North Allegheny saw its two-year reign as WPIAL Class 6A champion end with a loss to Central Catholic in last season’s championship game.
A year later, the Tigers hope to put that defeat behind them and once again climb to the WPIAL summit.
“We had a productive summer, and we’re excited about the season,” said coach Art Walker, who is in his 21st season at North Allegheny.
North Allegheny (10-2 last season) returns five starters on offense and three on defense, so there will be lots of holes to plug. The strength of this team might be the offensive line, which features senior guard Lincoln Hoke, senior tackle Ryan Logan and senior center Colin Sefick, all returning starters.
“Those three guys and their familiarity is going to be important,” Walker said.
While Hoke is an excellent guard on offense, it’s as a defensive tackle where he really excels. A Pitt recruit and all-conference honoree, Hoke (6 feet 2, 260 pounds) led the Tigers with 6½ sacks last season and is the top returning tackler after registering 66 a season ago.
“Speed, power, explosiveness, consistency,” Walker answered when asked what traits make Hoke so special. “Being a two-way starter in 6A for three years is a heck of an accomplishment. He’s a steady performer and has improved every year. He had a very good offseason.”
Junior quarterback Brady Brinkley and senior running back Luke Rohan also return. Brinkley passed for 1,210 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 496 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Rohan, also a starter at linebacker, led the Tigers in rushing with 707 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Brady Brinkley is the guy,” Walker said. “He’s accepted that leadership role in the offense. As Brady goes and our O-line goes, that’s how we’re going to roll.”
Senior cornerback Kory Pitts is another returning starter. Pitts tied for the team lead with three interceptions and notched 38 tackles.
Defending champion Central Catholic will be strong once again. The Vikings have reached the WPIAL title game six consecutive seasons, winning three titles in that time. They went 12-3 last season after losing to Philadelphia juggernaut St. Joseph’s Prep in the PIAA final.
The biggest strengths of this Central Catholic team likely lie on the offensive line and at linebacker, where a slew of talented players return. Junior linemen Jimmy Kalis, James Halter and Jon Sassic all own Power Four offers, while senior lineman Matt Bowers is a Princeton commit. Kalis, an all-conference pick last season, has more than 50 offers, among them Ohio State, Texas and Alabama.
Senior Colsen Gatten and junior Roman Thompson were both all-conference linebackers a season ago. The Duke-bound Gatten finished with 51 tackles and three interceptions, while Thompson had a team-leading 100 tackles. Seniors Ashton Blatt, Angelo Pugliano and Cole Bayer are standout defensive linemen. Blatt is a North Carolina recruit.
Sophomore Owen Herrick will start at quarterback with another sophomore, Chrys Black, expected to be the lead running back. Herrick already owns an offer from Syracuse, while Black’s offers include West Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky.
Mt. Lebanon has a group of star players who aren’t only talented on the field but also exceptional in the classroom. Senior quarterback-linebacker Patrick Smith (Penn), senior linebacker Grayson Beck (Princeton) and senior defensive end Joe Malone (Cornell) have all committed to Ivy League schools. Smith and Beck were first-team all-conference picks and Malone a second-team selection a year ago when the Blue Devils lost to North Allegheny in the WPIAL semifinals to finish 3-8 in coach Greg Perry’s first season.
Smith was recruited to play linebacker in college, but he was terrific at the quarterback position last season when he passed for 1,610 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 1,091 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished as the second-leading rusher and scorer in the classification.
Other top players include senior defensive end Jackson Kraemer and senior linebacker Kris Kambitsis. Kraemer is a Villanova recruit.
Class 6A welcomes two new coaches this season, including one who played five seasons in the NFL. Don Barclay takes over at Seneca Valley, the school he graduated from in 2007 before going on to play at West Virginia and later the NFL. An offensive lineman in his playing days, Barclay was an assistant at Pine-Richland a season ago.
Seneca Valley will look to improve on last season’s 3-7 finish when the Raiders lost to Central Catholic in the WPIAL semifinals. The Raiders feature an SEC recruit in Adam Gehm, a senior tight end and Vanderbilt pledge. Also returning are senior running back-linebacker Chase Mazanek, senior defensive lineman Cayden Parker and senior linebacker Jackson Matthews.
Brian DeLallo is the new head man at Canon-McMillan. DeLallo, who coached at Bethel Park for four years before resigning following the 2022 season, takes over for Mike Evans, who is taking a sabbatical leave as he fights cancer. DeLallo had been hired as offensive coordinator in January.
The Big Macs have a big talent in senior right end TJ Sabatucci, a Buffalo recruit who was named all-conference a season ago when the team went 3-7. Junior quarterback Ty Jansma returns after passing for 1,668 yards and six touchdowns. Also back is top receiver Ethan Campoli, a senior who finished with 42 catches for 536 yards and a touchdown. Junior linebacker Brayden Collins also returns. He led the Big Macs with 106 tackles and 3½ sacks.
After going 4-6 in 2024, Hempfield brings back its leading passer, rusher and receiver. The trio consists of senior quarterback Dom Detruf (1,696 yards passing, 14 touchdowns), senior running back Aidan Stinebiser (576 yards rushing) and senior wide receiver Jack Kopas (40 catches, 558 yards).
Defensively, the Spartans boast one of the top defensive linemen in Class 6A in senior Brock Heisler, a Harvard recruit who earned all-conference recognition last season. Senior linebacker Brayden Gerst led the team in tackles with 90 a season ago.
One of the most experienced quarterbacks in the WPIAL resides at Norwin, where senior Tristyn Tavares gears up for his fourth season as the starting quarterback. Tavares missed some time with a knee injury last season but was still named second-team all-conference after passing for 1,388 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for 308 yards and eight scores.
Norwin, which started 2-0 last season before losing its final eight games, also returns its leading rusher and top two receivers. Junior running back Giovanni Rothrauff rushed for 607 yards while senior Jake Knight finished with 30 catches and senior Zack Pawling 23 catches.
Players to watch
Colsen Gatten, Central Catholic, 6-1, 220, LB, Sr. — Gatten follows in the footsteps of 2025 graduate Bradley Gompers as Duke recruits to headline a talented Central Cathoic defense.
Adam Gehm, Seneca Valley, 6-6, 230, TE, Sr. — After battling injuries the past two seasons, this Vanderbilt recruit hopes for a healthy and productive senior season.
Brock Heisler, Hempfield, 6-3, 260, DT, Sr. — Harvard recruit racked up 39 tackles a season ago when he was the only Hempfield player named first-team all-conference.
Lincoln Hoke, North Allegheny, 6-2, 260, OT-DT, Sr. — The Pitt-bound Hoke led the Tigers in sacks (6½) last season and is the team’s top returning tackler after collecting 66 in 2024.
Patrick Smith, Mt. Lebanon, 6-2, 220, QB-LB, Sr. — Smith will play on the defensive side of the ball in college at Penn, but is also one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the WPIAL.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.