# West Allegheny School District

The West Allegheny School District is a midsized, suburban public school district which is located in the western corner of Allegheny County, approximately 16 miles (26 km) from downtown Pittsburgh. The district comprises Findlay Township, North Fayette Township, and the Oakdale Borough. The district encompasses approximately 59 square miles (150 km$^2$) and is the largest in Allegheny County in terms of geographical area. The West Allegheny School District is home of the Pittsburgh International Airport terminal. West Allegheny was formed in 1949.

## Facilities

* West Allegheny Senior High School (Grades 9–12) – Located in North Fayette Township on Main Campus, 205 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA, 15126
* West Allegheny Middle School (Grades 6–8) – Located in North Fayette Township on Main Campus, 207 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA, 15126
* Donaldson Elementary School (Grades K-5) – Located in North Fayette Township, 600 Donaldson Road, Oakdale, PA 15071
* McKee Elementary School (Grades K-5) – Located in North Fayette Township, 1501 Oakdale Road, Oakdale, PA 15071
* Wilson Elementary School (Grades K-5) – Located in Findlay Township, 110 Bruno Lane, Imperial, PA 15126
* West Allegheny District Offices – Located in Findlay Township, 110 Bruno Lane, Imperial, PA 15126

## Football: team history

The high school's football team was founded along with the school district in 1949. The team has become a powerhouse program in both the WPIAL and the PIAA over the past 20 years under head coach Bob Palko. Under Palko's leadership, the Indians have won 8 WPIAL championships, the most recent of which coming in 2016, have appeared in 3 PIAA championship games, and won the 2001 AAA state title.
Throughout this time span, the team has sent several players on to play at NCAA Division I schools and the National Football League. In 2001, the Associated Press named Tyler Palko, son of former head coach Bob Palko, the 2001 Pennsylvania Big School Player of the Year. He was also a member of the USA Today All-America Team (Second-team) and three-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WPIAL Class AAA Player of the Year. Palko led his West Allegheny Indians to a PIAA state title in 2001 for AAA in Pennsylvania and has since played for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and numerous professional teams. Other notable football alums include Dorin Dickerson and C.J. Davis, who both went on to play for Pitt and in the NFL.
Through the 1960s and 1970s West Allegheny shared an intense rivalry with Fort Cherry School District, though this has faded due to an increase in enrollment at West Allegheny and a decrease in enrollment at Fort Cherry, which placed the two schools in different classifications based on school size. More recent and current rivals include Moon, Montour, South Fayette, and Chartiers Valley. Rivals in 5A are Woodland Hills, North Hills and McKeesport
Before the mid-1990s, the Indians competed in Class AA, the third-largest of the four classifications based on enrollment. As the school's enrollment increased, the team was then moved to the AAA level, where in remained through the 2015 season. When the WPIAL and PIAA switched to a six-classification system beginning with the 2016–17 academic year, the football team was placed in class 5A, the second-largest of the six new classifications.
History in the WPIAL and PIAA Playoffs since 1993
| Year | Classification | Farthest Round | Final Score |
| 1993 | AA | WPIAL Semi-finals | Washington 17, West Allegheny 14 (OT) |
| 1997 | AAA | PIAA Semi-finals | Perry 29, West Allegheny 17 |
| 1998 | AAA | WPIAL Quarterfinals | Highlands 21, West Allegheny 11 |
| 1999 | AAA | PIAA Championship | Strath Haven 21, West Allegheny 7 |
| 2000 | AAA | PIAA Championship | Strath Haven 31, West Allegheny 28 |
| 2001 | AAA | PIAA Championship | West Allegheny 28, Strath Haven 13 |
| 2002 | AAA | WPIAL Quarterfinals | Pine-Richland 28, West Allegheny 7 |
| 2003 | AAA | WPIAL First Round | Highlands 7, West Allegheny 6 |
| 2004 | AAA | WPIAL Semi-finals | West Mifflin 23, West Allegheny 22 |
| 2005 | AAA | WPIAL Semi-finals | Thomas Jefferson 35, West Allegheny 0 |
| 2006 | AAA | WPIAL First Round | Franklin Regional 30, West Allegheny 14 |
| 2007 | AAA | WPIAL Quarterfinals | Thomas Jefferson 49, West Allegheny 21 |
| 2009 | AAA | PIAA Semi-finals | Manheim Central 45, West Allegheny 27 |
| 2010 | AAA | WPIAL Quarterfinals | Mars 29, West Allegheny 3 |
| 2011 | AAA | WPIAL First Round | Knoch 28, West Allegheny 7 |
| 2012 | AAA | PIAA Quarterfinals | Erie Cathedral Prep 27, West Allegheny 13 |
| 2013 | AAA | PIAA Quarterfinals | Erie Cathedral Prep 28, West Allegheny 0 |
| 2014 | AAA | WPIAL Championship | Central Valley 35, West Allegheny 28 |
| 2015 | AAA | WPIAL Quarterfinals | Thomas Jefferson 14, West Allegheny 0 |
| 2016 | AAAAA | PIAA Semi-finals | Harrisburg 42, West Allegheny 10 |
| 2017 | AAAAA | WPIAL 1st Round | McKeesport 22, West Allegheny 21 |

## Notable alumni

* Tyler Palko – Former NFL quarterback
* Dorin Dickerson- Former NFL tight end
* Scott Patterson – Former MLB pitcher
* C. J. Davis – Former NFL center
* Nick Kolarac – Professional Soccer Player
* Austin Hendrick – baseball outfielder