Chris Harlan stories, Page 83
Jeannette’s Birch brothers among 7 WPIAL players named all-state in Class A
Jeannette brothers Brett and Brad Birch, who combined to lead the Jayhawks to a WPIAL title, are together again. Teammate James Sanders is there, too. They were among seven WPIAL players named all-state Tuesday in a vote of Pennsylvania football writers. Brad Birch, a freshman who passed for 1,676 yards...
WPIAL adopts ‘open tournament’ for basketball playoffs allowing all teams to participate
WPIAL basketball teams can forget about playoff scenarios this winter. Everybody’s already in. The basketball playoffs will be an open tournament and include all teams willing to participate, the WPIAL board decided Monday. Picking playoff qualifiers would be a difficult task if covid-related cancellations leave section standings unbalanced, so this...
Subsection wrestling tournaments among ideas WPIAL board to consider
The WPIAL wrestling committee wants subsection tournaments added to the individual postseason schedule this winter as the league adjusts to covid-19 restrictions. The move would let additional wrestlers compete in the postseason while also complying with a PIAA directive to limit brackets to no more than eight athletes. “Everybody would...
PIAA will consider relaxing 15-practice requirement for winter sports teams
Will the PIAA let athletes skip practice? Some coaches hope so. Currently, rules require all teams to complete 15 preseason practices before starting regular-season competition, but the PIAA board on Tuesday will consider reducing that number to 10. If not, that practice requirement could become a hindrance for teams that...
North Catholic sweeps MVP awards on Allegheny 7 all-conference football team
Conference champion North Catholic was rewarded with nine first-team spots on the all-Allegheny Seven football team, and three Trojans earned individual awards in a vote of coaches. North Catholic quarterback Joey Prentice was named the conference’s offensive MVP and teammate Mathias Benson earned the defensive award. Jack Friel was honored...
WPIAL finalists Jeannette, Clairton lead all-Eastern Conference football team
WPIAL Class A finalists Jeannette and Clairton combined to earn 19 first-team spots on the all-Eastern Conference football team in a vote of coaches. Clairton led with 10 including senior running back and linebacker Dontae Sanders, who earned two individual awards as both the conference’s top offensive and defensive player....
WPIAL’s 2021 football recruits make commitments official by signing early
For the fourth year, the NCAA allowed college football recruits to sign early, making their commitments official in mid December rather than early February. The early signing period was added in 2017. A number of WPIAL seniors took that opportunity Wednesday and then celebrated on social media. Here’s a look...
WPIAL champion coach brings spark to North Allegheny boys basketball
Matt McDonough and Robby Jones knew there would be some wide eyes in the gym, so they offered words of advice to their North Allegheny teammates about new basketball coach Dan DeRose. “We let everyone know his style and how he can yell a little bit,” McDonough said. “But he...
WPIAL teams in action Friday night savor the moment, worry about what’s nextVideo
In all of his years as the Mars boys basketball coach, Rob Carmody has never celebrated an undefeated season. Not until now, said Carmody, who was in a deprecating mood Friday night after Mars won its season opener over Knoch, 79-59. He joked about hanging a banner in the gym,...
PIAA doesn’t anticipate ‘pause’ becoming lengthy shutdown
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said he doesn’t believe this “pause” of interscholastic sports will drag on for months like the shutdown last spring. “I take them for their word that it’s a pause,” Lombardi said Friday, a day after Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration halted practices and contests statewide until...
Gov. Wolf shuts down interscholastic, recreational sports until Jan. 4
With covid-19 cases increasing statewide, Gov. Tom Wolf “paused” interscholastic and recreational sports Thursday, one day before high school teams were scheduled to start their winter schedules. Once the order takes effect Saturday, teams cannot practice or compete until Jan. 4. College and professional sports were allowed to continue. “The...
PIAA moves forward with winter sports despite pleas from school administrators
The PIAA will let winter sports start Friday as scheduled over pleas from school administrators asking to delay as covid-19 cases rise. The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and the Pennsylvania Principals Association sent separate letters to the PIAA prior to the board’s online meeting Wednesday. According to the PASA...
Trib HSSN 2020-21 WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball preseason breakdown
This will surely be a boys basketball season like no other. WPIAL teams are set to tip off Friday and embark on a masked journey through a schedule likely to change many times as the year progresses. Teams all have hopes of hoisting a WPIAL championship trophy in March, much...
Trib HSSN 2020-21 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball preseason breakdown
This will surely be a boys basketball season like no other. WPIAL teams are set to tip off Friday and embark on a masked journey through a schedule likely to change many times as the year progresses. Teams all have hopes of hoisting a WPIAL championship trophy in March, much...
School districts’ masks policies could impact WPIAL competitions
“Mask or no mask” has become a WPIAL dilemma. Some school districts will require athletes to wear masks during competition this winter and others will not, a disagreement likely to cause conflict and maybe cancellations. For now, there is no WPIAL or PIAA guideline, so the issue is left for...
Undefeated state champions lead Trib 25 football all-stars
Two WPIAL teams went unbeaten from start to finish, remarkable seasons that included lopsided wins, running clocks and record-setting stats. Ultimately, WPIAL champions Central Valley and Pine-Richland both celebrated undefeated state titles in Hershey. Their dominance — outscoring opponents by more than 400 points — is represented here in the...
North Allegheny looking to again contend for PIHL Penguins Cup title
The PIHL shut down its playoffs before reaching the finals last season, so North Allegheny coach Mike Bagnato told his players to consider themselves the reigning champions. Why not? They were the most recent team to win the Class AAA title. “I started off the season saying, ‘Hey, look, we’re...
Shenango, Rochester top all-conference selections for Big 7 football team
Shenango and Rochester tied atop the Big Seven standings and had five players apiece earn first-team all-conference honors in the WPIAL Class A conference. Shenango’s Reis Watkins was named the top offensive player and Rochester’s Sal Laure received the defensive award in a vote of conference coaches. Union’s Aaron Gunn...
California leads Tri-County South with 9 all-conference football players
California running back Jaeden Zuzak, the WPIAL’s third-leading rusher this season, was among 45 players named all-conference in the Class A Tri-County South. The Trojans led with nine all-conference players. Zuzak rushed for 1,571 yards and 28 touchdowns for California (6-1, 6-0), which went undefeated in the conference. Trojans’ coach...
10 Apollo-Ridge players earn 1st-team honors in Allegheny Conference
Apollo-Ridge running back Logan Harmon and lineman Greg Klingensmith were among 10 Vikings who earned first-team all-conference honors in the Class 2A Allegheny. Harmon, Klay Fitzroy and Keighton Reese were recognized on both sides of the ball, giving Apollo-Ridge a conference-leading 13 spots on the first team. Harmon also was...
Beaver Falls’ Josh Hough, Laurel’s Mitch Miles earn top conference honors in MAC
WPIAL champion Beaver Falls earned seven first-team spots on the Midwestern all-conference team led by senior Josh Hough, who was named offensive player of the year. Hough, Beaver Falls’ Shileak Livingston and Laurel teammates Mitch Miles and Luke McCoy were named first-team all-conference for both offense and defense. Beaver Falls...
McGuffey quarterback, lineman, coach earn all-conference awards in Century
McGuffey quarterback Rocco Falosk and lineman Aiden Brookman each earned individual conference honors after leading the Highlanders to the Century title. They were among eight McGuffey players to earn all-conference honors. Falosk was named the conference’s offensive player of the year and Brookman was named the top lineman. The team...
Sto-Rox, Western Beaver lead Three Rivers all-conference football team
Sto-Rox and Western Beaver, which tied atop the Class 2A Three Rivers standings, led the all-conference voting with six first-team players. Diontae Givens of Sto-Rox and Western Beaver’s Daquan Bradford shared the defensive MVP award in a vote of conference coaches. Sto-Rox’s Josh Jenkins and Brentwood’s Aiden Wardzinski shared the...
Pittsburgh Public Schools postpones City League winter sports until January
Pittsburgh Public Schools has delayed the start of winter sports in the City League until at least January. According to a news release Thursday, the district’s athletic committee met the day before and recommended postponing basketball, wrestling and all other winter sports seasons. The district said the committee will reconvene...
Elizabeth Forward leads Interstate all-conference vote with 8 first-team picks
Elizabeth Forward celebrated the second undefeated regular season in school history, an achievement that was rewarded in the all-conference voting. Senior defensive end Chase Whatton was named Defensive MVP in the Class 3A Interstate, and seven teammates also earned first-team honors in a vote of conference coaches. The Warriors’ Mike...
