Chris Harlan stories, Page 80
Breaking down the 2021 WPIAL boys basketball playoffs
Here is a breakdown of the 2020-21 WPIAL boys basketball playoffs: Class 6A Favorite: Upper St. Clair has talent and depth but also experience, having reached the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA second round a year ago with much of the same lineup, led by Luke Gensler (13.7 ppg), David Pantelis...
In seeding basketball brackets, WPIAL asks: What have you done lately?
When it came time to seed the basketball playoff brackets, the WPIAL asked: What have you done lately? Teams that finished hot were rewarded. That made North Allegheny coach Dan DeRose wonder why his section played 12 games this winter if only the last four actually mattered. His Tigers clinched...
Controversial finish sees Butler defeat North Allegheny, avenge 2 earlier lossesVideo
North Allegheny ran undefeated through its boys basketball section twice, but this winter’s quirky schedule included a third time through, much to NA’s dismay. Butler became the latest opponent to exact revenge, using a game-high 36 points from star Devin Carney and a head-scratching mistake by the game officials to...
WPIAL: Gyms must have capacity of 700 or greater to host basketball playoff games
Some top seeds in the WPIAL basketball playoffs could find themselves playing on their opponent’s home floor this winter. The WPIAL has decided to award home games to higher-seeded teams in the playoff brackets, but there are criteria the schools must meet before they can host, WPIAL executive director Amy...
Trib HSSN girls basketball rankings: Feb. 21, 2021
Class 6A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 17-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 12-1, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 13-3, 4 4. Bethel Park, 11-3, 3 5. Norwin, 11-3, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 14-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 15-3, 2 3. Thomas...
Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings: Feb. 21, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 12-1, 1 2. Fox Chapel, 14-2, 2 3. Hempfield, 10-3, 3 4. Pine-Richland, 9-4, NR 5. Penn-Trafford, 9-5, 5 Out: North Allegheny (12-5, 4) Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Chartiers Valley, 17-1, 1 2. New Castle, 14-2, 2...
North Allegheny seniors earn redemption with WPIBL championship
A couple of pins cost North Allegheny’s boys bowling team a title two seasons ago, so the Tigers made certain this year’s championship match wasn’t as close. North Allegheny took down top-seeded Butler, 167-148, in the finale of a three-game series to win the WPIBL team finals Feb. 17 at...
Rodney Gallagher’s winner lifts Laurel Highlands over Thomas JeffersonVideo
Laurel Highlands’ Rodney Gallagher already has accomplished more than most sophomores, but the Mustangs star added two more firsts to his list. With time ticking away, Gallagher pulled up in the right corner and made the first winning jumper of his high school career Friday night, sinking a contested shot...
25 basketball teams won’t participate in WPIAL’s open postseason tournament
Derry’s girls basketball team earned its way into the WPIAL playoffs last winter, but the one-win Trojans won’t go back this year. They could have. The vast majority of schools will take part in the WPIAL basketball playoffs this winter in an open-tournament format, but 25 teams decided to not...
Big 33 Football Classic goes ‘full-speed ahead,’ announces roster with 19 WPIAL players
The weather will be perfect for the Big 33 Football Classic, predicts Garry Cathell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. Sure, call him an optimist. But his positive thinking doesn’t end there. Cathell also envisions the all-star game surging back to action this spring with four- and...
Schools must certify mask exemptions in writing before PIAA playoffs, not WPIALs
High school athletes must wear a mask during PIAA postseason competition unless their school certifies in writing that they qualify for a medical exemption. The PIAA board decided Wednesday that all schools participating in a state tournament must complete the “PIAA Postseason Covid-19 Universal Face Covering Certification,” a form that...
Lincoln Park tops Quaker Valley in battle for section lead, will rematch ThursdayVideo
Brandin Cummings gave Lincoln Park the lead with a gutsy 3-pointer in the closing minutes, made two clutch free throws in the final seconds and led his team in scoring for the third game in a row. Oh, and he’s a freshman that comes off the bench. Cummings scored 15...
Obama Academy boys basketball halts activities after positive covid-19 test
The Obama Academy boys basketball team must shut down activities for 14 days after a player tested positive for covid-19, Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Tuesday. The shutdown impacts varsity and junior varsity players and coaches. The infected player took part in a junior varsity game Feb. 12 against Perry and...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan take early look at boys basketball tournament
The WPIAL basketball playoffs will seem bigger than ever this winter since the league intends to hold an open tournament in each of the six classifications. Any team that wants to take part can. The WPIAL took this route because covid-related cancellations made the section standings unbalanced, making it nearly...
PIAA might require schools to certify mask-wearing exemptions in writing
With many high school sports teams competing maskless, the PIAA may require postseason participants to certify in writing that their athletes qualify for an exemption under the state mandate. The agenda for Wednesday’s PIAA board meeting includes a document titled “PIAA Postseason Covid-19 Universal Face Covering Certification.” The form would...
An early fall? PIAA planning committee opposes starting football season sooner
The PIAA doesn’t have a prognosticating groundhog, but after hearing from its strategic planning committee, it doesn’t look like fall sports will arrive any earlier next school year. By a two-to-one margin, “starting earlier is not something (the 12 PIAA districts) would embrace at this time,” the planning committee said...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan take early look at girls basketball tournament
The WPIAL basketball playoffs will seem bigger than ever this winter since the league intends to hold an open tournament in each of the six classifications. Any team that wants to take part can. The WPIAL took this route because covid-related cancellations made the section standings unbalanced, making it nearly...
Trib HSSN girls basketball rankings: Feb. 14, 2021
Class 6A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 15-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 10-1, 2 3. Bethel Park, 11-2, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 11-3, 4 5. Norwin, 10-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 12-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 14-2, 2 3. Woodland...
Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings: Feb. 14, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 11-1, 1 2. Fox Chapel, 12-2, 3 3. Hempfield, 9-3, 4 4. North Allegheny, 12-3, 2 5. Penn-Trafford, 8-5, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Chartiers Valley, 15-1, 2 2. New Castle, 13-2, 1 3. Mars,...
Aspiring photographer, North Hills swimmer Josh Bogniard seeks picture-perfect WPIALs
When North Hills senior swimmer Josh Bogniard isn’t in the water, he’s often taking photographs of some. Icy waterfalls, mossy streams and a duckweed covered pond appear on the aspiring photographer’s Instagram account. Bogniard focuses his camera on nature, landscapes and people. In recent months, he relied heavily on his...
Brayden Reynolds scores 42; No. 2 Chartiers Valley tops No. 1 New Castle
Chartiers Valley’s Brayden Reynolds says his Colts weren’t themselves last month when they hosted New Castle and maybe focused too much on the hype. They saw Friday’s rematch as a chance to show who they really are. “We wanted to come out and make a statement,” said Reynolds, who shook...
Central Catholic lineman Bralen Henderson ‘grinds’ path to Ohio commitment
In a normal recruiting year, Bralen Henderson would’ve visited with the dozens of college football coaches who arrive at Central Catholic looking for future players. He would have gone to football camps and visited college campuses in person. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of that,” said Henderson, a 6-foot-3 defensive...
Allderdice tops Obama Academy in rematch of City League championshipVideo
After going weeks without shooting a basketball, City League scorers will need time to find their touch, predicted Allderdice boys coach Devin Crummie. His words seemed almost prophetic in Tuesday’s first quarter when the Dragons went 1 for 13 shooting and scored two points. At the other end, Obama Academy...
WPIAL football players among 30,000 cardboard cutouts in Super Bowl seats
WPIAL football fans might recognize some familiar faces in the Super Bowl crowd at Raymond James Stadium. The NFL filled empty seats with cardboard cutouts Sunday night, and some featured football players who reached the WPIAL finals. Pine-Richland and Peters Township each tweeted to keep eyes open for cutouts of...
‘Sigh of relief’ as City League basketball teams ready for delayed season openers
Snow days are sometimes enjoyable but not when you’re a high school basketball player who has waited weeks for a game, and then winter weather extends that wait a few days longer. Just ask Sayon Bennett, a top player in Pittsburgh’s City League. “We’re just kind of rolling with the...
