High School category, Page 628
Having stabilized program, next step for Freedom is playoff berth
After three coaching changes in the previous four years, the Freedom football team was looking to establish some stability last season. With athletic director John Rosa stepping in as head coach, did the Bulldogs do that? Yes. But they were one quarter away from making that a “yes” in all...
Former OLSH coach brings positivity, focus on fundamentals to Ellwood City
Looking to turn its program around after three consecutive winless seasons, it’s hard to imagine Ellwood City could have found a coach more suited for the job than Dan Bradley. In 2015, Bradley took over an Our Lady of the Sacred Heart program that was coming off an 0-9 season....
Whether by land or air, Beaver Falls always makes its way into WPIAL title conversation
The immense challenge WPIAL defensive coordinators have faced when taking on Beaver Falls over the last couple of seasons can be summed up in two tidy stats. In 2020, the Tigers had the WPIAL’s leading rusher — Josh Hough with 2,051 yards. In 2021, the Tigers had the district’s second-leading...
The Birdie predicts Acrisure or bust for Westmoreland County powers
Acrisure or bust. That is the Birdie’s slogan for the 2022 season. He wants to be back on the big stage. “Penn-Trafford, Belle Vernon, I’m looking at you,” the bullish prep prognosticator said as he prepared his season-opening remarks. “You can take the Heinz out of that stadium, but you...
WPIAL Class 2A football breakdown: Beaver Falls, other perennial powers to duke it out
In one sense, WPIAL Class 2A football looks radically different this season. Four conferences have been consolidated into three with the total number of teams in the class dropping from 27 to 23. Nine of the 27 teams that played 2A football in the WPIAL last season moved out. That...
WPIAL Class 6A football breakdown: In tiny field of 5, contenders line up to take shot at Mt. Lebanon
At its zenith, the highest classification in the WPIAL, then called Quad-A, had 28 teams in the early 2000s. That number stayed steady over the next decade-plus and was at 25 teams for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Expansion to six classifications has steadily shrunk 6A, which started with 14...
WPIAL Class 3A football breakdown: Belle Vernon leads new-look field of contenders
A changing of the guard in WPIAL Class 3A football will occur in 2022 and Belle Vernon, a Class 4A finalist last year, is favored to be the top team to replace three-time WPIAL champion Central Valley. That’s because Central Valley is moving up to Class 4A after dominating Class...
WPIAL Class A football breakdown: Defending champion Bishop Canevin the team to beat
Bishop Canevin does not have a lot of players who might be considered NCAA Division I prospects — at least not according to the feedback from college coaches. “We’re kind of on that (5-foot-9) threshold,” Crusaders coach Richard Johnson said. “There are a lot of D-3 schools interested but not...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 19, 2022
High schools WPIAL Football Saturday’s scrimmages Penn Hills at North Allegheny, 9:30 a.m. Pine-Richland at Mt. Lebanon, 10 a.m. Seneca Valley at Cathedral Prep, 11 a.m. Central Catholic at McKeesport, 9 a.m. West Allegheny at Canon-McMillan, 10 a.m. Fox Chapel at Hempfield, 10 a.m. South Fayette at Woodland Hills, 10...
2022 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the offensive line
High school football teams deploy a variety of offensive schemes, from no-huddle spreads to the wing-T. What do they all have in common? Five offensive linemen. No matter what strategy a coach might dream up, it’s not going far without a good line. Look at last year’s WPIAL champions and...
Knoch senior football player Jake Murphy put into new role
As Tim Burchett and the new coaching staff at Knoch install a new offense, plans are to build around Jake Murphy. Murphy, a senior, was a first-team Greater Allegheny Conference inside linebacker last year and a second-team tight end. But this season, Murphy will be moving into a slot receiver...
Football’s a family business at Ligonier Valley this season
Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel is now the elder statesman of coaches in Westmoreland County with the retirement of Jeannette’s Roy Hall. But during practice, he allows the players to play different genres of music as background noise. Entering his 19th year as coach at the school, Beitel might...
2022 Moe Rosensteel Award watch list for top girls soccer player announced
It is becoming a tradition, just like the committee had hoped. The Moe Rosenteel Player of the Year Award, given to the best all-around girls soccer player in the WPIAL since 2019, is now in its fourth year and a new winner will be crowned later in the fall. The...
Behind alum Ben Hoffer, Yough aims to turn program around
Watching the Yough football program fall into disrepair was a cringe-worthy endeavor for proud alum Ben Hoffer, who used to shed tacklers and score touchdowns with ease when he played on Cougar Mountain. The new coach has big plans for his alma mater — “big” being a relative term. He...
Division I talent could help Steel Valley write happier ending to 2022 season
It’s hard to imagine a more satisfying regular season than the one Steel Valley had last year. The Ironmen rolled through four nonconference opponents and five Allegheny Conference foes to the tune of a 9-0 record with an aggregate score of 333-50. Star tailback Nijhay Burt led the WPIAL with...
Ligonier Valley aims to stay healthy, put offensive weapons to good use
Roger Beitel begins his 19th year as head football coach at Ligonier Valley, and he hopes the 2022 season isn’t as bizarre as 2021. The fact that Ligonier Valley finished 8-3 and made the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs for the first time is amazing with the amount of injuries the...
Imani Christian to pick up pace with coach LaRoi Johnson back
Producing a winning football program at Imani Christian isn’t an impossible dream. Coach LaRoi Johnson knows it because he was there in 2017. The Saints finished a point away from grabbing the WPIAL Class A crown from eventual state champion Jeannette. Things have changed since Johnson, who was the offensive...
Interest level high at Derry following 2 subpar seasons
With a new coach on board, Derry has been repositioned in Class 2A, drastically altering recent schedules. No disrespect to the current opponents, but dropping down just might suit the Trojans better after several fruitless seasons in Class 3A. Among last year’s opponents, only Burrell, Class 4A Latrobe and Class...
Burrell ready to take on new challenges in Class 2A
After several years in Class 3A, Burrell made the move down a classification in the new two-year cycle. Coach Shawn Liotta said his team is getting ramped up for the season and is excited for its potential in its new conference. “There are a lot of new challenges for us...
Apollo-Ridge looks to stay healthy, bounce back
When coach John Skiba reviewed video of Apollo-Ridge games last season, he rarely saw his prospective starting lineup on the field. That’s because the Vikings were plagued by a variety of injuries and illnesses that led to a 1-4 record in Allegheny Conference play, 2-7 overall. In fact, in the...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 18, 2022
High schools Golf Thursday’s results Boys Class 3A Section 1 Norwin 203, Latrobe 211 Medalists: Alex Graham (N) 38, PJ Germano (L) 40 Penn-Trafford 196, Armstrong 211 Medalist: Nick Turowski (PT) 37 Indiana 199, Hempfield 206 Section 2 Trinity 198, Ringgold 241 Medalists: Brock Carrigan, Logan Daniels (T) 39, Clayton...
2022 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the tight ends
The storied history of WPIAL football often focuses on its legendary quarterbacks and, more recently, a string of standout defensive backs. But don’t forget about the tight end tradition. Consider, the first pure tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was from the WPIAL. That was Aliquippa...
Highlands quarterback goes from freaked-out freshman to record-breaking senior
A career that literally began by accident will end up rewriting the record book at Highlands. Senior quarterback Chandler Thimons was a wet-behind-the-ears freshman when out of nowhere he got the starting nod to be the Golden Rams signal caller. “I can still remember that day,” Thimons said. “It was...
Two-way lineman a blue ribbon prospect for Latrobe football team
He will show lionhead rabbits and work a bottle-rocket contest at the Westmoreland Fair later in the summer. But this week, Danny Calabrese is honing his skills as a two-way lineman for Latrobe as the Wildcats make their way into Class 4A football under first-year coach Ron Prady and his...
New coach likes South Allegheny’s chances: ‘The talent level is outstanding’
He earned his chops in “The First State,” but Darwin Manges says he’s back where he belongs. “I cut my teeth in Delaware. I’m not ashamed of that,” he said. But Manges insists his foundation in football lies in Western Pennsylvania. “It’s always going to be here,” said the product...
