Belle Vernon knew nothing but winning the past two seasons as it captured back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles.
The Leopards will now take those winning ways to Class 4A.
Belle Vernon returns to Class 4A, where it finds itself reunited with rival Thomas Jefferson in the Big Six Conference. The Jaguars handed the Leopards their only loss last season, a non-conference defeat in September.
A big challenge for coach Matt Humbert will be replacing a group of eight all-conference players that graduated, a collection of talent that included five-star recruit Quinton Martin, who is now at Penn State.
The top returnees include senior running back-linebacker Kole Doppelheuer and senior wide receiver-defensive back Anthony Crews.
Senior lineman and Pitt recruit Shep Turk and senior quarterback Luke Kosko return for Thomas Jefferson, which reached the WPIAL quarterfinals last season. Kane Eggerton is a talented sophomore tight end-defensive end who started as a freshman.
Three all-conference players return for Trinity, which also advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals a season ago. Junior quarterback Jonah Willamson passed for 1,860 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Laurel Highlands features senior wide receiver-defensive back Antwan Black, whose scholarship offers include Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia. As a junior, Black had a team-best 27 catches for 319 yards and also rushed for 240 yards.
Chartiers Valley comes over from the Parkway Conference, where it went 3-8 last season. Junior running back-defensive back Tayshaun Lewis was second on the team in rushing.
Robert Heller is the new coach at Ringgold, which is coming off consecutive 0-10 seasons and has lost 25 in a row overall. Heller is a former star player for Ringgold who once served as an assistant with the Rams.
Parkway Conference
Aliquippa is thinking four-peat this fall. The three-time defending WPIAL champs (and reigning PIAA champions), who have reached the final a staggering 16 consecutive seasons, have a new coach in Vashawn Patrick and a collection of talent that includes senior running back and Penn State recruit Tikey Hayes and senior wide receiver-defensive back Arison Walker, both of whom were all-state picks.
Senior wide receiver-defensive back Daniel Batch and senior linemen Mark Dobrowsky and Dante Baron are returning all-conference picks for Montour, which went 10-2 and reached the WPIAL semifinals a season ago.
Senior running back-defensive back Brock Cornell and senior running back-defensive back Roman Police hope to lead West Allegheny to a big season. Cornell is a Bucknell recruit.
Senior wide receiver-defensive back Adam Fernandez returns for Ambridge, which looks to take a step forward after finishing 2-8 the past two seasons.
Jake Wickline is the new coach at Blackhawk, which hopes to improve on last year’s 1-9 finish. Senior wide receiver-defensive end Tyler Heckathorn is one of the top players.
New Castle also has a new coach. That would be Fred Mozzocio, a 1985 graduate of the school. Senior running back-defensive back Kaevon “Zoom” Gardner, a former WPIAL 100-meter champion, is one of the area’s fastest players.
Greater Allegheny Conference
McKeesport should again be very good after winning the Big Seven Conference title and reaching the WPIAL final last season. Senior running back-defensive back Anthony Boyd was an all-conference pick and sophomore running back-defensive back Kemon Spell is a Penn State commit.
Like McKeesport, Mars won a conference title last season before losing to Aliquippa in the WPIAL playoffs (semifinals). Several standout skill players return, among them senior quarterback Luke Goodworth and junior wide receiver Gabe Hein, both all-conference picks.
West Mifflin moves up from Class 3A, where it reached the WPIAL quarterfinals a season ago. A strong rushing attack is headed by senior lineman and Akron recruit Jaiden Brown-Demery and sophomore running back Armand Hill, whose offers include Pitt, Penn State and Michigan.
Knoch also comes up from Class 3A following last year’s 8-3 finish. Senior quarterback Codi Mullen and senior all-conference linebacker Dylan Pinkerton return.
Hampton looks to improve on last year’s 3-7 finish. Junior wide receiver-defensive back Willy Haselrig returns after collecting a team-high 27 catches for 417 yards a season ago.
Indiana, which last season went 2-8, last finished with a winning record in 2014. Senior Quinn Lipniskis is the projected starter at quarterback.
Players to watch
Tikey Hayes, Aliquippa, 6-1, 200, RB, Sr. — Penn State recruit ran for 2,129 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
Armand Hill, West Mifflin, 5-10, 175, RB-DB, Soph. — Ran for 495 yards in a game last season when he finished with 1,526 yards and 20 touchdowns overall.
Kemon Spell, McKeesport, 5-10, 195, RB-DB, Soph. — Penn State recruit is a playmaker on both sides of the ball.
Shep Turk, Thomas Jefferson, 6-5, 280, OL-DL, Sr. — Outstanding lineman is a Pitt recruit.
Jonah Williamson, Trinity, 6-2, 200, QB, Jr. — Threw for 1,860 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.