High School category, Page 238
Mohawk on short list of MAC title contenders
There’s an interesting cast of title contenders in the Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference this season, ranging from perennial power Beaver Falls to exciting upstart Ellwood City. There’s one thing every MAC team has in common, though. If they want to win a conference title, they’re going to have to...
2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the offensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top offensive linemen for the 2024 season. 1. Jack Yatchenko North Allegheny Senior, 6-3, 285 The Tigers are two-time defending WPIAL 6A champions and reached the state finals...
After trimming offensive playbook, Freedom looks to improve
Ron Balog’s whirlwind beginning as head football coach at Freedom last year opened with the most important task when starting fresh in a new locale. “The biggest expectation for me was to get here and build relationships,” said Balog, who was the offensive coordinator at North Catholic before coming to...
Ellwood City looks to build on first .500 season in more than a decade
It was a hard, long road for the Ellwood City football program the past decade and change, but for the first time since 2011, the Wolverines posted a record of .500 or better and made the playoffs last year. After going 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Midwestern Athletic Conference...
After offseason of change, defending WPIAL champ Beaver Falls looks to contend again
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Friday. A year ago, Beaver Falls taught a lesson about never giving up on a season that won’t soon be forgotten. The Tigers were 2-3 in the first...
With QB Jaivin Peel back in fold, Western Beaver looks to take next steps
On Aug. 12, the outlook for the Western Beaver football team this season changed via events that took place not on a practice field in Chippewa but in an office building in Scott Township. That’s when the WPIAL ruled Western Beaver sophomore quarterback Jaivin Peel would be fully eligible for...
Union to face new challenge with bump up to Class 2A
In an effort to cut down on travel time and promote natural rivalries, Union made the decision to voluntarily bump up to Class 2A this season. Despite being the fifth-smallest public school playing football in the WPIAL, the Scotties are excited about the move. “It’s much better than going to...
Riverside searching for stability under 3rd coach in 3 years
Nerve-wracking. That’s how Riverside’s Rob Magnifico described taking the reins for the first time as a head coach. “I coached at Ellwood for 17 years. The last year there I was their interim coach. I’ve been at Riverside the last five years as an assistant coach,” Magnifico elaborated. “Trying to...
New Brighton hopes new mindset will bring 1st win in 2 years
The New Brighton Lions are entering a new era of football and would love to distance themselves from the last two years, where they won zero games. New coach John Macuga has the experience to bring winning football back to New Brighton. Last year, Macuga shared the offensive coordinator duties...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 16, 2024
High schools Football Scrimmages Saturday’s schedule Allderdice at Thomas Jefferson, 10 a.m. Apollo-Ridge and Summit Academy at Riverview, 10 a.m. Baldwin at Woodland Hills, 10 a.m. Beaver Falls at North Catholic, 10 a.m. Berlin-Brothersvalley at Ligonier Valley, 10 a.m. Brownsville vs. Carmichaels vs. Charleroi at Charleroi, 10 a.m. Burgettstown at...
Countdown to kickoff: Only a handful of teams still play Saturday games
There was a time when Saturday afternoon marked a busy end to a high school football weekend. Those days are a distant memory. The number of WPIAL schools that play their home games on Saturday afternoons because they have no lights at their facility has shrunk to only three. Western...
Senior leaders out to turn things around for Ligonier Valley
The 2023 football season didn’t go well for Ligonier Valley. The Rams went 2-8 and finished the season on a six-game losing streak. Things will be a lot different in 2024 if senior lineman Wade Lamont and senior running back/linebacker Aidan Mulheren having anything to say about it. See, a...
WPIAL wrestling notebook: Hempfield looking for new coach
Hempfield is in the process of interviewing for a new wrestling coach. Steve Santia resigned at the end of the school year for personal reasons, leaving athletic director Brandon Rapp with the job of finding a replacement. “I have two kids now under 3. It has been a lot, and...
Kucic, Kiski Area football ready to prove doubters wrong
Landon Kucic acquired a unique nickname early in his tackle football career. “I was playing on the (Kiski Valley Lancers) youth football (team), and my first year, I was on kickoff and I blew a kid up,” he said. “Ever since then, the coaches that helped build me up from...
With co-op boosting roster numbers, optimism abounds at OLSH
Donnie Militzer wanted to be proactive following a nightmarish 2023 season. Toward the end of the season, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s football program was only dressing 17 or 18 players. Militzer went to athletic director Mike McDonald in the offseason with a request. He needed more players. The...
Ligonier Valley looks to rebound after rare losing season
A 2-8 season didn’t sit well with the Ligonier Valley football team and coach Roger Beitel in 2023. Injuries and a youthful squad that lacked experience were big reasons for the rare losing season. The Rams had only one senior on the team (Noah Gluck), and he got injured in...
Apollo-Ridge aims to rebound in new-look Allegheny Conference
Senior Ryan Lydon said he and his Apollo-Ridge teammates have a chip on their shoulder to get back on track this season and challenge for a spot in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. The Vikings were 3-7 overall last year and 2-5 in the rugged Allegheny Conference. “We’re ready to...
Class 2A contender Steel Valley building around Donald Barksdale
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23. Even though Steel Valley is easily one of the favorites to claim the WPIAL Class 2A championship this season, the Ironmen have some holes to fill,...
2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the tight ends
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top tight ends for the 2024 season. 1. Brady O’Hara North Catholic Senior, 6-6, 250 O’Hara took a pass 75 yards for a touchdown in North Catholic’s season...
South Park to ride running game against new opponents in Class 2A
Every football team, no matter what level, counts on the strength of the team to be the focal point. The strength of the South Park Eagles has been, more often than not, the running game and star ball carrier Eric Doerue, a senior who was a first team all-conference selection...
South Allegheny looks to make impact in Class 2A with veteran lineup
Brian Hanson enters his second season at South Allegheny, eager to see improvement. Last season, the Gladiators went 1-9 and have won two games in the past two seasons. Hanson said the team improved drastically over the offseason and returns nine seniors and seven juniors to lead the way after...
Shady Side Academy looks to learn from losses, thrive in Class 2A
Shady Side Academy coach Chuck DiNardo would like to see the Bulldogs learn from the adversity they faced last season. During the last two weeks of the regular season, Shady Side Academy had a pair of six-point losses that impacted its playoff seeding. “Being in tight games like that is...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 15, 2024
High schools Football Scrimmages Saturday’s schedule Allderdice at Thomas Jefferson, 10 a.m. Apollo-Ridge and Summit Academy at Riverview, 10 a.m. Baldwin at Woodland Hills, 10 a.m. Beaver Falls at North Catholic, 10 a.m. Berlin-Brothersvalley at Ligonier Valley, 10 a.m. Brownsville vs. Carmichaels vs. Charleroi at Charleroi, 10 a.m. Burgettstown at...
Countdown to Kickoff: 17 schools welcome new football coaches this season
They are new faces in new places supplying new hopes and golden dreams. Some are rookie head coaches replacing experienced coaches while some are veteran coaches starting over at new venues. Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in decades while others continue to play roulette...
Highlands’ veteran defensive backfield looks to create ‘No Fly Zone’ over Natrona Heights
Highlands’ move into the Class 3A Allegheny 7 Conference brought about some exciting rivalry matchups with nearby A-K Valley foes such as Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport and Valley. It also likely will lead to some sleepless nights for those teams’ coaches, quarterbacks and wide receivers. The Golden Rams will field...
