return. The aforementioned Lehman (146 yards, 3 TDs) and Shanafelt (108 yards, 1 TD) will also play some tight end. Rising senior Cole Neupaver (257 yards, 2 TDs) is the top returning rusher and figures to step in to the lead back role.
2024 Result: 10-0, Allegheny Six Conference Champions, lost in semifinals to Peters Twp
All-Time: 505-200-8 (24th in wins, 2nd in win%)
Championship Pedigree: 7 WPIAL Championships (1974, 1975, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006), 2 State Championships (1989, 2006)
The 2024 season was a revenge tour for Upper St Clair. A year after going 8-2 but missing the playoffs on a 3-way tiebreaker, USC dominated their opponents en route to an undefeated regular season. The Panthers offense, which averaged...
