Mars football coach and athletic director Scott Heinauer wasn’t overly concerned when he saw perennial quad-A football power Gateway would be sliding into the Planets’ conference as the Gators transitioned to Class AAA for the 2014 season.

To him, it was a perfect fit.

“It was a no-brainer by the football committee to put them in our conference,” Heinauer said. “They are right next to Franklin Regional. It’s a new rivalry that no one in the conference has seen play and it’s a good thing.”

Yough, which made the playoffs in AA last year, also made the move into Section 3-AAA with Mars, Franklin Regional, Knoch, Hampton, Holidaysburg, Greensburg Salem and Indiana.

Knoch coach and athletic director Mike King said the WPIAL did a good job balancing the sections in Class AAA.

“I look across those triple-A sections, and it’s just good, solid football,” King said. “A lot of people say, ‘Wow, Gateway.’ I look at it a little differently. They have to come into our section which has very good football and very good coaching.”

Butler and Seneca Valley will be joined by Pittsburgh Central Catholic, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland and Shaler in Section 1-AAAA.

Freeport will be in Section 2-AA with Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Ford City, Highlands, Kittanning, Shady Side, Valley and West Shamokin.

Summit Academy was shifted from Section 2-AA to 3-AA. The Knights will now be in with Aliquippa, Beaver Area, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk and New Brighton.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, which moves into Butler County next school year, is in Section 3-A along with Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Northgate and OLSH.

North Catholic is the defending PIAA Class A champion.

Following is the WPIAL football section realignment:

Class AAAA

Section 1:Butler, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler

Section 2: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills

Section 3: Altoona (associate member), Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Latrobe, McKeesport, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Plum

Class AAA

Section 1: Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown, West Mifflin

Section 2: Ambridge, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, Montour, Moon, New Castle, West Allegheny

Section 3: Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Holidaysburg, Indiana, Knoch, Mars, Yough

Class AA

Section 1: Carlynton, East Allegheny, Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley, Seton La Salle, South Allegheny, South Fayette, South Park, Sto Rox, Steel Valley

Section 2: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Ford City, Freeport, Highlands, Kittanning, Shady Side Academy, Valley, West Shamokin

Section 3: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, New Brighton, Summit Academy

Section 4: Brownsville, Burgettstown, Charleroi, Derry, McGuffey, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Washington, Waynesburg

Class A

Section 1: Avella, Bentworth, Beth Center, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Green

Section 2: Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Leechburg, Monessen, Riverview, Serra, Springdale, Wilkinsburg

Section 3: Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Northgate, OLSH

Section 4: Neshannock, Riverside, Rochester, Shenango, South Side Beaver, Union-New Castle, Vincentian, Western Beaver