Listed by conference

North Allegheny -- The Tigers lost some key players from their WPIAL and PIAA championship team last season, but they are still a top five team in Class AAAA. The strength of this team is on the lines, especially on offense. Junior Pat Kugler (6-4, 265) has Division I scholarship offers from Pitt, Florida State and others. Center Pete Thistle (first-team all-conference last year) and Zach Harvey are two other returning starters on the line. North Allegheny also has capable running backs and a new quarterback in Mack Leftwich, a transfer from Oklahoma whose father, Spencer, is Pitt's offensive line coach.

Shaler -- After finishing 5-4 and missing the playoffs last year, things are looking up for the Titans as eight starters return on offense and seven on defense. Senior tight end/linebacker J.P. Holtz (6-4, 240) is a Penn State recruit. Senior Ryan Mincher (6-2, 170) is one of the best quarterbacks in Class AAAA, throwing for 1,150 yards last season. Senior receiver Sean Gavin (6-2, 175) caught 31 passes last year and senior Jerrad Cook (6-1, 255) is one of the conference's best linemen.

Erie McDowell -- The Trojans feature one of the best running backs in the state in Greg Garmon (6-2, 195), who rushed for 1,225 yards and averaged 8.7 per carry last season. Garmon has Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia and North Carolina on his final list. Tight end Luke DeHart was first-team all-conference last season.

North Hills -- Either North Hills or North Allegheny has won the conference title the past five seasons. North Hills always finds a way to be competitive, but the Indians will be challenged this year, with only three starters returning on offense and two on defense. Senior Andy Carfagna (6-4, 240) is one of the conference's best linemen.

Seneca Valley -- With nine starters returning on offense and seven on defense, there is reason for optimism. Junior quarterback Jordan Brown (6-2, 175), brother of University of Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown, showed promise last year as a sophomore, completing 93 of 156 for 1,253 yards. Running back Forrest Barnes (6-0, 180), receiver Olivier Philogene (6-0, 170) and lineman David Miller (6-5, 305) are among the other returnees.

Pine-Richland -- The Rams hope to finish better than .500 for the first time since moving up to Class AAAA in the 2008 season. Defensive lineman Ben Balish was a second-team all-conference selection a year ago.

Butler -- Clyde Conti is the fourth new coach at Butler in the past six seasons, and he takes over a program that has not made the playoffs since 1998. Zach Rader returns at quarterback.

Gateway -- The Gators are not a prohibitive favorite, but certainly look good enough to win a fourth conference title in the past five years. They had to deal with the offseason shooting death of starting inside linebacker Darrell Turner. Quarterback Thomas Woodson also was injured in the North Carolina shooting, but is healthy and playing. Woodson threw for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore. Darrin Franklin returns at running back, and the Gators have some talented linemen. Coach Terry Smith is counting on a talented junior class to produce.

McKeesport -- The Tigers won the conference title last year and feature senior T.J. Neal, who has many Division I college offers. Coach Jim Ward plans to rely more on the passing game this season and believes he has a potential star in 6-4, 205-pound quarterback Ed Stockett. Christian Wilson is a 6-6, 320-pound lineman with a few scholarship offers from Mid-American Conference schools.

Penn-Trafford -- Some coaches in Class AAAA say the Warriors are good enough to win the conference title. Big things are expected of senior workhorse Manny Simpson (5-10, 205), who ran for 1,235 yards last season. Quarterback Zach Emerick (6-3, 200) threw for 1,112 yards while Zack Crossey (5-11, 255), Bob Mandish (6-4, 280) and Justin Williams (6-2, 245) were all first-team all-conference linemen a year ago.

Latrobe -- The Wildcats have a number of returning starters from a 5-4 team that missed the playoffs last year by one game. Scott Mohring led the team in rushing and linebacker Dan Ferguson led in tackles.

Norwin -- The Knights lack experience as the only returning starters are Tommy Quealy (5-9, 165), who moves from receiver to quarterback, lineman Kenny Berryman (6-0, 240) and defensive back Erik Rayman (5-7, 148).

Hempfield -- The Spartans are young and inexperienced. Quarterback Dante Nania (1,512 yards passing) graduated, but the Spartans return leading rusher Travis Day (873 yards).

Connellsville -- David McDonald is the new coach, taking over a once-proud program that has won three games in the past five seasons. Quarterback Jade Maher is only a sophomore, but saw extensive playing time last season.

Central Catholic -- The Vikings seem to be just about everyone's choice as the No. 1 team in all of Class AAAA -- and for good reason. They are loaded with talent and experience. Receiver-defensive back Anthony Nixon (6-1, 196) and quarterback Perry Hills (6-3, 205) have both made verbal commitments to the University of Maryland. Lineman Logan Dietz (6-6, 275), running back Damion Jones-Moore (5-7, 180) and defensive back Juwan Haynes (6-1, 175) also have Division I offers.

Woodland Hills -- The Wolverines were hit hard by graduation, but still figure to be a cinch for a playoff spot. Jamire Dutrieuille is a running back to watch and 6-4 receiver Shakim Alonzo has scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others. Senior Sam Scifo is one of the WPIAL's best kickers.

Penn Hills -- Receiver Corey Jones is considered one of the best in Western Pennsylvania and has scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia and other Division I schools. Receiver Chaz Whittaker and lineman Treyvon Hester also have Division I offers. The Indians aren't on Central Catholic's level, but are a likely playoff team.

Plum -- The Mustangs feature one of the best passing attacks in Class AAAA with senior quarterback Chris Zdinak (1,350 yards passing last year) and receiver C.J. Lutz (45 catches for 697 yards). Tarique Ellis returns at running back for a team that finished 6-4 and made the playoffs.

Kiski Area -- Six returning starters on both offense and defense give the Cavaliers hope of grabbing a playoff spot, although quarterback Tim Johnson transferred to Greensburg Central Catholic. Senior Cory Allen (6-2, 250) is one of the better linemen in the conference.

Fox Chapel -- Eric Ravotti, who played at Penn State and with the Steelers, is in his first season as coach. The Foxes feature 6-6, 275-pound senior Adam Bisnowaty, one of the most heavily recruited offensive linemen in Western Pennsylvania. Pitt and Florida are two of his top choices.

Altoona -- The Lions, in their second WPIAL season since moving from District 6, have plenty of room for improvement after going 0-9 and giving up 354 points last season.

Upper St. Clair -- With three Division I college recruits, the Panthers start the season ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA of the WPIAL. and they feature one of the WPIAL's best all-around players in senior Dakota Conwell. He has accepted a scholarship to Pitt to play linebacker, but he is a talented quarterback on the high school level, accumulating a little more than 2,000 yards total offense last year. Ian Park is a force on the lines and Jack Schwaba a strong tight end/defensive end. Both Park and Schwaba have committed to Northwestern. Receiver Mike Wilcox and offensive lineman Jake Radziukinas are two all-conference players.

Mt. Lebanon -- The Blue Devils were undefeated in the 2010 regular season and figure to challenge for the conference crown again. Senior running back Luke Hagy ran for 1,981 yards last season and was a Fabulous 22 selection. He also is a talented defensive back. Although some top linemen graduated, Arthur Goldberg (6-4, 270), a Wisconsin recruit, returns.

Bethel Park -- The Black Hawks finished 2-3 in the conference last year, and it looks like they will be battling for the third- or fourth-place spots again this season. Anthony Cinello's return at quarterback is reason for optimism, but establishing a running game will be the big key to success.

Baldwin -- The Highlanders missed the playoffs last year, despite tying for third place with Peters Township and Bethel Park. The return of junior running back Dorian Brown is one of the reasons Baldwin is thinking playoffs this season. Brown scored 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. Jeremy Joyce was a first-team all-conference defensive back.

Peters Township -- The Indians were 5-5 last season and made the playoffs, but were hit hard by graduation. First-year coach Rich Piccinini has only two returning starters. One of them is senior running back Andrew Erenberg, who had more than 1,000 yards rushing last season. Senior lineman Clayton Evans (6-1, 250) is the other returning starter.

Canon-McMillan -- Will things get any better for coach Tim Sohyda in his second season? The Big Macs finished 1-8 last year and scored only 11 points a game.

First Published: August 26, 2011, 8:00 a.m.