Chris Harlan stories, Page 109
WPIAL football rankings through Week 4
WPIAL Football Class 6A 1. Pine-Richland, 5-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-0, 2 3. Central Catholic, 4-1, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 3-2, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 2-3, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 4-1, 1 2. Peters Township, 5-0, 2 3. Gateway, 4-1, 3 4. Penn Hills, 4-1, 4...
North Allegheny’s Percise Colon draws big comparisons after victory over Mt. LebanonVideo
Art Walker has a small-but-sensational running back who’s undersized and maybe underestimated, but one that could lead the team to a championship. Sound familiar? Fifteen years after Eugene Jarvis slashed through WPIAL defenses, Percise Colon is doing the same. The 5-foot-6, 165-pound senior rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns...
WPIAL sets hearing date for Connellsville, Allderdice to address racial, anti-gay slurs
Representatives from Connellsville and Allderdice will meet next week to address allegations that the schools’ boys soccer teams used racial and anti-gay slurs. The WPIAL scheduled the hearing for Wednesday afternoon in a meeting room at the Pittsburgh Plaza Hotel, executive director Tim O’Malley said. The WPIAL board voted unanimously...
Mt. Lebanon isn’t ‘well-oiled machine,’ but will battle North Allegheny for 1st place
Bob Palko wants to build Mt. Lebanon into the “well-oiled machine” that his West Allegheny program was, but first, all of the parts have to be assembled correctly. “We’re trying to put the right pegs in the right holes,” Palko said. “We’re just trying to find out what our personality...
5 things to watch in Week 4 of high school football
Clairton will try to do something that Mohawk, Rochester, Bishop Canevin and California couldn’t. The Bears will attempt to score against Laurel’s so-far perfect defense. The Spartans have shut out their first four opponents this season by a combined score of 135-0. In this era of high-scoring offenses, a dominant...
Injuries force Bishop Canevin to forfeit football game against OLSH
Citing a lack of healthy players, Bishop Canevin announced that it will forfeit this week’s football game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Class A Big Seven Conference teams were scheduled to play Saturday night at Dormont Stadium. “Several of our players have been diagnosed with concussions and...
WPIAL wants 2 football coaches suspended for violating heat acclimatization rules
The WPIAL wants two football coaches suspended for a scrimmage next season for violating preseason heat acclimatization rules. Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta and Aliquippa’s Mike Warfield violated PIAA rules when their teams worked out in full equipment in early August, WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said. The only equipment...
Seton LaSalle football player among 2 ruled eligible after WPIAL hearings
The WPIAL ruled Seton LaSalle transfer Tyler Buzalka eligible for football season following a hearing Monday in Green Tree. The WPIAL board initially had concerns that the sophomore might have followed former Ringgold football coach Mike Zmijanac, who was hired at Seton LaSalle last December. But in a split vote,...
WPIAL calls in Connellsville, Allderdice after more racial slur allegations
The WPIAL is calling in Connellsville administrators for the second time in two years to face allegations that the school’s boys soccer team targeted an opponent with racial slurs. A year ago, it was Penn Hills that made those accusations. This time, Allderdice parents are accusing Connellsville soccer players of...
North Allegheny freshman Jasmine Timmerson adds Robert Morris offer
A couple of weeks after adding a Michigan State basketball offer, North Allegheny freshman Jasmine Timmerson received one from a school much closer to home. Timmerson announced a Robert Morris offer this week, raising her Division I total to four. She won’t play her first high school game for a...
Rochester sophomore Corynne Hauser adds 3rd Division I basketball offer
Rochester sophomore Corynne Hauser, who helped the Rams win a WPIAL girls basketball title last winter, received her third Division I offer this week. The 5-foot-7 point guard announced an offer from Duquesne, which joined Robert Morris and Youngstown state on her list. Hauser averaged 14 points as a freshman...
Brian Eyerman, Alex Papson among North Allegheny hall of fame class
Football standouts Brian Eyerman and Alex Papson are among 11 former North Allegheny athletes who’ll be inducted next month into the school’s sports hall of fame. Joining them are Bill Brown (cross country, track), Matthew Buerger (swimming), Kristin Huysman-Grabill (field hockey, softball), Brian Levey (soccer, basketball), Briana Pittman (rowing), Andrew...
5 takeaways from Week 3: Quarterback’s 485 yards among all-time WPIAL bestVideo
Gaudy statistics by WPIAL quarterbacks aren’t unusual anymore, but occasionally there’s a number that stands out among the rest. Upper St. Clair’s Ethan Dahlem posted one of those eye-popping numbers Friday night. The junior passed for 485 yards in the Panthers’ 45-41 victory over Woodland Hills. Dahlem completed 22 of...
WPIAL football rankings through Week 3
WPIAL Football Class 6A 1. Pine-Richland, 4-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-0, 2 3. Central Catholic, 3-1, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, 5 5. Seneca Valley, 1-3, 4 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 4-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 4-0, 2 3. Gateway, 3-1, 3 4. Penn Hills, 3-1, 4...
Drastic changes in enrollment factor into high school football participation decline
When McKeesport coach Matt Miller was a senior in 1991, the Tigers had around 85 names on the football roster. This year, his team has 47. What isn’t lost on Miller is that when he walks the halls at the high school, there are far fewer students than there once...
No. 4 Penn Hills forces 6 turnovers in 14-7 victory over MarsVideo
The halftime adjustment for Penn Hills’ defensive line seemed almost counter-intuitive: Try not to rush into the backfield too quickly. “We’re normally like rockets. We go,” said senior Sqy Featherstone, a three-year starter. “But in this particular game, against this team, we had to slow it down, key in and...
5 things to watch in Week 3 of high school football: Sept. 13-14
If Avonworth quarterback Park Penrod throws a touchdown or scrambles for a first down, his name won’t echo through the stadium Friday night. Instead, the Oak Hill Field announcer will recognize Avonworth graduate Richard McCormick, an Army soldier who was killed in action in Vietnam. Penrod is among nine Avonworth...
Spotting ‘fakes’ crucial as Penn Hills prepares for Mars’ misdirection
Mars coach Scott Heinauer took time during film study to praise a run by Nick Spotti that gained exactly zero yards. Spotti ran hard, but didn’t have the football. Instead, he sold the fake really well, Heinauer said, drawing the defense away from teammate Teddy Ruffner, who rushed for 328...
Central Catholic lineman Thomas Hartnett commits to Dartmouth
The Ivy League added another WPIAL lineman Wednesday when Central Catholic’s Thomas Hartnett committed to Dartmouth. The senior announced his commitment on Twitter. Hartnett (6-3, 290) plays center for the Vikings, who are ranked third in WPIAL Class 6A. He also listed offers from Albany, Brown, Penn and VMI. He’s...
Jeannette, Avella consider rescheduling football game but agree to play Friday night
Jeannette and Avella school administrators discussed moving this week’s football game to a different date or time, but ultimately agreed to play the game as scheduled. The teams will play at 7 p.m. Friday at McKee Stadium. Avella had raised concerns in the wake of last week’s fatal shooting outside...
5 takeaways from Week 2 of high school football action
Less than a week after being shot in the leg and feet, West Mifflin quarterback Jaylen Dukes walked back onto a football field with crutches Friday night. The senior served as an honorary captain, coach Rod Steele said, as West Mifflin defeated Trinity, 40-0. “The kids wanted to rally and...
WPIAL football rankings through Week 2
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A 1. Pine-Richland, 3-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 3-0, 3 3. Central Catholic, 2-1, 2 4. Seneca Valley, 1-2, 4 5. Mt. Lebanon, 2-1, 5 Out: none ••• Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 3-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 3-0, 2 3. Gateway, 2-1, 3 4. Penn Hills,...
South Fayette’s Naman Alemada throws 5 touchdowns in win over New CastleVideo
South Fayette’s Naman Alemada tossed five touchdown passes in Friday night’s 37-21 victory, but those throws weren’t the only ones that left New Castle coach Joe Cowart impressed. Rather, Cowart pointed to a 21-yard back-shoulder throw early in the fourth quarter and a few other well-placed ones like it. “Spectacular,”...
Washington lineman Chase Mitchell commits to FBS newcomer Liberty
The WPIAL added another Division I lineman to the 2020 recruiting class Thursday when Washington’s Chase Mitchell committed to Liberty. Mitchell announced his decision on Twitter. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound senior chose Liberty over offers from William & Mary, Seton Hill, Wheeling Jesuit, West Liberty, Tiffin and Notre Dame College. Mitchell...
New Castle wants to stop South Fayette’s 3-year undefeated run in Northwest 8
The name changed from the Northwest Nine to the Northwest Eight, but whatever the Class 4A conference was called, South Fayette has owned it. The Lions are 24-0 in conference game since WPIAL football expanded to six classifications three years ago. “They’ve had a strangle hold on the conference,” New...
