With high school football season in Pennsylvania getting underway this Friday, local coaches have weighed in with preseason picks to win their conferences.

The 6 Sports department reached out to coaches from the Heritage Conference, Inter-County Conference, Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, Mountain League, and WestPAC to name their top 3 teams from their leagues going into the 2012 season. Teams from the Allegheny Mountain League, Keystone Shortway Conference, Mid-Penn Conference, and WPIAL were not included due to a low number of coaches returning their polls, or the amount of schools based outside the WJAC-TV coverage area.

Points were awarded based on where each team was picked to finish: First-place votes earned 3 points, second-place votes earned 2 points, and a third-place vote earned 1 point.

Last season's state semifinalist Penns Manor was selected by Heritage Conference coaches to win the league, earning 22 points and 6 first-place votes; Bellwood-Antis is the favorite in the newly-realigned ICC Gold division, earning 5 first-place votes, while Juniata Valley was picked to win the ICC-Silver divison. Penn Cambria is the preseason favorite in the Laurel Highlands, receiving 8 of 12 first-place votes and 29 points. Defending Disgtricf 6/9-AAA champion Clearfield was picked to win the Mountain League, showing up on every coaches ballot in the conference. Lasty, North Star was an overwhelming selection to win the WestPAC; the Cougars receivied 8 of 11 first-place votes and 30 points.

Points are listed only for top 3 teams. All first-place votes are listed in parentheses.

Heritage

1. Penns Manor (6) - 22 points
2. Northern Cambria (2) - 14 points
3. Ligonier Valley (1) - 14 points
4. Purchase Line
5. Blairsville, Homer-Center, Marion Center, Saltsburg, United

ICC Gold

1. Bellwood-Antis (5) - 16 points
2. Northern Bedford (1) - 7 points
3. Everett - 5 points
4. Mount Union
5. West Branch
6. Southern Huntingdon

ICC Silver

1. Juniata Valley (3) - 14 points
2. Glendale - 10 points
3. Moshannon Valley (1) - 7 points
4. Tussey Mountain (1)
5. Williamsburg
6. Claysburg-Kimmel

Laurel Highlands

1. Penn Cambria (8) - 29 points
2. Richland (3) - 18 points
3. Forest Hills - 8 points
4. Cambria Heights
5. Bishop McCort
6. Greater Johnstown (1)
7. Central Cambria
8. Bedford, Bishop Guifoyle, Somerset, Westmont

Mountain League

1. Clearfield (5) - 20 points
2. Tyrone (2) - 13 points
3. Bald Eagle (1) - 4 points
4. Central
5. Philipsburg-Osceola
6. Bellefonte
7. Huntingdon
8. Penns Valley

WestPAC

1. North Star (8) - 30 points
2. Berlin-Brothersvalley (2) - 18 points
3. Windber (1) - 10 points
4. Conemaugh Township
5. Blacklick Valley
6. Portage
7. Shade
8. Conemaugh Valley, Ferndale, Meyersdale, Rockwood