Chris Harlan stories, Page 84
Central Valley sweeps individual awards on Northwestern 6 all-conference team
Much like during the season, Central Valley again stood atop the Northwestern Six, this time in the all-conference voting. The undefeated WPIAL and PIAA champions earned 14 first-team spots in the Northwestern Six and swept the individual awards as well in a vote of conference coaches. The Warriors won every...
Chartiers Valley basketball’s Aislin Malcolm commits to Pitt
Chartiers Valley junior Aislin Malcolm already has two wins on her future home court. Malcolm, who won back-to-back WPIAL girls basketball titles at Petersen Events Center, committed Wednesday to Pitt. The 5-foot-10 guard held more than a dozen Division I offers including Penn State, West Virginia and Duke. Malcolm was...
Beaver Falls football rallies around trainer touched by coronavirus tragedy
As an athletic trainer for high school sports teams, Dan Summers made it his responsibility to keep Beaver Falls football players safe from coronavirus. Hand sanitizer was taped to the back of his golf cart, and he used a water sprayer to cool athletes from a safe distance during practice....
7 players named all-conference for both offense, defense on Big 8 football team
Belle Vernon’s Devin Whitlock and McKeesport’s Colin Lyons were among seven players who earned first-team all-conference honors on both sides of the football in the Class 4A Big Eight. Along with first-team honors, Whitlock was named as the conference’s top offensive player and Lyons earned the defensive award in a...
Aliquippa, Chartiers Valley lead all-conference football team in Parkway
Aliquippa’s Vernon Redd and Chartiers Valley’s Anthony Collura earned all-conference honors on both sides of the football in the Class 4A Parkway. Along with first-team honors, Redd was named the conference’s offensive MVP and Collura earned the defensive award in a vote of coaches. Aliquippa and Chartiers Valley claimed eight...
Plum earns 10 all-conference picks after undefeated record in Greater Allegheny
Plum celebrated its first undefeated regular season since 1977, an accomplishment that was rewarded in the all-conference voting by Greater Allegheny coaches. The Mustangs had 10 players earn first-team honors, and Matt Morgan was named the conference’s top coach. Plum’s list of first-team players included Rocco Caprara, Evan Azzara, Ryan...
PIAA savors fall season completed against all odds
There was cause to celebrate, but PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi probably didn’t spike the football or exchange high-fives after the state championships finished Saturday night. A high school football season that seemed doomed from the start, a season opposed by no less than the governor himself, made it all...
Penn-Trafford leads all-conference picks on Big East football team
Penn-Trafford quarterback Ethan Carr was among 10 teammates who earned first-team all-conference honors, and Warriors coach John Ruane earned Coach of the Year honors in the Class 5A Big East this season. Carr was joined by Penn-Trafford players Joe Spadaro, Declan Ochendowski, Cole Darragh, Cade Yacamelli, Chase Vecchio, Tom Wilkie,...
Central Catholic leads WPIAL Class 6A all-conference football team
WPIAL champion Central Catholic had eight players earn first-team all-conference honors in Class 6A, including running back Eddy Tillman, who led the largest classification in rushing. Also, Central Catholic’s Terry Totten was named Coach of the Year in 6A after the Vikings won back-to-back WPIAL titles. Joining Tillman were teammates...
Pine-Richland earns 12 all-conference spots on Northeast football team
A dozen Pine-Richland players earned first-team all-conference honors in the Class 5A Northeast, including the record-setting combination of quarterback Cole Spencer and receiver Eli Jochem. The Rams won WPIAL and PIAA titles this season under coach Eric Kasperowicz, who was named Coach of the Year in the conference. Pine-Richland had...
Peters Township tops Allegheny 6 all-conference football team
Peters Township reached the WPIAL finals for the second year in a row and was rewarded with eight first-team spots on the Allegheny Six all-conference team. Indians coach T.J. Plack, who guided the team to an 8-1 record, earned coach of the year honors in the Class 5A Allegheny Six...
Thomas Jefferson defends title, captures 5th PIAA football championship
HERSHEY — Style points aren’t important to Thomas Jefferson’s football team, or else the Jaguars coaching staff wouldn’t be wearing shorts in 40-degree weather. Saturday’s game wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Jefferson defended its PIAA title with a 21-14 victory over Jersey Shore in the Class 4A championship in Hershey....
PIAA Class 4A championship breakdown: Thomas Jefferson vs. Jersey Shore
Thomas Jefferson vs. Jersey Shore 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Streaming audio: TribHSSN.triblive.com; Radio: 95.3 FM PIAA titles: Thomas Jefferson 4 (2004, ‘07, ‘08, ‘19); Jersey Shore 0 Thomas Jefferson (9-1) Player to watch: Conner Murga Junior, 6-1, 178, RB/DE Murga and DeRon...
Pine-Richland routs Cathedral Prep to claim PIAA Class 5A titleVideo
HERSHEY — Luke Miller was a Pine-Richland waterboy four years ago when the Rams last celebrated a state football championship at Hersheypark Stadium. “I remember the feeling the seniors had, looking at each other saying: ‘Wow, we did it. We finally did it.’ ” Miller and his teammates now know...
Central Valley caps undefeated season with PIAA Class 3A championship
HERSHEY — The second-half clock usually moves lightning quick for Central Valley games, but this time the Warriors insisted it felt excruciatingly slow. Regardless, the celebration was worth the wait. Working to hold a fourth-quarter lead, unlikely hero Brandon Graham made two late interceptions and Central Valley relied on its...
5 things to watch at the PIAA football championships
With a laugh, Cathedral Prep coach Mike Mischler brags that his defense hasn’t given up a point in weeks. Technically, he’s right. The District 10 champions reached the PIAA football championships on the heels of two covid-related forfeits. Wyoming Valley West forfeited their quarterfinal game and Upper Dublin forfeited the...
PIAA Class 5A football championship breakdown: Pine-Richland vs. Cathedral Prep
Pine-Richland vs. Cathedral Prep 8 p.m. Friday, Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Streaming audio: TribHSSN.triblive.com; Radio: 1020 AM, 100.1 FM PIAA titles: Pine-Richland 1 (2017); Cathedral Prep 5 (2000,’12, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18) Cathedral Prep (7-2) Player to watch: Jaheim Williams Senior, 6-1, 215, RB/LB Williams is...
PIAA championship ‘final chapter’ for record-setting Pine-Richland seniors
Cole Spencer has won more games than any quarterback in Pine-Richland history, and Eli Jochem owns all-time receiving records for catches and yards. A week ago, Luke Miller set a single-game Rams record with 23 tackles in one afternoon. Miguel Jackson owns the team’s all-time sacks record with 36. Pine-Richland’s...
Few tickets. No locker rooms. Covid-19 alters football team plans for PIAA championships
Central Valley’s football players will eat Thanksgiving dinner at the school, enjoying food served only by their coaches, before the team boards its buses to Hershey. The Warriors are headed to the PIAA championships for the second year in a row, but they and the 11 other state finalists will...
Thomas Jefferson doesn’t look back while chasing consecutive PIAA Class 4A titles
Thomas Jefferson likes to celebrate its championship tradition, but this year’s football team has grown a little tired of talking about last year’s accomplishments. Yes, the Jaguars went undefeated a year ago. Yes, they won WPIAL and PIAA titles. Yes, they were the first TJ team to celebrate at Hersheypark...
PIAA drastically cuts football championship tickets to meet Gov. Wolf’s order
State championship football teams will receive 386 tickets apiece from the PIAA for this weekend’s games, far fewer than originally planned. The PIAA reduced its ticket sales after Gov. Tom Wolf implemented tighter gathering limits on events statewide, restricting Hersheypark Stadium to 5% of capacity. The PIAA had originally intended...
PIAA puts football ticket sales on hold after governor tightens gathering limits
Ticket sales are on hold for the PIAA football championships after Gov. Tom Wolf announced new limits on gathering sizes. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said tickets were unavailable until Tuesday while the PIAA determines how many spectators are allowed this weekend at Hersheypark Stadium. According to the governor’s outdoor...
Pine-Richland headed to Hershey after wild win over Governor MifflinVideo
HOLLIDAYSBURG — “It was over” when Pine-Richland stumbled off the bus and let Governor Mifflin score the first three touchdowns. “It was over” when the Rams threw three interceptions, lost a fumble and misplayed a punt. “It was over” when the team from Berks County held a daunting 22-point lead...
Pine-Richland’s stout run defense faces star tailback in PIAA 5A semifinals
Here’s what makes Pine-Richland’s semifinal opponent dangerous: “They’ve got one of the top junior tailbacks in the country,” Rams coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what does.” Pine-Richland will get a close look at Governor Mifflin’s Nicholas Singleton at 1 p.m. Saturday when...
Defending champion Thomas Jefferson routs Oil City, returns to PIAA 4A final
Thomas Jefferson had the football 10 times Friday night and scored nine touchdowns, an almost-perfect performance that has the Jaguars headed back to Hershey. TJ teammates Preston Zandier and Conner Murga reached the end zone three times each as the defending state champion steamrolled Oil City, 62-0, in a PIAA...
