Chris Harlan stories, Page 105
Central Catholic keeps focus on State College with possible St. Joseph’s matchup looming
Central Catholic could have a showdown with defending state champion St. Joseph’s Prep on the horizon, an East vs. West clash with the nationally ranked Philadelphia power. But if so, that’s still two weeks away. Nobody in Central Catholic’s locker room should be thinking that far ahead, coach Terry Totten...
Ineligible Avonworth football player drops lawsuit against WPIAL, PIAA
Attorneys for ineligible Avonworth football player Kyros Thorpe withdrew his lawsuit against the WPIAL and PIAA on Thursday, ending his legal battle to play in the WPIAL football championship. Thorpe and his mother Anna Hollis had asked the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to issue a preliminary injunction that would’ve...
Wyatt Henson returns to Waynesburg after winning Missouri state wrestling title
Missouri state wrestling champion Wyatt Henson has transferred back to Waynesburg, but the junior isn’t eligible for the WPIAL or PIAA postseason tournaments this winter. Henson was among nearly two dozen transfers that the WPIAL reviewed Monday. The WPIAL board ruled Henson eligible for the regular season but ineligible for...
Avonworth’s Kyros Thorpe seeks court injunction to play in WPIAL Class 2A football final
Turned away by both the WPIAL and PIAA, Avonworth senior Kyros Thorpe is taking his eligibility battle to court. Thorpe and his mother Anna Hollis filed a lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court seeking an injunction that would let Thorpe play Saturday in the WPIAL Class 2A football championship....
Basketball star Isiah Warfield remains ineligible for postseason after WPIAL denies waiver
WPIAL basketball star Isiah Warfield remains ineligible to play in the playoffs this winter. The senior who transferred from Sewickley Academy to Central Valley can participate in the regular season but won’t be able to play in the postseason under a PIAA rule that targets all transfers after the start...
West Mifflin possibly used ineligible football player all season, WPIAL says
The WPIAL wants to hear from West Mifflin’s football coach and school administrators to determine whether the Titans used an ineligible football player all season. If so, the team would be forced to forfeit wins. The WPIAL board voted Monday to call West Mifflin in for a hearing. The question...
WPIAL board unanimously approves Ligonier Valley request to join District 7
The WPIAL board voted unanimously Monday to accept Ligonier Valley as a member. The District 6 school has asked to leave its PIAA district and join the WPIAL (District 7) for all sports starting in the 2020-21 school year. The WPIAL vote leaves one final administrative hurdle before that can...
Opalko’s late field goal lifts Central Catholic past Pine-Richland in WPIAL Class 6A finalVideo
This was a kick that might make NFL kickers nervous. A 40-yarder on the notorious Heinz Field grass, yet Central Catholic’s Johnathan Opalko tucked the ball inside the left upright Saturday night to defeat Pine-Richland, 10-7, in a slow-moving WPIAL Class 6A championship that turned into a defensive grind. Opalko...
Aliquippa quarterback plays in WPIAL championship hours after mother’s deathVideo
On the eve of the WPIAL championships, Aliquippa football coach Mike Warfield received a desperate text message from his quarterback. Coach Mike. Please call. It’s an emergency. “I called him and he told me he thought his mom had passed,” Warfield said Saturday, speaking quietly as he fought back tears...
WPIAL Class 6A football finals primer: Central Catholic vs. Pine-Richland
WPIAL Class 6A championship No. 1 Central Catholic (10-1) vs. No. 2 Pine-Richland (10-1) 8 p.m. Saturday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com; 1020 AM, 107.1 FM Coaches: Terry Totten, Central Catholic; Eric Kasperowicz, Pine-Richland Winner plays: District 6 champion State College (11-1) in PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 22-23 WPIAL titles:...
Gateway’s defense uses 4th-down stands to edge McKeesport in WPIAL semifinalsVideo
McKeesport’s Devari Robinson sprinted forward on fourth-and-4, colliding with Gateway linebacker Jay Johnson, who dragged him to the Offutt Field turf. First down? Over on downs? “I was unsure,” Johnson said, “but I knew I had him when I looked to the left and he was short of the sticks.”...
5 things to watch in Week 12 of high school football: TJ’s Cherpak draws Belichick comparisons
Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak chuckles at the comparison, but maybe it’s too not farfetched? Could Cherpak be the Bill Belichick of the WPIAL? While visiting home last weekend, New England Patriots rookie Chase Winovich made that comparison, likening his high school coach with his current NFL coach. “He said...
WPIAL Class 4A football finals primer: Thomas Jefferson vs. Belle Vernon
WPIAL Class 4A championship No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (12-0) vs. No. 3 Belle Vernon (10-1) 5 p.m. Saturday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com; 1020 AM, 107.1 FM, 95.3 FM Coaches: Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson; Matt Humbert, Belle Vernon Winner plays: Winner of Cathedral Prep (10-2) and Bellefonte (9-2) in...
WPIAL championship rematch with fearsome Central Catholic line awaits Pine-Richland
One lineman is the talented nephew of an NFL superstar. One is 6-foot-5 and committed to North Carolina. The two others are gigantic twin brothers with more than 20 scholarship offers. Combined, the Central Catholic defensive linemen have formed a fearsome front four. “This group is special because of their...
Familiar foes Belle Vernon, Thomas Jefferson to meet for WPIAL Class 4A title
Belle Vernon knocked loudly on the WPIAL championship door two years in a row without an answer, each time losing in the semifinals. This year, for the first time in team history, the Leopards are headed to Heinz Field. “We were finally able to kick in that door and get...
PIAA postpones Tuesday’s state soccer semifinals at Hampton, Slippery Rock
Snow-covered fields forced the PIAA to postpone Tuesday’s soccer semifinals at Hampton and Slippery Rock. The two doubleheaders were rescheduled for Wednesday at the same sites. In Class A, the Shady Side Academy girls play Greensburg Central Catholic at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hampton. The Greensburg Central Catholic boys follow...
Midwestern: New Brighton’s Francona, Western Beaver’s Altenbaugh lead all-conference team
New Brighton receiver Jake Francona and Western Beaver linebacker Zach Altenbaugh earned MVP honors this season in the Midwestern Athletic Conference. The two seniors lead a coaches’ all-conference team announced Monday. Riverside senior Nate Sciarro appeared four times, earning all-conference honors as a wide receiver, defensive back, kicker and punter....
Northern: Penn Hills lands 9 players, coach on 1st-team, all-conference list
Penn Hills had nine players voted first-team all-conference by coaches including eight on the defensive side of the football. The Indians swept the defensive back spots with Dylan Bennett, Dontae Pollard, Aakeem Snell, Noel Roach and Anthony Grimes all making the list. Penn Hills’ Jon LeDonne repeated as conference coach...
Big East: 9 from Penn-Trafford voted 1st-team all-conference, Ruane top coach
bPenn-Trafford went undefeated in the regular season and dominated the Big East once again Monday in the all-conference voting. The Warriors had nine players earn first-team honors and John Ruane was named as the coach of the year. Conference coaches vote on the awards. The results were announced Monday. FIRST-TEAM...
Allegheny 8: Peters Township leads all-conference voting with 8 on 1st team
Moon went from one conference win to a share of the Allegheny Eight title, a turnaround that earned Ryan Linn conference coach of the year honors. Co-champion Peters Township led with eight first-team players in voting conducted by conference coaches. The results were announced Monday. Bethel Park was second with...
Central Catholic leads 6A all-conference team; Canon-Mac’s Evans top coach
Central Catholic, North Allegheny and Pine-Richland finished tied as tri-champions in WPIAL Class 6A, but the Vikings ran away with the all-conference vote. The conference coaches awarded first-team all-conference honors to nine Central Catholic players, including four linemen. North Allegheny placed six players on the first team and Pine-Richland had...
Mt. Lebanon’s Patrick Anderson leads PTFCA all-state cross country team
Two-time state cross country champion Patrick Anderson was named as the sport’s male athlete of the year by the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association. The Mt. Lebanon senior was among 10 WPIAL runners who earned all-state honors this week. North Allegheny’s John Neff was named as the girls coach...
Washington leads all-conference selections in Class 2A Century
Washington quarterback Zack Swartz, lineman Zakhi Marshall and coach Mike Bosnic won individual awards in the Class 2A Century. The Prexies led with seven first-team all-conference selections in a vote of coaches. Swartz was named as the conference’s top offensive player, Marshall was the top lineman and Bosnic earned coach...
Five things we learned in high school football Week 11
With another celebration at Heinz Field, Central Catholic or Pine-Richland can call itself the team of the decade in the WPIAL’s largest classification. For now, both could make that claim. Each team has won the WPIAL’s largest classification three times since 2010, tying them with North Allegheny (2010-12) during that...
Peters Township wins rematch with Moon in WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinalVideo
When Peters Township lost to Moon in the regular season, Josh Casilli’s stat line read: one catch, six yards. His role changed dramatically in the rematch. The Penn recruit totaled 183 yards from scrimmage and scored twice Friday night as No. 5 Peters Township defeated No. 4 Moon, 33-7, in...
