Author: Bruce Markey

CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 2-A Football Flashback

August 11, 2017

Expansion was a huge part of the 2016-2017 school year as the PIAA and thus the WPIAL got its first taste of six classifications starting with the 2016 football season. While there were some surprises and some competitive action in the regular season and district playoffs, there was very little suspense in the championship chase as Steel Valley became one of the most dominant WPIAL and PIAA champions. 2016 WPIAL 2-A HEADLINES:

CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 6-A Football Flashback

August 5, 2017

Expansion was a huge part of the 2016-2017 school year as the PIAA and thus the WPIAL got its first taste of six classifications starting with the 2016 football season. There were and still are a pair of seven team conferences in the highest class. But when all was said and done, a familiar name was on top as Pittsburgh Central Catholic captured a second straight district crown. Here is a look back at the WPIAL 6-A in 2016. 2016 WPIAL 6-A HEADLINES:

COUNTDOWN to KICKOFF 2017

August 4, 2017

The countdown to the start of the 2017 high school football season is underway. Last season dealt with major changes with the expansion from four to six classifications and teams having the option to have a second scrimmage on or playing an actual non-conference game that had been labeled Week Zero, which will be on 8/26 or 8/27 this season. Week One this season is set for Friday, September 1st and Saturday, September 2nd. Training camps for the new campaign open up in Western Pennsylvania on Monday, August 14th.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/27/2017

July 27, 2017

We unofficially kick off the high school football season as well as continue our coverage of Frontier League pro baseball this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Our 2017 Countdown to Kickoff starts with the MSA Sports/Kennywood Park Preseason Football All-Star Team Presentation Show on Wednesday, plus we have both audio and video coverage as the Washington Wild Things host Normal for three games before hitting the road for three games at Gateway for three weekend games ONLY here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 24th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, July 25th: No Broadcasts Wednesday, July 26th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/18/2017

July 18, 2017

As the heat of July continues on the diamond, we continue our coverage of Frontier League pro baseball this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have both audio and video coverage as the Washington Wild Things hit the road for three games at Southern Illinois and three games at Evansville ONLY here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 17th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, July 18th: Frontier League Pro Baseball - Live Video - Washington Wild Things vs Southern Illinois Miners at 8:05pm on MSAsports.net Wednesday, July 19th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/11/2017

July 11, 2017

With summer and July in full swing, we take a little bit of a break this week here on the MSA Sports Network. After the Frontier League All-Star break allows for a bit of rest at the start of the week, pro baseball returns to Wild Things Park this weekend with the start of the second half of the season and a three game series against the Windy City ThunderBolts ONLY here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 10th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, July 11th: No Broadcasts Wednesday, July 12th: No Broadcasts Thursday, July 13th: No Broadcasts Friday, July 14th:

Coaches Corner – Billy Simms

July 5, 2017

In this feature titled "Coaches Corner", I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week features head softball coach Bill Simms of the West Greene Pioneers. Coach Simms finished his 12th year with WG, and has helped turn the program into a perennial playoff contender. In 2016, he led his team to 4 straight blowout wins, earning them the Pioneers first ever WPIAL softball title. Coach Simms is also the Athletic Director, as well as a teacher at West Greene. Let's take a look inside Coach Simms's corner:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/19/2017

June 19, 2017

The calm after the 2016-2017 high school sports season is plenty of Frontier League pro baseball this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have audio and video coverage of the Washington Wild Things as they hit the road this week with three games vs the Lake Erie Crushers and three weekend contests against the Schaumburg Boomers ONLY here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 19th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, June 20th: Frontier League Pro Baseball - Live Video - Washington Wild Things vs Lake Erie Crushers at 7:05pm on MSAsports.net Wednesday, June 21st:

2017 PIAA Baseball Playoffs RESULTS

June 18, 2017

It truly was a golden season for Latrobe as the Wildcats followed up their first ever WPIAL baseball championship with PIAA state gold. 2017 turned out to be a season of silver for South Park as the Eagles made it to the finals in both the district and state postseason, but fell in the two title games and impressively claimed second place in both. Here are ALL the results from the 2017 PIAA Baseball Playoffs. All of the results with (MSA) after them are games you can listen to archived here on The Network 2017 PIAA BASEBALL CLASS 6-A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Pennsbury Falcons 1 - Dallastown Wildcats 0

West Greene Rallies Past Williams Valley for State Softball Revenge

June 16, 2017

After falling 3-2 to Williams Valley in the 2016 PIAA championship game, the West Greene Pioneers had redemption on their mind all season. In the rematch on Friday at Penn State University's Beard Field, West Greene gained revenge by mounting an epic comeback en route to a 9-8 victory in the 1A finals. As a result, the Pioneers (26-1) captured their first state gold in program history.

Hempfield Perfect in Winning Back-to-Back State Titles

June 15, 2017

When asked which of his Hempfield squads was the better over the past two years, coach Bob Kalp could not give a definitive answer. However, he certainly made a...perfect...point. "It's hard to argue with 27-0." His Lady Spartan softball team repeated as PIAA state champions with a 5-3 victory over Hazleton in the Class 6A Championship game on Thursday at Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park. The back-to-back championships are the first ever to occur at the highest classification of PIAA softball. The victory also extended the Hempfield winning streak to 41 games, capping off a perfect 27-0 season.

Mount Pleasant Wins First State Softball Title

Last season, the Mt. Pleasant Vikings were crowned WPIAL AAA champions, but the PIAA playoff run lasted just one game. This year, Mt. Pleasant had to win the third-place consolation game to reach the state playoffs and they did. Mt. Pleasant then had to defeat the district 10 champion (Harbor Creek), WPIAL Champion (Belle Vernon) and WPIAL runner-up (Yough), they did. Looking past last year's PIAA let-down, Mt. Pleasant overcame the difficult odds and were crowned PIAA 4A Champions with a 5-3 victory over the Tuckhannock Tigers.

Minersville Drops South Side for PIAA 2A Softball Crown

District 11 Champion Minersville (24-2) scored four runs in the 4th inning to win their tenth PIAA Championship, defeating WPIAL runner-up South Side (20-4) in the 2A Softball Championship Game at Penn State's Beard Field on Thursday. The tile win for Minersville , their first since 2014, comes with some controvery, as South Side pitcher McKenna Smith was called for throwing ten illegal pitches during the game, with one directly leading to a solo home run by Minersville's Adrienne Kroznuskie.

Beaver County Christian Falls in PIAA 2-A Finals

June 10, 2017

Northeastern won its fifth consecutive PIAA Class AA crown with a 3-1 victory over Beaver County Christian School at Penn State University's Rec Hall. It's the first time that a team has won five straight state titles since Haverford won six in a row from 1966-1971. Saturday's appearance in the state title tilt was the first ever for Beaver County Christian, a program that began in 2009.

2017 PIAA Boys and Girls Lacrosse Playoffs Results

As lacrosse continues to grow here in Western Pa, it is still playing catch up to some of the hot bed areas in the eastern side of Pennsylvania. Sooner or later, a WPIAL boys or girls lacrosse team will win a state championship, but that day hasn't come yet, and it won't come this year either. Avon Grove and Springfield won boys state titles while Archbishop Carroll and Radnor claimed girls state crowns. Here are ALL the results from the 2017 PIAA Boys and Girls Lacrosse Playoffs. 2017 PIAA BOYS LACROSSE CLASS 3-A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Avon Grove Red Devils 5 - Conestoga Pioneers 4 in Double Overtime BOYS CLASS 3-A Semifinals:

PIAA Baseball/Softball First Round Recaps From Tuesday, June 6th

June 7, 2017

Mother Nature slowed down the start of the state baseball and softball playoffs in Southwestern Pennsylvania as plenty of WPIAL had to wait until Tuesday to begin their quest for PIAA gold. While the WPIAL baseball teams stumbled out of the gate, district softball teams were shining bright with 13 wins in 19 games. Here are recaps from baseball and softball state playoff games heard Tuesday on MSA Sports. A special thanks to Justin McCauley, Jason Tennant, Josh Rowntree, James Dotson, Mark Schaas, Greg Kuntz, Donny Chedrick, Rob McKinney, Bob Gregg, Randy Gore and Bobby Fox for their help on these recaps. PIAA BASEBALL: PIAA CLASS 6-A First Round:

2017 WPIAL BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Results

June 2, 2017

There was one repeat district baseball champion in Riverside, three programs that have won gold before in the last decade in Pine-Richland, Blackhawk and California, and two newbee winners as Latrobe and Jeannette are enjoying their very first baseball crowns. Here are ALL the results from the 2017 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs. You can watch the archive of all six title games at Wild Things Park anytime you want here on MSA Sports. All results marked with (MSA) after are matches you can hear archived here on The Network. 2017 WPIAL CLASS 6-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Pine-Richland Rams 3 - North Allegheny Tigers 2 (MSA)

Ellwood City Dominant in WPIAL Softball Repeat

May 31, 2017

Elwood City's softball team has been a dominant force over WPIAL opponents in recent years, as it carried a 37-game winning streak against such foes into Wednesday's Class 3A championship game. That dominance continued as the Wolverines scored a convincing 10-0 victory in five innings against Deer Lakes at California University's Lilley Field. To get that win, the Wolverines (18-0) had to be extremely patient. A rain delay of about 90 minutes during the Class 6A game caused the 3A title tilt to start a little more than 2 1/2 hours after originally scheduled.

Jeannette Stuns Rival Greensburg CC for 1A Baseball Gold

On Wednesday, May 31, 2017 history was made for the Jeannette High School baseball program. The Jayhawks won their first WPIAL Championship in program history defeating the Greensburg Central Centurions 7-3. Greensburg Central Catholic struck first in the bottom of the 3rd inning scoring two runs. Centurion Nicholas Ruggeri led off the inning by walking and working his way to second on a stolen base. Neal McDermott scored Ruggeri from second with a RBI triple and later scored on a throwing error. Jeannette would strike next in the top of the 4th inning. Eric Hall tallied a one-out single and Blaze Tran followed suit notching a single to advance Hall from first to third. Seth Howard drove in Hall from third with a RBI single.

Frazier Shuts Out South Side for 2-A Softball Title

A handful of freshman pitchers have led their teams to WPIAL softball titles in recent memory. Frazier hurler Logan Hartman added her name to that list on Wednesday at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania, as she tossed a three-hit shutout. In the process, the No. 2 Commodores defeated top-seeded South Side 2-0 to win the WPIAL 2A Championship, the first in program history. The Commodores (18-2) wasted little time in gaining the upper hand, as they scored a run in the bottom of the first. Hartman drew a leadoff walk against South Side's McKenna Smith, and then advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice by Megan Celaschi. After a groundout moved Hartman to third, Emi Curcio delivered an RBI single to right field.

WPIAL Baseball Recaps From Wednesday, May 31st

What started with three play-in games Tuesday continued with two more district consolation games on Wednesday. State playoff berths were earned by Serra Catholic and Union while the 2017 campaign came to an end for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Jefferson-Morgan. Here are recaps from those two games played at the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex. A special thanks to Mark Schaas and Bobby Fox for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS 2-A Consolation Game:

California Outlasts Freedom to Win WPIAL 2-A Title

May 30, 2017

All year, the California Trojans baseball team has relied on their pitching and defense to win games. A solid defense keeping the score low has allowed the Trojans offense to scatter runs over seven innings of play. On Tuesday, it took more than seven innings. California scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning to claim a 3-1 victory over Freedom in the WPIAL Class 2A Championship on Tuesday at Wild Things Park in Washington. The victory gave the Trojans their fifth WPIAL Championship in program history, ranking fifth all-time.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/29/2017

May 29, 2017

Happy Memorial Day to all of our many fans as we prepare for the final district championships of the 2016-2017 school year this week here on the MSA Sports Network. For the first time, MSA Sports has both audio and video broadcast coverage of the 2017 WPIAL Baseball Championship Games as well as audio coverage from Cal U of the 2017 WPIAL Softball Championships, plus WPIAL consolation baseball postseason action and another week of Frontier League pro baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 29th: HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY from all of us here at the MSA SPORTS NETWORK!!!! Tuesday, May 30th:

2017 WPIAL GIRLS LACROSSE PLAYOFFS

May 16, 2017

Last year, Mount Lebanon won their second Class 3-A title in three years and fifth championship in school history while Blackhawk won Class 2-A gold for the first time in school history. Now both teams are back to defend their crowns and in the bottom half of the brackets in each class. Here are ALL the finals from the First Round on Monday, plus the sites and times for the Quarterfinals on Wednesday in the 2017 WPIAL Girls Lacrosse Playoffs. WPIAL CLASS 3-A Quarterfinals: #1 Fox Chapel Foxes vs #8 Upper St. Clair Panthers AT Fox Chapel High School on Wednesday, May 17th at 7:30pm

FINAL 2017 WPIAL Baseball Standings

May 14, 2017

Here are the latest WPIAL baseball standings for the 2017 season...plus all the FINAL teams that have clinched playoff berths. The standings will be updated daily through the regular season. You can follow the high school baseball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Monday and daily game broadcasts here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2017 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs sponsored in part by the Aul Bat Company can be heard ONLY on the MSA Sports Network. The top four teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention {SET WITH 13 CLASS 6-A PLAYOFF TEAMS}

FINAL 2017 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Standings

Here are the FINAL standings for the 2017 WPIAL Boys Volleyball season...including the latest WPIAL Playoff clinchings. You can follow the WPIAL Boys Volleyball regular season with updated results and standings, plus regular season and postseason broadcasts only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top four teams in each section make the playoffs. If there is a tie for fourth place, head-to-head will be the tiebreaker. If there is a split in the head-to-head, both tied teams make the playoffs. # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Race Only section records are shown. (SET WITH 12 CLASS 3-A PLAYOFF TEAMS)

Scholastic Notebook – 05/12/2017

May 12, 2017

The weather has been pretty decent for high school sports this spring. At West Allegheny, the spring has been near perfect. But it has nothing to do with the weather. The West Allegheny baseball team and the West Allegheny softball team are enjoying tremendous success. Both teams came close to perfect regular seasons. The West Allegheny softball team was undefeated until the final game of the season when it lost to Chartiers Valley, 4-2. The Indians finished 18-1. By coincidence, the West Allegheny baseball team also finished the regular season 18-1. The baseball Indians lost only to Moon, 9-5, in the regular season.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball Playoff Teams – 05/11/2017

May 11, 2017

Call it ranking them, call it seeding them, whatever you want to refer them as, MSA Sports presents our final Top Ten of the baseball season as we put the 75 postseason bound teams in their respective classification in the order as we see it. Obviously, the steering committee will have their own view, which becomes official Friday when the brackets for the upcoming district playoffs are released. The one rule of thumb guiding us which the committee will also follow is trying to stay away from First Round matchups between teams from the same section. Tune in Friday evening at 7:00pm for the WPIAL Baseball Playoff Pairings Show here on your exclusive home for the District Diamond Postseason, the MSA Sports Network.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball Playoff Teams – 05/10/2017

May 10, 2017

Call it ranking them, call it seeding them, whatever you want to refer them as, MSA Sports presents our final Top Ten of the softball season as we put the 78 postseason bound teams in their respective classification in the order as we see it. Obviously, the steering committee will have their own view, which becomes official Thursday when the brackets for the upcoming district playoffs are released. The one rule of thumb guiding us which the committee will also follow is trying to stay away from First Round matchups between teams from the same section. Tune in Thursday evening at 7:00pm for the WPIAL Softball Playoff Pairings Show here on your exclusive home for the District Diamond Postseason, the MSA Sports Network.

2017 Hometown Softball Recap – Belle Vernon Leopards

In a battle of MSA’s #1 and #2 teams, Belle Vernon defeated Yough 5-4 in 12 innings in a thrilling section finale for both teams at Belle Vernon High School on Tuesday. The win by Belle Vernon makes the Leopards and Cougars Section 2 Class 4-A Co-Champions with the teams finishing 11-1 in section play and providing the lone loss to each other. For the largest part of the game it was a pitching duel between BV’s ace junior Bailey Parshall and Yough’s sophomore Kiera Waywood.

New Champs Crowned at 2017 WPIAL Team Track & Field Finals

May 9, 2017

Call it a changing of the guard or a passing of the torch. Whatever you choose, you can call Seneca Valley boys, Riverside boys, Butler Girls and Burrell girls NEW WPIAL Track & Field champions. In 2016, three of the four WPIAL Track & Field teams that claimed district gold were repeat champions. In fact, two programs had mini-dynasties going on as North Allegheny boys had won four straight Class 3-A titles while Hempfield girls had gone one better with five consecutive Class 3-A crowns. But those three teams along with Beaver girls could not claim gold on Monday at Baldwin High School as the Raiders, Panthers, Golden Tornado and Buccaneers trumped all.

Coaches Corner – Harry Rutherford

May 7, 2017

In this feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week features head softball coach Harry Rutherford of Elizabeth Forward high school. Coach Rutherford is in his 8th season as head coach of the Warriors, producing only one losing season. Coach Rutherford has led his squad to 5 straight postseason berths, and in 2012 they fell short of a WPIAL title, losing in the finals to Montour. Let’s take a look inside Coach Rutherford’s corner:

Luke Ross Repeats in 2-A While Frosh Connor Bruce Win 3-A Tennis Titles

May 6, 2017

It wasn't easy, but both Connor Bruce of Peters Township and Luke Ross of Sewickley Academy are kings of the WPIAL Boys Singles tennis court. Both needed three sets to win gold Friday afternoon at The Club Sports and Health Center in Monroeville. It's more gold for the senior Ross, who repeats as WPIAL 2-A champ in winning his third singles championship of his career. He also helped Sewickley Academy win a 13th straight team title two weeks ago. Ross beat Luke Phillips of Carlynton 6-3, but then fell 6-1 in the second set. Ross won the third set to beat Phillips for the third time in a title match. the two squared off in both the WPIAL and PIAA boys singles tennis final a year ago with Ross winning both.

Hometown Softball Recap – Latrobe Wildcats – 05/04/2017

May 4, 2017

Morgan Ryan continues to shine in the WPIAL Class 6-A Section 2 section as she notched her 13th win Thursday evening. Ryan threw a complete game shutout as she allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk with 10 strikeouts as the Spartans of Hempfield knocked off the rival Latrobe Wildcats 3-0. Sophomore Kiley Myers pitched 4 clean innings for Latrobe until allowing single runs in the 5th, 6th and 7th. Myers had 6 strikeouts. Autumn Heasley and Laura Fox homered for Hempfield to provide insurance in the late innings. Fox finished 3-for-4 with a homerun and 2 RBIs. Hempfield moves to 18-0 overall and 9-0 in section. Latrobe is now 8-6 overall with a conference record of 7-3. Both teams have qualified for the upcoming WPIAL Class 6-A playoffs.

Hometown Softball Recap – North Hills Indians – 05/04/2017

At McIntyre Elementary School in the North Hills, the host Indians girls softball team took a tough loss to their rival the North Allegheny Tigers by a score of 4-2 Thursday afternoon. The Indians fall to 8-8 overall and 5-5 in the section. They have locked up a playoff berth and will finish 3rd in their section. In Thursday's game, the Indians scored first in the bottom of the first inning. After a walk and a single, Madison Posterivo hit an RBI single to make it 1-0. North Allegheny would score two runs each in the 4th and 5th innings to take a 4-1 lead. In those innings the Tigers would get 4 hits, a walk, and reach on an error.

Hometown Softball Recap – West Mifflin Titans – 05/04/2017

Although the section slate has been a struggle for West Mifflin in 2017, the Titans triumphed convincingly on senior recognition day, blasting Carrick 17-2 in four innings at West Mifflin High School. In the victory, the Titans (2-9 Class 4A Section 2, 6-11) collected 16 hits, and scored runs in every inning. Carrick, winless on the season, struck first, as the Raiders scored twice in the top of the first, as Kelly Denk crushed a two-out triple that plated Ashlyn Wilkes. As Denk slide into third, the relay throw went astray, allowing her to score on the error.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 05/02/2017

May 2, 2017

Each week during the 2017 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all six classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2017 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. CLASS 6-A Top Ten: 1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (16-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (9-2) (Last Week #2) 3) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (8-2) (Last Week #3) 4) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (8-3) (Last Week #4)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Portia McBride

Portia McBride has enjoyed a memorable softball career, from an unexpected hero on the Elizabeth Forward High School team, to a trio of stops in the college ranks. McBride is now winding down her career at California University of Pennsylvania, and has been stellar in the circle in 2017. She is this week's feature for the WPIAL Alum Q&A.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 05/01/2017

May 1, 2017

Each week during the 2017 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all six classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class 2-A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2017 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. CLASS 6-A Top Ten: 1) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (12-3) (Last Week #1) 2) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (9-5) (Last Week #2) 3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (10-3) (Last Week #3) 4) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (10-3) (Last Week #4)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/30/2017

April 30, 2017

It's the final full week of the regular season in high school baseball and softball as well as the first full week of May this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL baseball section contests along with WPIAL softball including coverage of several Hometown Softball broadcasts. We also have WPIAL boys and girls lacrosse, plus another edition of WPIAL Diamond Notes ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 1st: WPIAL High School Baseball - Baldwin vs Canon-McMillan at 4:15pm on WJPA-AM 1450 WPIAL High School Baseball - North Allegheny vs Butler at 7:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net

Hometown Softball Recap – South Side Rams – 04/28/2017

April 28, 2017

The South Side Rams softball team clinched the Class 2-A Section 4 title Thursday afternoon at home by defeating the Shenango Wildcats 9-3. Senior McKenna Smith, the winning pitcher, pitched a complete and delivered a three run double. Senior Hunter Hand contributed a two-run homer and a run scoring double for the Rams while Junior Regan Hozak had three hits and drove in two as South Side remained undefeated. For Shenango, Jacqui Baker stroked two home runs and drove in all three Wildcats runs. South Sided Beaver is now a perfect 11-0 overall and 10-0 in section play. Shenango falls to 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the section.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/25/2017

April 25, 2017

Each week during the 2017 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all six classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2017 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. CLASS 6-A Top Ten: 1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (12-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (8-2) (Last Week #5) 3) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (6-2) (Last Week #4) 4) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (6-3) (Last Week #2)

Coaches Corner – Tricia Alderson

April 23, 2017

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/10/2017

April 10, 2017

While you may spend a lot of time hunting Easter eggs, you won't have to spend a lot of time searching for quality high school sports sports coverage this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL baseball section contests along with WPIAL softball including coverage of Hometown Softball. We also have WPIAL boys and girls lacrosse, plus another edition of WPIAL Diamond Notes ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 10th: WPIAL High School Baseball - Pittsburgh Central Catholic vs Pine-Richland at 4:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL High School Baseball - Plum vs Norwin at 4:00pm on MSAsports.net

PIAA Wrestling: Class 3-A Day Two Results

March 10, 2017

Day two of AAA wrestling in Hershey was strong for the WPIAL, with 34 of 56 wrestlers guaranteed to come home with a medal. Of the 34 wrestlers, 17 remain alive in the semi-finals with an opportunity to become a state champion. Leading the way is Spencer Lee of Franklin Regional, who is on a quest to become the 13th wrestler in PIAA history to win four state championships. Lee won by technical fall in the quarterfinals 15-0 in 2:45 over Gunnar Fuss of Harry S. Truman. Cameron Coy of Penn Trafford also continued his dominance, winning by fall in 1:11 over Owen Watkins of General McLane, to advance into the semi-finals. Coy is looking to become the 44th wrestler in PIAA history to win three state titles.

PIHL Notebook – 03/07/2017

March 7, 2017

The PIHL playoffs officially kicked off with a slew of contests last night, and the play-in and first round action continues for the next three nights, as well. As a result, this edition of the PIHL Notebook will provide a glimpse into the upcoming matchups. Class AAA and AA will consist of four first-round games, while Class A includes four play-in tilts. Lastly, Division 2 will feature two first-round bouts. MSA Sports will broadcast nearly all of the contests highlighted below, as well as the semifinals and championships. Class AAA First Round No. 1 Central Catholic Vikings (16-4-0) vs No. 8 Butler Golden Tornado (7-10-3) – Thursday, March 9 at Alpha Ice Complex at 9 p.m.

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Wednesday 3/1

March 2, 2017

As the calendar changed from the February Frenzy to the madness of March, three days of Final Four action in the WPIAL basketball postseason also came to an end. Section supremecy was the theme on the boys side as a pair of Section 1 teams are title game bound in Class 6-A while two teams from Section 2 are headed to clash at The Pete in Class 4-A. For the girls, the lone district team with a perfect record is unbeaten no more and two lower seeds advance to play for gold in Class 5-A. Here are recaps from the eight Semifinals games on Wednesday from Boys 6-A, Boys 4-A, Girls 5-A and Girls 3-A. A special thanks to Bob Barrickman, Tyler Friel, Dennis Fischer, Mike Azadian, Scott Majesky, Bob Gregg, Mark Schaas and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps.

PIHL Notebook – 02/28/2017

February 28, 2017

The 2016-17 PIHL regular season has concluded, and now the brackets are nearly set for the playoffs, which begin on March 6. Subsequently, this week's edition of the PIHL Notebook will take a slightly different format, previewing some of notable contenders and darkhorse teams in each classification. Melting the Ice (The favorite and a darkhorse from each classification)

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Monday 2/27

February 27, 2017

The first of three nights of Final Four district postseason hoops is in the books with a familiar theme ringing true. In both the Boys 3-A and the Boys 1-A Semifinals, the #1-seeds were winners and will now face the #3-seeds in the finals. Meanwhile, it was a simpler formula for Girls 4-A and Girls 2-A where in the title games it will be #1 vs #2. Here are the summaries from the eight WPIAL Semifinals in the above mentioned classifications from Monday night on MSA Sports. A special thanks to Brandon Showers, Mark Uriah, Rob McKinney, Bob Gregg, Mark Schaas, Tom Hays and Donny Chedrick for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS 3-A Semifinals:

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Saturday 2/25

February 25, 2017

One 'Super Section' enjoyed a fabulous Saturday afternoon while another got swept into the abyss of not knowing if their season is over or if a berth in the state playoffs is in their future. While there were no surprises again on the girls side and the top four seeds advanced in Boys 4-A (All from Section 2), Boys Class 6-A was shaken big time when Section 2 Tri-Champs Latrobe, Fox Chapel and Penn Hills...seeds 2, 3 and 4, all lost. Here are the recaps from the Boys 6-A, Boys 4-A, Girls 5-A and Girls 3-A Quarterfinals on Saturday to Conclude Round Two.

PIHL Notebook – 02/21/2017

February 21, 2017

The PIHL regular season draws to a close this week, as the final positions will be set for the 2017 postseason. With just a few games remaining, this week's edition will put a bow on the regular slate, before the focus shifts to playoff hockey. Melting the Ice (the longest unbeaten streak in each classification)

Obama Claims 4th Straight City League Girls Hoops Crown

February 19, 2017

The seniors of Obama Academy's girls basketball team have become accustomed to winning championships, dating back to their time in middle school. They continued that trend on Sunday in the City League Championship at the Petersen Events Center, as the Eagles defeated Taylor Allderdice 64-53. In the process, Obama Academy captured its fourth-consecutive title. To score the triumph, Obama (16-8) used a strong second half, paced by senior Michaela Porter, the two-time reigning City League MVP. Porter, who is committed to the University of Cincinnati, netted a game-high 22 points, including 18 in the second half. Porter had plenty of support, however, including Taylor Stewart, who provided 19 points and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Friday 2/17

February 17, 2017

Twelves girls and six boys district postseason games got the ball rolling on this expanded version of the Path to the Pete. 8 Girls Class 5-A, 4 Girls Class 2-A and 6 Boys Class 1-A opening round games tipped off the WPIAL Basketball Playoffs on Friday night. Once again this year, any night there is playoff hoops, we have postseason recaps. A special thanks to Kyle Dawson, Dennis Fischer, Bob Gregg, Cory Campano, Mike Azadian, Paul Paterra, Brian Mroziak, James Dotson, Bob Orkwis, Bob Barrickman, Kevin Zielmanski, Josh Rowntree and Nate Regotti for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS 1-A First Round:

PIHL Notebook – 02/07/2017

February 7, 2017

The stretch run of the PIHL regular season is in full effect, as a number of marquee matchups highlight the schedule over the next few weeks. For many teams fighting for their playoff hopes, each game has become a must-win scenario. Moreover, for teams already in the postseason, building momentum down the stretch is of the upmost importance. Here's a glimpse at the big news around the league this week. Melting the Ice (the longest unbeaten streak in each classification)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Dale Clancy

February 6, 2017

While Seton-LaSalle has a strong basketball tradition on the girls' side, the boys' team has won just one title since the 1980s. That triumph came in 2014, with point guard Dale Clancy leading the way for the Rebels. Clancy, who is now a star for the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, is under the microscope for the WPIAL Q&A. Prior to claiming gold, the Rebels enjoyed a very successful campaign in 2012-13, as Clancy helped the team go 21-3, including a perfect mark of 12-0 in section play. Seton-LaSalle bested Mohawk in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, as well, before falling to Quaker Valley in the quarterfinals.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 02/06/2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (19-1) (Last Week #1) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (19-1) (Last Week #2) 3. PENN HILLS INDIANS (17-2) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL Coaches Corner – Chris Minerd

February 5, 2017

In this feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week spotlights California girls basketball coach Chris Minerd. This is Coach Minerd’s 7th season as the Trojans head coach. He has led his team to the playoffs in 5 of the last 6 years, including a WPIAL Semifinal berth in 2014. Let’s take a look inside Coach Minerd’s corner:

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Sydney Bordonaro

January 31, 2017

Sydney Bordonaro might be considered the best girls basketball player in Burrell history, as she helped establish the Bucs as a championship contender in each of her four varsity seasons. Now on the west coast, Bordonaro's success has translated to the college level at Pepperdine. She's the focus of this week's WPIAL Alum Q&A. As a high-school freshman in 2011-12, Bordonaro made a big impact, averaging in double figures in scoring, and contributing to Burrell's 18-5 campaign, which included an 11-3 mark in section play, and a playoff win in a preliminary round contest.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/30/2017

January 30, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class 6-A. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (17-1) (Last Week #2) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (17-1) (Last Week #1)

PIHL All-Star Game Recaps

January 29, 2017

The best of the best in district high school hockey were on display Sunday afternoon at the Alpha Arena in Harmarville. You can hear and listen to the archive broadcasts here on the MSA Sports Network by clicking HERE. Check out the game recaps from all four PIHL All-Star games. A special thanks to Rob Longo, Steve Nagler, Sean Meyers and Kevin Zielmanski for their help on these recaps. CLASS 3-A ALL-STAR GAME: Team Gold 3- Team Black 2 in Overtime Shootout

WPIAL Coaches Corner – Ralph Blundo

In this new feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week highlights New Castle boys basketball coach Ralph Blundo. Coach Blundo is in his 7th season coaching the Hurricanes. He won a WPIAL title in 2012 in 3-A. Then his team moved up to 4-A and won back to back titles in 2013 and 2014, capped by a PIAA state crown in 2014. He currently has the ‘Canes ranked #1 in 4-A this season. Let’s take a look inside Coach Blundo’s corner:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/24/2017

January 24, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season...including another NEW #1 team in Class 5-A. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (15-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (14-1) (Last Week #2) 3. FOX CHAPEL FOXES (14-1) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/23/2017

January 23, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (16-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (15-1) (Last Week #2) 3. PENN HILLS INDIANS (12-2) (Last Week #3)

PIHL Notebook – 01/17/2017

January 17, 2017

With just about one month remaining in the PIHL regular season, the action on the ice is really heating up. MSA Sports' comprehensive coverage has been in full force this month, with a bevy of audio and video broadcasts, as well as the weekly Chatham University PIHL Power Play Show, and of course, the PIHL Notebook. Here's a quick look at the latest happenings around the league. Melting the Ice (the longest unbeaten streak in each classification)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/16/2017

January 16, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (14-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-1) (Last Week #2) 3. PENN HILLS INDIANS (10-2) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL Coaches Corner – Ron Moncrief

In this new feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week features Vincentian Academy girls basketball coach Ronald Moncrief. Coach Moncrief has coached the Royals for 11 seasons, including this year. He has led them to 6 WPIAL titles in the last 7 years, and won back to back PIAA state crowns in 2014 and 2015. Let’s take a look inside Coach Moncrief’s corner:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/10/2017

January 10, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class 2-A. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (10-0) (Last Week #1) 2. LATROBE WILDCATS (9-1) (Last Week #2) 3. NORTH HILLS INDIANS (9-1) (Last Week #5)

PIHL Notebook – 01/102017

This edition of the PIHL Notebook is jam packed, as each and every game seemingly takes on more importance with the playoffs on the horizon. It will be a particularly busy month of hockey coverage for the MSA Sports Network, as January features a bevy of audio and video broadcasts of marquee matchups. Here is all the noteworthy news around the PIHL for this week. Melting the Ice (the longest unbeaten streak in each classification)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/09/2017

January 9, 2017

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class 6-A. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (11-0) (Last Week #2) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (10-1) (Last Week #1)

PIHL Notebook – 01/03/2017

January 3, 2017

With the holidays now in the rear-view mirror, PIHL action is back in full force this week. However, because there were no contests last week and just a smattering of action on Monday night, there will be a slight change to the format of the PIHL Notebook this week. Instead of looking at the hottest teams in each classification, we'll take a glance at the players who are the front runners for the Most Valuable Player in each class thus far. Melting the Ice (MVPs of each classification this season)

MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2016 – #5 through #1

January 1, 2017

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at the MSA Sports Network. As we close out 2016 and another great high school sports year, we look back at some of the top stories from around the WPIAL in calendar year 2016. We conclude our countdown with #5 through #1. #5 - YOUNG AND OLD FINAL FAIRWELLS

PIHL Notebook – 12/27/2016

December 27, 2016

With New Years quickly approaching, the PIHL Notebook is planning to keep a resolution to watch more hockey in 2017. Despite a limited schedule of action because of the holiday break, there were a few notable changes in the standings since last week, including some movement in the longest current winning streaks. Without further ado, let's delve further into that aspect. Melting the Ice (the top winning streaks in each classification)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Maria Palarino

December 26, 2016

Winning a WPIAL Championship cements both the team and its players' place in history. Led by Maria Palarino, the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team claimed gold in dramatic fashion in 2014. Palarino, who now is a stalwart for St. Francis Brooklyn, is this week's feature for the WPIAL Alum Q&A. In addition to winning a title with the Warriors, Palarino produced an incredible career at Penn-Trafford. As a junior in 2013-14, she averaged just shy of 18 points per game, and nearly eight rebounds per contest, too. She helped her squad compile a 13-1 mark in section play, giving PT the No. 7 seed in the Quad-A postseason. From there, the Warriors mounted an improbable run, defeating Plum, Mount Lebanon and Fox Chapel to reach the title game against Hempfield.

WPIAL Coaches Corner – Ryan Matsook

December 24, 2016

‘Tis the season for getting to know some of the hometown coaches here in western Pennsylvania. In this brand new feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five PIHL Rankings – 12/21/2016

December 21, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2016-2017 high school hockey season...including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAA and Class AA. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Tuesday on our website and the weekly Chatham University PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm. We also have audio and video game broadcasts and center stage interviews as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS 3-A:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/19/2016

December 19, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2016-2017 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class 4-A. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (3-1) (Last Week #3) 3. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (3-1) (Last Week #2)

Clairton’s Lamont Wade Commits to Penn State

December 17, 2016

Clairton's Lamont Wade's college recruitment has been one of the most publicized and closely followed of any WPIAL player in recent memory. On Saturday night, Wade revealed his decision by saying just two words: We Are. Wade committed to join Penn State, choosing the Nittany Lions over his other finalists, Pitt, West Virginia, Tennessee and UCLA.

2016 MSA SPORTS ELITE ELEVEN

December 16, 2016

The Elite 11 was into breaking records. A number of players on this year’s Elite 11 broke records, whether they were WPIAL marks or school records. The team is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL and is picked by the MSA Sports staff. This year’s team is made up of 10 seniors and one junior. Four of the players were quarterbacks and another played quarterback a little. The team includes three of the top six WPIAL rushers of all time and two of the top three touchdown makers of all time. Other players accomplished things never seen before in the WPIAL. A number of the players have already made their college choices and this year’s team is “Zane-y.” Two of the players are named Zane. Here is a look at the MSA Sports Elite 11 and the Player of the Year:

St. Joe’s Prep Pounds Central Catholic for PIAA 6-A Title

December 11, 2016

For the third time in four seasons, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (14-2) made the cross-state strip to Hershey, in search of what would be a second-consecutive PIAA title. However, this trip was not as sweet as last year’s 21-18 victory over Parkland, as the Vikings fell to St. Joseph’s Prep (14-0) by a final score of 42-7 in the first ever Class 6A Championship Game. Despite the lopsided margin of victory, both teams were scoreless after 12 minutes of play. It was D’Andre Swift, the University of Georgia commit, who broke the frigid air at HersheyPark Stadium Saturday evening with a 34-yard touchdown scamper with a little under five minutes to go in the first half.

Steel Valley Slams Southern Columbia for Perfect 2-A State Crown

December 10, 2016

15 games. 15 wins. 15 mercy rules. Steel Valley (15-0) completed one of the most dominant seasons in WPIAL and PIAA history with a 49-7 thrashing of defending PIAA 2A Champion Southern Columbia (15-1) in the PIAA 2A Championship at Hersheypark Stadium Saturday. The win completes a season for Steel Valley in which they reached the high school football mercy rule running clock in every contest, outscoring opponents 806-121. “I think that’s a Hall of Fame Team,” Steel Valley head coach Rod Steele said. “To go 15-0 with 15 mercy rules, I don’t know if anyone has ever done that.”

2015-2016 WPIAL Boys Basketball REVIEW

December 8, 2016

WPIAL Class AA champion Aliquippa was not only the lone district team to repeat as district champions, but they were also the only WPIAL team to bring home state gold in the PIAA playoffs after both Allderdice from the City League and Mars in AAA made it to Hershey, but settled for silver. The Quips joined Pine-Richland in Class AAAA, Beaver Falls in Class AAA and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in Class A as well deserved WPIAL basketball champs from the 2015-2016 campaign. Here is a look back at the season with the WPIAL Boys Basketball regular season standings, WPIAL postseason results and PIAA state playoff final scores from a year ago. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs:

Big Game Hunting for State Finals

December 7, 2016

And then there were four. Four WPIAL teams still alive as we head to the final weekend of the 2016 high school football season in the state of Pennsylvania. That final week takes place here in 2016 in week 15, as opposed to week 16 in years past. Doesn’t feel any different to me, the weather is still going to be frigid, and despite the number of teams in Hershey, I am willing to bet attendance won’t be very different with games being played on school or work days and school or work nights. The teams that are in Hershey are very familiar as well. So one year in, the staff at Big Game Hunting, after a secret ballot, has officially declared its hatred for six classifications.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Fourteen

December 6, 2016

The WPIAL has almost always enjoyed strong showings in the state football playoffs, as the district boasts the most PIAA football titles ever. With the expanded classifications, five WPIAL teams had an opportunity to advance to Hershey. While West Allegheny's terrific season came to an end, the other four representatives all advanced. Thus, this week's installment highlights the plays that helped send each team to "Chocolate World." 1. Beaver Falls 14, Central Martinsburg 7

Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 12/05/2016

December 5, 2016

Five WPIAL champions entered the State Semifinals with hopes of collecting more gridiron gold, and four keep that championship dream alive with victories to earn a trip to Chocolate Town. While Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Beaver Falls, Steel Valley and Clairton advanced to Hershey with wins on Friday or Saturday, only WPIAL 5-A champ West Allegheny saw their season come to an end two wins shy of a state crown. Here are the district standouts who helped lead their team to the PIAA Finals or refused to go quietly into the cold goodnight. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

PIAA Football Semifinals Recaps 2016

December 2, 2016

The WPIAL has never won more than three state football championships in a single season under the old four classification format. Now in the first year of the expanded six classes postseason, the district has four teams headed to the finals. In the Final Four of the 2016 PIAA Playoffs, the WPIAL was a four for five as Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Beaver Falls, Steel Valley and Clairton all won their Semifinals contests to advance to the state championships next weekend in Chocolate Town. The lone WPIAL champ that saw their season end was West Allegheny in 5-A on Saturday. Here are recaps from the five games, all of which were broadcast here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jawan Turner

December 1, 2016

When George Novak retired as the football coach at Woodland Hills earlier this month, he left a legacy of helping hundreds of players continue their careers at the college level. One of Novak's success stories is Jawan Turner, a standout defensive lineman at California University of Pennsylvania. Turner, who has been instrumental in the Vulcans undefeated season, is the focus of this week's WPIAL Alum Q&A.

Big Game Hunting for Week Fourteen

November 30, 2016

Before we start this week’s Big Game Hunting, we would like to extend our sympathy to the family of DiMantae Bronaugh, the Aliquippa community and the WPIAL community as well, DiMantae’s battle with leukemia could not have been fought more fiercely or with more class. I pray it continues to bring us all closer together and, that he will be remembered forever. To the PIAA semi-finals we send five WPIAL Champions, for the first time ever. All five semi-finals featuring WPIAL teams will be right here on the MSA Sports Network for those of you who cannot make the sometimes considerable drive to follow your clubs. No choices to make means no complaints to the boss, which makes these next two weeks my favorite two weeks of the season to go Big Game Hunting!

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Thirteen

November 29, 2016

While four WPIAL champions were crowned two weeks ago at Heinz Field, last weekend the 1A and 2A titles were on the line at Robert Morris. Meanwhile, three WPIAL representatives began their path in the state playoffs, and two of those teams claimed victory. This week's edition of the best plays includes a superstar's game-changing pick 6 in 1A, the long touchdown that started a rout in 2A, and two district teams getting the job done in the first quarters en route to PIAA victories. 1. Clairton 26, Jeannette 6

Steel Valley Dominant in Winning WPIAL 2-A Title

November 26, 2016

Total dominance. That has been Steel Valley’s motto the entire 2016 football season and did not come close to stopping Saturday night at Joe Walton Stadium at Robert Morris University. The top-seeded Ironmen (13-0) ran away with their 13th consecutive mercy rule victory in the WPIAL 2A Championship Game, beating No. 3 Neshannock 49-14. "It means a lot to bring this back to Steel Valley," said head coach Rod Steele. "The Mon Valley has always been known for hard-nosed kids, good programs and you can throw us in there now as Champions."

Chicks Picks for Week Thirteen

November 23, 2016

Welcome to Week 13 of the high school football season. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Chick’s Picks took some time to reflect on all that she is thankful for this holiday season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for her trusty crystal ball. Without it, she would surely not be half the talented prognosticator that she is today. Chick’s Picks is thankful for The Fumbler and H.S. Picks. These rival prognosticators keep Chick’s Picks’ competitive spirit alive every season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for the WPIAL and its coaches and players. After all, these are the folks that keep her and her crystal ball in business.

Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/20/2016

November 20, 2016

There were eight WPIAL football games this past weekend. Half on Friday produced four district champions and the other half on Saturday produced four teams that are now one win away from bringing gridiron gold to their schools trophy case. here are the eight players who made it happen from both the sunny and warm North Shore of Pittsburgh on Friday, or the frozen tundra of four high school sites in Western Pa on Saturday. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

TJ Storms Past New Castle to Repeat as WPIAL Champs

November 18, 2016

For many teams across the district, winning a WPIAL Championship seems like a giant mountain to climb. For Thomas Jefferson, that mountain feels more like a hill. Quinton Hill, that is. Hill rushed for 248 yards on 39 carries and scored three touchdowns for the Jaguars as they rolled to a 42-0 victory over New Castle in the WPIAL Class 4A Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Jaguars repeat as WPIAL champions, winning in the Class AAA title clash last season also with a convincing shutout. After their semifinal victory last week, coach Bill Cherpak said his Thomas Jefferson squad was "going home" to Heinz Field. Maybe the Rooney family should charge rent to Coach Cherpak, as his Jaguars have won six WPIAL titles at Heinz Field since 2004.

Chicks Picks for Week Twelve

November 17, 2016

Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After an incredible performance predicting last week’s winners, Chick’s Picks decided that she could take the rest of the season off and leave it in the hands of her trusty crystal ball. So, she packed up her golf clubs and boarded a plane headed for her favorite southern destination. The sun was shining beautifully on a warm fall morning. Chick’s Picks took a moment to enjoy the view on the first hole. Just as she was about to tee off, she heard a man yell, “Hey!”

Woodland Hills’ Only Football Coach and AD George Novak Retires

November 16, 2016

The only football coach and athletic director that Woodland Hills High School has ever known submitted his resignation papers Wednesday. George Novak, Pennsylvania’s 14th all-time winningest high school football coach, is stepping down after an illustrious 30-year career. Novak, 66, has won six WPIAL Championships while guiding the Wolverines to 306 wins along the way, the third best mark in WPIAL history. Only former Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton and current Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render have won more games. “I’ve been blessed,” Novak told MSA Sports on This Week in the WPIAL after his 300th win in September. “I’ve had some great people to work with at Steel Valley and Woodland Hills.”

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Eleven 2016

November 15, 2016

As good as the regular season and the first playoff week were, it's likely that this past week's action provided some of the top moments of the entire campaign. With trips at Heinz Field on the line in 3A-6A, and spots in the semifinals in the balance in 1A and 2A, the crucial plays carried even more importance. This week's selection includes a jaw-dropping hook-and-lateral in an improbable win, a clinching block on an extra-point attempt with no time on the clock, a winning touchdown run in the final minute in a classic 3A bout, and a touchdown that put the exclamation point on a Cinderella run in 4A. 1. McKeesport 41, Gateway 38

WPIAL Football Friday Playoff Summaries – 11/12/2016

November 12, 2016

The first district postseason on different paths continued on Friday with the final stop on the Highway to Heinz for 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A playing its Semifinals games while the Road to RMU hit the midway point as Quarterfinals Friday set the stage for the Final Four next Saturday. 13 of the 16 games were decided by double digits points with plenty of them ending in mercy rule fashion, however the three nail-biters that literally came down to the final play drummed up enough excitement to carry the night and make this a memorable round. Here are recaps form all 16 games played around the WPIAL on the second Friday of the district postseason.

Scholastic Notebook – 11/11/2016

November 11, 2016

The latest national high school rankings were released earlier this week and there is a WPIAL team at No. 3 in the country. You might be thinking that Pittsburgh Central Catholic is gaining more national acclaim. But this has nothing to do with Central Catholic, or any other WPIAL team. In fact, this has nothing to do with football. We’re talking girls soccer. The Norwin girls are the No. 3 team in the country in the weekly National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings. Norwin’s impressive season has jumped the Knights up the rankings. They were No. 10 two weeks ago, and No. 4 last week. The only teams ranked ahead of Norwin are Davis High School (Utah) and Glastonbury (Conn.).

WPIAL Football Playoff Scores for Friday 11/11

November 10, 2016

First and foremost on this second Friday of district postseason play, WE SALUTE ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS!!!! Secondly, the 16 games played Friday around the WPIAL set the final menu for the four title games in 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A at Heinz Field next Friday as well as filled the Final Four slate in 2-A and 1-A next Saturday. Here are ALL the results of the 16 games, ALL of which can be heard again ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. ALL games can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Semifinals: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 63 - Pine-Richland Rams 34 (F)

Western Pa High School Football District Playoff Results

While the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU continued on Friday in the WPIAL football playoffs, high school postseason gridiron action continued elsewhere in other districts this weekend. Here is a rundown of ALL the final high school football playoff scores from District 8, District 5, District 6, District 9 and District 10 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that will set the stage for Round One of the PIAA Playoffs next weekend. DISTRICT 5: CLASS 2-A Championship: Chestnut Ridge Lions 41 - Berlin-Brothersvalley Mountaineers 7 DISTRICT 5: CLASS 1-A Championship:

Chicks Picks for Week Eleven

Welcome to Week 11 of the high school football season. Despite being 11 weeks into the season, Chick’s Picks is still having difficult time adjusting to the six classification system. At this critical point in the season, Chick’s Picks knew she needed a meeting with the Boss. After a hard day at work, Chick’s Picks stopped by MSA Sports World Headquarters to voice her concerns to the man in charge. “Boss, I hate to admit it, but I’m lost. Between the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU, I don’t know which way to go,” the prognosticator confessed.

Big Game Hunting for Week Eleven

November 9, 2016

Call it what you like, redemption Friday, redo Friday, rematch Friday, every single game in the three largest classifications this Friday night is a game that was already played at some point during the regular season. We prefer to call it the semi-finals, and there is no better time to go Big Game Hunting! The suddenness with which the semi-finals jump up on us in 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A is a little unnerving. But hey, we got a new President recently, let’s find out if we are going to get some new champions as well.

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Shavonta Craft

Jeannette's football tradition is nearly unparalleled in the district, and the Jayhawks have produced a bevy of college and even professional players in recent years. While some of those athletes have played football throughout the country, Shavonta Craft continued his career just a few miles from his high school. Craft, a running back, is about to conclude his tenure at St. Vincent College. He's the featured athlete in this week's edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Ten 2016

November 8, 2016

While football realignment made for an unusual format to begin the 2016 playoffs (first round games in 1 and 2A, quarterfinals in 3-6A), the intensity and excitement was still very much present. So, too, were upsets, as the number of lower-seeded teams that prevailed nearly reached double digits. Among the tops plays for the first week of the postseason were a winning field goal nearly as time expired in 6A, a go-ahead touchdown with just seconds left in 1A, a shocker sealed by an interception in 4A, and a team continuing its magical run in 3A by knocking off a perennial powerhouse. Without further ado, here are the best plays from Week 10. 1. Pine-Richland 35, Bethel Park 32

WPIAL Football Saturday Playoff Summaries

November 6, 2016

For the first time in years, there was a Saturday game on opening weekend in the WPIAL Football Playoffs. With both Keystone Oaks and Bishop Canevin earning opening round home games at Dormont Stadium, KO joined 62 other teams in action Friday night while BC hosted California for the 32nd and final football postseason game for the first weekend of scholastic gridiron playoff action. A special thanks to Bob Orkwis for this recap. WPIAL CLASS 1-A First Round:

University Prep Dethrones Brashear for City League Football Gold

November 5, 2016

Based on the first meeting between Brashear and University Prep back on Oct. 20, it seemed as if Saturday’s City League Championship between those two teams would result in a similar 13-0 win for USO, despite much more favorable playing conditions, rather than the monsoon and inclement weather that day, which moved up the start time of that game. Instead, it was the battle of who could overcome adversity the best Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Penalties and turnovers for both sides piled up, and it came down to the penultimate possession of the game to determine the winner.

Shady Side Academy Upsets Rival GCC for Girls Soccer Gold

Eliza Cochran's goal in the 28th minute proved to be all that No. 3 Shady Side Academy (16-3) needed, scoring a 1-0 upset of No. 1 Greensburg Central Catholic (19-2), at Highmark Stadium in the WPIAL Girls 1A Championship Game on Saturday afternoon. Cochran, a Georgetown recruit, scored on a free kick from 30 yards out, bending a ball by Centurions goaltender Bella Skatell, finding the upper left corner of the net.

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Ten

Last weekend, all of the ciphering and dissecting of the district tiebreakers determined the 64 teams that would qualify for this years postseason. Then on Monday, the powers that be in the district put together the brackets that mapped the course of the playoff over the next three to four weeks. Finally on Friday, the games kicked off and a few hours later, the playoff field was sliced in half to 32 still alive for one of six golden footballs. Here are the players that came up large in Primetime in leading their teams to either the Semifinals or the Quarterfinals next Friday. Max Devinney - Pine-Richland

Big Game Hunting for Week Ten

November 3, 2016

As we embark on the ‘Highway to Heinz’ or the Road to RMU I feel like we should all wear helmet decals in the postseason to honor the Beaver Bobcats, who in one Friday night; go from the number one team in the state of Pennsylvania in 3 A, to not in the playoffs. We need to keep a “Captain’s pick” spot open like they do in golf for the Ryder Cup team. Now we make our way towards the championships on the MSA Sports Network, huge games every week, as always send your complaints about those not included in BGH to @JohnnyLee@msasports.net as he takes over the complaint department for all playoff moaning. So with that out of the way we can get set to go postseason Big Game Hunting.

Ellis School Three-Peats in WPIAL 1-A Field Hockey

November 2, 2016

For the third straight year, the Ellis School Tigers and the Shady Side Academy Indians met in the 1A WPIAL Field Hockey Championships. And for the third straight years the Tigers came away with the gold medal, besting the Indians 3-1 at North Allegheny High School. After a scoreless first half, things broke open in a 4:31 span of the second half with all four goals being scored. The Tigers got the game’s first goal when Angie Scheurmann took a feed from sophomore forward Leah Ewers and beat Shady Side goalkeeper Clara McCormick from the left wing inside the circle at (12:09) to put Ellis up 1-0. The goal for Scheurmann, who scored the only goal in last season’s title game, was the 22nd goal of the year for the junior forward.

WPIAL Semifinals Soccer Saturday Summaries

October 29, 2016

On a day that felt more like an early season matchup, the WPIAL soccer Semifinals were played under sunny and comfortable conditions on the final step to the district championships. All eight of the top-seeds made it through to Round Three, and while the girls top-seeds all swept through into the Finals, three of the four #1-seeds on the boys side were bounced out of the title chase. Here are recaps from the 16 Semifinals games played on Saturday, 15 of which can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Lee Mohn, Jason Tennant, Mike Azadian, Rob McKinney, Sean Meyers, Kevin Zielmanski, Matt Vandriak and Lou Rood for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS 4-A Semifinals:

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Nine

Various things were at stake around the WPIAL gridirons on the final Friday of October and the regular season. There were conference championships to be won, home field advantage in the opening round to be signed, sealed and delivered, and of course there were teams just trying to clinch a ride on The Highway to Heinz OR The Road to RMU. Whatever was on the line, these players performed at a high level and helped their team to victory and proving they are ready for some Postseason Primetime. David Harvey - Mount Lebanon

2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 10/29

Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Friday of Week Nine of the 2016 high school football season...INCLUDING THE LATEST PLAYOFF PICTURE WITH POSTSEASON CLINCHINGS AND ELIMINATIONS. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Click on each team to see all of their results along with their remaining schedule for the 2016 season.

Abdalah (VA), Pawloski (QV) & Savchik (NA) Win WPIAL Girls X-Country Gold

October 27, 2016

It was a magical day for Marianne Abdalah of Vincentian Academy in the rain and mud at Cooper’s Lake Campground. The senior became one of only two runners in WPIAL history to win the individual championship in each of her four years. The Royals also placed three others in the top ten to run away with the 1-A team championship by a wide margin. Abdalah opened up a ten second lead over Jeanne Lauer of Shady Side Academy in between the first and second mile and maintained her lead the rest of the course to claim a 13 second win. Abdalah had missed most of this season with a shin injury and did not start competing again late September. She said that she had lost some confidence while recovering from the injury but said it was starting to come back with the win today.

Chicks Picks for Week Nine

Welcome to Week 9 of the high school football season. As regular season play wraps up, Chick’s Picks knew that she needed to check in on The Boss at MSA Sports World Headquarters. For quite some time, Chick’s Picks had been aware of the overtime put in by The Boss this time of year. However, what she witnessed when she walked into World Headquarters was still a shock. There he was, The Boss, pecking away at his keyboard relentlessly with his two index fingers. Moments later, when The Boss finally realized that he had a visitor, Chick’s Picks noticed his tired, bloodshot eyes, unkempt hair, and disorder throughout his office.

Big Game Hunting for Week Nine 2016

The final week of the regular season arrives and things are still a bit murky around the WPIAL, but as always the “Boss” has made it clear and precise, if you have questions about your team and their post season needs or desires, it is laid out here, http://www.msasports.net/articles/2016-wpial-football-playoff-picture. That amount of work can only be a labor of love, and when the boss is doing a labor of love, the worker-bees will almost always do the same. Like the famous line in Remember the Titans, “Attitude reflects leadership”. So, this opening paragraph is dedicated to my colleagues, each of them I know, doing this job because they love it.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/24/2016

October 24, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications. Here are the rankings following Week Eight of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (8-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Nine - at Penn Hills) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-2) (Last Week #2.....Week Nine - at #3 Pine-Richland on MSA)

2016 WPIAL Football Playoff Picture – 10/23

October 23, 2016

For some teams, Week Nine will be a time to celebrate conference championships...for others, they will earn home field advantage...for others, joy will fill the locker room after a playoff berth is finally clinched...and sadly, others will come up short and the fear of a season over and done will be come a harsh reality. To help prepare for for a wild weekend (including wild cards), here is the latest WPIAL Playoff Picture heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Eight

October 22, 2016

While the weather outside was frightful (including a game postponed until Saturday), the play of some on the slick turf or the muddy grass was downright delightful as these WPIAL football players proved Eddie Rabbit correct as they all Loved a Rainy Night. Steady to heavy rain throughout the day and into game time did nothing to slow these guys from leading their team to victory in Week Eight. Max DeVinney - Pine-Richland

WPIAL Football Scores for Sat 10/22

Rain has played a big part of the Week eight picture in WPIAL and it will continue to play a major role on Saturday. Four scheduled games, including all of the Class 1-A Eastern Conference tilts, has grown by one after the postponement Friday of the Charleroi at Beth-Center contest. Two of the three afternoon games and one of the two Primetime contests were heard here on The Network. Here are ALL the final results from Saturday of Week Eight. WPIAL CLASS 2-A Century Conference: Beth-Center Bulldogs 20 - Charleroi Cougars 0 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 1-A Eastern Conference: Clairton Bears 60 - Riverview Raiders 0 (MSA) Imani Christian Saints 18 - Springdale Dynamos 6 (MSA)

Scholastic Notebook – 10/21/2016

October 21, 2016

For the first time in WPIAL history, there could be a Lady in the football playoffs. No, it’s not a female player or coach. It’s the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart team. The Chargers started playing WPIAL football in 2010 and failed to make the postseason in the first six years of the program. OLSH could turn out to be one of the big turnaround stories in the WPIAL this season. The Chargers did not win a game last year, going 0-9. Now they are 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Seven Conference. They are almost assured of a playoff berth, with games remaining against Sto-Rox and Shenango. Rochester leads the conference at 6-0, Northgate is 5-1 and OLSH and Sto-Rox are tied at 4-2. Shenango is fifth at 3-3.

WPIAL and City League Football Scores for Fri 10/21

"The autumn wind is a pirate. Blustering in from sea with a rollicking song he sweeps along swaggering boisterously. His face is weather beaten, he wears a hooded sash with a silver hat about his head and a bristling black mustache, he growls as he storms the country, a villain big and bold, and the trees all shake and quiver and quake as he robs them of their gold. The autumn wind is a Raider, pillaging just for fun. He'll knock you around and upside down and laugh when he's conquered and won." As a kid growing up on NFL Films, that Steve Sabol poem was like Shakespeare. Truer words were never spoken for Friday night as the mercury dropped, the winds picked up and the rain fell and fell on another big night of high school football. Check out all of the final results.

Chicks Picks for Week Eight

October 20, 2016

Welcome to Week 8 of the high school football season. The Stretch Run is upon us. It’s that magical time of year when postseason positions are secured, and the sheep are separated from the goats. Speaking of sheep and goats – each year during the Stretch Run, Chick’s Picks organizes a group fitness activity for the entire MSA Sports crew. Chick’s Picks believes this team-building exercise plays a crucial role in getting the gang ready for the playoffs. This year, Chick’s Picks selected Animal Flow as the group activity of choice – a new fitness craze which teaches animal movement training.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Seven 2016

October 18, 2016

With the "stretch run" officially under way for the 2016 regular season, every play in key games becomes magnified. Thus, the top plays this week not only were instrumental in the outcome of the particular games, but also likely will greatly affect the playoff landscape in the district. This week's selection includes a winning score in the final minute that spanned more than 90 yards, a decisive field goal in the closing seconds, a long strike that added even more uncertainty to the Beaver Valley Conference, and a one-handed grab that broke open an important Allegheny Conference clash. Here are the best plays from this week's slate. 1. Woodland Hills 31, Moon 27

PIAA Western Regional Golf Championships

It was early season weather conditions for district golfers trying to qualify for the state championships next week. The PIAA held the Western Regional Championships on Monday at Thoms Run Golf Course at Chestnut Ridge and the big story was not that 38 WPIAL qualified to move on for a shot at state gold, it was that two of the four WPIAL champions did not advance. Boys 3-A WPIAL champ Gregor Meyer of Fox Chapel and Girls 3-A champ Caroline Wrigley of North Allegheny did not make the cut, however 24 boys and 14 girls did qualify for the two day PIAA Individual Golf Championships on October 24th and 25th at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. Par was 72. Golfers that qualified for PIAA championships in bold.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/18/2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications. Here are the rankings following Week Five of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (7-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Eight - host #7 Norwin) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-2) (Last Week #2.....Week Eight - at Hempfield on MSA) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (5-3) (Last Week #4.....Week Eight - at Butler on MSA)

MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Seven

October 16, 2016

A couple of more Homecoming Weekends once again expanded the Saturday WPIAL football slate on a chamber of commerce postcard picture perfect October day. Some school districts have a parade through town to coincide with their special autumn weekend in which alumni return to their alma mater. There five players put their skills on display as Week Seven concluded and we took another step toward then end of the regular season. Garrett Day - Avonworth

Penn-Trafford Warriors Hometown Boys Soccer Broadcast Recap – 10/15/2016

October 15, 2016

Dominance thy name was Penn-Trafford on the "pitch" Saturday afternoon as the Warriors downed the Gateway Gators 3-0 at a sun-soaked Penn-Trafford High School. The score doesn't even give a fair indication as to how Penn-Trafford (15-1) dominated the game, as the majority of the play took place on the Gateway side of the field. While it was Senior Recognition Day at Warriors Stadium, all of the scoring game from PT juniors. Austin Kreutzberger started the scoring at the 23:01 mark of the first half with a goal, then tallied another at 11:40. The second goal came off a perfect feed from senior Austin Mossellem.

WPIAL Football Scores for Sat 10/15

Eight more teams hit the 'Stretch Run' of the 2016 season on Saturday, although they all didn't have the same goals. Some hoped to continue their winning season as they fine tuned for the upcoming playoffs, while others were struggling to keep their postseason hopes alive. Whatever the case, here are ALL four final scores from Saturday that concludes Week Seven of the WPIAL football schedule. WPIAL CLASS 3-A vs CLASS 2-A Non-Conference: Avonworth Antelopes 28 - Shady Side Academy Indians 13 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 2-A Century Conference: Charleori Cougars 26 - Burgettstown Blue Devils 23 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 2-A vs CLASS 1-A Non-Conference:

North Allegheny & Greensburg CC Repeat as Girls Golf Champs

October 13, 2016

Between 1986 and 1993, North Allegheny won six WPIAL girls team golf championships including four straight between '86 and '89. A 22-year drought ended last year and it only took 12 months for the Tigers to add to their golden club collections with an 8th district title. NA edged Shady Side Academy by one stroke Thursday to win the 3-A crown. Meanwhile, Greensburg Central Catholic remained perfect in Class 2-A...two years of having a girls golf team and a second straight WPIAL championship after a three stroke victory over former champ Central Valley at the Cedarbrook Golf Course in Rostraver. Here are all of the results from the 2016 WPIAL Girls Team Golf Playoffs. WPIAL CLASS 3-A GIRLS TEAM GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS:

Chicks Picks for Week Seven

Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks had a tremendous performance last week, a career week, in fact – correctly predicting 53 winners. Each Sunday, Chick’s Picks spends time reflecting on the weekend’s games, analyzing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Despite her top-notch performance, a few incorrect picks were eating at her.

Big Game Hunting for Week Seven 2016

October 12, 2016

And now we enter the stretch run on the MSA sports network. Week seven, time to separate the pretenders from the contenders for WPIAL championships. Monster games, not just this Friday night, but all weekend long and, over the next month as we head on the Highway’s to Heinz and Highmark, let's go Big Game Hunting 6 A Northern Seven Conference: #3 Seneca Valley Raiders (2-2)(4-2) vs #2 North Allegheny Tigers (3-1)(5-2) Friday October 14th @ 7:30 at Newman Stadium on the campus of North Allegheny high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and the North Allegheny Sports Network by Randy Gore and Rick Meister

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/12/2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of October 10th. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Boys Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (13-0-1) (Last Week #1)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/11/2016

October 11, 2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of October 10th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (13-0-1) (Last Week #1)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Macky Fouse

October 10, 2016

Last week in the WPIAL girls golf championship, Central Valley's Kiaria Porter claimed the Class AA title. Porter could eventually become the next great in the brief but impressive history of the Warriors girls golf team. Prior to her, though, it was Macky Fouse who captured both individual and team championships. Fouse, now a junior on the Seton Hall golf squad, is profiled this week for the WPIAL Alum Q&A. Fouse's resume was incredibly impressive during her time at Central Valley, as she helped guide to Warriors to an undefeated mark of 60-0 in dual meets over her four years, as well as four team WPIAL championships.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/10/2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications. Here are the rankings following Week Five of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (6-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Seven - at Altoona) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-2) (Last Week #2.....Week Seven - host #3 Seneca Valley on MSA)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/10/2016

We open up a busy October with a bang with high school football, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, golf and even hockey this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The high school football season kicks off the second half of the regular season with Week Six and The Network has 31 WPIAL football weekend contests starting with the MSA Sports pregame Show Friday at 6pm and concluding with the WPIAL Scoreboard Show Friday at 9:30pm.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Five 2016

October 4, 2016

The latest slate of games marked the midway point of the regular season, and both Friday and Saturday were full of exciting action. This week's edition features a goal-line stand as time expires, a prolific running back making his mark as a receiver on the winning score, a diminutive dynamo breaking a long run to close out the scoring in a battle of 6A heavyweights, and a punt return that put the icing on an upset win. Thus, here's the collection of the finest plays from Week Five on the gridiron. 1. Central Valley 42, Beaver 35

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/03/2016

October 3, 2016

2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 10/02

October 2, 2016

Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week Five of the 2016 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Click on each team to see all of their results along with their remaining schedule for the 2016 season. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs)

WPIAL and City League Football Scores for 9/30

September 30, 2016

Whether you count the newly installed Week Zero or not, this weekend was officially the midway point of the 2016 high school football regular season. Friday of Week Five also happened to fall on the final day of September. With big games littered in each of the classifications before we turned the calendar, here was a rundown of the Week Five Friday results of games around the WPIAL and the Pittsburgh City League. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Northern Seven Conference: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 48 - Pine-Richland Rams 35 (F) Seneca Valley Raiders 32 - Penn Hills Indians 7 (F) Butler Golden Tornado 34 Shaler Titans 16 (F)

Chicks Picks for Week Five

September 29, 2016

Welcome to Week 5 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks spends more time than she would care to admit trolling Amazon for her next potential purchase. Last week, Chick’s Picks stumbled upon a plethora of crystal balls. Tempted by the allure of the shiny, new prognosticating tools, Chick’s Picks decided that a bit of research would not hurt. Her guilty conscience set in right away, as she struggled with the desire to upgrade her equipment despite more than 15 years of loyalty to her current crystal ball. Chick’s Picks decided to consult an expert – The Boss.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/29/2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings in all four classifications for the week of September 26th...including a NEW #1 team in Class 1-A. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Volleyball broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Volleyball Playoffs in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records listed. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS 4-A: 1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (6-0) (Last Week #1)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Catherine Ferragonio

September 26, 2016

While Norwin's girls basketball team has garnered headlines recently for winning back-to-back WPIAL championships, the Knights' girls volleyball program has been very accomplished in recent seasons, as well. Just a few years ago, Norwin's Catherine Ferragonio established herself as one of the top players in the district, and helped guide the Knights to a section crown and playoff success. Now, Ferragonio is showing her abilities at Clarion University. She's profiled in this week's installment of the WPIAL Alum Q&A.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/26/2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications. Here are the rankings following Week Four of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (4-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Five - host #2 Pine-Richland on MSA) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (4-1) (Last Week #2.....Week Five - at #1 Pittsburgh Central Catholic on MSA)

MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Four

September 25, 2016

Both of the Saturday afternoon football games in the WPIAL in Week Four matched teams with postseason expectations trying to stay near the top of their respective conferences taking on teams that were trying to snap losing skids that already have put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. In the end, the two favorites were victorious thanks to a couple large performances on the ground. Jayvaun Shears - McKeesport

WPIAL Football Scores for Sat 9/24

September 24, 2016

Last week was the lightest Saturday football schedule in the WPIAL for the 2016 season. This week, we doubled our total for the second lightest scholastic slate in the district this year. It would have been another one-and-done this week if not for a Homecoming game special in Class 5-A. So Week Four has now concluded with a pair of WPIAL afternoon football games that were heard here on The Network. WPAIL CLASS 5-A Big East Conference: McKeesport Tigers 52 - Plum Mustangs 24 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 1-A Eastern Conference: Bishop Canevin Crusaders 35 - Riverview Raiders 0 (MSA)

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Four

When it comes to arithmetic, I am at about the same level as Jethro Bodine from the famed Beverly Hillbillies. It's all about 'Gozintas'. If you are left scratching your head at the first sentence, let me explain. three Gozinta six two times. Four Gozinta 24 six times. And so on and so forth. Last night around the WPIAL, high school football teams were putting up numbers as if they were playing Techmo Bowl (pre Madden for you youngsters) instead of actual football on actual playing fields. The first Autumn Friday of the season saw scoreboards lighting up like it was a Christmas tree on the first day of winter. Needless to say, the more points scored, the more players were 'Gozinta' the end zone.

Big Game Hunting for Week Four 2016

September 21, 2016

Welcome to week four of the WPIAL football season. Upon the conclusion of this week's games we will have played exactly as many weeks of regular-season football as will remain. Yes, half way already. Football is like a really good chili-cheeseburger, before you realize it, and have time to really savor it, you’re almost done with it. I double checked that information with in-house MSA Sports Network Chili Cheeseburger Expert Robert “Bobby O” Orkwis before I just threw it out there and he did confirm. Week four and we start to see some separation, finding out who are the contenders and who are the pretenders continues as we go Big Game Hunting!

South Side Rams Hometown Volleyball Broadcast Recap – 09/20/2016

September 20, 2016

The Lady Rams of South Side started off strong in their big Class 2A Section 2 matchup, but lost to visiting Quaker Valley 3-1 (15-25, 25-17, 25-19, 28-26). Everything was clicking early for coach Jason Benkowski's squad in the first game, as South Side quickly jumped to an 8-0 lead. The Lady Rams used some crisp passing and capitalized on Quaker Valley miscues in that opening frame to get the early advantage. The tides quickly changed in the second game, as the good ball movement that led to a game one victory for South Side vanished. Unforced hitting errors plagued the Lady Rams, and allowed for Quaker Valley to get back into the match.

Bishop Canevin Crusaders Hometown Volleyball Broadcast Recap

Behind an early run and tremendous serving, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic defeated Bishop Canevin 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 28-26) in a non-section tilt on Monday night at Bishop Canevin High School. The Trojanettes racked up 15 aces in the match, as five different players had at least three service winners.Sarah Parey set the tempo for CWNC with four first set aces and two of her team-high six kills in the match. Parey was responsible for the early separation between the two squads, as the Trojanettes started the match on a 10-0 run behind Parey's serves. That, combined with a young Crusaders squad making eleven unforced errors in the opening set, resulted in a 25-14 victory.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/20/2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of September 19th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (6-0-0) (Last Week #1)

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Three 2016

The third official week of the WPIAL slate perhaps did not feature the same level of drama as the previous week, but the action was still fast and furious. Many of these outcomes in conference play will have major playoff implications as the season progresses. This installment features a prolific rusher capping off a historic performance, a QB using his legs to guide his team to an upset win, a lengthy kickoff return that set the tone for the second half, and a pair of MSA Sports preseason honorees connecting on a decisive score. Here are the WPIAL plays of the week.

2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 09/18

September 18, 2016

Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Saturday of Week Three of the 2016 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Click on each team to see all of their results along with their remaining schedule for the 2016 season. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs)

MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Three

September 17, 2016

It's sort of like digging out your telescope from the deep, dark crevices of your upstairs closet, dusting it off, setting it up and then...nothing but clouds. But wait, off in the distance is that one shining star. That was the case Saturday of Week Three with only one high school football game on the WPIAL gridiron slate. here is out brief salute to our Saturday Scholastic Standout. Tyler Bradley - Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

WPIAL Football Score for Sat 9/17

The band Three Dog Night once sang "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do," from their hit song simply titled One. That summed up the Saturday high school football schedule for the WPIAL in Week Three. With 60 contests played in the district Friday, that left only a Class 1-A Big 7 Conference tilt as the only game in town. You can hear the archived broadcast here on The Network. Here is the final result. WPIAL CLASS 1-A Big 7 Conference: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers 49 - Western Beaver Golden Beavers 6 (MSA)

Chicks Picks for Week Three

September 15, 2016

Welcome to Week 3 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks heard a rumor recently that The Fumbler was running for office. Office of what, she was not quite sure, since WPIAL prognosticating and politics seem to be a far cry from one another. Nonetheless, Chick’s Picks wanted to offer her support to her fellow prognosticator.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/15/2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings in all four classifications for the week of September 12th...including a NEW #1 team in Class 4-A. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Volleyball broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Volleyball Playoffs in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records listed. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS 4-A: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (1-0) (Last Week #2)

Big Game Hunting for Week Three 2016

September 14, 2016

In my time doing Big Game Hunting I cannot recall any other regular season week in which the top games were so obvious. Week three has it all, consistent Top-Ten battles across five of the six classifications, the two leading passers in the WPIAL, the leading rusher and scorer in the WPIAL, and three of the top six receivers in the WPIAL. All of this saves me the trouble of having to come up with an engaging and interesting opening paragraph, and let’s be honest I was only hitting about .250 at that to begin with so, without further ado, let’s go Big Game Hunting!

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/14/2016

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of September 12th...including a NEW #1 team in Class 4-A. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Boys Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (4-0-2) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/12/2016

September 12, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications...including another NEW #1 team in Class 3-A. Here are the rankings following Week Two of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (2-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Three - host #4 Hempfield on MSA) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (2-1) (Last Week #2.....Week Three - at #3 Penn Hills on MSA)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Ryan Lewis

In high school, Ryan Lewis starred in two different sports at two different schools. His somewhat unorthodox path, though, led him to Robert Morris University, where he's now a standout on the Colonials' defensive line. Lewis is this week's spotlight for the WPIAL Alum Q&A. As a sophomore and junior in high school, Lewis was a standout for North Catholic. As a 6-foot-5, 200-plus pound receiver, he was a matchup nightmare for opponents. Likewise, he wreaked havoc on the defensive side, where he had 18 sacks and 100 tackles in his junior campaign. The Trojans finished 7-4 that season, making it to the Class A quarterfinals.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 09/11/2016

September 11, 2016

It's another busy week of fall high school sports here on the MSA Sports Network. The high school football season moves to Week Three and The Network has 28 WPIAL football weekend contests starting with the MSA Sports pregame Show Friday at 6pm and concluding with the WPIAL Scoreboard Show at 9:30pm. We also have six District 6 and District 9 high school football games, WPIAL girls soccer and WPIAL girls volleyball, College soccer and volleyball featuring Carlow University, plus the debut of the MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Show and another great edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Two

September 10, 2016

It was wet...it was wild...and depending on what sideline you were on, it was a wonderful Friday night of high school football...and we are only in Week Two. A long winning streak stretching over parts of seven years came to a sudden halt...a long losing streak came within inches of ending...and depending on what part of Western Pennsylvania you were watching your favorite team, you either had to deal with a pregame sprinkle or a mid-game downpour. Oh yeah, there were these gems that provided the icing on a very delicious scholastic football cake. Phil Jurkovec - Pine-Richland

Scholastic Notebook – 09/09/2016

September 9, 2016

Pine-Richland quarterback Phil Jurkovec has been all the rage of dual-threat quarterbacks in the WPIAL the past two seasons. Jurkovec has gotten many props and loads of publicity – rightly so – for his ability to throw and run. But up north at small Neshannock High School, there is another quarterback doing big things running and passing. Frankly speaking, he could finish with statistics you don’t see often from WPIAL quarterbacks.

Big Game Hunting for Week Two 2016

September 7, 2016

Friday and Saturday the MSA Sports Network has you covered with wall to wall games from week two of the WPIAL season, and hey, even if your game turns out to be not that good, at least you won’t have to watch the Pirates! Some eyebrows were raised last week and there were also a lot of “I told you so”s being thrown around the WPIAL in week one. We continue to discover who is going to rise to the top, and who is going to find themselves in a dog fight for their playoff lives here in 2016. Because for sure, some of these teams are going to show a lot more fight for their playoff lives than the aforementioned Pirates. So forget that dusty old Jolly Roger over there in the corner and let’s go Big Game Hunting!

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week One 2016

September 6, 2016

Although "Week Zero" featured some thrilling contests, last Friday marked the true start of the 2016 high-school football season. With games that actually count towards the standings, the intensity was increased, and the level of play followed suit. This compilation includes a game-saving interception, a touchdown toss in the final seconds, a quarterback using his legs to cap off an impressive comeback, and a kickoff return that turned a marque matchup into a lopsided affair. Without further adieu, here are the top four plays of the initial installment of the 2016 plays of the week. 1. McKeesport 14, Franklin Regional 7

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/05/2016

September 5, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten seven in 6-A and top ten football teams in each of the other five classifications...including a NEW #1 team in Class 3-A. Here are the rankings following Week One of the 2016 high school football season. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (1-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Two - host #3 North Allegheny on MSA) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (1-1) (Last Week #2.....Week Two - host #4 Seneca Valley on MSA) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (1-1) (Last Week #3.....Week Two - at #1 Pittsburgh Central Catholic on MSA)

2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 09/03

September 3, 2016

Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week One of the 2016 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 2-A

August 30, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off for all with Week One, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 2-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 2-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN (10-2) (Week One - at Riverside) 2. WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES (10-1) (Week One - at Charleroi on MSA)

CTK ’16: 1-A Big 7 Conference Preview

Many things have changed in the WPIAL football world but one thing that hasn’t is the Big Seven Conference. All but one of the current teams has been a conference member at some point and the addition of Northgate will only add to the offensive firepower that teams have shown over the years. With the change of classifications also comes a change in the playoff format. The top 5 teams will make the post-season along with a wild card. Should a Big Seven team be successful on the playoff road, Heinz Field will not be at the off ramp. The AA and A championship games will be played at Robert Morris’ Joe Walton Stadium, which also serves as the home of the OLSH Chargers. Below is a preview of every team and the predicted order of finish for the season ahead.

CTK ’16: 1-A Tri-County South Conference Preview

August 29, 2016

Frazier gave the much-maligned Tri-County South Conference some respect last season. The Commodores were undefeated until losing in the WPIAL semifinals to Clairton. A new year brings new classifications in the WPIAL and a slightly altered Tri-County South Conference. Frazier is gone. So is Beth-Center. So is Bentworth. All three of them are now in Class 2A under the state’s new six-class sytem. Six members of the Tri-County South last year stayed in the conference. Monessen and Fort Cherry are new this year. There doesn’t seem to be a prohibitive favorite to win the conference. Some expect Monessen to be the frontrunner, but the Greyhounds lost a Week 0 game to Charleroi last Friday. Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan and Avella have experienced teams returning.

2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 08/28

August 28, 2016

Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week Zero of the 2016 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz

It was a tough Day Two of Week Zero for the WPIAL in matchups against teams from out of the district. District 7 teams were 1-3 in those matchups and winless in three games against teams from outside of Pennsylvania. Win or lose, here are the top five performances from WPIAL teams on what will be the busiest high school football Saturday of the entire 2016 campaign. Phil Jurkovec - Pine-Richland

WPIAL Football Scores for Sat 8/27

August 27, 2016

No surprise that the play on the field from the first Friday of the season could be described as a bit sloppy...and a bit on the warm side. If you thought last night was hot, games played Saturday afternoon were scorchers. Six more games were played on this opening weekend to conclude the first ever Week Zero, including four games that matched WPIAL teams against opponents out of the district. Also, five of the six contests were heard right here on the MSA Sports Network, including bookend games involving 2015 WPIAL champions Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Aliquippa. Here the the final results from the first Saturday of the season. CLASS 6-A Non-Conference: St. John College Cadets 35 - Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 14

WPIAL and City League Football Scores for Fri 8/26

August 26, 2016

For the first time ever, the high school football season opens up not in Week One, but in the newly created Week Zero. When the PIAA gave members schools across the 12 districts the choice between playing a second scrimmage and a Week Zero non-conference game, it was a split decision in the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League, with half the schools staying old school with a second scrimmage on Friday and the other half going Primetime with actual games. Here are the First Friday night high school football district results 'officially' kicking off the new six classification era. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Non-Conference: Olentangy Liberty Patriots (Oh) 30 North Allegheny Tigers 29 (F)

CTK ’16: 2-A Three Rivers Conference Preview

The Three Rivers Conference was demolished after 1999, just two years before Three Rivers Stadium was demolished. But the Three Rivers Conference has come back to life. With six classifications in Pennsylvania football this year, new conferences were formed in the WPIAL. The eight teams in this Class 2A section decided to call themselves the Three Rivers Conference. The funny thing is, only one team (Carlynton) that is a member of the Three Rivers this season also was in the last Three Rivers Conference in 1999. Here is a look at the new Three Rivers Conference: AVONWORTH ANTELOPES The Antelopes will look a lot different this year. Why? Because they don’t have a quarterback who set a WPIAL record last season.

CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 4-A

August 24, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off with Week Zero, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 4-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 4-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS (12-1) (Week Zero - vs Central Valley on MSA) 2. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS (11-3) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Baldwin)

CTK ’16: 3-A Interstate Conference Preview

You could say the road to the top of the Interstate has gone through Washington in recent years. Washington won the Class 2A Interstate Conference three of the past four years. But a journey through the Interstate this year will not include a stop at Washington. Under the new classification system, Washington is longer in the Interstate. The Little Prexies are a Class 2A team. The departure of Washington isn’t the only change in the Interstate. Charleroi, Burgettstown and Brownsville also have dropped to Class 2A. Meanwhile, the Interstate adds Elizabeth Forward and Yough, which played in 3A last season. Also, South Park moves over from the old 2A Century Conference. Here is a look at this year’s Interstate: DERRY TROJANS

CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 5-A

August 23, 2016

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off with Week Zero, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 5-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 5-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS (8-3) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Trinity) 2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (5-5) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Franklin Regional)

CTK ’16: 3-A Allegheny Conference Preview

The Allegheny Conference in the new six classification format looks a lot like the old Allegheny Conference – with a little southern flavor to it. Six of the teams in the 2016 Allegheny are longtime members Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Shady Side Academy and Valley. Those who departed are Highlands, West Shamokin and Summit Academy. Highlands will play in 4A, Summit Academy in 1A while West Shamokin dropped out of the WPIAL.

CTK ’16: Week Two WPIAL Football Scrimmages

August 22, 2016

WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League schools had a choice to make this week. Under PIAA rules, teams could either play the traditional second scrimmage or schedule an exhibition game. It was a split decision. of the 128 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League high school football teams, 64 decided to go with the scrimmage while 64 decided that one scrimmage was enough and it was time to start the season early...thus Week Zero is upon us. We will have all the Friday (8/26) and Saturday (8/27) game schedules later this week. However here, we run down the second scrimmage schedule for those schools sticking with tradition. WPIAL vs Pittsburgh City League: Brashear Bulls AT Franklin Knights at 6:00pm

CTK ’16: 6-A Southeastern Conference Preview

August 17, 2016

A conference in the WPIAL’s largest classification that is made up of southern suburban teams … and doesn’t include Upper St. Clair? That might seem strange, but that is how things shake down this year under the new six classification system that the PIAA put in place. The Class 6A Southeastern Conference has seven teams, including Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park. But not Upper St. Clair. Under the new system, determined by school enrollments, Upper St. Clair will play Class 5A. The rivalry games between Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park, are no more. The new 6A Southeastern Conference has southern and eastern teams.

CTK ’16: Week One WPIAL Football Scrimmages

August 16, 2016

FINALLY! High school football camps throughout Pennsylvania opened for business on Monday. That means district teams have five days of practice before they hit the field for either the first of two scrimmages or perhaps their only scrimmage in preparation for the season. All Pennsylvania high school football teams have the option to either play the normal two scrimmages or play one scrimmage this week then play a non-conference season opener in Week Zero on August 26th and 27th. Scrimmage number one takes place this Saturday, August 20th on fields around Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here is a rundown of all the first week scrimmages involving all of the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League high school football teams.

CTK ’16: WPIAL Saturday Football Schedule

August 14, 2016

While there is little doubt that high school football is king on Friday nights in Western Pennsylvania, Saturday high school football in the WPIAL is sadly becoming a dying breed with only five schools that play a majority of their home games on Saturday afternoons or evenings. But just when we thought the list would shrink with the absence of Wilkinsburg, along comes Imani Christian to join Summit Academy, Western Beaver, Riverview and Bishop Canevin in the Saturday fun. Here is a complete rundown of the Saturday schedule of high school football action in the WPIAL this 2016 football season. WEEK ZERO, AUGUST 27th:

CTK ’16: WPIAL 5-A Players to Watch

August 13, 2016

Countdown to Kickoff 2016 continues with a now six-day look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on NOMINATE TOP PLAYERS and submitting their name. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2016 campaign in 5-A. OFFENSE: Quarterbacks: Ross Anderson - Hampton Running Backs: Zane Dudek - Armstrong Thomas Vissman - Upper St. Clair

Four Female WPIAL Grads Competing in Rio Olympics

August 12, 2016

If you saw them compete for their Western Pennsylvania high schools, it really should come as no surprise that the four WPIAL graduates competing in the Rio de Janiero Olympics are doing exactly what they did as youngsters: dominate. With national and international accomplishments already under their belts, Meghan Klingenberg, Leah Smith, Amanda Polk and Christa Harmotto-Dietzen have taken it a step further during the Brazilian games, excelling against the world’s highest level of competition. Additionally, the accomplishments of these athletes show the progressive movement of female athletics throughout the region, state and country. This year, the United States of America broke the record for the most female athletes to participate in the Olympics.

CTK ’16: New High School Football Rules in 2016

August 7, 2016

It’s time once again to check in on the guys in the striped shirts with a look at the rule changes in the WPIAL and PIAA play for the upcoming season. Just one major change was passed by the National Federation of High Schools rules committee entering the 2016 campaign. The committee eliminated clipping from the game. Clipping was still allowed in the free blocking zone, which is four yards laterally from the spot of the snap and three yards behind the line of scrimmage, with certain conditions. Now all blocks below the waist and from behind are now illegal and will result in a 15-yard penalty from the spot of the foul. It is still legal to clip a runner from behind or a player pretending to be a runner.

CTK ’16: WPIAL AA 2015 Football Flashback

August 6, 2016

Playing in the teams record eighth WPIAL Class AA championship game in a row, obviously Powerhouse Aliquippa was no stranger to Heinz Field. What was strange was to see a team have the Quips number. Aliquippa was facing South Fayette for a third straight year and for the fourth time in six years, however the Lions were a perfect 3-0 in head-to-head battles for gold on the North Shore. The fourth title game between the green and the red was another instant classic, but this time Aliquippa prevailed for their sixth district crown in the first 16 years of this century. Here is a look back at the WPIAL Double-A in 2015. 2015 WPIAL DOUBLE-A HEADLINES:

CTK ’16 – WPIAL AAAA 2015 Football Flashback

August 4, 2016

Expansion is a big part of this upcoming year, so lets start by going back to the last time the PIAA and thus the WPIAL expanded to four classifications in 1980. While always seeming to be in the playoffs and part of the title discussion each year, it took Pittsburgh Central Catholic 23 years to win a district football title (they did win the first ever PIAA AAAA crown in 1988). However since that WPIAL crown in 2003, the Vikings have been kings of the castle five times now, with the one for the thumb coming last fall. Here is a look back at the WPIAL Quad-A in 2015. 2015 WPIAL QUAD-A HEADLINES:

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2016

August 1, 2016

The countdown to the start of the 2016 high school football season is underway. We have major changes this year with the expansion from four to six classifications and teams having the option to have a second scrimmage on Friday, August 26th/Saturday, August 27th or playing an actual non-conference game that has been labeled Week Zero. Week One is set for Friday, September 2nd/Saturday, September 3rd. Training camps for the new campaign open up in Western Pennsylvania on Monday, August 15th.

2015-2016 MSA SPORTS FEMALE ATHLETE of the YEAR

June 30, 2016

Amanda Kalin is so talented that she could be a Division I college player in two different sports. On the high school level, Kalin is so talented that she is in a division all by herself – best athlete in the WPIAL. Kalin, who recently completed her junior year at Pine-Richland High School, has been selected the MSA Sports Athlete of the Year for the 2015-16 WPIAL school year. The 5-foot-8 Kalin had a superb junior year in both basketball and soccer. Her outstanding individual talent helped her teams thrive. Her extraordinary athletic ability is evidenced by how her college recruiting went in the past two years.

2016 WPIAL BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Results

June 2, 2016

It was not a good championship for the favorites. All four higher seeds, including three top-seeds fell in the finals as gold was hoisted by a pair of #2-seeds, a #8-seed and a #14-seed. Four new champions were crowned as Norwin, Chartiers Valley, Riverside and Serra Catholic are celebrating district gold. Here are ALL of the results from the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs. All Results marked with (MSA) are games that can be heard archived on the MSA Sports Network. 2016 WPIAL BASEBALL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Norwin Knights 7 - Plum Mustangs 3 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AAAA Consolation:

Norwin Hands Plum First Loss in WPIAL Quad-A Finals Upset

The year of the upset continues in the WPIAL, however the nightcap of Wednesday action may have been the biggest shocker as the 14th seeded Norwin Knights defeated the previously unbeaten Plum Mustangs, 7-3. The Knights got off to a very hot start, a leadoff single by Dan Kiester was followed by a walk and a single by Reno Rainey loaded the bases early. Plum pitcher, Alex Kirilloff walked in one of those runs before Jonathon Pringee crushed a base clearing triple to give the Knights a 4-0 lead in the first. A few pitches later, Brad Lucas brought in Pringee on a hard single to give Norwin a 5-0 lead. Norwin pitcher, Chad Coles began his outing just as well as his offense, shutting down the Mustangs in order leaving the score 5-0 after one.

WPIAL Baseball Consolation Wednesday Recaps 2016

June 1, 2016

While district baseball gold was being handed out at CONSOL Energy Park again on Wednesday, state playoff berths were at stake next door at the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex. A pair of Class AAA and Class AA teams were hoping to win and continue their season into the state playoffs. Here are the recaps from the two games heard here on The Network. A special thanks to Mike Azadian and Jake Holmes for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA Consolation:

WPIAL Baseball Consolation Tuesday Recaps

May 31, 2016

While the spotlight was shining on the district championship games at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, there was important action going on right next door at Ross Memorial Park and the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex. A pair of battles in Class A and Class AAAA to determine third place in the district and a coveted spot in the upcoming PIAA state baseball playoffs. Here are recaps from those contests. A special thanks to Mark Uriah and Greg Kuntz for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Consolation:

2016 WPIAL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS Results

May 29, 2016

The four year run atop of the WPIAL Class AA came crashing to a half for Ambridge in the schools eighth title match in nine years. The Bridgers hopes of a fifth straight district crown were snuffed out by Beaver County Christian as the Eagles captured their first WPIAL boys volleyball crown, In Class AAA, another first time winner walked away with gold as the Penn-Trafford Warriors swept past the Bethel Park Black Hawks, who settled for silver for the second time in four years. Here are ALL the results from the 2016 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs. All results marked with (MSA) after are matches that can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.

PIAA Track & Field Highlights – Day One

May 27, 2016

Is it really a 12-pound shot put in Jordan Geist’s hands? The way it sails on his throws, you’d swear it was a softball. Geist, a junior at Knoch High School, is the No. 1 high school shot putter in the country this spring and Friday he added some distance to his reputation as the best shot putter in Pennsylvania history. Geist set another meet record when he threw 74 feet, 3 ½ inches at the PIAA track and field championships at Shippensburg University. He broke the 11-year-old Class AAA record of 70-0 set by Central Dauphin’s Ryan Whiting, who made the U.S. Olympic team in 2012.

WPIAL Softball Recaps From Wednesday, May 25th

May 25, 2016

The last missing pieces to the WPIAL Baseball and Softball Championship Week puzzle were filled in on Wednesday as eight Final Four winners had their ticket punched and they are headed out to Cally...California University of Pennsylvania that is where next Thursday, those eight teams play for district gold. The Final Four losers do not pack in it yet though as they will settle for a spot in their classes consolation game to play for a berth in the PIAA Playoffs and continue their season into June. Here are the Softball Semifinals summaries. A special thanks to Mike Azadian, Mark Schaas, Lou Rood, Jason Tennant, Sean Meyers, Bob Gregg and Lee Mohn for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

WPIAL Softball Recaps From Tuesday, May 24th

May 24, 2016

13 was the lucky number for games played on Monday in Round Two of the district softball postseason, while three games were not so fortunate and had to be bumped back 24 hours to Tuesday. For the three teams that won and advanced in those games, the wait was worth it, but the turnaround is quick as they have 24 hours to prep for the Final Four. Here are the three summaries from the WPIAL Quarterfinals Softball games played at Hampton Township Park on Tuesday. A special thanks to Jake Holmes, Josh Rowntree and Kyle Dawson for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:

WPIAL Softball Recaps From Monday, May 23rd

While a full slate of Second Round games were scheduled for Monday in the district softball postseason, heavy rains on Sunday forced six site changed. Then an unforecast pop up storm wiped away three games until Tuesday. But the action from the games that were played was tight as we get deeper into the 2016 WPIAL Softball Playoffs. Here are summaries from the diamond on Quarterfinals Monday. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Bob Orkwis, Mark Uriah, James Dotson, Bob Gregg, Sean Meyers, Greg Kuntz, Kyle Dawson and Jason Tennant for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:

WPIAL Baseball Recaps From Thursday, May 19th

May 19, 2016

Some soggy fields on a chilly, dreary Wednesday gave way to a sunny Thursday as the WPIAL pushed back eleven games to make for a busy day with all sixteen Second Round contests taking place around Southwestern Pennsylvania. When all was said and done, the Final Four field was set for the final four classification district postseason with the expansion to six classes taking place next spring. Here are all the recap from Quarterfinals Thursday. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Kyle Dawson, Bob Orkwis, Sean Meyers, Brandon Showers, James Dotson, Josh Rowntree, Bob Gregg, Jake Holmes, Brian Mroziak, Greg Kuntz, Mark Schaas and Chris Lackner for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:

WPIAL Softball Recaps From Wednesday, May 18th

On Monday, the district softball postseason opened with opening round action in Quad-A and Single-A. On a chilly, gray day in Western Pa, it was time for all of the Class AAA and Class AA playoff participants to hit the diamond. Well, almost all of them. Four games were pushed back to Thursday, leaving six Triple-A and five Double-A games to thin the field and set up Round Two next week. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian, Jason Tennant, Paul Paterra, Mark Schaas, Lou Rood, Jake Holmes, Bob Gregg and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

WPIAL Baseball Recaps From Tuesday, May 17th

May 18, 2016

Day Two of the WPIAL baseball Playoffs saw the conclusion of the First Round with a pair of Quad-A, eight Double-A and seven Single-A contests. The underdogs enjoyed the day as six lower seeds pulled off victories to advance, including a pair of #14-seeds. Here are recaps from the 17 high school baseball playoff games that put a wrap on Round One. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Steve Nagler, Jason Tennant, Jake Holmes, Kyle Dawson, Chris Lackner, James Dotson, Sean Meyers, Mark Schaas, Bob Gregg, Ed Troup, Greg Kuntz for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:

WPIAL Baseball Recaps From Monday, May 16th

May 16, 2016

In the final year of the four classification playoff format, the two biggest classes were the first to take the stage as the curtain went up in the 2016 district baseball postseason. While Class AAA went as expected with all the higher seeds winning with the exception of defending champion Knoch as a #10-seed, two double-digit seeds, #12 Franklin Regional and #14 Norwin pulled off surprised and are now Quarterfinals bound. Here are the recaps from the Quad-A and Triple-A opening day contests in the WPIAL Baseball Playoffs. A special thanks to Steve Nagler, Lee Mohn, Mike Azadian, James Dotson, Josh Rowntree, Don Rebel, Mark Schaas, Jake Holmes and Dan Wallace for their help on these recaps, WPIAL CLASS AAAA Preliminary Round:

FINAL 2016 WPIAL Softball Standings

May 14, 2016

Here are the FINAL WPIAL softball standings for the 2016 season...including all the FINAL WPIAL softball playoff clinchings. The standings will be updated daily through the regular season. You can follow the high school softball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Tuesday and game broadcasts, including another year of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2016 WPIAL Softball Playoffs ONLY on the MSA Sports Network will be sponsored by Carlow University. Teams in capital letters are part of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program.

Scholastic Notebook – 05/13/2016

May 13, 2016

Plum High School’s nickname is Mustangs. But when it comes to athletes, Plum has a thoroughbred in Ashley Amato. The MSA Sports staff doesn’t name a female athlete of the year until late June. But you would think Amato will get serious consideration. There are three-season rooms in houses, but Plum houses a three-sport standout in Amato. And in the spring, she shines brightest. So far this track and field season, Amato has the best 200-meter time in WPIAL Class AAA at 25.3 seconds. She has the third-best 100 hurdles time of 14.69 and is tied for the third-best 100 time at 12.2. She is has the third-best AAA long jump at 18-2 ¾. At the Baldwin Invitational last Friday, Amato won the long jump, was second in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the 200.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball Playoff Teams – 05/11/2016

May 11, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports ranked the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications. Now that the district postseason field is (nearly) set, we rank ALL of the 60 playoff bound teams. HOWEVER, it is not a true ranking from #1 to whatever. Like the steering committee does, we seed the teams to avoid the teams from the same section playing each other in the First Round. You fill in the top four, then the next four, then you start plugging teams in. Not an exact science, but it makes the guess work fun.

Belle Vernon Softball Forfeits Three Games, Out of Playoffs

Despite finishing in second place in the WPIAL Class AAA Section 3, 2015 district softball champion Belle Vernon will not get a chance to defend their crown. The Leopards must forfeit three section victories because of the use of two ineligible players. Those loses drop Belle Vernon to 6-6 in the section and in fourth place. Top three teams from each section make the WPIAL playoffs. The players in question are two freshmen who played for the Belle Vernon 'Junior High' team which consists of players in 7th, 8th and 9th grade. If the players were on an all Freshman or a JV team, they could be promoted to the varsity team at any time. However PIAA rules do not allow players from 'Junior High' to play varsity.

North Allegheny and Freeport Win Boys WPIAL Track & Field Team Crowns

May 10, 2016

The North Allegheny Tigers made it four straight Class AAA Team Track & Field championships Monday at Baldwin High School. NA defeated Seneca Valley, Hempfield and Norwin for the schools 12th boys teams track title. The Tigers also won four straight championships between 1993 and 1996. In Class AA, there was no three-peat for the Beaver Bobcats as Freeport returned to the top of the boys Track & Field team mountain by beating Washington, South Park and Freedom. The crown is the 5th in school history and first in six years. Freeport won back-to-back WPIAL Class AA team track & field championships in 2002 and 2003 and again in 2009 and 2010.

Hometown Softball Recap – Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 05/05/2016

May 5, 2016

On senior day for Elizabeth Forward at William Penn Field, it was a junior who helped the Warriors overcome a deficit, ultimately prevailing 8-4 against the McKeesport Tigers. Junior Lauren Mathews pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Sarah Turek, and Mathews was also instrumental offensively, as she crushed a two-run homer. Despite her struggles pitching, Turek turned in a stellar performance at the plate, going 4-4. When the contest began after a lengthy rain and lightening delay, McKeesport immediately applied pressure to Turek, as the Tigers loaded the bases with just one out. Turek induced a pop up and a ground out to escape the jam, though.

Hometown Softball Recap – Baldwin Highlanders – 05/04/2016

May 4, 2016

As the old rock group Bachman Turner Overdrive once sang, Baldwin on senior day was 'Taking Care of Business' as they stayed on the heels of the AAAA-4 first place Canon-McMillan Big Macs with a 14-0 whitewash of the Upper St. Clair Panthers Tuesday evening. Baldwin scored six runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Senior Jaime Schleicher continued her amazing season (now hitting .750) with an RBI single to score Taylor Dadig to get the party started. Senior Ana Hale delivered an RBI single, two runs scored on wild pitches and Addy Tagg drove in a pair with a single as the Highlanders sent ten to the plate against starter Lillian Caudill of USC.

Hometown Softball Recap – Blackhawk Cougars – 05/04/2016

On Tuesday, Blackhawk honored its seniors of the softball team, who on the field, were looking to stay in the thick of things for a WPIAL Class AAA playoff spot against Hopewell, who also needed a win Tuesday. Blackhawk's Krystine Young, who will play at Mt. Union next season, registered two doubles, a RBI and three total hits in her four plate appearances in a 8-3 loss for the Cougars. Blackhawk held a 3-0 lead after four innings of play at home, scoring on a Breann Dickton RBI single in the first inning, a Young RBI double in the third and Kailey Rayz sacrifice fly in the fourth.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 05/03/2016

May 3, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. SHALER TITANS (16-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-1) (Last Week #3) 3. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (14-2) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 05/02/2016

May 2, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (14-0) (Last Week #1) 2. SHALER TITANS (11-4) (Last Week #5) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (12-4) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/27/2016

April 27, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on Wednesday and Friday for updated results and standings on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA TOP TEN: 1. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (8-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (9-0) (Last Week #4)

Hometown Softball Recap – Belle Vernon Leopards – 04/27/2016

For the second time this season, Thomas Jefferson defeated the Belle Vernon Leopards in a low scoring contest. This time by way of a 3-0 final score at Washington Township Field on Tuesday afternoon. After forcing two walks in the first, including lead-off hitter Lindsay Kalup. Thomas Jefferson first-baseman Emily Schleidter popped up a softly hit ball that landed directly between second and short which scored the eventual game-winning run, that being Kalup from second.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/26/2016

April 26, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. SHALER TITANS (14-0) (Last Week #2) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (11-1) (Last Week #1) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (11-1) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/25/2016

April 25, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (10-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (10-3) (Last Week #7) 3. NORTH HILLS INDIANS (10-2) (Last Week #2)

Hometown Softball Recap – Baldwin Highlanders – 04/21/2016

April 21, 2016

A outcome of a critical Class Quad-A Section 4 showdown changed in a matter of just a few moments, as the Canon-McMillan Big Macs used a few key plays to notch a 5-1 victory against the host Baldwin Highlanders on Wednesday. With the Highlanders threatening in the bottom of the fourth inning, Baldwin appeared to tie the game at 2-2 on a sacrifice fly by Anastasia Hale that plated Samantha Wampler from third. An appeal by Canon-McMillan resulted in Wampler being called out, however, as the umpires determined that she left the bag before the ball was caught in center field. As a result, the inning concluded and the lead remained intact for Canon-McMillan.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/20/2016

April 20, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on Wednesday and Friday for updated results and standings on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA TOP TEN: 1. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (6-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/19/2016

April 19, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (7-0) (Last Week #1) 2. SHALER TITANS (10-0) (Last Week #3) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (9-1) (Last Week #2)

Hometown Softball Recap – West Mifflin Titans – 04/14/2016

April 14, 2016

In the ultra-competitive Class AAA Section 3, outcomes are often decided by just a handful of key plays. On Thursday, a throwing error by West Mifflin proved to be the difference-maker, as Thomas Jefferson scored a 3-2 victory against the host Titans. The resurgent Jaguars, who scored wins over both Belle Vernon and Trinity this season after failing to qualify for the postseason last year, gained the upper hand early, as they plated a run in the first inning on a double steal.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/13/2016

April 13, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on Wednesday and Friday for updated results and standings on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA TOP TEN: 1. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-0) (Last Week #2) 3. NORWIN KNIGHTS (5-0) (Last Week #3)

Hometown Softball Recap – Chartiers-Houston

An early offensive onslaught lifted Charters-Houston (3-3, 1-1) to a 16-0 mercy rule victory over Avella (0-2, 0-1) on Tuesday afternoon in Houston. The Buccaneers plated 12 first inning runs and added four more in the second inning in a victory that took just 53 minutes and was called after the top of the second inning. Kaitlyn Dittrich picked up the win for Charters-Houston, allowing just one hit and striking out seven batters, including the final six she faced.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/12/2016

April 12, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #2) 3. SHALER TITANS (6-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/11/2016

April 11, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-1) (Last Week #3) 3. BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (4-1) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/04/2016

April 4, 2016

Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAAA and Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (3-0) (Last Week #2) 2. BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (4-0) (Last Week #7) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (2-1) (Last Week #1)

WPIAL Mourns Jim Collins

March 29, 2016

Administrators, athletic directors, coaches and long time associates of the WPIAL are morning the loss of Assistant to the Executive Director Jim Collins, who unexpectedly passed away early Monday morning at the age of 74. Collins spent Easter Sunday with family before retiring to bed early because he was not feeling well. He was taken to Allegheny Valley hospital overnight where he later passed away. WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley said Collins would be impossible to replace because he did so many things for the district and did them all with great passion.

WPIAL Baseball – 2016 Season Preview

March 24, 2016

Every Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the Top Ten teams in each of the WPIAL Baseball classifications. We rank the Preseason Top Ten here, along with Players to Watch in each class and teams to beat in each section. Follow the high school baseball campaign with with weekly rankings and daily broadcasts and updated standings before exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs in May only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 2. PLUM MUSTANGS 3. SHALER TITANS 4. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS

2016 PIHL PENGUINS CUP PLAYOFFS Results

March 17, 2016

The history of the PIHL postseason is that the favorites usually prevail. Up until last year, the playoffs would re-seed, making it tough for surprise teams to go deep. this year under the bracket format, none of the three eventual Penguins Cup champions were favored at the start of the playoffs. Sure, Beaver was the top-seed in the Division II Playoffs and went on to win gold, but Erie Cathedral Prep was a #3-seed in AAA, Bishop Canevin was a #4-seed in AA and Franklin Regional was a #7-seed in A. Here are ALL of the results from the 2016 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. All results with (MSA) after are games that can be heard or viewed archived here on the MSA Sports Network.

Erie Cathedral Prep Wins 2nd Straight Pens Cup With OT Win Over NA

March 16, 2016

Sophomore defenseman Pat Kelly’s power play goal at (8:52) of overtime propelled the Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers to a 4-3 victory over top seeded North Allegheny in the PIHL Class AAA Championship game at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry and gave ECP its second consecutive Penguins Cup title and the school’s first in Class AAA since 1984.

Big Burst Helps Beaver Down Carrick to Win PIHL Division 2 Title

March 14, 2016

Things went according to plan for Carrick (15-7-1) through the first half of the 2016 PIHL Division 2 Championship at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry on Monday night. But then Beaver (21-2-0) exploded for three goals in a span of 1:17 late in the second period and rolled from there to a 5-2 victory and its first gold medal since 2001 as a member of Class AA.

Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Wednesday 3/9

March 10, 2016

On the final night of the Final Four in the high school hockey playoffs, both games came down to the wire in a pair of one-goal contests at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Wednesday. In the end, top-seed North Allegheny and 2015 Class AA champion Erie Cathedral Prep proved the Northern Lights shine brightest as they eeked out wins to move on to the finals next week. Here are summaries from both PIHL Pneguins Cup Class AAA Semifinals. A special thanks to Randy Gore and Bob Orkwis for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Semifinals:

Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Tuesday 3/8

March 9, 2016

Like the guy in the corn said in the movie Field of Dreams, "If you bracket it, upsets will come." Well, that's not exactly what he said, but since the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs switched from re-seed to brackets, the chance of upsets increased. And in the case of the Class A Semifinals on Tuesday, they increased two-fold. Here are summaries from a couple of Class A Semifinals surprises at the Robert Morris University island Sports Complex on Neville Island as a second top-seed was knocked out short of the finals. A special thanks to Sean Meyers and Greg Kuntz for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS A Semifinals:

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Heather Davis

March 8, 2016

Playing four sports in high school is a tremendous accomplishment, while playing two sports at the college level is equally, if not even more impressive. Heather Davis achieved both of these feats during her time at Ford City High School and Waynesburg University. While at the now defunct Ford City, Davis starred in basketball, as well as golf, volleyball and track. On the hardwood, she was a four-year letterwinner, and earned all-section distinction as a senior in 2011-12. That season, she helped guide the Sabers to a 16-7 mark, including a playoff bid in Class AA. Additionally, she was named the MVP of the Cager Classic All-Star Game.

2016 WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Day One Recap

March 4, 2016

The AAA WPIAL Championships started Friday at Penn Hills with news of wrestlers missing. A pair of scratches to seeded wrestlers adjusted two different weight classes. The first was at 132 pounds, where number five seed Ryan Yocum of Trinity was a scratch. The other was at 152 pounds where Micah Kusturiss of Canon McMillan, who was a four seed, was a scratch due to an ankle injury.

Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Wednesday (3/2) & Thursday (3/3)

March 3, 2016

One game on Wednesday and seven more on Thursday helped close out the first two rounds of the high school hockey playoffs in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The stage is now set of the postseason Final Four as four teams from each classification are set to play next week for a spot in the championship game. Here are summaries from the Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division 2 Quarterfinals games played on both Wednesday and Thursday in the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Josh Rowntree, Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian, Lou Rood and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Monday 2/29

February 29, 2016

It happens every four years. Leap Year. An extra day in the month of February. The PIHL took advantage of that rare 29th day in the second month of the year with a February start to the high school hockey postseason. A pair of First Round games in Class AA along with Quarterfinals contests in Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division II. Here are recaps from all seven opening night contests as the curtain rises in the 2016 Penguins Cup Playoffs. A special thanks to Steve Nagler, Kevin Zielmanski, Don Rebel, Matt Vandriak, Bob Orkwis, Greg Kuntz and Josh Rowntree for their help with these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

PIHL Notebook – 02/29/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Beginning this week we break the regular format, and with good reason as the 2016 Penguins Cup Playoffs beginning tonight. Where, when and against whom is your favorite team playing? Which players should you keep an eye on in each game? Fear not, we have your questions answered below in encapsulated form. So, let’s light the lamp on this special playoff preview edition of “PIHL Notebook.” Class AAA Quarterfinals: #1 North Allegheny Tigers (13-5-2) vs #8 Bethel Park Black Hawks (8-10-2) AT Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale on Tuesday, March 1st at 7:00pm

2016 WPIAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results

February 28, 2016

Two new champions were crowned and two others were hoisting gold again as the district playoff concluded the The Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Bishop Canevin was ranked #1 most of the season but slipped to the fourth seed late in the season. However the Crusaders cruised to a second title in four years. South Fayette won a first ever girls basketball crown in Class AAA. Norwin needed a big comeback and overtime in the finals, but the Knights won a second straight Quad-A championship. Then there is Vincentian Academy. The Royals won the rubber match against section rival and top-seed Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic to capture a fifth consecutive district gold ball.

Norwin Comes Back To Repeat Girls AAAA Title In Overtime

February 27, 2016

“Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion” has often become a cliché in the world of sports. That adage proved fitting at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday night, however, as the reigning champion Norwin Knights scored a 63-57 overtime victory against North Allegheny in the Class Quad-A title game. Top-seeded Norwin overcame a seemingly insurmountable fourth-quarter deficit against North Allegheny to not only keep its undefeated season in tact, but to repeat as champion. Pitt recruit Alayna Gribble led the Knights with a game-high 22 points, with 17 points in the second half, while teammate Dominique Petach contributed 13 points, including five points in overtime.

South Fayette Edges Trinity for First WPIAL Basketball Title

No. 1 South Fayette (22-3) returned to the Peterson Events Center for a second consecutive year to the WPIAL Girls AAA Championship Game. This time, however, the Lions would survive a thrilling victory over section rival Trinity (21-4), claiming their first WPIAL basketball title, 59-52. In their third meeting of the season, South Fayette would see No. 2 Trinity battle back from a 17-point deficit to one-point game in the final minutes. In section play, South Fayette won both meetings, including a 43-40 game in which the Lions overcame an eight-point halftime deficit. But in this matchup, the Lions did not need to mount a second-half comeback and led by five after the first quarter.

Aliquippa Makes WPIAL History In Class AA Title Win

Senior Kaezon Pugh has been in a number of pressure situations as a member of the Aliquippa Quips football team, but he found himself in a tight spot on the basketball floor on Saturday afternoon. The Pitt recruit shined once again as he nailed two free throws in the final seconds to place No. 1 Aliquippa (25-0) in the WPIAL history books once again with a 49-45 victory over No. 2 Lincoln Park (22-4) at the Petersen Events Center. The victory in the Class AA championship is the 12th basketball title in school history. The Quips become only the second team in the 100-plus year history of the league to win back to back undefeated championships. The other was New Castle, which won three straight titles with an undefeated record from 2012-2014.

Vincentian Wears the Girls A Gold Crown For Fifth Straight Year

Cardinal Weurl North Catholic and Vincentian Academy are far from strangers. The two have met twice already this season, this time though – there was much more on the line. The Trojans were looking for revenge after falling to the Royals in last year’s WPIAL championship. When the final buzzer sounded, though, Vincentian Academy again stood tall, as the Royals brought home the school's fifth straight WPIAL Class A championship, prevailing 68-54.

Beaver Falls Goes From Silver to Gold

February 26, 2016

Last year, Beaver Falls lost the Class AAA Championship Game on a last-second shot. This year, the Tigers left no doubt, as they took control early, and secured a 56-45 victory against Highlands at the Petersen Events Center to capture the tenth WPIAL championship in school history. The Tigers won their first championship since capturing back-to-back crowns in 2012 and 2013. Leading the way for Beaver Falls was Josh Creach, the Tigers’ 6-foot-7 junior guard, who scored a game-high 17 points and collected 17 rebounds.

Defense Wins Girls AA Championship for Bishop Canevin

A couple of late regular season losses knock the team down to second place and a section title and top-seed also vanish. But as the #4-seed, the team gets hot and runs through the playoffs en-route to a WPIAL championship. Bishop Canevin fans are all too familiar with the above scenario as first the Crusaders girls volleyball team this fall, then the girls basketball team have followed the exact same path. Friday, the basketball team captured a second Class AA girls title in four years with a dominating 53-33 victory over the 14th-seed Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions at the Petersen Events Center. Bishop Canevin used a stifling defense to jump out to an 11-0 lead through a pair of Greensburg Central Catholic early time outs.

Scholastic Notebook – 02/26/2016

For the Aliquippa boys and Norwin girls, Saturday could be a perfect day to walk hand in hand into WPIAL lore. Both the Aliquippa boys and Norwin girls take undefeated records into WPIAL championship games Saturday at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center. If they both win, it will be only the fifth time in WPIAL history that boys and girls teams have won WPIAL titles with perfect records in the same year. The first time it happened was 1983 when Sto-Rox and Mount Alvernia were both undefeated while winning WPIAL titles. The last time it happened was 2012 when Seton-LaSalle and New Castle did it.

FINAL 2015-2016 PIHL Hockey Standings

Here are the FINAL 2015-2016 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League...including the FINAL PIHL playoff clinchings. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey regular season with weekly audio and video broadcasts, plus the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm starting in December ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. The top eight teams in Class AAA qualify for the Penguins Cup Playoffs. The top five teams in each Class AA conference qualify for the Penguins Cup Playoffs. The top five teams in each Class A conference qualify for the Penguins Cup Playoffs. The top eight teams in Division II qualify for the Penguins Cup Playoffs.

Path to the Pete Recaps From Wednesday 2/24

February 24, 2016

While it may not measure up to the incredible hardwood action on Tuesday, there was still plenty of excitement at the four venues hosting WPIAL Semifinals action on Wednesday. While the boys Quad-A #1-seed fell in double overtime, the favorites were winners in Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A as in those three tournaments, it will be #1 vs #2 at The Pete on Saturday afternoon. Here are summaries from all eight WPIAL Semifinals games on Wednesday. A special thanks to Dennis Fischer, Tom Hays, Cory Campano, Steve Nagler, Aaron Anderson, Bob Gregg and Bob Barrickman for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

Path to the Pete Recaps From Tuesday 2/23

February 23, 2016

While Tuesday was a bad night for top-seeds, it was a GREAT night to be a high school basketball fan. Five of the eight Final Four games turned into thrillers with teams laying it on the line for a spot in Championship Weekend. Four #1-seeds entered the night two wins from securing an expected championship. The night ended with only one team still alive and great heartbreak for eight teams that now must wait for the state postseason. Here are recaps from the Boys AAA, Boys A, Girls AAAA and Girls AA Semifinals. A special thanks to Mike Azadian, James Dotson, Bob Barrickman, Bob Orkwis, Josh Rowntree, Mark Schaas, Kevin Zielmanski and Randy Gore for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

Path to the Pete Recaps From Saturday 2/20

February 20, 2016

Two WPIAL defending champions were bounced in the opening round and two more were eliminated on Saturday as the Final Four were finalized, as were the Consolation Semifinals in all eight brackets set for Monday. After Indiana boys in AAA and Seton-LaSalle girls in AA were dethroned in the First Round, Saturday brought then end of the one year title run of Chartiers Valley boys in AAAA and the two year run of Blackhawk in girls AAA. Here are the summaries from Quarterfinals Saturday in Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A along with an update on a health scare for one head coach that puts all of these games in perspective.

Pgh Obama Turns Over Allderdice for City League Girls Crown

Obama Academy (20-4) used a smothering 2-2-1 press defense to help run away with a 64-33 win over Allderdice (11-13) on Saturday afternoon at the Peterson Events Center. Michaela Porter, daughter of former Pitt star Darrell Porter, scored a game-high 21 points and snagged 13 rebounds, leading the Eagles to their third straight Pittsburgh City League Girls Basketball Championship win over the Dragons. The win was not as easy for Obama Academy as the final score indicated. The Eagles would hop out to a 19-3 lead, but see the Dragons end the first half on a 16-3 run. After 16 minutes, Obama Academy would lead 22-19. But the Eagles outscored Allderdice 42-14 in the second half due, in large part, to 37 forced turnovers in the game.

2016 WPIAL Football Schedule Released

February 19, 2016

As the tide continues to roll toward the major changes in WPIAL sports starting this fall, the WPIAL has released the much anticipated 2016 district football schedule. This includes conference and non-conference games in nine weeks of the regular season from Friday, September 2nd through Friday, October 28th. The schedule will be reversed home and away in the 2017 season. One of the most anticipated regular season football games is actually a non-conference game that pits district and state powers against each other in a 'dream' matchup. Defending Class AA champion Aliquippa travels to Neil Brown Stadium on October 7th to face defending Class A champion Clairton, this despite the fact the Bears are still in 1-A and the Quips have moved up to 3-A.

Path to the Pete Recaps From Thursday 2/18

After four days of action on the court and an extra day of wait thanks to Mother nature, the First Round of this years Path to the Pete is finally in the books with very few surprises. Only four double digit girls seeds are on their way to the Quarterfinals while even fewer double digit seeds...three, are moving on to this weekend in the boys postseason. Here are summaries from the final night of Round One in Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A on another night when nearly all of the favorites took care of business.

WPIAL Boys Sports Realignment

February 16, 2016

We all knew it was coming. A major change to the WPIAL high school sports landscape based on the PIAA's decision to increase from four to six classifications in football, basketball and baseball, plus the increase in other sports such as soccer and lacrosse. The WPIAL Board of Control approved the various steering committee's re-alignment suggestions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. This alignment also will be for the 2017-2018 school year. *For an interactive listing, CLICK HERE FOOTBALL Class 6A

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Nolan Cressler

February 15, 2016

Although the WPIAL has produced some notable NCAA Division I basketball players recently, not many of those athletes could boast that they played meaningful minutes on a team ranked in the top 20 nationally. Former Plum standout Nolan Cressler accomplished that feat earlier this season, though, with Vanderbilt University. Before Cressler's rise to prominence in college, he rewrote the record books for the Plum Mustangs. Cressler holds the all-time scoring mark in school history, with more than 1,500 points. His final two seasons were particularly impressive, as he averaged more than 25 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior, and slightly increased those marks in his senior campaign.

PIHL Notebook – 02/15/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes overtime action in Class AAA along with battles among playoff teams in the other three classifications. There are no broadcasts to preview this week, but we will make use of the allotted space with a look at the current playoff picture in each classification as we head into the final two weeks of the regular season. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Path to the Pete Recaps From Friday 2/12

February 12, 2016

The first night of the 2016 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs featured Preliminary Round hoop games from Boys AAA and Girls AA along with First Round action from Boys A and Girls AAAA. Here are recaps from all 18 district playoff games to begin the trip on the Path to the Pete. A special thanks to Josh Rowntree, Cory Campano, Randy Gore, Steve Nagler, Andy Stanko, James Dotson, Mark Schaas, Gary Frankhouser, Steve Superick, Brian Mroziak, Bob Orkwis, Paul Paterra, Bob Barrickman, Melissa Carle, Kyle Dawson, Bob Gregg and Kevin Zielmanski for their help with these recaps. WPIAL BOYS CLASS AAA PRELIMINARY ROUND:

WPIAL Girls Basketball Preview

There are 73 girls teams that begin the Path to the Pete in the hopes of raising one of the four championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on February 26th or 27th. Here are some factoids to help you get ready for the 2016 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs. CLASS AAAA TOP SEED: Norwin (21-0). The Knights are the defending champions and an overwhelming choice as the top seed. They are led by Alayna Gribble, a Pitt recruit who just might be the No. 1 player in the WPIAL this year. Norwin has been impressive offensively, but their defense is absolutely stifling. The Knights allow only 31 points a game. DEFENDING CHAMP: Norwin.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings – 02/10/2016

February 10, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm with audio and video game broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-4-1) (Last Week #1) 2) ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERS (9-5-3) (Last Week #3)

2015-2016 WPIAL FINAL Girls Basketball Standings

February 9, 2016

Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls basketball standings for the 2015-2016 regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL girls hoops rankings are released each Monday along with girls basketball talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report at 6:00pm and live and archived broadcasts only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched Share of Section Title * - Clinched a WPIAL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated from Playoff Chase

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoff Rankings 2016

February 8, 2016

Our final WPIAL Boys Basketball Top 10 rankings of the season is not really a true rankings, just like the WPIAL Steering Committee doesn't truly rank the teams when putting the brackets together. Sure, the top eights teams are according to perceived rankings, but then a lot of what follows the rest of the way is more fill in the blanks to avoid teams from the same section meeting in Round One. Throw in Preliminary Round games like we'll see in Class AAA and Class AA, and then you really have to dance around to avoid Preliminary and First Round games against teams from the same section. The First Round seed matchups break out this way in this order.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Rankings 2016

Our final WPIAL Girls Basketball Top 10 rankings of the season is not really a true rankings, just like the WPIAL Steering Committee doesn't truly rank the teams when putting the brackets together. Sure, the top eights teams are according to perceived rankings, but then a lot of what follows the rest of the way is more fill in the blanks to avoid teams from the same section meeting in Round One. Throw in Preliminary Round games like we'll see in Class AAA and Class AA, and then you really have to dance around to avoid Preliminary and First Round games against teams from the same section. The First Round seed matchups break out this way in this order.

PIHL Notebook – 02/08/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes an important win on the Class AA bubble along with a nail-biting no-contest at the top of Class B. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of upcoming MSA broadcasts, with playoff ramifications abounding in each of the three main classifications. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: North Allegheny (8-0-0); Erie Cathedral Prep (5-0-1)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/07/2016

February 7, 2016

Even though the big game is in the books, this is still going to be a SUPER week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the start of the 2016 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs with ALL of the boys and girls games only here on The Network. We also have the end of the high school basketball regular season in District 6 and District 9 as well as action from the 2016 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs, PIHL high school hockey and the regular season finale of Carlow University men's and women's college basketball, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, The PIHL Power Play Show, The WPIAL Roundball Report and the WPIAL Basketball Playoff Pairings Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 8th:

2016 National Letter of Intent Day – MSA Sports Elite Eleven College Destinations

February 3, 2016

Wednesday is National Letter of Intent Day where high school seniors make their verbal commitments official by signing on the dotted line to the school of their choice. What were the final college destinations for the members of the 2015 MSA Sports The Elite 11 football all-star team? Here is a look: PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KAEZON PUGH, ALIQUIPPA RB-LB, 6-2, 217, Sr. PITT ZACH CHANDLER, AVONWORTH QB, 6-4, 235, Sr. ALDERSON-BROADDUS DAMAR HAMLIN, PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC WR-DB, 6-2, 189, Sr. PITT HUNTER HAYES, SOUTH FAYETTE RB-DB, 6-1, 195, Sr. PENN

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm with audio and video game broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (11-4-1) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 02/03/2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. LATROBE WILDCATS (19-1) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (16-5) (Last Week #2) 3. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (16-4) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 02/01/2016

February 1, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORWIN KNIGHTS (19-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (18-2) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – 02/01/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes overtime action in the three major classifications plus an important game in the Division 2 bubble battle. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of upcoming MSA broadcasts, including two games featuring North Allegheny in Class AAA as they battle Peters Township and Seneca Valley this week. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Scholastic Notebook – 01/31/2016

January 31, 2016

Cali Konek’s scoring average has opened eyes across WPIAL girls basketball, and here is another startling statistical fact from the freshman guard at Imani Christian: Konek has a good chance to become the first WPIAL girl to score 1,000 points in a season. And she might reach the milestone in the regular season. Scoring 1,000 points in the regular season seems surreal, but Konek already has 873 points and Imani Christian has three games left this week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday). Konek averages 45.9 points a game. So if she gets her average, she will break 1,000 points.

Scholastic Notebook – 01/22/2016

January 22, 2016

There seems to be some question as to how good the top teams really are in WPIAL Class AA Section 4 basketball. Brownsville is 13-4, Charleroi 12-3 and Waynesburg 7-7. History makes you wonder about the strength of the teams. Among the three, there are a total of three WPIAL titles and only one in the past 50-plus years. Brownsville won a championship in 2001 while Charleroi won titles in 1940 and 1958. On top of that, no one from the section has done much in the playoffs in recent history. But while many may question the strength of the teams in the section, there is no question that Section 4 is where the scorers reside.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 01/21/2016

January 21, 2016

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings – 01/20/2016

January 20, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm with audio and video game broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (10-1-4) (Last Week #1)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/18/2016

January 18, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORWIN KNIGHTS (15-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (14-2) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – 01/18/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes one team ending a surprisingly long losing streak in Class AAA while a battle of top teams in Division 2 had its own unexpected result. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of upcoming MSA broadcasts. This may well be our busiest non-playoff week of the year with eight games on the slate to break down. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Scholastic Notebook – 01/17/2016

January 17, 2016

Maybe just call this a saga of Penn-manship. Jim Rocco resigned in the spring as the boys basketball coach at Penn Hills High School in order to become coach at Penn-Trafford. He is enjoying success at his new job. Dan DeRose took over for Rocco at Penn Hills. DeRose came to Penn Hills from South Park, and DeRose is enjoying success at his new job. So it’s two new coaches at two schools with Penn as the first name. This really is a Jim Dan-dy story. At Penn-Trafford, the Warriors are 10-4 under Rocco, who won two WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship in his 19 years at Penn Hills. Penn-Trafford is tied for second place in Class AAAA Section 1.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 01/14/2016

January 14, 2016

Here are the latest Top 10 rankings in WPIAL Team Wrestling. Every Thursday through January, MSA Sports ranks the top ten teams in both the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA team wrestling. Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show every Monday at 7:00pm AND weekly matches broadcast on Wednesday's and select weekends only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Belle Vernon Leopards (7-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Kiski Area Cavaliers (12-0) (Last Week #2) 3. Latrobe Wildcats (5-0) (Last Week #3) 4. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (3-1) (Last Week #4)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/11/2016

January 11, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORWIN KNIGHTS (13-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (12-2) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – 01/11/2016

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes a rematch of last year’s Class AAA championship game, some offensive fireworks in Class AA and an upset in Class A. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of upcoming MSA broadcasts, including a cross-conference showdown in Class AA and a cross-classification match-up in Division 2. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Event: 2016 WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championship Summary

January 9, 2016

Neshannock (A), Hopewell (AA) and North Allegheny (AAA) used near-flawless execution despite high levels of difficulty to claim 2016 WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships on Saturday at Hempfield High School. For North Allegheny, the victory is their first in the four-year history of the sport at the WPIAL and PIAA level. It also means that the Tigers qualify for the PIAA Championships for the fourth consecutive season. Butler High School finished second in AAA for the third straight season. While winning Competitive Spirit titles is a new concept to North Allegheny, Neshannock and Hopewell are not strangers to trophies. The Lancers and Vikings both last took home Class A and AA titles in 2013, the first year of sanctioned competition.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 01/07/2016

January 7, 2016

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings – 01/06/2016

January 6, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm with audio and video game broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (8-1-4) (Last Week #1) 2) BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (8-2-1) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/05/2016

January 5, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. LATROBE WILDCATS (10-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-2) (Last Week #2) 3. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (7-2) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/04/2016

January 4, 2016

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORWIN KNIGHTS (12-0) (Last Week #1) 2. PENN HILLS INDIANS (10-1) (Last Week #3)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/03/2016

January 3, 2016

The first full week of 2016 brings plenty of scholastic post-holiday treats your way as we cheer for the new year this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have huge portions of WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 boys and girls section basketball along with section and tournament wrestling action from the WPIAL and District 6. We also have side dishes of audio and video coverage of PIHL high school hockey and Carlow University men's and women's college basketball as well as the 2016 WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and the WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 4th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #10 – #1

January 1, 2016

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We conclude our countdown with #10 through #1. #10 - GOLDEN TRIBE

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/29/2015

December 29, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. LATROBE WILDCATS (8-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-2) (Last Week #2) 3. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (7-2) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Matt Skoff

More than six years ago, the Montour hockey team made an unlikely run to the PIHL Class AA Penguins Cup Championship Game. Undoubtedly, the play of goaltender Matt Skoff was the biggest reason for the Spartans reaching the title game. Monday night, Skoff returned to his hometown, as a member of the Penn State hockey team. Skoff and the Nittany Lions will compete in the Three Rivers Classic at Consol Energy Center both Monday and Tuesday.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/28/2015

December 28, 2015

We prepare to turn the page from 2015 to 2016 with plenty of holiday tournament basketball and wrestling this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the last of the WPIAL and District 6 boys and girls high school basketball action for 2015 along with start of high school hoops for 2016 along with two day coverage of the 2015 PowerADE Wrestling Tournament, plus the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 28th: WPIAL High School Boys Basketball - Latrobe vs Plum at 2:00pm on WCNS-AM 1480 WPIAL High School Boys Basketball - Knoch vs Avonworth at 6:00pm on WISR-AM 680

MSA SPORTS ELITE ELEVEN

December 24, 2015

The MSA Sports Elite 11 all-star team is quite offensive. This year’s team has a handful of players who either put up record offensive numbers this season, or had statistics that put them in an elite class. Among those are quarterbacks Phil Jurkovec of Pine-Richland and Zach Chandler of Avonworth, Woodland Hills running back Miles Sanders, Aliquippa running back Kaezon Pugh and Armstrong running back Zane Dudek. The team is picked by the MSA Sports staff and is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. Eight of the players are seniors, two juniors and one sophomore. Three of the players were on WPIAL championship teams. Here is a look at this years Elite 11.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 12/23/2015

December 23, 2015

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/21/2015

December 21, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season...including another NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORWIN KNIGHTS (7-0) (Last Week #3) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-1) (Last Week #1)

Scholastic Notebook – 12/21/2015

Pittsburgh Central Catholic won the very first PIAA Class AAAA championship in 1988. On Saturday, Central Catholic won the last PIAA Class AAAA title as we know it. And Central Catholic has to be the odds-on favorite to win the first PIAA 6A title. Central Catholic won its latest title Saturday with a 21-18 victory against Parkland at Hersheypark Stadium. Because the PIAA is going to six classes next year, this was, in a sense, the last AAAA title under this system. Although it has only been a day since Central Catholic’s latest title, it’s easy to look ahead and peg the Vikings as the team to beat next year in 6A. The Vikings will play in the largest class under the new system.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 12/20/2015

December 20, 2015

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/20/2015

It's a time for reflection...a time for family...a time for giving and receiving....and a time for more high school sports broadcasts as we help in the last minute shopping with stocking stuffers such as scholastic basketball, wrestling and hockey talk and action this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the last of the WPIAL and District 6 boys and girls high school basketball section play for 2015 along with WPIAL and District 6 scholastic wrestling and audio and video coverage of PIHL high school hockey, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 21st:

Pgh Central Catholic Holds On for 4th PIAA Football Title

December 19, 2015

Over the lengthy course of an extended season, there are unexpected surprises – good or bad – that seem to pop up. Pittsburgh Central Catholic had one of those pleasant surprises in a 21-18 win over Parkland to win its fourth PIAA Championship in school history Saturday in junior running back J.J. Younger. Younger found the end zone late in the third quarter off a 54-yard run, which proved to be the winning score despite a 21-0 lead at that point by the Vikings. “This is probably the best game I’ve ever had,” said Younger. “Being out here on the big stage with my brothers; that’s what really pushed me tonight.”

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – State Championships

December 16, 2015

The final Big Game Hunting of the year is here, and I hear those sarcastic “ahhhs” throughout western Pennsylvania! I have names and numbers and email addresses, each of you will be hearing from me personally. District-7 after going .500 in the PIAA quarters improved that number to 1.000 in the semis moving two teams into the final weekend of high school football in the state. The Quips and Vikings look for state championships number 39 and 40 for the WPIAL in football this weekend. That sounds like a great reason to go Big Game Hunting one more time in 2015.

PIAA Plays of the Week – Semifinals

December 15, 2015

After both Clairton and Thomas Jefferson were bounced for the PIAA postseason in the quarterfinals, the Central Catholic Vikings and Aliquippa Quips represented the remaining hopes for the WPIAL to capture gold in Hershey. Following the semifinals contests this past week, both of those teams are still alive, as they advanced to the state championships. The victories in the semis nearly mirrored the quarterfinals triumphs for the teams, as the Quips overcame a fourth quarter deficit, while the Vikings turned in a dominant defensive performance and won comfortably. With all of the great action from which to choose, this week's edition will feature two plays from each of the victories. 1. Aliquippa 30, Martinsburg Central 21

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/15/2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2015-2016 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Tuesday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season with exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (3-1) (Last Week #1) 2. LATROBE WILDCATS (4-0) (Last Week #4) 3. PLUM MUSTANGS (4-0) (Last Week #6)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/13/2015

December 13, 2015

The end of another season and the end of the four classification era in Pennsylvania also marks the final cruise on the 2015 Road to Hershey this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the final two scholastic football games of the year on Saturday as the two remaining 2015 WPIAL champions in Aliquippa in AA and Pittsburgh Central Catholic in AAAA play for a PIAA state football championship on Saturday.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, December 5th

December 6, 2015

The dream of a Division II National Championship is over. The #10 Slippery Rock football team fell at #5 Shepherd on Saturday 28-16. The Rock tied a school record with a 12-2 record and matched the 1998 team with advancement to the national quarter finals. With the loss, SRU also saw a 9 game winning streak come to an end. The Rock scored on their second possession of the game, going 13 plays. Shamar Greene(West Mifflin) scored his 16th touchdown of the season on a 2 yard run, on a 4th and goal attempt. The Rock had a chance to extend their lead, Andrew Huska’s 41 yard field goal attempt was blocked in the first quarter. Shepherd used a long drive of their own but Ryan Earls missed a 43 yard attempt and SRU maintained the lead.

PIAA Football Quarterfinals Recaps 2015

December 5, 2015

Last year, the WPIAL sent all four of its champions to Hershey to play in the PIAA football finals. In both 2012 and 2013, three of the four District 7 teams made it to Hersheypark Stadium. This year after the Quarterfinals, only two teams are left standing as another WPIAL Triple-A champ is ousted by Erie Cathedral Prep while Clairton is stunned by a team they beat last year by 28 points. Here are recaps from all four PIAA Quarterfinals state football playoff games involving the four WPIAL champions. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Bob Gregg, Bob Barrickman and Paul Paterra for their help on these recaps.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – WPIAL Championships 2015

December 1, 2015

Nearly three months of terrific football action culminated on Saturday with the WPIAL Championship games at Heinz Field. Four teams were crowned champions of their respective classifications, including one repeat winner, the Clairton Bears. Additionally, the Aliquippa Quips, Thomas Jefferson Jaguars and Central Catholic Vikings all hoisted the trophies, securing their spot in the PIAA postseason. Congratulations to all of the winners, as well as every team and all the players and coaches for a wonderful 2015 WPIAL campaign. To put the cherry on top of the great season, here are the very best plays from Championship Saturday. 1. Aliquippa 44, South Fayette 38

Thomas Jefferson Shuts Down Central Valley to Win AAA Gold

November 29, 2015

After Thomas Jefferson dropped its first two contests of the 2015 season, some began to question if the Jaguars had lost their distinction as a powerhouse team. Those questions have been definitively answered, as the Jaguars won 11 straight games from that point, culminating with the WPIAL Class AAA Championship, defeating top-seeded Central Valley 20-7 at Heinz Field. With the triumph, the No. 6 Jaguars captured their sixth championship, and first since 2008, when Thomas Jefferson notched the final of three-consecutive titles.

Aliquippa Wins 16th Crown in Ending South Fayette’s 2-Year Reign

November 28, 2015

Aliquippa has found it tough to dispatch South Fayette in WPIAL Class AA championship games at Heinz Field. After falling to the Lions in the title contest two straight years, the Quips finally emerged victorious this year. But it wasn’t easy. In an incredible game that featured numerous ebbs and flows of emotion and momentum, Aliquippa (13-0) topped South Fayette (12-1) in pulsating fashion by a score of 44-38. In the process, the Quips snapped South Fayette’s 44-game winning streak and captured the school’s 16th WPIAL championship.

Clairton Caps Decade of Dominance With Rout of Jeannette

Defending champion Clairton wasted no time getting things started in this year’s WPIAL Class A Championship. Senior running back Harrison Dreher took the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Lamont Wade added a two point conversion to put the Bears up 8-0 just 16 seconds into the game. Jeannette took over at the 36-yard line. Struggling to find an offensive rhythm, Jeannette went three and out on its first possession.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Championship Saturday

November 26, 2015

A little light reading for your post-turkey dinner relaxation in this week’s Big Game Hunting. This is a pretty epic Championship Saturday. The eight contestants have combined for some astronomic numbers over the years. All-time, this group of teams has combined to win 50 WPIAL football championships. More recently the numbers get even more impressive. Since 2003 there have been 48 WPIAL football championships won, these teams have combined to win 26 of them, that’s 56% of the championships in the last twelve years going to these teams! They know all about Big Game Hunting. Weather, the surface, the bright lights, and injuries all will play a part Saturday.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 28

November 25, 2015

And then there were three district college football teams alive in the post season. SRU and IUP hope to both advance and meet in the Super Region ! final while Duquesne makes their initial trip into the FCS playoffs. Here are previews of ALL 3 GAMES, with recaps coming Saturday night. NCAA Division II Playoffs/Super Region 1 Semifinal Assumption (11-1) at Slippery Rock (11-1) Noon A battle of the third and second seeds in the region with the winner to advance to the regional final next weekend. The two teams have never met. Slippery Rock is ranked 8th in the D2football.com poll, while Assumption is ranked 17th.

PIAA Alignment Numbers for 2017 & 2018 – Spring Sports

The new alignment list has been released by the PIAA for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 spring sports seasons. With the expanded classifications, there are still a lot of questions to be answered by WPIAL school officials and the schools themselves before anything in finalized and conferences are set. Schools must make a decision by mid-December if they want to remain in their designated classification OR decide to move up in class. A school is not permitted to move down.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2015

November 24, 2015

The 2015 WPIAL football season began in early September, and every team's ultimate goal at that time was to advance to Heinz Field to play for a championship. The teams that accomplished that objective were determined on Friday, as eight teams advanced from the semifinals. The majority of the contests were competitive, with several coming down to the final minutes. To that point, this week's edition of the top plays includes a final-minute touchdown pass for a team building a reputation for comeback victories, a spectacular run by a quarterback to give his team the lead, a long return touchdown on the opening kickoff, and a defensive stop on the final play of the game. Here are the best of the best from the WPIAL semifinals tilts.

2015 PIAA Boys Soccer State Playoff Results

November 22, 2015

In an amazing feat, the WPIAL sent three boys soccer teams to Hershey to play for state gold - Seneca Valley, South Park and Sewickley Academy...this after none of the three even made it to the WPIAL championships two weeks ago. Sewickley Academy was the only team to bring home gold as the Panthers captured the schools third Class A boys soccer state crown. Meanwhile both the Seneca Valley Raiders in AAA and the South Park Eagles in AA settled for silver after greats runs to the PIAA title matches. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Central Bucks East Patriots 2 - SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS 0

2015 PIAA Girls Volleyball State Playoff Results

Bishop Canevin didn't even win it's regular season section, but the Crusaders had a golden shine to their game in the postseason. Two weeks after winning the schools second WPIAL girls volleyball championship, Bishop Canevin added a first ever PIAA state title to its resume. The Crusaders beat District 5 champion North Star in three games to capture the only state title for a WPIAL school this fall. District 11 champion Parkland won the state AAA championship while District 3 champion Berks Catholic captured state gold in AA. Here are ALL the results from the 2015 PIAA Girls Volleyball Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 21

November 21, 2015

A mix of playoff and regular season action in thecdistrict this weekend. The Division II playoffs kicked off while two local PAC teams participate in ECAC Bowls. The NEC cocludes the regular season with a title deciding tilt at Rooney Field. Here are recaps of ALL THE GAMES: Division II Playoffs/Super Region 1 Slippery Rock 40 – Virginia Union 21 Playing their first home playoff game since 1999, #10 Slippery Rock advanced to the regional semifinals with the Rock’s 8th straight win. Shamar Greene(West Mifflin) ran for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Semifinals

Every team has similar goals when they start camp in the heat of August. One of them is to still be playing and practicing into Thanksgiving Day and beyond. Reaching that fun on Feastday usually means another goal has been reached, playing at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the home to both the Pitt Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These eight performances helped make both dreams a reality for Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Penn-Trafford, Central Valley, Thomas Jefferson, South Fayette, Aliquippa, Clairton and Jeannette. Ronnie Jones - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Sewickley Academy Wins PIAA Boys Class A Soccer Title

Sewickley Academy didn't even make it to this years WPIAL Class A championship after losing in the Semifinals to Avonworth in a 2-1 shootout, but now the Panthers are the best team in the state. Sewickley Academy shut out East Juniata 3-0 at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey Friday night to win the schools third PIAA boys soccer title. Sewickley Academy beat Greensburg Central Catholic 5-0 in the Class A Consolation match to earn a spot in the PIAA playoffs before beating Karns City, Mercyhurst Prep and Bishop McCort to reach the state championship match for a fourth consecutive season. The Panthers won it all in 2013 and lost in 2012 and in last years final, a 4-0 triumph for Moravian Academy.

District 5, 6, 9 & 10 High School Football Scores

November 20, 2015

Like the WPIAL, neighboring Western Pennsylvania districts continue their postseason this weekend with Semifinals action along with a few championship games and some PIAA Preliminary Round high school football playoff contests sprinkled in. Here is the schedule for District 5, District 6, District 9 and District 10 football postseason action on Friday and Saturday with three of the games here on MSA Sports. Here are ALL the final results from Friday and Saturday, setting the stage for the start of the Road to Hershey.. PIAA CLASS AAAA Preliminary Round: Erie McDowell Trojans 42 - Brashear Bulls 2 DISTRICT 5 CLASS AA Championship: Bedford Bisons 42 - Chestnut Ridge Lions 7

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 21

November 19, 2015

Week 12 of the district college football slate has a mix of playoff games, ECAC Bowls and the final week of the NEC regular season. SRU and IUP begin their quest for a NCAA Division II title. Westminster and Carnegie Mellon play a post season game for the first time in ages, while Duquesne and Saint Francis meet with the NEC title and a playoff bid on the line. Here are previews of ALL THE GAMES: NCAA Division II Playoffs Virginia Union (8-2) at Slippery Rock (10-1) Noon The Rock looks to change their playoff luck with the home game. Virginia Union makes their first NCAA trip in 24 years. The Panthers were 6-1 in the CIAA this season and will be well rested, having 14 days between games.

Chicks Picks – Week 12 – 2015

Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After a rough week of prognosticating the WPIAL quarterfinals, Chick’s Picks decided that a day of relaxation was in order. After all, she needed a clear mind (and crystal ball) as we approach this final stop on the Highway to Heinz. So, Chick’s Picks and her trusty crystal ball headed out to their favorite local spa. Their spa treatment specialists greeted them and showed them to their appointments. An hour later, a much more relaxed Chick’s Picks emerged, awaiting the arrival of her crystal ball. When the specialist arrived, however, Chick’s Picks knew that something was wrong.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Semifinals

November 18, 2015

This past Friday night the world was attacked once again by a senseless act of terrorism. I wish I had some words that could make us feel better, but I don’t. I would just encourage you to be kind to one another, and kind to yourselves (easier said than done). We will move on, it is all we can do. The final off-ramp on the Highway to Heinz approaches now, very quickly, who can keep the vehicle on the mainline and make their way around the construction barrels to the North Shore? We find out this Friday night on the MSA Sports Network. 50-50 shot your team is in this week’s Big Game Hunting, if you still have a team in the race. Win this week and you are assured a spot in Big Game Hunting for the as long as your 2015 season continues.

District College Football Playoffs For This Weekend

November 16, 2015

NCAA playoff action is set with three area teams set for action this weekend. In Division II, #9 Slippery Rock (10-1), fresh off a 61-12 pounding of West Chester in the PSAC State Title Game, will host Virginia Union (8-2) at noon on Saturday. It is the first appearance in 24 years in the playoffs for the Panthers, out of the CIAA. Slippery Rock received the #2 seed in Super Region 1 while Virginia Union is the #7 seed. Also in Division II, the 5 seed in the region IUP (8-2) will hit the road for the opening round as the Crimson Hawks travel to West Virginia to meet 4th seeded Charleston (10-1). The Golden Eagles finished second in the MEC, behind #1 seed Shepherd (10-0) and will make their first ever NCAA trip. The matchup is also a noon start on Saturday.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 14

November 14, 2015

The PSAC crowned a champion on Saturday, while a championship showdown was set for next week in the NEC. Here are recaps of ALL THE GAMES; Check back tomorrow night after the NCAA Selection Show to see who from the district moves on to post-season play. PSAC STATE TITLE GAME Slippery Rock 61 – West Chester 12 The Rock goes back to back as PSAC Champions with a huge victory on the road Saturday afternoon. It is the 11th PSAC crown for the Rock and will likely guarantee SRU at least one home game in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Quarterfinals

Most of the teams that advanced to Round Three in the WPIAL football playoffs were expected to be there while others are surprise participants still cruisin' on the Highway to Heinz. Some of the teams dominated their opponents, then there were others caught up in a tight game into the second half before they finally pulled away to victory, while a handful of teams needed to rally to win and advance. Whatever the case, these players we salute were instrumental in leading their teams to a superstitious victory on Quarterfinals Friday the 13th. Brett Laffoon - Penn-Trafford

Highway to Heinz – Quarterfinals Recaps 2015

November 13, 2015

You had to know some strange things would happen when Quarterfinals Friday fell on Friday the 13th. Undefeated teams Belle Vernon in AAA and Washington in AA were upended as was AAA 3rd-seed West Allegheny...Unbeaten Penn-Trafford and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic needed fourth quarter comebacks to pick up their 11th win of the season...and a Tri-County South Conference team is in the Final Four. Strange but true. Here are the summaries from an exciting Round Two as the Highway to Heinz has reached the midway point. A special thanks to Paul Paterra, Mark Uriah, Adam Hoerner, Rick Smith, Brandon Showers, Bob Barrickman, Tom Hays, Cory Campano, Bob Orkwis, Bob Gregg, James Dotson, Mark Schaas Mike Zappone, Randy Gore, Dan Wallace and Adam Gusky for their help on these recaps.

Scholastic Notebook – 11/13/2015

A Steel Valley player made some history last week. Now, the Steel Valley team will try to make some more history Friday night. It went pretty much unnoticed, but Steel Valley running back DeWayne Murray surpassed 4,000 career yards rushing last week in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. Although close to 70 runners have gained 4,000 yards rushing in their careers, it is a noteworthy feat for Murray because he is only a junior and is the first Steel Valley player to reach 4,000 yards. Murray has 4,097 yards on 363 attempts, an impressive 11.3 yards-per-carry average. Because he is only a junior, he has a good chance to next year become the 17th runner in WPIAL history to gain 5,000 career yards.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Quarterfinals

November 11, 2015

Quarter-finals week on the MSA Sports Network after a pretty chalk first round, really a very chalk first round just four upsets by seed and three of those in the eight – nine games, the other a ten seed over a seven seed. This Friday, I think you will see the chalk go by the wayside as I predict upsets will be the order of the weekend, but hey I know nothing, we’ve gone out of our way to make that abundantly clear here week after week. Just 16 games on this Friday night make sure you get out to one or listen to one here on the MSA Sports Network, even better if you do both of those things. Here are my picks for Week 11 of Big Game Hunting.

District College Football Preview for November 14th

Week 11 of the district college football slate features the PSAC State Title Game and 5 rivalry games in the PAC. Here are previews of ALL THE GAMES: PSAC STATE TITLE GAME Slippery Rock (9-1) at West Chester (7-3) Noon A win would cement the Rock into the D-II playoffs, SRU enters this week in 4th place in the Super Region 1 rankings. The Rock is ranked #9 in both the AFCA and D2football.com polls. The Rock has won 6 straight games since a loss to Seton Hill.Last week’s win over Clarion gave the Rock it’s 3rd straight trip to the title game, the Rock is the defending champions. SRU has won the West Division 15 times.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/08/2015

November 8, 2015

When it comes to delivering playoff and championship high school action, we are season veterans! Adn while we take time this week to salute the true hero's, America's Veterans, we also gear up for another ride on the Highway to Heinz this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL 16 Quarterfinals WPIAL Football Playoff games Friday night starting with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.

2015 WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFFS RESULTS

One team was perfect, one team was back on top for the fourth time in six year and a third was hoisting a second consecutive golden crown. The Norwin Knights have won every match they played en route to the Class AAA championship while the Mars Fighting Planets were back on top of the Class AA soccer solar system after a two year absence and the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions were the only district team to successfully defend their title from a year ago. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2015 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs.

2015 WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS

It was a postseason without a lot of surprises as the higher seeds dominated, going 40-5 through all four rounds of the playoffs. So it wasn't surprising that a pair of top-seeds came away with district gold as #1 Baldwin repeated as Class AAA champs and #1 Freeport captured the Class AA title for the second time in three years. The Class A winner was Bishop Canevin as the Crusaders came from behind in both the Semifinals and Finals to beat out top-seed Greensburg Central Catholic and #3-seed Shenango to win their second crown in three years. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs.

Freeport Stings West Shamokin to Win Girls Volleyball AA Crown

Freeport lived up to its billing as the top seed in the WPIAL AA playoffs, and bested previously unbeaten West Shamokin in the battle for Armstrong County. An outstanding effort from senior Zoey Pawlak propelled the Yellowjackets to a convincing 3-1 victory by scores of 25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16. Pawlak, a Loyola Maryland recruit, finished the match with 31 kills and seven service aces, and coach Tom Phillips led the Yellowjackets to their third WPIAL title in six years.

Bishop Canevin Wins Second WPIAL A Volleyball Title in Three Years

The Cardiac Crusaders came from behind yet again and won a five set match to win the 2015 WPIAL Class A Championship, defeating Shenango 23-25, 25-23, 25-13, 23-25,15-9. Bishop Canevin jumped to an early 13-5 lead in the first set, but the Wildcats responded with nine unanswered points to take a 14-13 lead. Elizabeth Quahliero had three of her team-high five service aces in the run. A back-and-forth battle finished with Shenango scoring three if the last four points in the set to draw first blood in the match.

South Fayette Roars to WPIAL Boys AA Soccer Crown

Jordan Smith’s blast just more than halfway through the first overtime period provided the golden goal for South Fayette, as the Lions captured their first boys’ soccer title. South Fayette, the No. 4 seed, edged second-seeded Mars 3-2 in the Class AA Championship at Highmark Stadium. Smith’s winner came from distance, but the senior’s kick was perfectly placed in the top corner, as Fighting Planets’ goalkeeper Dale Glavin had no chance to make the save. It marked Smith’s second tally of the contest, as he broke a scoreless tie in the 45th minute on a scramble in front. Originally, the play appeared to be an own-goal by Mars, but Smith was credited with the goal.

Seton-LaSalle Goes Overtime to Win Boys A Soccer Title

November 7, 2015

The Avonworth Antelopes and the Seton-LaSalle Rebels had met twice during the regular season in Class A Section 3 with each team coming away with a 2-1 win. So it was no surprise that the WPIAL Class A Title match at Highmark Stadium between the two schools was a tight battle as well. Senior midfielder Brandon Benedetti who had the game-winning goal in the Rebels 2-1 opening round win over Aquinas Academy stepped into solid right footed strike from 25-yards out and found the top left corner of the goal in the 7thminute of overtime propelling Seton-LaSalle to a 1-0 win and giving the Rebels their 6th WPIAL Class A Championship.

Greensburg CC Repeats as Girls A Soccer Champs

It may have taken awhile, but once again the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions (21-1) can call themselves WPIAL champions. Sarah Ward scored the game's lone goal with 11:55 to play in the second overtime in a game played Saturday morning at Highmark Stadium. As the play developed, the ball came to Bailey Cartwright in the box. Cartwright tried to create a scoring opportunity with her back to the net. The ball came free to Ward, who softly guided it into the back of the net, to give the Centurions the win and their fourth WPIAL title in five years.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – First Round

The lights are just a little bit brighter as 64 teams entered the district postseason three wins away from reaching every teams ultimate goal, a spot on the parking list for Championship Saturday at Heinz Field. There is no question that in the ultimate team sport, you need everybody in to win and advance at this point, but sometimes you need a player to step up and take control with an outstanding performance to keep your season alive at least for another week. So we tip our playoff caps to these ten players who were shining bright on a clear and crisp tenth Friday of the 2015 football season. Phil Jurkovec - Pine-Richland

Canon-McMillan Comes Back to Claim Boys AAA Soccer Gold in OT

The Canon-Mac Big Macs won their second WPIAL boys soccer championship at Highmark Stadium at Station Square when in the 8th minute of overtime Brandon Byer beat Fox Chapel keeper Jacob Dunn for a "Golden Goal", and a 2-1 Canon-MacMillan win. Fox Chapel had the better of play for most of the night out shooting and out-chancing the Big Macs. Fox Chapel took the lead in the 11th minutes when Kota Furuhata headed a Nathan Wecht corner behind Big Mac keeper Christian Snatchko.

WPIAL Friday Football Scores – 11/06/2015

November 6, 2015

There are no more second chances. There are no more 'we'll get them next week'. There are no tomorrows...unless of course you were victorious. It is win and advance time as the large field of 64 was sliced in half to 32 by the end of opening night. Cruel and unfair? Perhaps. but those are the road rules for the chosen who make the yearly trip on the Highway to Heinz. Here are the First Round scores of all 32 games, ALL of which were heard exclusively on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round: Woodland Hills Wolverines 41 - Hempfield Spartans 7 (F) Bethel Park Black Hawks 34 - Kiski Area Cavaliers 26 (F) North Allegheny Tigers 56 - Norwin Knights 17 (F)

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – First Round

November 5, 2015

The Highway to Heinz begins this week, a very exciting time in southwestern Pennsylvania and at the MSA Sports Network. We have been stretched to the max by the fall championship season but with one final tug we found a way to carry every single WPIAL football playoff game yet again. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Most years I fall in love with 8 v 9 games, but this year was different for me. Looking through the brackets I found myself most fascinated by three of the 7 v 10 games. Hey at this point they’re all big games, so easy pickins as we go post season Big Game Hunting. Class AAAA:

Fox Chapel Ousts North Allegheny as WPIAL AAA Field Hockey Champ

November 4, 2015

Fox Chapel won its second WPIAL Class AAA crown in the last four seasons by defeating the defending champion North Allegheny Tigers, 2-0, at Newman Stadium at North Allegheny High School on Tuesday night. The Tigers were trying for a three-peat and were facing a Fox Chapel team that had defeated them in the season opener, 4-0. The rematch was a more tightly contested affair thanks to a North Allegheny defense that was able to thwart an unrelenting Fox Chapel attack throughout the entire first half. Fox Chapel outshot North Allegheny, 15-3 on the night and dictated the pace of the game, but the Tigers managed to stymie the Foxes for a while thanks to the play of goalie Katie Shideler.

WPIAL Alum Q&A – Mackenzie Biggs

November 2, 2015

The Hopewell girls’ volleyball team was a powerhouse squad in recent years, as the Vikings captured the Class AA WPIAL Championship in 2011, and finished as runners-up the following season. One of the key components of that program’s success was Mackenzie Biggs, who is this week’s spotlighted athlete. Although also a talented basketball player at Hopewell, Biggs elected to continue her volleyball career at the next level, choosing to attend Clarion University. While seeing limited action as a freshman, Biggs carved out a larger room in 2014 as a sophomore with the Golden Eagles.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football Seeding Predictions

November 1, 2015

We do it every year in an effort to help the cause. Sometimes our logic is considered by the powers that be, then again, sometimes our two cents is ignored. Everybody has an opinion in how the WPIAL Football Steering Committee should set up the brackets for the upcoming ride on the Highway to Heinz.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/01/2015

We are done with the WPIAL football regular season and ready to ride on the Highway to Heinz starting this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL 32 First Round WPIAL Football Playoff games Friday night starting with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show. We also have six District 6 and District 9 high school football games along with the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships of the WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs and the Semifinals and Championships of the WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Playoffs. We also have the debut of men's college basketball, plus The WPIAL Football Playoff Pairings Show. This Week in the WPIAL and the season finale of the Indiana County Coaches Show ALL here at MSAsports.net

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 31st

On Halloween, several of the district college football teams thought they lost their heads with some very lopsided scores. With just a couple of weeks remaining, Duquesne shares the lead in the NEC, Slippery Rock is looking for back to back trips to the PSAC State Title game and programs who have struggled in recent years are close to the top of the PAC standings. Here are recaps of ALL THE GAMES from Saturday. Duquesne 35 – Wagner 17 The Dukes remain tied with CCSU at 3-1 atop the NEC standings. Rafiq Douglas ran for 3 touchdowns as Duquesne goes to 6-3 overall.

WPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/31/2015

October 31, 2015

Instead of using a bunch of Halloween cliches, I'll use the final day of the regular season to jump on my soap box. Very few teams that don't make the playoffs play a Week Ten game anymore. We are over ten years now since the WPIAL went from a 10 week to 9 week regular season schedule, giving non-playoff teams the option as to weather they want to play another game. Sadly, most don't. Why not? Some extra practices and one extra game couldn't hurt the underclassman. Just saying. Anyway, back to the regular season which ended today with these two final results. WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Serra Catholic Eagles 23 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 20 WPIAL CLASS A Black Hills Conference:

WPIAL Football Tiebreaker Explanations

Nowadays, any Tom, Dick or Harry can find out from other what is going on and then tweet it out like they are Tom Brokaw breaking a new flash. If you listened to Friday nights WPIAL Scoreboard Show, you found out who was in and some of the why. Here is a more insightful look into how the tiebreakers worked to figure out the 2015 WPIAL football playoff field. First, an explanation the Gardner Point system: A team earns ten points for all the wins earned by every conference team they beat. What? Here is a simple way to explain. If you beat Team A who had a 6-2 conference record, you earn 60 Gardner Points for their 6 wins. If you beat Team B and they were 2-6 in conference, you earn another 20 points for their 2 wins.

WPIAL/City League Friday Football Scores – 10/30/2015

October 30, 2015

For some football teams in the WPIAL, this Halloween Eve will be filled with treats as teams search their bag of goodies and find conference championships, playoff berths and the fun-size home field advantage postseason games. For others however, this final Friday of the regular season will be filled with tricks as teams see their playoff hopes disappear with one smoky poof. Here are all the WPIAL Week Nine football games along with the one Pittsburgh City League Semifinals contest. Check back later this evening for final results and follow us on twitter @msasports for updated scores throughout the night. Games marked with (MSA) can be heard live and archived here on the MSA Sports Network. All games kick off at 7:30pm unless otherwise indicated.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Nine 2015

October 28, 2015

Week Nine brings with it some big time rivalry games that are made extra special by the fact that they all have additional meaning and immediate impact on the playoffs. The Highway to Heinz is made so much less bumpy if that first round “on ramp” is freshly paved at your home field, and not freshly paved over a seemingly never-ending amount of time with insane restrictions the way Penn Dot is doing with the Parkway West; but, rather a nice regular season-ending victory over your biggest rival. Sorry I got a little off track there, but nonetheless one last time in the 2015 regular season, let’s go Big Game Hunting!

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Eight

October 25, 2015

With only two games on the Week 8 Saturday docket, lets give a team of the cap to Western Beaver. Going into Saturdays game, the Golden Beavers were 0-7 and had scored only 29 points in a looooong year. They fell behind playoff bound Union 19-0 after one quarter and could have rolled over and taken it on the chin again. But Matt Gray's team badly outplayed the Scotties the final three quarters and if not for two touchdowns called back and a dropped touchdown late, could have and should have pulled off the stunning upset. A great effort and kudos to Western Beaver. Nasan Tibbens - Riverview

WPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/24/2015

October 24, 2015

For the second week in a row, the WPIAL football schedule was loaded for bear on Friday night, thus leaving only a couple of scraps for the Saturday slate. Only two games were on the docket on this eighth Saturday of the season with very little at stake outside of civic pride and a possible home first round playoff game for one visiting squad. Here are both of the final results from Saturday afternoon. WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Riverview Raiders 40 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 6 WPIAL CLASS A Big 7 Conference: Union Scotties 25 - Western Beaver Golden Beavers 22 (MSA)

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Eight 2015

What a night for high school football in District 7. The skies were clear and the temps above average for late October, some teams clinched conference titles while others earned home field advantage in Round One and others still earned the right to participate in the upcoming postseason. Plus it turned out to be a record setting night for one junior running back. All this and the real fireworks don't begin for another two weeks. Here are some of the top standouts from the eighth Friday of the WPIAL football season. Duane Brown - Apollo-Ridge

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoff Teams – 10/23/2015

October 23, 2015

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports ranks the Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball teams. However the regular season is now over and instead of ten, we now rank all 16 AAA. 18 AA and 19 A playoff bound teams. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University starting next week ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Final section record in parenthesis. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA: 1) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (12-0) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-0) 3) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (12-0)

FINAL 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings

October 22, 2015

Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls volleyball standings for the 2015 season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings and eliminations. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs in October. Also, don't forget to click on the Girls Volleyball sports page for information on the 2015 MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program and tune in for the Hometown Girls Volleyball Show on Monday nights at 7:00pm here on MSA Sports. Only section record is shown. MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program teams are capitalized.

FINAL 2015 WPIAL Girls Soccer Standings

Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls soccer standings for the 2015 season...including the latest WPIAL playoff clinchings and eliminations. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs sponsored by Pro Grass and Carlow University starting on Saturday. Also, don't forget to click on the Soccer sports page for information on the 2015 MSA Sports Hometown Soccer Program. Weekly Top Ten rankings come out every Tuesday on MSasports.net MSA Sports Hometown Girls Soccer Program teams are capitalized.

FINAL 2015 WPIAL Boys Soccer Standings

Here are the FINAL WPIAL boys soccer standings for the 2015 season...including the FINAL WPIAL Playoff clinchings and eliminations. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs starting Monday. Also, don't forget to click on the Soccer sports page for information on the 2015 MSA Sports Hometown Soccer Program. Weekly Top Ten rankings come out every Wednesday on MSasports.net MSA Sports Hometown Boys Soccer Program teams are capitalized. (Top 3 teams from each section qualify for playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoff Teams – 10/20/2015

October 20, 2015

Usually each week during the regular season, we rank the Top Ten teams in each class. Here, MSA Sports ranks ALL of the boys soccer teams that qualified for the upcoming WPIAL Soccer Playoffs. Don't miss the WPIAL Soccer Playoff Pairings Show Wednesday at 5:30pm only at www.msasports.net. Also, you can listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA - 15 TEAMS: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (13-1-1) 2) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (14-1-1)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoff Teams – 10/20/2015

Usually each week during the regular season, we rank the Top Ten teams in each class. Here, MSA Sports ranks ALL of the girls soccer teams that qualified for the upcoming WPIAL Soccer Playoffs. Don't miss the WPIAL Soccer Playoff Pairings Show Wednesday at 5:30pm only at www.msasports.net. Also, you can listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA - 16 TEAMS: 1) NORWIN KNIGHTS (18-0-0)

2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoff Qualifiers

The 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs are set to begin with some Preliminary and First round matches slated to be played likely on Saturday. The brackets will be released on Wednesday afternoon and MSA Sports will break them down and preview the postseason on the pitch with the WPIAL Soccer Playoff Pairings Show Wednesday at 5:30pm. Here are the boys and girls teams that have qualified for the district playoffs. BOYS CLASS AAA: (15 TEAMS - 1 BYE) Penn-Trafford Warriors Norwin Knights Connellsville Falcons Seneca Valley Raiders North Allegheny Tigers North Hills Indians Fox Chapel Foxes Franklin Regional Panthers Kiski Area Cavaliers Allderdice Dragons

WPIAL Football Playoff Picture 2015

October 19, 2015

Who is in and who is out? Well OK, this is more geared to who is in and who is still alive. We avoid specifics with two weeks left, but we will run down all of the WPIAL playoff scenarios once Week Eight is put to rest this weekend. For now, here are the teams that have clinched, the teams that are still alive and who they play in the final two weeks of the 2015 campaign. Top five teams in each of the three conferences in Quad-A and Triple-A make the playoffs plus one sixth place team in each class clinched the wild card. Top four teams in each of the four conferences in Double-A and Single-A make the playoffs. CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:

PIHL Notebook – Class A Preview

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook” as we continue our comprehensive preview of the 2015-16 high school hockey season. Today we take a look at the teams vying for the Class A championship. Things are immediately intriguing here knowing there will be a new champion for the first time since 2007 given Quaker Valley and Mars now occupy Class AA. The alignment is also quite a bit simpler than it was last season. Gone is the Tier 1 and Tier 2 setup. In its place we now have a simple 16-team, two-conference setup with the top five teams from the East and West making the postseason, which is the same format Class AA is using this season.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/18/2015

October 18, 2015

We continue the Stretch Run of the 2015 high school football season while starting exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We move on to Week Eight of the high school football season with 27 WPIAL weekend contests starting Friday night with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Seven

Lets see, there was definitely a chill in the air on the seventh Saturday of the 2015 high school football season, but there was something else in the air you could detect at the two WPIAL games at historic Graham Field in Wilkinsburg and at Thee Summit Academy in Herman. Playoff tension? Possibly. Civic and school pride? Maybe. Lots and lots of passes? Not really. No, the answer was Mid-October SNOW FLURRIES! What the... Anyway, as we thaw out, lets tip our frozen lid to these two players who were red hot on a downright cold Saturday afternoon. Duane Brown - Apollo-Ridge

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 17th

On a cold day in the middle of October, playe3d in wind, rain, sleet and even snow showers, the college football season continued in Western Pa. Clarion took another step towards a magical season in the PSAC, while IUP and Slippery Rock both posted wins, leading to next week’s matchup. Here are recaps of ALL the games: Bryant 38 – Duquesne 17 Dalton Easton threw for a career high 330 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Bulldogs snapped a 3 game losing skid. Ricardo McCray added 118 rushing yards and a score, his 11th 100 yard game of his career.

WPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/16/2015

October 16, 2015

They say that one is the loneliest number in whole wide world. Well when it came to high school football in Southwestern Pennsylvania, two is very lonely too. The seventh Saturday of the season had only two WPIAL games on the docket, one Double-A game that featured a desperate team trying to climb back into the playoff chase while the Single-A game showcased a Top 10 team looking to stay in a tie for second place. Here are the results from both games played in the snow flurries on Saturday afternoon. WPIAL CLASS AA Allegheny Conference: Apollo-Ridge Vikings 36 - Summit Academy Knights 24 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 41 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 18

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/16/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week of October 12th. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA: 1) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (10-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (11-0) (Last Week #2)

Chicks Picks – Week 7 – 2015

October 15, 2015

Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. The 2015 Stretch Run is here – that time of year when the regular season is coming down to the wire with key games and the postseason looming. Chick’s Picks feels that this is a critical time for the MSA Sports Network team to get mentally prepared for the playoffs, just as do the players and coaches around the WPIAL. So, each year, Chick’s Picks takes it upon herself to organize a group exercise activity as a means of building teamwork and mental toughness for this most important time of the season.

Hometown Girls Volleyball Recap – Brentwood Spartans – 10/15/2015

Both Brentwood and Carlynton were on the outside looking in as far as playoff spots from Class A Section 2 were concerned coming into their match Wednesday night. But that didn't stop both teams from putting on a thriller at Brentwood High School as the host Spartans prevailed 3-2 over the Cougars. The Spartans got off to a fast start in Game 1 with a 5-0 run thanks to the service game of junior Molly Huffman. Brentwood continued to dominate the first game, leading by as many as 11 points. Even near the end of that first game, however, the momentum started to shift toward Carlynton. Despite being outscored, 9-3, the Spartans still won Game 1, 25-20.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 17th

October 14, 2015

The middle of October brings cooler weather, shorter days and heated play on the district college football front. In the NEC Duquesne looks to hold on to the top spot, while in the PSAC Clarion looks to accomplish a record noy oosted by the Golden Eagles in over 30 years. The PAC has a two way battle at 4-0 from outside the keystone state, while in New Wilminton Westminster is off to their best start since joining the conference. Here are previews of ALL the games:

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Seven 2015

The “Stretch Run” for 2015 is on us, the final third of the regular season will start this weekend with several big games around the WPIAL. Players, whether you are playing for a number one seed, a conference title, a home playoff game, a shot at the playoffs, a winning season, or to get your only win of the season, play hard, keep your head up when you tackle and make the most of this time in your life. If you are going to watch, cheer hard, bellyache less about the refs and the coaches, support your kids and your team without feeling like you need to control or have some input as to how the other team should or should not conduct themselves. It’ll be so much more fun for you and the people around you. Need to know where to go, or which link to click?

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/14/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of October 12th...including another #1 team in Class AAA. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (11-1-2) (Last Week #2)

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Six 2015

October 13, 2015

With the high school football regular season more than half way complete, some teams have already clinched their spot in the postseason, while many others are battling for the remaining playoff bids. To that point, all of the selections for this edition of plays of the week included games that had significant postseason implications. Without further adieu, here are the plays that helped catapult several teams to key victories. 1. Mount Lebanon 31, Bethel Park 20

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/13/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of October 12th...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (14-0-1) (Last Week #1)

PIHL Notebook – Class AA Preview

October 12, 2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook” as we continue our full team-by-team preview. Last week we took you inside every team in Class AAA. This week it’s time for Class AA to take center stage.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/11/2015

October 11, 2015

It is time to bend and stretch and reach for the postseason stars as we begin the Stretch Run to the 2015 high school football season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We move on to Week Seven of the high school football season with 28 WPIAL weekend contests starting Friday night with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Six

October 10, 2015

While the mercury continues to dip as October and autumn settle in, the lineup of big games was red hot up and down the FOUR classifications around the WPIAL. Battles for first place here, showdowns between unbeaten teams there, big games, big games everywhere. Some of them lived up to their billing and thrilled the huge crowds on hands, some were closer early before the final results was no so tight, and others were just an old fashioned butt whipping. Whatever the case, big game or not, here are the players that stood out in various playoff like atmosphere's in only Week Six. Philip Jurkovec - Pine-Richland

WPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/10/2015

It was the busiest Saturday of WPIAL football in the regular season on a picture perfect day for a Homecoming Day contest, which four of the six games fell under. Much like its predecessor in Week 6 - Friday night, Saturday had key games throughout the slate as well. A key battle between playoff hopefuls in the AAA Parkway Conference...two teams locked in a four-team playoff chase for a pair of AA Interstate Conference spots...and a highly ranked team in Class A hoping to not fall into a trap as they prepared to play of the A Black Hills Conference title next week. Three of the six games were heard here on MSA Sports. Here are ALL of the results, including a big upset in Class A. Games marked (MSA) can be heard live and archived at www.msasports.net

Hometown Boys Soccer Recap – Upper St. Clair Panthers – 10/08/2015

October 8, 2015

Logan Brinsky's goal in the 45th minute lifted Peters Township (9-3-2, 6-2-1) to a 1-0 victory over Upper St. Clair (8-5-1, 6-3-0) in Class AAA's Section 5 on Thursday night. Brinsky, who had a number of scoring chances throughout the night, would finally capitalize just moments after a near miss, taking a long pass in the middle of the field, sneaking behind the Panthers' back row and tucking a shot inside of the far goal post, just out of the reach of Upper St. Clair goalkeeper Mack Dominick. Without Dominick, the match would likely have been far more lopsided, as the junior netminder made a variety of difficult saves during the course of a physical and chippy game.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/08/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week of October 5th...including a NEW #1 team in Class A. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA: 1) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (7-0) (Last Week #1)

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Six 2015

October 7, 2015

In the mid-1800’ when you went to the fabric store and asked for a bolt or a yard of cloth, the clerk would first just hold it out at ‘arms- length’ to give you an idea of how much you were getting. But, when the time came for the actual cutting of the fabric and the paying of the money the fabric would be measured exactly between a pair of brass tacks set in the counter at specific lengths. That’s where the term “getting down to brass tacks” comes from. No more looks from a distance at who are the championship contenders in the WPIAL. This week we get down to “brass tacks” with top-ten battles sprinkled throughout every classification. Here are four dandies for you to take in on…. THE NETWORK, this weekend.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 10th

The second weekend of October hopefully brings better weather and lots of conference games. In the PSAC, Clarion looks to go to 6-0, while in the PAC, W&J tries to get on the winning track. The Presidents remain in the D-III top 25. Here are previews of ALL the games: Gannon(3-2) at Mercyhurst(3-2) Noon Both teams are in dire need of a win, having dropped their first 2 conference games.

Three Football Players Suspended After Monessen-Wilkinsburg Fight

After meeting with school officials from both Monessen and Wilkinsburg along with game officials on Tuesday, the WPIAL has ordered that two Wilkinsburg players and one Monessen player be suspended by the schools for at least two games, or else the two programs could be suspended by the WPIAL. This edict came down Wednesday morning following a fight Saturday between players from both teams that led to the football game being stopped in the third quarter with Monessen leading at historic Graham Field in Wilkinsburg. The identity of all three players was not revealed. The WPIAL does not have the authority to suspend the players, so they have asked the schools to do it or else they risk having their season suspended by the WPIAL.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/07/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of October 5th...including another NEW #1 team in Class AAA. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (12-0-0) (Last Week #2)

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Five 2015

October 6, 2015

While the first four weeks of the 2015 season were filled with fantastic finishes, dramatic comebacks and upsets galore, lopsided affairs and powerhouse teams asserting their dominance proved prevalent in the fifth week of the campaign. Still, the top plays of the week are not short on excitement or drama, as they include a game-changing run seconds before halftime, the lone score in a defensive battle, and a pair of touchdowns scored by defense and special teams. Here's what made the cut in week five. 1. West Allegheny 47, Montour 14

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/06/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of October 5th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (12-0-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (13-0-0) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – Class AAA Preview

October 5, 2015

Welcome to “PIHL Notebook” and our annual season preview. Over the next four Monday’s, we will provide thumbnail sketches of all 57 PIHL teams to make sure local high school hockey fans are ready when the puck drops Monday night! And as we did last year, we will provide exclusive audio and video coverage of the “PIHL Premiere” at the brand new UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Do not miss this special event before our regular hockey coverage picks up in December. Faceoff times are 6:00 for North Hills and Mars in Class AA, followed at 8:00 by North Allegheny and Pine-Richland in Class AAA.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Five

October 4, 2015

Weather wise it was a good day for a light WPIAL football schedule on Saturday with nasty wet and windy conditions for the three scheduled Class A games. Speaking of nasty, it was more like 2 1/2 games played as the Monessen at Wilkinsburg game was stopped midway through the third quarter because of a shoving match that escalated into a fight between the two teams. Without having seen the incident, there is no rush to judgment except to say anytime a high school game is stopped early, it is not good. Frank Antuono - Neshannock

WPIAL/City League Friday Football Scores – 10/02/2015

October 2, 2015

We hit the midway point of the 2015 WPIAL football regular season. Four weeks in the books right now and four weeks still to come after this weekend. Some of the first half surprises include Pine-Richland, Chartiers Valley, Hollidaysburg, Deer Lakes, Shenango and Frazier enter this weekend with a combined record of 21-3. Some of the above teams had higher expectations then others, but all have put themselves in position to win a conference championship and perhaps more. Time will tell as we run down another slate of Friday night football games around the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League. Check out all of the final results. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: Pine-Richland Rams 47 - North Hills Indians 7 (F)

Chicks Picks – Week 5 – 2015

October 1, 2015

Welcome to Week 5 of the high school football season. After missing out on last Friday night’s football action due to a scheduling conflict, Chick’s Picks came down with a nasty case of the somethings on Saturday. When this bug continued to wreak havoc for a few days, Chick’s Picks decided it was time to seek help from the good doctor. At the exam, Chick’s Picks began explaining her symptoms to the doc. He seemed as bewildered as she was, unable to pinpoint the cause of the illness. The doc continued his questioning though, “Chick’s Picks, give me a timeline of your last few days before the illness hit you.”

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Five – 09/30/2015

September 30, 2015

It’s the “halftime is halfway” games this weekend throughout the WPIAL. The WPIAL enters week five with 22 unbeaten teams still intact and striving for perfection. Five are perfect in AAAA, four in AAA, nine in AA and four in A. When we reach halftime at this weekend’s game we will be halfway through the regular season. The weather man says there could be some rain and temperatures this Friday night will drop into the low 50’s or maybe even high 40’s during week five. Will that weather cause footballs and perfect seasons to slip through fingertips? Who will rise and who will fall as we move into October? This could get spooky. Don’t worry, take my hand, I’ve got a flashlight ; I’ve got an umbrella, we’re all set to go Big Game Hunting.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Four 2015

September 29, 2015

This past week of football featured a slew of plays worthy of making the renowned plays of the week, so narrowing the list to just four was quite the task. The week included a battle in the Century Conference with significant playoff ramifications, a pair of notable fourth-quarter comebacks in the wild Greater Allegheny Conference, and an overtime thriller on Saturday night. Here are the very best of the best for week four. 1. Steel Valley 27, Seton-LaSalle 21

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/29/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 28th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (9-0-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (11-0-0) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/28/2015

September 28, 2015

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. These are the rankings following Week Four of the 2015 WPIAL football season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (4-0) (Last Week #1.....Week Five host Upper St. Clair on MSA) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (4-0) (Last Week #2.....Week Five at Latrobe on MSA) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (4-0) (Last Week #3.....Week Five at North Hills on MSA)

2015 WPIAL & Pittsburgh City League Standings – Week 4

September 27, 2015

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Friday of Week Four of the 2015 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 123 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. (Top 5 teams from AAAA and AAA conferences qualify for playoffs plus a sixth place wild card team) (Top 4 teams from AA and A conferences qualify for the playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Four

Saturday was a perfect afternoon/evening for high school football, perfectly timed for two schools in particular as Shady Side Academy and Beaver High School celebrated picture perfect homecoming weekends and the tradition of playing on a Saturday instead of Friday night. here are the Top Four performances from the Fourth Friday of the 2015 season from a pair of AA Allegheny Conference afternoon games and two conference contests played under the lights. Darius Wise - Beaver

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Four

September 26, 2015

The fourth Friday of the 2015 WPIAL football season was a night filled with Firsts and Lasts. On the first Friday of Autumn, six teams got off the deck and won their first game of the season including one team winning for the first time in four seasons (more on that later). But without question on this last Friday of September, all of the nights winners are hoping this wont be their last taste of victory in 2015. Speaking of taste, here are ten performances that were absolutely delicious to all except the opposing team. Shaler Titans

Hometown Girls Volleyball Recap – South Side Rams – 09/22/2015

September 22, 2015

The South Side girls volleyball team hosted Beaver County Christian in a Class-A non-conference match on Monday night. The Lady Rams used a strong start and the powerful arm of their senior leader to win the match 3-1 by scores of 25-16, 25-13, 23-25, 25-23. South Side (2-2, 3-2) never trailed in either of the opening two sets of the match. The Lady Rams controlled the game, forcing the Lady Eagles into the hitting miscues. Every time BCCS would close the gap, South Side would respond with two or three quick points to widen the gap. The balanced attack was led by senior Toni Yacoviello, who provided five kills in each of the first two sets.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/21/2015

September 21, 2015

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. These are the rankings following Week Three of the 2015 WPIAL football season...including not one but two NEW #1 teams in AAAA and again in AAA. WPIAL CLASS AAAA WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (3-0) (Last Week #2.....Week Four at Baldwin on MSA) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (3-0) (Last Week #3.....Week Four at Altoona)

WPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 09/19/2015

September 19, 2015

An early homecoming game added to the third week of Saturday WPIAL football games, bumping up the slate from three games to four games. There was plenty of pomp and circumstance in Shaler as the homecoming parade down Mount Royal Boulevard led to Titans Stadium where the host team cound not end a 34-game skid against one of the top teams in the classification. Plus there was a Class AA battle of winless teams and a pair of Class A afternoon tilts to close out the one-third mark of the regular season. Here are all of the final results plus check out the archives as three of the four games broadcast here on MSA Sports. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Non-Conference: Woodland Hills Wolverines 59 - Shaler Titans 21 (MSA)

Scholastic Notebook – 09/18/2015

September 18, 2015

To the PIAA, more is better. At least in football. The landscape of Pennsylvania football – and the WPIAL – might be changing real soon. The change will be significant. On Wednesday, the PIAA strategic planning committee and the PIAA football committee voted to recommend to the PIAA board of directors that football in Pennsylvania go to six classifications, starting next year. It was a noteworthy vote because the PIAA board of directors usually – but not always – does what the strategic planning committee recommends. The PIAA board has already passed this 6A idea twice and needs to pass it only one more time Oct. 19 for it to go into effect for the 2016-17 school year.

WPIAL/Pittsburgh City League Friday Football Scores – 09/18/2015

Back in the day, Week Three meant the start of conference play for just about all of the teams around the WPIAL. However nowadays, teams are starting section games right out of the gates in Week One. However there was a special feel to this week with key conference games up and down the FOUR district classifications. Here is the complete WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League scoreboard for the third Friday of the 2015 season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference: Penn-Trafford Warriors 21 - McKeesport Tigers 7 (F) Connellsville Falcons 41 - Latrobe Wildcats 17 (F) Plum Mustangs 35 - Altoona Mountain Lions 7 (F) Kiski Area Cavaliers 35 - Hempfield Spartans 20 (F) WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conferfence:

Hometown Girls Volleyball Recap – Brentwood Spartans – 09/18/2015

The Brentwood Girls Volleyball team hosted undefeated Bishop Canevin in Section 2 A action Thursday night. Canevin prevailed in straight sets but had to work hard to secure the victory against the Lady Spartans. The score of the first set, a 25-15 Canevin win, did not reflect just how closely contested the match was. Brentwood actually led 13-8 and looked to be in good shape when a side out led to Canevin’s serve and Julia Menosky would serve winners on the next 13 points in a row to break open the set giving Canevin a 22-13 lead. The second set was tied at 24 when the Lady Crusaders were able to convert a pair of points into a 26-24 victory.

Chicks Picks – Week 3

September 17, 2015

Welcome to Week 3 of the high school football season. After a long night at MSA Sports World Headquarters last Friday, Chick’s Picks arrived home to find a neighborhood gathering outside her house. Questioning the purpose of this late-night assembly, Chick’s Picks quickly realized that the man of the house, Mr. Picks, was behind it. “Chick’s Picks – I was introducing myself to some of our new neighbors, and in conversation, I made sure to ask them if they had heard of THE Chick’s Picks. When they said yes, I proceeded to tell them that you lived here. So, they wanted to see you for themselves,” Mr. Picks said.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/17/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week of September 14th. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA: 1) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (2-0) (Last Week #*) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (3-0) (Last Week #*)

District College Football Preview for Saturday, September 19th

September 16, 2015

The weather should be great for week 3 of the district college football slate. It’s the fibal week of crossover play in the PSAC, while some good games take place in the PAC. Here are previews of ALL the games: Duquesne(2-0) at Dayton(1-0) 1pm The Dukes look to go 3-0 for the first time since 2002. Duquesne defeated Bucknell 26-7 last week. QB Dillon Buechel(Montour) threw three touchdown passes. Freshman RB PJ Fulmore(Cardinal Wurhl North Catholic) has led the Dukes in rushing in both games. The Flyers were off last week after defeating Robert Morris 27-24 in week one action. Danny Leach had two interceptions, one a 93 yard Pick 6 in the win. Duquesne leads the series 7-5.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/16/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 14th...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (3-0-1) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/15/2015

September 15, 2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 7th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (4-0-0) (Last Week #2) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (5-0-0) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz

September 13, 2015

While Mother Nature was raining steady on Western Pennsylvania, several district high school football teams were reigning points on the scoreboard. While Mother Nature showed some mercy with downpours becoming light trickles before tapering off, three of the five WPIAL football winners on Saturday invoked the mercy rule on their opponents. While we show no love to Mother Nature here, we do show some love for those players who overcame the wet conditions to slip and slide their way to victory. Lionel Deanes - Seton-LaSalle

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Two 2015

September 12, 2015

While Mother Nature held off on the fancy sky light shows and the rain that plagued many games on opening night, the second Friday of the season was an historic one in two ways. First, a tip of the cap 700 times to the Jeannette Jayhawks for becoming only the second district school and sixth school in Pennsylvania to mass that many wins. And one win has eluded Thomas Jefferson in the first two weeks of a season for the first time in the 21-year golden career of head coach Bill Cherpek. It was also a memorable Friday for these young men: Phil Jurkovec - Pine-Richland

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Two 2015

September 9, 2015

I don’t know if there will be a moment of silence for the remembrance of 9-11-01 at your game Friday night around the WPIAL. I think there should be. I hope there will be, and I believe there will be, but I don’t know for certain. I know this, Friday for me at South Park, I will take a moment to myself to soak in the National Anthem with a little more thought than "who won the toss", or "where are their starters". I hope you do so as well, we should do that more often. I was a brand new father on 9-11, my daughter, now a freshman at Bishop Canevin, had not reached a month old when the Towers fell, and the kids on the fields in front of you Friday night were the same, or just a little older. They don’t know that fear that we felt that morning, and I pray they never do.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/09/2015

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 7th. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (2-0-1) (Last Week #*) 2) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (0-0-1) (Last Week #*)

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week One 2015

September 8, 2015

After months of anticipation, the high school football season returned on Friday night in the WPIAL. The slate of games was not short on marquee action, as a few conference favorites were upset, and several other games came down to the closing moments. Here's the top plays for the initial installment of the 2015 campaign. 1. Mount Pleasant 30, McGuffey 23 (OT)

2015 WPIAL & Pittsburgh City League Standings – Week 1

September 6, 2015

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week One of the 2015 high school football season. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 123 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. (Top 5 teams from AAAA and AAA conferences qualify for playoffs plus a sixth place wild card team) (Top 4 teams from AA and A conferences qualify for the playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

District College Football Recap for September 5th

The local college football season kicked off Saturday with some good matchups and some outstanding performances by WPIAL alum. Here are recaps of ALL the games Duquesne 47 – Kentucky Christian 7 Freshman PJ Fulmore ran for 128 yards to help lead the Dukes to the home win. The former North Catholic star carried 18 times, Klartel Claridy added 105 yards and a score. Zach DeNardo scored twice for the winners. Dillion Buechel (Montour) was 12 of 16 for 159 yards and a score. Wayne Capers(Char Valley) was the leading receiver with four catches for 75 yards.

MSA Sports Saturday’s Scholastic Starz

The first Saturday of the 2015 high school football season in District 7 and District 8 was originally a light one, with only three games on the schedule. However four games postponed due to lightning and storms in the WPIAL from Friday night made for plenty of gridiron action in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. Here are the players who avoided those pesky cramps and out-muscled their opponents to close out opening weekend. Michael Pope - North Allegheny

MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights – Week One 2015

September 5, 2015

We expect fireworks on the field on a Friday night in the fall from the players, but it was Mother Nature putting on a show in some areas of Western Pennsylvania on opening night. Lengthy lightning delays and on four occasions, postponements were part of the story on the first Friday of the 2015 season, however the sky show did not steal the spotlight from these individuals who shined in their teams lid-lifters. Brett Lafoon - Penn-Trafford

Chick Picks for Week One

September 3, 2015

Awww yeah! Welcome to Week 1 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks felt it only proper to kick off the season with a quote from the legendary Deuce Skurcenski, who passed away earlier this month. Well-known by most around the WPIAL for his stats, his scorekeeping, and of course, his infamous one-liners, Deuce was said to have attended more than 10,000 basketball games and 3,000 football games in his day. Chick’s Picks reflected upon the first time she met Deuce. It was a cool, crisp night at Woodland Hills. Chick’s Picks was nervous to finally meet the legend face to face, but thought, surely he would know of her – the top prognosticator in the WPIAL. So, she built up the courage and introduced herself.

CTK 2015 – MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten: Class AAAA

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2015 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class AAAA. Final 2014 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (11-2) (Week One - at Bethel Park on MSA) 2. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (8-3) (Week One - host Peters Township on MSA)

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week One 2015

September 2, 2015

The 2015 WPIAL football season will culminate in the crowning of football champions for the 101st time in WPIAL history, and no, Don Rebel has not covered all of those games. He had an out of town meeting in 1938 and a really bad cold kept him away once in the late forties, but he will be there this year. Also, Big Game Hunting will be with you the entire length of the high school football season as well. From week one through Heinz Field and then with every District 7 team as they continue into the PIAA Playoffs BGH and the MSA Sports Network will continue to provide you with the best, most thorough and up-to-date coverage of all the teams you love, and even the teams you love to hate. We kick-off the 2015 campaign with the defending champions from each classification.

CTK 2015 – MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten: Class AAA

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2015 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class AAA. Final 2014 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS (11-1) (Week One - at #5 Ringgold on MSA) 2. MONTOUR SPARTANS (7-3) (Week One - at #7 Central Valley on MSA) 3. WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS (11-2) (Week One - host #6 New Castle on MSA)

CTK 2015 – Class A Big 7 Conference Preview

August 28, 2015

There was a time when the Big 7 Conference was the 'Parkway Conference' of Class A. In the 15 years span from 1990 through 2004, the Big 7 was home to the championship seasons. Most of those were garnered by the incredible run by Rochester (7), however South Side, Western Beaver and even former member Farrell also contributed to the 'golden era'. However a Big 7 Conference team has not won a WPIAL championship since the Rochester Rams most recent title in 2004.

CTK 2015 – Class A Eastern Conference Preview

August 27, 2015

The landscape of the Eastern Conference changed drastically in 2014 as a result of realignment, as two strong AA teams, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette, dropped down in classification. Those teams, combined with Clairton and Monessen, as well as historically successful Springdale, appeared to comprise perhaps the most top-loaded conference in the WPIAL. When the season concluded, though, there was no competition for the conference champion. Last season will always be remembered for the sheer and utter dominance displayed by the Clairton Bears. The team posted some of the most lopsided victories in recent memory, and the Bears culminated their season with a WPIAL Championship.

CTK 2015 – Class AA Allegheny Conference Preview

August 26, 2015

You could say variety has been a big part of the Allegheny Conference in recent years. Since 2010, five different teams have either won the conference title or tied for first place. During that time, the only team to win the conference outright or tie for first in more than one year is Freeport, which tied for first in 2011 and 2012. The other teams to win or tie were Ford City (2010), Shady Side Academy (2011), Burrell (2012), Kittanning (2013) and Highlands (2014). Who will win the conference this year? There are some differing opinions as to who is the team to beat, although Highlands probably gets the nod. But this is for sure: The conference has a different look this season.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/25/2015

August 25, 2015

Our annual August ritual known as Countdown to Kickoff continues as we inch closer to September and the start of the 2015 high school football season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Every day in August, we have something new on our website to prepare you for a new season kicking off on 9/4/15. We also have Frontier League baseball with the Washington Wild Things visiting Traverse City this week before hosting the Evansville Otters at CONSOL Energy Field, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, August 24th:

CTK 2015 – Class AA Interstate Conference Preview

August 24, 2015

Repeat is not a word uttered often in the Interstate Conference. It has been a decade since a team has won the conference title outright (without ties) for two consecutive season. Washington could very easily buck the trend this year. It seems just about everybody is pegging Washington to repeat as conference champion. But can Washington or any other team from the Interstate go on to win a WPIAL title? That doesn’t happen often, either. Of the teams currently in the conference, there have been only four WPIAL champs the past quarter century. Washington won twice and Waynesburg and McGuffey won one each.

CTK 2015 – Week Two WPIAL Football Scrimmages

August 22, 2015

One scrimmage is in the books and one more is coming up this weekend as WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football teams continue to prepare for the kickoff of the 2015 season. Scrimmage number two will take place for most teams on Friday 8/28 with three scrimmages on Saturday 8/29. Here is a rundown of ALL the second week scrimmages involving District 7 and District 8 high school football teams. All games are Friday, August 28th unless otherwise indicated. WPIAL vs Pittsburgh City League: Perry Commodores vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings AT Central Catholic High School at 6:00pm Laurel Highlands Mustangs vs Brashear Bulls AT Cupples Stadium at 6:00pm

CTK 2015 – Class AAA Parkway Conference Preview

August 20, 2015

It wouldn’t exactly be going out on a limb to predict that a team from the Parkway Conference will make the WPIAL Class AAA championship. After all, the past six Class AAA champs have come from the Parkway. In fact, over those six seasons, 10 of the 12 title game participants have come from the Parkway. It’s very likely that the Parkway will have another team in the championship game this year. But figuring out who that team will be isn’t easy.

CTK 2015 – Class AAAA Foothills Conference Preview

August 19, 2015

The Foothills Conference hasn’t had a repeat champion since Gateway in 2008-09. The trend may end this season. The Foothills is alive with Warriors. The Penn-Trafford Warriors. Coach John Ruane’s team made it to the WPIAL semifinals last year and many are pointing to the Warriors as the favorite to win their second consecutive conference title. Penn-Trafford has experience, skill and some size. McKeesport looks like Penn-Trafford’s top competitor. Plum’s program could continue to move upward under fourth-year coach Matt Morgan. The Mustangs have some key players back from last year’s team that finished 6-5 and won a playoff game. After Penn-Trafford, McKeesport and Plum, things look pretty open in the Foothills. Here’s a look at the teams in the conference:

CTK 2015 – Class AAAA Southeastern Conference Preview

August 18, 2015

After what happened in 2014, maybe there should be some consideration given to changing the WPIAL Class AAAA eight-team conference known as the Southeastern Conference with six schools south of the city of Pittsburgh and two in the eastern suburbs to the Eastsouthern Conference. The two east schools were beast a year ago after Penn Hills Week 9 upset of highly ranked rival Woodland Hills left the Indians and Wolverines as conference co-champs with 6-1 section records. While the same named SEC in the college ranks has been called the strongest in the nation, the same can not be said about the District 7 version. While teams from the Southeastern Conference won three WPIAL championships in a four year span from 2005 to 2008, it has hit a postseason drought since.

CTK 2015 – New WPIAL Football Coaches

August 16, 2015

New Faces - New Places - New Hopes - New Dreams. While there were two fewer coaching change this off-season then before the 2014 campaign, there were some big names that either hung up the whistle or changed sidelines for this upcoming season. Some of the changes include former championship winning coaches in Tom Loughran and Dave Vestal moving elsewhere while the legendary Joe Hamilton is out at Blackhawk. There are a lot of rookie head coaches getting their first crack, and some coaches who are just changing hats and addresses. Whatever the case, there are 19 coaching changes coming into this 2015 season. Here are the new football coaches that will be running the sidelines in the WPIAL this fall. CLASS AAAA:

CTK 2015 – MSA Sports Preseason ELITE ELEVEN

The Pittsburgh Central Catholic football team is being touted as one of the top 25 teams in the country in some national polls. The strength of the Vikings can be seen on this year’s MSA Sports Elite 11 team. Central Catholic has two players on this year’s preseason Elite 11 – Damar Hamlin and David Adams. Central Catholic is the only team with two players on the Elite 11. The team is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position, and is picked by the MSA Sports staff. Hamlin, a senior, and Adams, a junior, are both being recruited heavily by major colleges. But Central Catholic has a handful of other players with scholarship offers from Division I-A colleges.

CTK 2015 – WPIAL Quad-A Players to Watch

August 14, 2015

Countdown to Kickoff 2015 continues with a four-day look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on NOMINATE TOP PLAYERS and submitting their name. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2015 campaign in Class AAAA. OFFENSE: Quarterback: Brett Laffoon- Penn-Trafford Billy Kisner – Penn Hills Levi Metheny - Bethel Park Daniel Walters - Hempfield Eddie Jenkins - Mount Lebanon

CTK 2015 – WPIAL Double-A Players to Watch

August 12, 2015

Countdown to Kickoff 2015 continues with a four-day look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on NOMINATE TOP PLAYERS and submitting their name. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2015 campaign in Class AA. OFFENSE: Quarterback: Deion Liddell - Sto-Rox Duane Brown - Apollo-Ridge Deon Smith - East Allegheny Amos Luptak - Quaker Valley Noah Wolf - Freedom

CTK 2015 – WPIAL Single-A Players to Watch

August 11, 2015

Countdown to Kickoff 2015 continues with a four-day look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on NOMINATE TOP PLAYERS and submitting their name. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2015 campaign in Class A. OFFENSE: Quarterback: Lamont Wade - Clairton Jason Dambach - Riverside Frank Antuono - Neshannock Tommy Pellis - Greensburg Central Catholic

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/09/2015

August 9, 2015

Our annual August ritual known as Countdown to Kickoff continues as we prepare you for the 2015 high school football season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Every day in August, we have something new on our website to prepare you for n new season kicking off on 9/4/15. We also have Frontier League baseball with the Washington Wild Things hosting the Frontier Greys before hitting the road this weekend against the Normal Cornbelters while the Pennsylvania Rebellion conclude their 2015 Pro Fast Pitch season against Akron, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net

CTK 2015 – WPIAL Double-A 2014 Football Flashback

August 7, 2015

The Green Machine was twice as nice in 2014. While Aliquippa continued their 'annual' march to Heinz Field for a seventh straight year last fall, it was South Fayette that was perfect...again. The Lions beat the Quips for the third time in five years for the WPIAL Class AA crown, then three weeks later, SF completed a second straight 16-0 season by adding another PIAA gold to their treasure chest. 2014 WPIAL Double-A Highlights:

CTK 2015 – WPIAL Triple-A 2014 Football Flashback

August 4, 2015

When all was said and done through district play in WPIAL Class AAA in 2014, it was a Parkway Conference team standing as the king of the hill...rinse, wash, repeat. The calendar year may have changed last season, but it was once again not one, but two Parkway Conference teams left standing to battle at Heinz Field. In fact, it was the same two teams as the year before but with a different outcome as Central Valley beat West Allegheny. 2014 WPIAL Triple-A Highlights:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/04/2015

Our annual August ritual known as Countdown to Kickoff is in full force as we prepare you for the 2015 high school football season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Every day in August, we have something new to prepare you for 9/4/15, including our annual back-to-back shows coming Wednesday from Kennywood Park. We also have Frontier League baseball with the Washington Wild Things on the road against Traverse City and Schaumburg while the Pennsylvania Rebellion host Akron at CONSOL Energy Field, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, August 3rd:

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2015

August 1, 2015

The countdown to the start of the 2015 high school football season is underway. We have a later start than usual to the high school football season as training camps throughout Western Pennsylvania open up on Monday, August 17th as teams will prepare for a new season starting Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th. As has been the case in the sixteen previous years here at MSA Sports, the ONLY place to turn for original DAILY updates that help prepare fans for all the excitement of the new high school football season in the WPIAL is 'Countdown to Kickoff 2015' ONLY here at www.msasports.net UPDATED COMPLETELY: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/21/2015

July 21, 2015

We are inching closer to August and our annual Countdown to Kickoff for high school football, but for now we focus on pro baseball and pro softball action in the final full week of July here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Frontier League baseball with the Washington Wild Things at home against Lake Erie before hitting the road this weekend in Evansville while the Pennsylvania Rebellion conclude a long road trip as they visit USSSA Pride, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 20th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

WPIAL Coaching News – North Allegheny Girls Hoops

July 15, 2015

After two golden years as head coach of the Seton-LaSalle girls basketball team, Spencer Stefko is headed north to bigger and what he hopes are even better things. Stefko was named the new girls basketball coach at North Allegheny High School on Wednesday. Stefko replaces Sherri McConnell, who resigned in April after eight years as Tigers head coach. Coach McConnell enjoyed great success in her tenure, guiding North Allegheny to an overall record of 147-48. While NA was always a contender, they fell short of winning a district and/or state title. In 2014-2015, North Allegheny was 24-4 overall but lost in the WPIAL Semifinals and the PIAA Quarterfinals.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/15/2015

With the Frontier League taking time off for the all-star break, there is still plenty of pro softball and the resumption of the 2015 pro baseball campaign this week here on the MSA Sports Network. After a four day break, the Frontier League kicks off its second half this weekend with the Washington Wild Things at home at CONSOL Energy Park while the Pennsylvania Rebellion are home at CONSOL Energy Field early in the week with pro fast pitch softball action against the Dallas Charge before hitting the road over the weekend against the USSSA Pride, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 13th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/23/2015

June 23, 2015

The first full week of the Summer of '15 brings plenty of pro baseball and pro softball action coming your way this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The diamonds are red hot with pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro fast pitch softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion along with another high school football all-star game, plus find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 22nd: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, June 23rd: No Broadcasts Wednesday, June 24th:

2015 MSA Sports Diamond Dolls

June 19, 2015

Take a glance at the players on the MSA Diamond Dolls team this year and it’s obvious that youth is served. The Diamond Dolls is MSA’s girls softball all-star team. It is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. This year’s team includes six non-seniors. The player of the year is a freshman and the team also has a sophomore and four juniors. Four of the players on the team won WPIAL titles. Here is a look at the Diamond Dolls all-star team as well as the Player of the Year. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: BAILEY PARSHALL, BELLE VERNON Pitcher Fresh. Yes, a ninth-grader has won the Player of the Year award.

2015 PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS – Recap

June 14, 2015

Knoch began the season with a very small postseason resume. In fact in school history, the Knights had only won ONE playoff game. That all changed here in 2015 as Knoch finished a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs and captured not only a first ever WPIAL championship, but now they've added a PIAA state crown as well after a victory over Abington Heights in the Class AAA title game. Shortly thereafter at Penn State, Neshannock overwhelmed Neumann-Goretti to win a second PIAA title and the first state championship in eleven years as Frank Fraschetti picked up his 5th postseason victory and 4th playoff shutout in the AA finals. Here are ALL the final results from the 2015 PIAA Baseball Playoffs.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/14/2015

While the high school sports season is over, tell your Dandy Dad that there is plenty of pro baseball and pro softball coming his way this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Instead of another boring tie, point Dad to www.msasports.net for plenty of pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro fast pitch softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion along with another high school football all-star game, plus he can find out the latest news and info from the race tracks during the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 15th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, June 16th:

PIAA Baseball & Softball Semifinals Wednesday Recaps

June 10, 2015

After being postponed twice over the previous 48 hours, Knoch baseball and Hempfield softball were finally able to hit the field, both playing at Mount Aloysius College with mixed results. WPIAL AAA baseball champion Knoch used an offensive explosion for the first time this postseason to advance to their first state title game while WPIAL AAAA softball champion had very little offense as their dreams of state gold came to an end. Here are recaps from the final two PIAA Semifinals contests played on Wednesday afternoon in Cambria County. A special thanks to Josh Rowntree and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL:

2015 WPIAL Baseball All-Star Game Recaps

June 7, 2015

The WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association hosted their annual all-star games event Sunday at Ross Memorial Field at the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex and broadcast here on MSA Sports. Here are recaps from the two contests won by the AAA and the AA all-stars. Class Triple-A 3 - Class Quad-A 0

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/07/2015

The 2014-2015 high school sports season comes to an end this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have action from both the 2015 PIAA Baseball and Softball Semiifnals and State Championship Games along with pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro fast pitch softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion, plus the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 8th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net PIAA High School Baseball Playoffs: Class AAAA Semifinals - Donegal vs Knoch at 4:00pm on MSAsports.net PIAA High School Baseball Playoffs: Class AA Semifinals - Quaker Valley vs Neshannock at 12:00pm on MSAsports.net

2015 PIAA BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS – Recap

For the second time in school history, Fox Chapel will have to settle for being the silver Foxes in PIAA Class AAA. The 2015 WPIAL champions won the first game, but then dropped three straight to District 11 champion Parkland Saturday at Penn State. In Class AA, District 3 champion Northeastern defeated District 10 champion Saegertown in three games. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 PIAA Boys Volleyball Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Parkland Trojans 3 - FOX CHAPEL FOXES 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-23) PIAA CLASS AAA Semifinals: FOX CHAPEL FOXES 3 - SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS 2

Scholastic Notebook – 06/05/2015

June 5, 2015

Four WPIAL baseball teams have made it to the PIAA semifinals. The main ingredient to their postseason success is simple. Pitching. Of course, pitching always is key in baseball, but you might be scratching your head to come up with a group of WPIAL teams that made it this far and that have such a strong common thread of stellar pitching between them. The four are Shaler (Class AAAA), Knoch (AAA), Neshannock (AA) and Quaker Valley (AA). Of the four, only Neshannock has really made a huge impact offensively, scoring 45 runs in six postseason games. But the pitching of all four teams has been impeccable.

PIAA Baseball & Softball Quarterfinals Thursday Recaps

It was a good start for WPIAL teams in baseball and a s-so start for the D-7 softball teams earlier this week in the opening round of the state diamond postseason. in Round Two, softball continued on a 50-50 pace while baseball took a bit of a hit. Here are summaries of some of the PIAA Quarterfinals baseball and softball contests from Thursday. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Rob Longo, Jason Tennant, Sean Meyers, Lee Mohn, Bob Gregg and Mark Uriah for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: PIAA CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

Deer Lakes Hands Mohawk First Loss With 13-5 Win in AA Finals

May 28, 2015

Maria Taliani belted three home runs, and Deer Lakes used a six-run explosion in the fourth inning to capture the Class AA softball title, defeating Mohawk 13-5 at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania. The victory marks the second championship for the Lancers, who captured the crown in 2012, and finished in second place in each of the past two seasons. Top-seeded Deer Lakes (21-1) collected 13 hits, and Taliani and Katie Gozzard combined for 11 RBIs in the Lancers’ offensive onslaught. Both players homered in the crucial fourth inning, as the Lancers turned a 4-3 deficit into a five-run lead.

Knoch Takes Down West Allegheny For First WPIAL Baseball Title

May 27, 2015

The WPIAL Baseball Championships had a first-timers flair to them already. All that the Knoch Knights did was join the party. No. 2 Knoch (19-2) only recorded three hits, but plated five runners in a 5-1 win over No. 5 West Allegheny (16-6) in the WPIAL AAA Baseball Championship on Wednesday night at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. The win for Knoch is their first in the program's 25-year history and is the first major WPIAL team Championship since Knoch’s football team won the 1978 title. The Knights joined first-time Champions Greensburg Central Catholic (Class A) and Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Class AAAA), as well as six-time Champion Neshannock (AA) as baseball kings in 2015.

WPIAL Baseball Consolation Wednesday Recaps 2015

Four Class AAAA and Class AAA baseball teams from the WPIAL have had the entire holiday weekend to wash away the disappointment of of shattered dreams and a loss in the district Semifinals. Those four returned back to the diamond Wednesday playing for third place in the district but more importantly, a berth in the 2015 PIAA Playoffs. A special thanks to Greg Kuntz and Scott Majesky for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL:

Greensburg CC Dethrones California To Win First WPIAL Baseball Crown

May 26, 2015

Greensburg Central Catholic scored three times in the fifth inning to break open a tie game en route to a 6-4 victory against California, capturing the Class A Championship at Consol Energy Park. Tommy Pellis and Collin Liberatore led the way for the Centurions, who captured their first baseball title in school history. Pellis went 3-4 at the plate and scored three times, and also added a pair of sparking defensive plays at shortstop. Liberatore notched the victory for No. 2 GCC, as he threw a complete game, yielding four runs while striking out 12. Liberatore’s final strikeout came against California cleanup hitter Aaron Previsky with the tying run in scoring position.

WPIAL Baseball and Softball Consolation Tuesday Recaps

Eight baseball teams and eight softball teams from the WPIAL have had the entire holiday weekend to wash away the disappointment of of shattered dreams and a loss in the district Semifinals. Now 12 of those 16 teams are in action Tuesday playing for third place in the district but more importantly, a berth in the 2015 PIAA Playoffs. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian, Bob Gregg, Greg Kuntz and Lou Rood for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL:

Fox Chapel Wins WPIAL Boys Volleyball Class AAA Title

May 23, 2015

In 2006, Fox Chapel won the WPIAL Boys AAA Volleyball Championship. Since then, nobody not named "North Allegheny" has been able to accomplish that feat. Until Friday night. No. 1 Fox Chapel used massive net play and tenacious serving to defeat No. 2 Seneca Valley 3-1 (25-13, 25-11, 20-25, 25-21) to claim their second WPIAL Boys AAA Volleyball Championship on Friday night at Baldwin High School. The win officially ends the run of North Allegheny, which had won eight consecutive titles and eleven of the last 12, with Fox Chapel in 2006 being the lone exception. The Tigers bowed out in the 2015 Quarterfinals to Plum.

Ambridge Captures Fourth Straight WPIAL Boys Volleyball AA Crown

The Ambridge Area boys’ volleyball dynasty continued at Baldwin High School on Friday, as the Bridgers bested Obama Academy in four sets to capture their fourth-consecutive Class AA crown. The Bridgers have been a staple of success, now with seven titles in the past eight campaigns, while the Eagles were playing in their first season in the WPIAL. Despite the disparity in the history of the programs, all four sets were competitive, with Ambridge prevailing 25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22.

Scholastic Notebook – 05/22/2015

May 22, 2015

Neshannock High School’s baseball team has made it to the WPIAL Class AA championship game. It’s another chapter in one of the most successful coaching stories in the WPIAL. You might not think of Mike Kirkwood as one of the elite coaches in the WPIAL. Maybe because Neshannock is on the edge of the WPIAL and doesn’t get a ton of publicity in the Pittsburgh area, the heart of the WPIAL. But consider this: Kirkwood has won four WPIAL championships. No other active coach has four WPIAL titles. And next Tuesday, Kirkwood will go after one for the thumb when Neshannock plays Quaker Valley for the WPIAL Class AA championship. Making it to the title game this year is impressive for Kirkwood. The Lancers had competed in Class A, but moved up to Class AA in 2013.

WPIAL Baseball and Softball Playoff Recaps for Wednesday 5/20

May 21, 2015

The Final Four. The winners reach a major goal and earn a spot in a WPIAL championship game. The losers have to deal with a dream dashed and yet still prepare for a consolation game and a berth in the upcoming state playoffs. Here are summaries from all eight baseball and the one softball Semifinals contest played on Wednesday. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Jason Tennant, Sean Meyers, Steve Nagler, Lee Mohn, Lou Rood, Scott Majesky, Mike Azadian and Josh Rowntree for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

WPIAL Baseball/Softball/Volleyball Playoff Recaps for Tuesday 5/12

May 13, 2015

The curtain went up on the opening round on both the District 7 baseball, softball and boys volleyball postseason on a breezy Tuesday. There was your typical round one mix of thrillers and blow outs as the Quarterfinals were set in baseball AAA and A along with softball AAAA and A and volleyball AAA. Here are recaps from the games heard live and archived Tuesday here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Sam Hall, Jason Tennant, Brian Mroziak, Paul Paterra, Mike Azadian, Steve Nagler, Bobby Fox, Sean Meyers, Greg Kuntz, Bob Orkwis, Randy Gore, Dave Floyd and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps. WPIAL BASEBALL CLASS AAA First Round:

FINAL 2015 WPIAL Softball Standings

May 10, 2015

Here are the FINAL WPIAL softball standings during this 2015 season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff picture. The standings will be updated daily through the 2015 regular season. You can follow the high school softball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Tuesday and game broadcasts, including another year of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2015 WPIAL Softball Playoffs ONLY on the MSA Sports Network will be sponsored by Carlow University. Teams in capital letters are part of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball Playoff Teams – 05/06/2015

May 6, 2015

Every Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports ranks the Top 10 WPIAL softball teams in each classification. For our final rankings this spring though, we will slot all 61 district softball postseason bound squads with 12 in AAAA, 17 in AAA, 17 in AA and 15 in A. As is the case in all of our playoff rankings, its more of a seeding than true ranking as we follow the WPIAL rules in an effort to avoid teams from the same section playing each other. There will be FOUR First Round bye's in Quad-A and ONE in Single-A. In both Triple-A and Double-A, there are 17 teams thus there will be one Preliminary Round contest in each of those two classes.

Hometown Softball Recap for South Side Rams – 05/01/2015

May 1, 2015

At South Side High School in Hookstown Pa on Thursday, the South Side Rams defeated the Burgettstown Blue Devils 12-2 in a section 1 AA game. The win puts each of them at 9-1 in section play so they will share the Section 1 title. The Rams had a fantastic offensive day and it started in the first inning, Hunter Hand hit a 2 run HR to spark the offense to a 3-0 early lead. That was enough for Ram pitcher McKenna Smith as she zipped thru the Blue Devil lineup with ease. She had 6 strikeouts in a row at one point in the first three innings. She won the game striking out 10, walking only 3 and giving up just two runs.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/28/2015

April 28, 2015

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 team in Class AAA and in Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-0) (Last Week #1) 2. SHALER TITANS (10-2) (Last Week #4)

Hometown Softball Recap for Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers – 04/25/2015

April 25, 2015

It's a shame one of these two teams had to lose. Both pitchers for Chartiers-Houston and Jefferson-Morgan pitched a gem, but it was the Rockets who walked away with the W in a tight Section 1 A softball game. Senior Megan Kraushaar lead off for the Bucaneers, making contact with one of Maddie Ludrosky's pitches, flying out to right field. She would be the only batter to make contact until she was up again in the 4th inning, as Ludrosky struck out the next 8 straight in the lineup.

Hometown Softball Recap for South Side Rams – 04/23/2015

April 23, 2015

The South Side Rams were looking to put some breathing space between themselves and the Avonworth Antelopes for 2nd place in Class AA Section 1, and the only way they were going to make that happen was to beat the Lopes outright on its home turf, which they did 6-4 on Thursday.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/21/2015

April 21, 2015

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (9-0) (Last Week #3) 2. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (7-1) (Last Week #1) 3. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (7-1) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/20/2015

April 20, 2015

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including another NEW #1 team in Class AAAA and also in Class AAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (8-1) (Last Week #3) 2. PLUM MUSTANGS (7-1) (Last Week #8) 3. NORWIN KNIGHTS (6-2) (Last Week Unranked)

Hometown Softball Recap for Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 04/19/2015

April 19, 2015

Keyed by a strong pitching performance and opportunistic offense, the host Elizabeth Forward Lady Warriors scored a 4-0 victory against McKeesport at William Penn Field on Saturday. Sophomore Lauren Mathews, in her first varsity start at pitcher, tossed a complete-game shutout, limiting the Lady Tigers to just six hits. Mathews, who struck out five, showed poise by holding McKeesport scoreless despite allowing a pair of baserunners in both the second and fifth innings. Offensively, Elizabeth Forward took an early lead by capitalizing on the control issues of Tigers’ hurler Sam Arthrell. Three Warriors walked in the opening frame, including Lauren Cain, who drew a free pass with the bases loaded to score Lexi Ribarchak.

Lamenza Named to Lead Blackhawk Football Program

April 17, 2015

The Blackhawk Cougars have settled on the coach that will follow Joe Hamilton. Current Mohawk head coach Joe Lamenza, was tabbed to lead the Cougars on Thursday night. Lamenza was 7-29 in four years at Mohawk, he has also served as the head coach at West Mifflin and Slippery Rock and was an assistant at Ellwood City, Riverside and Beaver, along with Robert Morris University. The new coach knows something about competition, Mohawk has played in the Midwestern Conference under Lamenza, he goes now to the Parkway Conference, where Blackhawk has struggled the past few seasons. The Cougars have not won a playoff game since 2008, a winning record since 2011 and missed the playoffs in both 2013 and 2014.

Hometown Softball Recap for Baldwin Highlanders – 04/16/2015

April 16, 2015

Rachel Hankin and Rachel Albert hit back-to-back solo home runs in the 6th inning, lifting Bethel Park (5-3, 4-1) to a 2-1 win over Baldwin (5-1, 4-1) on Wednesday night at Baldwin High School. The blasts were the lone blemishes for Highlanders' pitcher and Pitt-Greensburg recruit Jamie Schleicher, who allowed just four hits and struck out eleven batters in the complete game loss. Schleicher would retire the first eight Bethel Park batters, give up a single to Hankin in the 4th inning and then retire eight more batters in a row, before Hankin, the nine-hitter in the Blackhawks' lineup, would launch a ball over the right field wall. Moments later, Bethel Park's leadoff hitter, Albert, would follow up with a shot of her own over the center field fence.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/15/2015

April 15, 2015

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (7-0) (Last Week #1) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (6-0) (Last Week #3) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-0) (Last Week #4)

2015 WPIAL BASEBALL PREVIEW

March 27, 2015

With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play about to begin for most teams next week (weather permitting), MSA Sports takes a look at some of the district baseball players and the teams to watch for this 2015 campaign. Obviously, there are a lot of good players who did not crack the below list, but we will be hearing about them and their diamond successes as the campaign rolls on from the chill of March through the heat of late May. Four teams enter the season looking for back-to-back WPIAL baseball titles as Seneca Valley, West Allegheny, Steel Valley and California look to repeat.

2014 WPIAL SOFTBALL REVIEW

March 25, 2015

2014 saw a pair of first time district champions, a pair of top-seeds go the distance in the WPIAL postseason, one Cinderella team winning gold from the lucky 13th-seed and no WPIAL winner standing tall with gold in the PIAA circle at the end of the season. Here is a look back at the 2014 WPIAL Softball season with final regular season standings along with WPIAL and PIAA playoff results. FINAL 2014 WPIAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS:

Roman Cath, Neumann-Goretti, Conwell-Egan & Constitution Bring 2015 PIAA Boys Hoops Titles Home to Philly

March 22, 2015

Last year, the WPIAL sent three boys teams to Hershey where two of them came home with gold. This year, there was only one District 7 team playing in Chocolate Town. That team was Aliquippa and the WPIAL champs were undefeated and looking to make perfect history, until they tasted defeat for the first time with a loss to Conwell-Egan Catholic, leaving the Quips with silver and a final record of 29-1. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 PIAA Boys Basketball Playoffs. All of the games with (MSA) after the result can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAAA BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Blackhawk and Vincentian Academy Repeat as 2015 PIAA Girls Basketball Champs

Two out of three ain't bad. In 2014, Blackhawk in AAA, Seton-LaSalle in AA and Vincentian Academy in A not only won WPIAL championships, but also added PIAA state crowns to their trophy case. The golden girls once again captured another WPIAL crown last month before winning four games to advance back to Hershey and the state finals. While Seton-LaSalle fell shot in Class AA, both Blackhawk in AAA and Vincentian Academy in A were successful in winning another PIAA state championship. Here are all of the results from the 2015 PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs. All results marked with (MSA) after the score can be heard archived on MSA Sports. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAAA GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

HG Prep Takes a Bite Out of Big Macs, Win PA Cup AAA Title

March 21, 2015

In the East-West rubber match of the 2015 Pennsylvania Cup Hockey Championships, Flyers Cup Champion Holy Ghost Prep dropped Penguins Cup Champion Canon-McMillan, 6-4, in the AAA title game on Saturday evening at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena. A big second period lifted the Firebirds to the victory over the Big Macs, who last appeared in the State Championship in 2010, when they fell to Cardinal O’Hara.

Blackhawk Girls Golden Again In Hershey

It was truly a team effort as the Blackhawk Cougars (28-3) rallied from a first half deficit to defeat the Archbishop Wood Vikings, 46-40, in the PIAA Girls Class AAA Championship Game on Saturday evening at Giant Center in Hershey. The win gives Blackhawk back-to-back PIAA Championship Game victories over Archbishop Wood (26-5), as the Cougars won 51-43 in last year’s title game. Blackhawk has now won four girls state titles, going back-to-back in 1999 and 2000 as well. The Cougars missed their first six shots and trailed 7-0 and 14-4 in the opening quarter. But Duquesne University recruit Chassidy Omogrosso led the comeback with 23 points, while Courtney Vannoy, a Loyola (Md.) recruit, added 17 points for Blackhawk.

Quips Quest For Perfection Ends With Loss in PIAA AA State Title Game

Aliquippa won its first 29 games of the 2014-15 season, but the Quips suffered their lone defeat to Conwell-Egan Catholic 62-51 in the PIAA Class AA Boys Championship at the Giant Center in Hershey. After falling behind by double digits in the first half, Aliquippa staged a furious comeback bid in the second half, frequently trimming the deficit to two points. The Eagles never relinquished their lead, though, and capitalized from the charity stripe to seal the victory. The Quips (29-1) started the contest strong, scoring six straight points to take an 8-2 lead. Conwell-Egan responded with a run of its own, however, as the Eagles scored the final eight points of the stanza to take a four-point lead through the first quarter.

PIAA Basketball Recaps for Boys AAAA, Boys AAA, Boys A and Girls AAAA

March 20, 2015

All the action is complete in Hershey as eight state champions were crowned. Here are recaps of all of the games not involving WPIAL teams: Quad A Boys: Roman Catholic Cahillites 62 – Martin Luther King Cougars 45 Leading 30-29 at the break, Roman Catholic held Martin Luther King to just 4 points in the third quarter and a 4 of 34 shooting performance in the second half to claim their first ever PIAA Quad-A boys championship. This game was a rematch of the District 12 final, a two point win for Roman Catholic, the Catholic League champion. Rider recruit Gemil Holbrook led with 20 points including 12 in the final two quarters.

Indiana Win First Ever 2015 PIHL Division II Hockey Championship

March 16, 2015

In previous years, it was called the PIHL Open Class high school hockey playoffs. Now it is titled the PIHL Division II hockey postseason for teams from this years Class B and Class C. The first ever champion was crowned Thursday at the Robert Morris University Sports Complex on Neville Island. It was there that Indiana handed Carrick the Cougars first loss of the 2014-2015 season to secure the schools first ever high school hockey golden crown. Here are all of the results from the 2015 PIHL Division II Hockey Playoffs. Any results marked with (MSA) after it can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. PIHL DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/15/2015

March 15, 2015

After a loooong four months, the winter high school sports season is finally coming to a golden end this week on the MSA Sports Network.

PIHL Notebook – 03/09/2015

March 9, 2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Over the next three days, we will find out which six teams will complete for the 2015 Penguins Cup championships. All six semifinal games will be heard on these airwaves, and we have you primed in the space below with our traditional team capsules. Team stats, playoff results, keys to victory – we have it call at your fingertips. So, let’s light the lamp on this special postseason edition of “PIHL Notebook.” CLASS A PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/08/2015

March 8, 2015

The state basketball playoffs head into rounds two and three while the high school hockey postseason heads into the giving up The Cup this week on the MSA Sports Network. We have Second Round and Quarterfinals action in the PIAA Basketball Playoffs along with Semifinals and Championship play from the PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs. We also look forward to spring with a week full of college baseball from Florida featuring Geneva College, plus we have the season finale of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the WPIAL Roundball Report and the PIHL Power Play Show on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net

WPIAL a Perfect 9-for-9 in PIAA Wrestling AAA Finals

The WPIAL came into the finals of the PIAA Championships with the opportunity to win at least nine gold medals. After the night was done, the WPIAL swept through every weight class to have nine WPIAL wrestlers come home as state champions. {Left: Waynesburg's A.C. Headlee received the trophy as Outstanding Wrestler of the PIAA Class AAA tournament a week after winning the same award in the WPIAL Finals}

PIAA Individual Wrestling Results – Day Two Recap

March 7, 2015

The AA PIAA Championships started with a lot of excitement on Friday. That was because Jefferson Morgan freshman Gavin Teasdale, who was 43-0 coming into Friday, almost seen his perfect season flash before his eyes. Teasdale was leading Jaret Lane of Southern Columbia 8-3 in the second period. That is when Lane hit a headlock on Teasdale. Fortunately for Teasdale, it was late in the second period, where he only had to bridge off of his back for roughly 20 seconds. After two periods, it was 8-8.

PIHL Penguins Cup Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, March 3rd

March 3, 2015

After there were no surprises on the opening day of the high school hockey postseason, the first two eye-brow raisers of the cup chase took place Tuesday. After reaching the PIHL finals and then going on to win a national championship a year ago, #3 Bethel Park was ousted on its home ice by #6 Butler in a Class AAA Quarterfinals contest. The #5 Bishop Canevin pulled off a third period comeback with a gola in overtime to knock out #4 Hampton in Class AA. Here are summaries from the six PIHL Penguins Cup hockey games played on Day Two. A special thanks to Gero Von Dahn, Mike Azadian, Don Rebel, Adam Gusky and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

PIHL Penguins Cup Playoff Recaps for Monday, March 2nd

March 2, 2015

The curtain rose on the 2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs on Monday, and while there were some one-sided openers, there were several down to the wire thrillers that made you realize the regular season was history and the chase for the cup was now on. Here are summaries from the seven games that got the puck rolling on the 2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Sean Meyers, Randy Gore, Brandon Showers, Lou Rood and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

PIHL Notebook – 03/02/2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. This week we break the regular format, and with good reason with the 2015 Penguins Cup and PIHL Division II Playoffs beginning tonight. Where, when and against whom is your favorite team playing? Which players should you keep an eye on in each game? Fear not, we have your questions answered below in encapsulated form. So, let’s light the lamp on this special playoff preview edition of “PIHL Notebook.” Class AAA Penguins Cup Playoffs QUARTERFINALS: 3/2/15 – #1 North Allegheny Tigers (16-2-4) vs. #8 Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (8-12-2) @ BladeRunners Warrendale at 6:30 PM

Char Valley, Indiana, Aliquippa & Monessen Strike WPIAL Boys Hoops Gold

March 1, 2015

Three district powers added to their collection while it was a historic gold run for the furthest most eastern school in the WPIAL. The Indiana Little Indians stunned many by winning the Class AAA championships, the schools first boys basketball title ever. Meanwhile it was add-on time for three storied programs as Aliquippa (AA) won its 11th, Monessen (A) its 7th and Chartiers Valley (AAAA) its 6th district boys basketball gold ball. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs. ALL of the games from this years postseason can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2015 WPIAL CLASS AAAA BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

FINAL 2014-2015 PIHL High School Hockey Standings

Here are the FINAL 2014-2015 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey postseason with weekly audio and video broadcasts, plus the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show on Thursday night at 8:00pm over the next two weeks right here on the MSA Sports Network. * = Clinched a Penguins Cup Playoff Spot x = Eliminated from Penguins Cup Playoff Chase PIHL CLASS AAA (SET WITH 8 PLAYOFF TEAMS) TEAM

Norwin Captures First Ever WPIAL Girls AAAA Gold

February 28, 2015

Norwin had never appeared in a WPIAL Championship Game until Saturday night, but the Knights played like seasoned champions at the Peterson Events Center, winning the school’s first girls basketball title in convincing fashion over Penn Hills 54-34. The game was tied 11-11 after the first quarter, but Norwin started the second quarter with an 11-0 run which gave the Knights a 22-11 lead. Penn Hills added a quick 4-0 burst before halftime and it was a 7-point game at intermission.

Aliquippa Perfect In Dethroning Seton-LaSalle As Boys AA Champ

Aliquippa remains perfect in capturing Class AA boys’ championship The Quips’ quest for perfection remains in tact, as Aliquippa captured the Class AA boys’ championship with a 68-57 victory over Seton-LaSalle at the Petersen Event Center. The victory marks the 11th WPIAL Championship for Aliquippa. Top-seeded Aliquippa, the only unbeaten team in the WPIAL, fell into an early deficit against the defending champions, as Rebels’ senior Ryan Norkus provided an offensive outburst in the first quarter. Norkus netted 16 points in the opening frame, as No. 3 Seton-LaSalle held a 20-14 lead. In the second stanza, both offenses went cold, as the Quips and Rebels mustered only six points each.

Royals Flush Trojans for 4th Straight WPIAL Girls A Title

The Vincentian girls’ basketball dynasty continues. For the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six years the Royals wear the Class A crown after claiming yet another title. As has been the custom, this came in impressive fashion with a 74-35 victory over Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic at the Petersen Events Center. It was the Royals ninth championship in the school’s history. The outcome was rarely in doubt as top-seeded Vincentian stormed out to a 27-6 lead after the first quarter. The large cushion was keyed by a ferocious full-court press defense that forced Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic into numerous turnovers. Those turnovers led to a number of easy baskets for Vincentian.

Indiana Wins First WPIAL Basketball Title in Dramatic Fashion Over Beaver Falls

February 27, 2015

In another fantastic finish at the Petersen Events Center, the No. 5 Indiana Little Indians (24-2) claimed their first WPIAL basketball championship with a 62-61 comeback win over the No. 2 Beaver Falls Tigers (22-3) on Friday night in the Class AAA title tilt. Senior Riley Stapleton hit an open layup with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Little Indians the winning margin. Stapleton said he knew he was going to get the ball, as Indiana had a chance to win it after Beaver Falls freshman Torian Leak was tied up with 20.1 seconds to play. The possession arrow favored Indiana, setting up the game-winning basket.

Monessen Hounds Jeannette In 7th WPIAL Championship Victory

The Monessen Greyhounds (20-6) defeated the Jeannette Jayhawks 73-57 to win their seventh WPIAL championship at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh Friday night. Joe Salvino, in his 31st year at the helm of the Greyhounds, won his fifth title. It was the depth of the Greyhounds that seemed to wear down Jeannette (16-8) throughout the length of the evening. The Jayhawks led at the end of the first period 14-13, but Monessen ratcheted up the defensive pressure in the second quarter and never looked back from there, outscoring Jeannette in the second quarter 21-10 to take a 10-point lead into the break, 34-24.

Seton-LaSalle Again Drops Rival Bishop Canevin For Girls AA Title

When Seton-LaSalle needed their two best players to come through, that is exactly what they did. It was just in separate halves. Cleveland State recruit Nicolete Newman scored all 16 of her points in the first half and long-time teammate and Pitt recruit Cassidy Walsh scored all nine of her points in the second half to lead the No. 1 Rebels (19-7) to a 51-35 win over No.

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps for Thursday, February 26th

February 26, 2015

The first year experiment has come to an end. Instead of playing follow the winner to determine the PIAA qualifiers from District 7, this season marked the first of a three year experiment with play-in games or Consolation contests. Those teams that gained state playoff berths with their play on the court likely give the test a two-thumbs up. Here are recaps from the eight 5th Place games and the three 7th place games on Consolation Thursday. A special thanks go out to Bob Orkwis, Mark Schaas, Dennis Fischer, Brian Mroziak, Gero Von Dahn, Josh Rowntree, Bob Gregg, Lou Rood and Bob Barrickman for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS AAAA Fifth Place Consolation Game:

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, February 24th

February 25, 2015

Semifinals Tuesday had to share a crowded stage with Round One Consolations. while many teams were fighting for a second chance and a PIAA berth, 16 teams in Boys AAA, Boys A, Girls AAAA and Girls AA were still following the dreams of district gold. Here are recaps from a busy Tuesday night around District 7. A special thanks to Jason Kern, Mark Uriah, Jason Tennant, T.J. DiStefano, Bob Barrickman, Steve Nagler, Dennis Fischer, Sam Hall, Terry Neary, Bob Gregg, Lee Mohn, Sean Meyers, Mike Sackley, Randy Gore, Mark Schaas, Lou Rood and Josh Rowntree for their help on these recaps. BOYS WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps for Monday, February 23rd

February 24, 2015

It took an additional 48 hours or so, but the Second Round finally came to an end on another frigid night in Western Pennsylvania. The Final Four is now set in Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A with plenty of expected teams and some surprises mixed in. Seeds three and four were bounced in Quad-A boys while the second-seed in Double-A boys was knocked out, as was the third-seed in Single-A girls. Here are recaps from the 16 Quarterfinals and 2 Consolation Round One contests played on Monday. A special thanks to Mike Azadian, Mark Uriah, Brandon Showers, Bob Gregg, Brian Mroziak, Paul Paterra, Bob Orkwis, Steve Nagler, Sam Hall, Terry Neary, Bob Barrickman, Randy Gore and Bobby Fox for their help on these recaps.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/23/2015

February 23, 2015

Another golden weekend is here there and everywhere...wait a second, I'm sorry, the only place to find gold on the courts and on the mats this week is here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolations and the Championships EVERY DAY this week from the WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 basketball playoffs.

2015 WPIAL Class AA Individual Wrestling Championship Results

February 21, 2015

It was a magical weekend for South Fayette and not just because they got the opportunity to host the AA WPIAL individual Championships. It was thanks to their 160 pound senior who made history on Saturday. Jared Walker became the 25th wrestler in WPIAL history to become a four time WPIAL Champion, as he knocked off Jason Stay of Beth Center 3-1. For his achievement, Walker was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. In addition to Walker, South Fayette also had their 138 pounder Mike Carr win his second WPIAL title by defeating Evan Myers of Southmoreland 7-1.

WPIAL AA Wrestling Championships – Day One Highlights

February 20, 2015

The first day of the AA WPIAL individual championships did not feature many upsets on the day, as the top two seeds in every weight classes advanced to the semi-finals with the exception of one, Nick Candelore of Fort Cherry at 106, who lost 11-1 to Manny Dovshek of Bentworth. Section Two was dominant in advancing wrestlers into the semi-finals, as they claimed over 50% of the spots with 29 of 56 wrestlers still alive in the winners bracket.

WPIAL Swimming Championships – Class AAA Day One Results

The North Allegheny Tigers picked up where they left off in their dominance over the last several years as the Lady Tigers commanded a huge lead after day one of the WPIAL AAA Swimming Championships. The North Allegheny boys don’t have nearly the dominant lead but still have the advantage going into day two. The Upper St. Clair boys team, however, seem to possibly have the more elite level swimmers on the boys side as they swept the two team events and, in doing so, set two WPIAL records in the process. On the afternoon, there were several WPIAL records that fell.

Scholastic Notebook – 02/20/2015

Highlands and Bishop Canevin are in the WPIAL boys basketball quarterfinals. Who would’ve thought you’d read that sentence this year? Highlands and Bishop Canevin are two of the biggest turnaround stories in the league over the past few years. Highlands (13-11) will play Indiana in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals tonight. Two years ago, Highlands finished 1-21 under first-year coach Tyler Stoczynski. Highlands started to show signs of improvement last year, but still finished 9-13 and out of the playoffs.

Uniontown’s Braden Carei Wins WPIAL Boys AA Diving Crown

February 18, 2015

In the Boys WPIAL Diving championships at Moon High School Uniontown's Braden Carei a senior wins his first WPIAL title in his third attempt. He finished 9th in 2012, and 7th in 2014 before winning this year. {Left: Braden Carei stands tall amongst top finishers at WPIAL Boys Class AA Diving Finals} After the first round of five dives Carei led the completion by 16 points. After the semi final three dives his lead increased by 8 points to 24. Going into the final three dives he had to make sure not to falter as the rest of the field kept diving well. In fact the first three finishers would have won last years competition based on their scores from Wednesday. On his final dive he scored a 57.40to win by 34 points.

2014-2015 PIHL High School Hockey Standings

February 17, 2015

Here are the latest 2014-2015 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey season with weekly audio and video broadcasts as well as ranking, plus the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm right here on the MSA Sports Network. * = Clinched a Penguins Cup Playoff Spot x = Eliminated from Penguins Cup Playoff Chase PIHL CLASS AAA (6 of 8 Playoff Teams Have Clinched) TEAM

PIHL Notebook – 02/16/2015

February 16, 2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. This is a rare off-week for MSA broadcasts with the WPIAL basketball playoffs tipping off, but this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” still offers plenty of intrigue, including four overtime battles, three of which carried playoff implications. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: North Allegheny (6-0-2); Bethel Park (4-0-1); Seneca Valley (3-0-0); Peters Township (2-0-1)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/16/2015

So it's postseason scholastic basketball you want? There is no where else to go for all the hardwood action this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We close out the First Round and look ahead to the Quarterfinals this weekend in both boys and girls WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 playoff basketball. We also have plenty of gold to hand out with the WPIAL Diving, WPIAL Swimming and WPIAL Class AA and District 6 Class AAA Individual Wrestling Championships along with WPIAL Class AAA-4 Wrestling Sectionals, plus we have men's and women's college basketball, Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net

2015 WPIAL Class AA Individual Wrestling Sectional Results

February 14, 2015

The field for the 2015 WPIAL Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships is now set following the results from all three Double-A sections. The top five wrestlers from each section qualify for the district championships next weekend.

FINAL 2014-2015 WPIAL Boys Basketball Standings

February 10, 2015

Here are the FINAL WPIAL boys basketball standings for the 2014-2015 regular season...INCLUDING THE FINAL LIST OF TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE WPIAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS EXCLUSIVELY ON MSA SPORTS. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL boys hoops rankings are released each Tuesday along with boys basketball talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report at 6:00pm and live and archived broadcasts only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched Share of Section Title

FINAL 2014-2015 WPIAL Girls Basketball Standings

Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls basketball standings for the 2014-2015 regular season...INCLUDING THE FINAL LIST OF TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE WPIAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS EXCLUSIVELY ON MSA SPORTS. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL girls hoops rankings are released each Monday with girls hoops talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report at 6:00pm and girls basketball broadcasts live and archived each week only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 02/04/2015

February 4, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (14-2-3) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (12-5-2) (Last Week #2)

2015 National Letter of Intent Day – Division I-A Football Players from WPIAL

Here are the seniors from the WPIAL or Pittsburgh City League who have signed to make their verbal commitments to Division I-A colleges. High school seniors could not sign a binding letter of intent until Wednesday, February 4th. PITT Ben DiNucci, Pine-Richland (QB, 6-3, 192) Dane Jackson, Quaker Valley (QB-DB, 6-1, 180) Alex Paulina, Canon-McMillan (OL-DL, 6-3, 280) Tony Pilato, Hempfield (OT-DL, 6-7, 290) Tre Tipton, Apollo-Ridge (WR-DL, 6-1, 175) Jordan Whitehead, Central Valley (RB-DB, 6-0, 195)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 02/02/2015

February 2, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (19-1) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (17-2) (Last Week #2)

Franklin Regional Repeats as WPIAL AAA Wrestling Champion

January 31, 2015

A match that Franklin Regional would never lead came down to the last match of the night before the Panthers took the bout that would award them their second straight WPIAL Championship. (Left: Franklin Regional sidelines celebrate after clinching title over Belle Vernon) The match would start at 182 pounds, where Belle Vernon would jump out to a 21-0 lead. The big win during this win streak was at 285, where Billy Korber of Belle Vernon rode Jake Pickup of Franklin Regional during the :30 second ultimate tiebreaker overtime period to win the bout 3-2.

2015 WPIAL TEAM WRESTLING PLAYOFFS RESULTS

The calendar may have changed, but the results did not. The 2015 District 7 team wrestling champs are the same as the 2014 title winners. In fact in Class AA, they are the same as 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and in 2007 and the Burrell Buccaneers kept their golden mat dynasty in tact with a ninth straight Class AA crown. Meanwhile, it's two in a row in Class AAA for the Franklin Regional Panthers after they edged North Allegheny in the Semifinals and Belle Vernon in the Finals. Meanwhile both North Allegheny in AAA and South Fayette in AA have earned spots in next weeks PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs with Consolation match victories. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs.

Scholastic Notebook – 01/30/2015

January 30, 2015

With a little more than a week left in the regular season, Aliquippa and Sewickley Academy are the only two undefeated teams in WPIAL boys basketball at 18-0. For both, it is a return to glory this season. Aliquippa has a rich basketball tradition, but the Quips hit a rough patch from 2010-13, compiling a record below .500 for three consecutive seasons under coach Bobby Williams. Things started to return to normal last year under first-year coach Nick Lackovich when the Quips finished 20-7. Now, things are terrific at Aliquippa and this could be a team for the ages at the Beaver County school. It’s not known when the last time was Aliquippa finished the regular season with a perfect record. It has been at least four decades.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 01/28/2015

January 28, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-2-3) (Last Week #2) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (10-5-2) (Last Week #5)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/27/2015

January 27, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (16-1) (Last Week #1) 2. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (14-2) (Last Week #3) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (15-2) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/26/2015

January 26, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (18-1) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (15-2) (Last Week #2)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/25/2015

January 25, 2015

While the weather outside is frightful, we trudge toward the various winter sports postseason as the wrap up January and welcome in February this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of 'Stretch Run' boy and girls high school hoops from the WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 along with men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs, plus we have Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 26th:

Football Anyone? WPIAL Football 2015 Alignment/Schedules Released

January 22, 2015

The High School football season is only 224 days away! Don’t laugh; it will be here before you know it. With that being said, this week the WPIAL released their football schedules for the upcoming 2015 season. The WPIAL was forced to make four realignment changes due to the upcoming merger between Ford City and Kittanning High Schools, which is forming Armstrong High School starting this fall.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 01/22/2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (9-3-3) (Last Week #2) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-2-2) (Last Week #3)

2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectional Results

January 21, 2015

The WPIAL gave wrestling fans a taste of the upcoming district playoffs with the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals on Wednesday. Here are ALL the results of the Semifinals, the 3rd Place Consolation and Championship Finals from all four Class AAA and three Class AA sites to determine the order from each section 1 through 4. We also have the final results from the seven fifth place consolation matches that are district postseason qualifiers. Tune in to the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoff Pairings Show Thursday night at 7:00pm on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Team and Individual Wrestling Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAA:

2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals

January 20, 2015

The WPIAL gives wrestling fan just a taste of the upcoming district playoffs with the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals on Wednesday night here on MSA Sports. We will have Semifinals, Consolation and Championship action from all four Class AAA and three Class AA sites to determine the order from each section 1 through 4. There will also be a fifth place consolation match in each of the seven sections to determine the final playoff bound team from that section. Tune in to the 2015 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoff Pairings Show Thursday night at 7:00pm on your exclusive home for the WPIAL Team and Individual Wrestling Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAA:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/20/2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season...including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAAA and Class AAA. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (14-1) (Last Week #2) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (14-1) (Last Week #1)

Joe Hamilton Resigns As Blackhawk Football Coach

In today’s world, only a few high school football coaches last more than ten years, let alone 39 years at the same school. That was the legacy of Joe Hamilton and the Blackhawk Cougars, but it came to an end Tuesday when Hamilton submitted his resignation. In the almost four decades at Blackhawk, Hamilton’s teams won 295 games, four WPIAL championships including three straight in 1991-92-93, played for the WPIAL title nine times and made three trips to the PIAA championship games.

PIHL Notebook – 01/19/2015

January 19, 2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes some offense-heavy overtime battles in Class AAA and Class A. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview four-pack of upcoming MSA broadcasts, including a key matchup for Hometown Broadcast member school Blackhawk in Class B. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Peters Township (6-0-1); Butler (5-0-2); Mount Lebanon (3-0-0); North Allegheny (3-0-0)

PIHL Notebook – 01/12/2015

January 12, 2015

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes the final winless team in the league erasing the goose egg, an overtime thriller in Class A and a surprising result among top seeds in Class B. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview six-pack of upcoming MSA broadcasts, including a trio of Class AAA battles. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Peters Township (6-0-1); Butler (4-0-2); Pine-Richland (4-0-1)

2015 WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championship Recap

January 10, 2015

The Chartiers-Houston and Highlands cheerleading squads successfully defended their championships, while Shaler Area also captured gold at the 2015 Competitive Spirit Championship at Hempfield Area High School on Saturday. {Left: Members of the Chartiers-Houston cheerleaders pose after winning a second straight WPIAL Competitive Cheer championship on Saturday} The Lady Bucs, competing in Class A, edged Laurel to repeat as WPIAL champions. Similarly, the Lady Golden Rams successfully defended their title in Class AA, while Hopewell came in second. In Class AAA, the Lady Titans edged Butler for the gold, in the process knocking off defending champion Pine-Richland.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/05/2015

January 5, 2015

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (9-1) (Last Week #1) 2. NORWIN KNIGHTS (9-1) (Last Week #3)

PIHL Notebook – 01/05/2015

Welcome to the first 2015 edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With no unbeaten streaks to update and no games to recap since last week’s column, what’s a writer to do? As longtime readers know, this is always a great time to look at the midseason snapshot of the Penguins Cup playoff brackets, especially since we had the privilege of unveiling the new format on our show two weeks back. We won’t stop there, though, with a five-pack of network broadcasts to preview, including a battle of South Hills powers in Class AAA and a first-place versus second-place contest in Class A. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” 2015 PENGUINS CUP PLAYOFFS MIDSEASON PICTURE

MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – #10-#6

December 31, 2014

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #10 through #6. {Left: After winning a third PIAA individual wrestling title, Kittanning's Jason Nolf accepts the Outstanding AA Wrestler trophy} #10 - The Storm Ends It was going to happen at some time this season that the New Castle Red Hurricanes boys basketball team would taste defeat. New Castle had an amazing run over the last three years, claiming consecutive WPIAL championships and finishing the run with a 31-0 season and a state title in March.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/30/2014

December 30, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season...including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAAA and Class A. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (9-0) (Last Week #2) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (9-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – 12/29/2014

December 29, 2014

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/29/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (7-1) (Last Week #1) 2. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (6-0) (Last Week #2)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/23/2014

December 23, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (7-1) (Last Week #1) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (6-0) (Last Week #2) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/22/2014

December 22, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-1) (Last Week #1) 2. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (5-0) (Last Week #4)

PIHL Notebook – 12/22/2014

Welcome to the Christmas week edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes an impressive upset in Class AAA plus offensive fireworks in Class AA and Class A. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of the lone MSA broadcast this week in what should be a tight Class A showdown. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Peters Township (5-0-1); Butler (3-0-2); Pine-Richland (2-0-1) Class AA: Shaler (10-0-0): Shaler (5-0-0)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 12/18/2014

December 18, 2014

Here are the latest Top 10 rankings in WPIAL Team Wrestling. Every Thursday through January, MSA Sports ranks the top ten teams in both the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA team wrestling. Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show every Monday at 7:00pm AND weekly matches broadcast on Wednesday's and select weekends only here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Franklin Regional Panthers (2-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Latrobe Wildcats (1-0) (Last Week #2) 3. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (2-0) (Last Week #3)

2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoff Format Released

December 17, 2014

The new regime of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League has released the playoff format for the 2015 Penguins Cup Playoffs with a new look...brackets. In the past, the PIHL has re-seeded after each playoff round, however this March, they will go with a bracket playoff format that give lower seed teams a better chance to advance. MSA Sports will audio and video stream each and every postseason game in the 2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. PIHL CLASS AAA Playoff Format: Top eight teams in overall standings qualify using this format in the Quarterfinals: #8 AT #1 #5 AT #4 #7 AT #2 #6 AT #3 PIHL CLASS AA Playoff Format:

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 12/17/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (11-1-1) (Last Week #2) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (7-3-1) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/16/2014

December 16, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (6-1) (Last Week #1) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (4-0) (Last Week #2)

2015 WPIAL Football Alignment Changes

The WPIAL Board of Control has approved changes in the football alignment for next season forced by the merger of Kittanning and Ford City High Schools to form Armstrong High School starting in the fall of 2015. Armstrong High School will be a AAA school and has been placed in the Greater Allegheny Conference with Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg-Salem, Hampton, Hollidaysburg, Indiana, Knoch and Mars. Yough moves from the Greater Allegheny Conference to the Big Nine Conference (soon to be Big Ten?) with Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown and West Mifflin.

2014 PIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS

December 14, 2014

When the final second ticked off, closing out a gray and chilly final weekend of football in Pennsylvania, three of the champions crowned in Hershey for 2014 wore the gold crown in 2013 as well. While the WPIAL struggled to a 1-3 weekend, the theme of the finals was 'repeat' as St. Joe's Prep in AAAA, Archbishop Wood in AAA and South Fayette in AA all claimed a second consecutive state championship, while Bishop Guilfoyle in Class A from District 6 captured the schools first ever PIAA football title. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2014 PIAA Football Playoffs. All results with (MSA) after can be heard archived on The Network. 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME:

South Fayette Runs By Dunmore For Second Straight PIAA AA Crown

December 13, 2014

One decision can change everything. Just ask Jack Henzes. After electing to go for a touchdown on a 4th and goal at the South Fayette 5-yard line, up 16-14, and failing, Henzes, the long-time Dunmore coach, would see his grip on the PIAA AA Championship slip away. On the first play after the defensive stand, South Fayette (16-0) tailback Hunter Hayes would burst through a hole and go 95 yards for a go-ahead score, lifting the Lions to a 28-16 win over Dunmore (14-2) at Hersheypark Stadium. The win is the second in a row in the AA Championship for the Lions, who routed Imhotep Charter 41-0 a year ago. The victory also extended South Fayette’s winning streak to 32-straight games, making them the first AA team to ever repeat as Champions.

2014 MSA SPORTS ELITE ELEVEN

December 12, 2014

Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci and South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh are prolific passers whose senior seasons have been very much alike in terms of statistics and team success. DiNucci and Brumbaugh are also alike in the MSA Sports staff eyes. They are both players of the year. The MSA Sports staff found it impossible to separate the two in terms of accomplishments this season. So, the two have been selected co-Players of the Year. DiNucci and Brumbaugh also lead the MSA Sports’ Elite 11. The all-star team is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. Here is a look at the players of the year and the Elite 11. CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR - BRETT BRUMBAUGH, SOUTH FAYETTE QB, 6-4, 195, SR.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 12/10/2014

December 10, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-1-2) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (9-1-1) (Last Week #2)

The Win Streak is No More for New Castle

December 9, 2014

It was going to happen at some time this season that the New Castle Red Hurricanes boys basketball team would taste defeat. New Castle had an amazing run over the last three years, claiming consecutive WPIAL championships and finishing the run with a 31-0 season and a state title in March. The winning streak of 33 in a row came to an end Tuesday night at the hands of the Hampton Talbots, a 87-67 victory for Hampton at the Ne-Ca-Hi Field House in front of a full house. Senior guard Joey Lafko led the way for the Talbots with 37 points as the Talbots led by nine at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. David Huber tossed in 13 as Hampton beat New Castle for the first time in ten tries, including the last three WPIAL championship games.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 12/09/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly boys rankings every Monday, along with boys hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm and boys basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every boys WPIAL playoff game in February all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Boys Basketball Top Ten: 1. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (3-0) (Last Week #1) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (2-0) (Last Week #2) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (2-0) (Last Week #5)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/08/2014

December 8, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2014-2015 season. Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Top Ten: 1. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (1-1) (Last Week #1) 2. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (1-1) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – 12/08/2014

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes a surprising tie in Class AAA and one team picking up its first victory of the season in Class A. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of upcoming MSA broadcasts, including a classic match-up in Class A. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: North Allegheny (5-0-2); Butler (2-0-1); Canon-McMillan (2-0-1); Peters Township (2-0-1); Upper St. Clair (2-0-1)

WPIAL Boys Basketball 2014-2015 Season Preview

December 4, 2014

The season hasn't even started and we already know there will be new WPIAL champions in both Class AAAA and Class A. Realignment shuffled the deck in the offseason and blew that New Castle Red Hurricane nasty storm which dominated Quad-A for two years back down to Triple-A while perennial Single-A power Lincoln Park, which captured its second district title in three years last season is now in Double-A. The two champs that do get to defend in the same classification are Central Valey in AAA and Seton-LaSalle in AA. Here are the Pre-Season Top 10 in each classification along with the players to watch in each class.

WPIAL Girls Basketball 2014-2015 Season Preview

December 3, 2014

The 2014-2015 WPIAL girls basketball season tips off on Friday, December 5th with a lot of the teams that enjoyed success last winter favored to enjoy more victories this winter. Penn-Trafford, Blackhawk, Seton-LaSalle and Vincentian Academy are the defending WPIAL champions with the Royals looking to four-peat this season. Three of the four district champs in 2014...the Cougars, the Rebels and the Royals went on to win a PIAA state crown as well. Here are the Pre-Season Top 10 in each classification along with the players to watch in each class.

Big Game Hunting – Week Fifteen

The WPIAL Champions avoided any talk of a “WPIAL Championship Hangover” by taking care of business in the state quarter-finals. A perfect 56-0 mark for the District 7 Champions collectively heading into the state semi-finals, congratulations to all the teams that have reached the final-four in the state of Pennsylvania. It is a remarkable accomplishment. Winners head to Hershey now, so there is chocolate on the line. That means; in addition to opposing defenses every player must now watch out for Mike Azadian as well. See how tough things get, as you get deeper into the playoffs?

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 12/03/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-1-2) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (8-1-0) (Last Week #2)

WPIAL Boys Basketball 2013-2014 Season Review

December 2, 2014

The historic run for New Castle continued last winter and this time they were able to seal the deal with a state championship to go with their third straight district crown. The Red Hurricanes weren't the only double champion as Lincoln Park won it all in both the district and the state postseason while Seton-LaSalle came within inches on a missed shot at the buzzer in Hershey of winning the golden double. We look back at last season with a look at the standings, district and state playoff results from the 2013-2014 campaign. All results with (MSA) can still be heard archived on MSA Sports. 2013-2014 WPIAL BOYS BASKETBALL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS: TEAM NAME - SECTION RECORD - OVERALL RECORD

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 29th

November 29, 2014

In the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, the W & J Presidents ran into a buzz saw known as the Mount Union Purple Raiders. The 11-time champions scored 38 points in the second quarter to claim a 67-0 victory on their home field in Alliance, Ohio. Kevin Burke, the returning Division III player of the year, threw for 402 yards and six touchdowns in the win, three to Roman Namdar. The Purple Raiders, the D-III leader in total offense, posted 703 yards while shutting down the Presidents, who were also a top 10 offense, to just 252 yards. Mount Union advances to the quarterfinals, where they will meet John Carroll, a 14-12 victor over Wheaton, that game will be next Saturday, likely at Mount Union.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 11/28/2014

November 28, 2014

Here are the initial MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus starting in December, it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-1-1) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (7-1-0) (Last Week #2)

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 29th

November 27, 2014

And then there was one, only a single team remains on the field in the final week of November in the local area. W & J has a tough test on the road for the second straight week against one of the most recognizable programs in Division III and across the country. Here is a preview of the game, which can be heard right here on the Network: NCAA Division III Playoffs/Second Round W & J (10-1) at Mount Union (11-0) Noon on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network The Presidents intercepted a school record eight passes in a 41-25 road victory over NCAC champion Wittenburg last Saturday. W & J has not advanced to the second round since 2008.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/23/2014

November 23, 2014

Now that the journey on the Highway to Heinz has ended, it's time to take a spin on the Road to Hershey this week here on the MSA Sports Network. All four WPIAL football champions will be in action in the PIAA Quarterfinals and all four games are right here on The Network.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 22nd

November 22, 2014

As the local college football season winds down, it’s time for playoff action in both D-II and D-III with two local teams in action. The ECAC held their annual bowl games with two more local teams involved and the NEC winds down conference play with a pair of local games. Here are recaps from ALL the games, including one heard on the Network:

South Fayette Repeats With Another Victory Over Aliquippa

November 21, 2014

The South Fayette Lions successfully defended their WPIAL title, as they knocked off Aliquippa 31-22 in the Class AA Championship at Heinz Field on Friday.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 11/20/2014

November 20, 2014

Here are the initial MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus starting in December, it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-1-0) (Last Week #3) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (6-1-0) (Last Week #1)

Chicks Picks – Championship Friday

Welcome to Week 13 of the high school football season. As Chick’s Picks began research for Championship Friday, she quickly realized all of the familiar faces that will be at Heinz Field again this year—Central Catholic, Central Valley, West Allegheny, South Fayette, Aliquippa, and Clairton. Similarly, Chick’s Picks took a moment to reflect on the many familiar faces at the MSA Sports Network that she has had the pleasure of knowing over the years.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2014

November 18, 2014

For all practical purposes, the Highway to Heinz is over. Up next is the WPIAL Football Championships at Heinz Field. The Steelers are scoring points at a blistering rate over their last three games at the big ketchup bottle. If the WPIAL Semifinals are indication, we could be in for a track meet on Friday. The Semis saw a rare challenge for the Bears of Clairton, a rare knockoff of the defending Class A State Champions and much, much more. So before we bundle up and make our way to the North Shore, let’s take one last look at the top plays from the WPIAL Football Semifinals:

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 15th

November 16, 2014

Regular season play wraps up in the PAC with a big upset and the PSAC State Title Game comes down to the wire. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network. Waynesburg 31 – W & J 28 in overtime The 11th ranked Presidents scored in the final minute to force overtime but it was the Yellow Jackets who knock off their hated rivals in the PAC Backyard Brawl and remove W & J from the ranks of the unbeaten. Scott Lewis kicked a 34 yard field goal for the win after Kyle Richey blocked Blake Davis’ attempt for W & J.

2014 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs Final Results

November 15, 2014

So close, and yet so silver for Canon-McMillan. Sabrina Bryan's goal just 32 second into the match would not hold up as Central Bucks West scored with under six minutes left in regulation to force overtime, then tallied the game winner off a free kick as the Bucks prevailed in OT 2-1 Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. It is the second runner-up trophy for the Big Macs, who lost to Seneca Valley in the district finals. The weekend got off to a rough start Friday when WPIAL Class A champion Greensburg Central Catholic was shutout by District 3 Camp Hill Trinity 3-0. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs. 2014 PIAA CLASS AAA GIRLS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

WPIAL Football Playoff Semifinals Recaps

Ten WPIAL football teams came into Final Four Friday with a perfect 11-0 mark. Half of them are moving on to the finals while the other five suffer with a final mark of 11-1. That's the tough part of losing and seeing your season end one victory away from Heinz Field. Here are recaps from all eight WPIAL Semifinals games that you can hear archived on The Network. A special thanks to Brandon Showers, Josh Rowntree, Cory Campano, Bob Orkwis, Rob Matzie, Pete Blais, Mark Schaas and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

WPIAL Week 12 Friday Football Scores

November 14, 2014

The unkindest cut indeed. Lets examine losing the playoffs, which admittedly is never a good thing. Losing next week in the Finals is rough, but you have memories you can share with your kids and grandkids about playing in the Big House on the North Shore. Losing in the First Round stinks...losing in the Quarterfinals really stinks...but losing in the Semifinals when you are so close to reaching the goal of playing for gold and not getting that chance on the grandest stage REALLY, well, this is a family oriented website so we'll just agree it's bad. Eight teams will have that sick feeling after tonight while the other eight will think its sick that they are headed to the title game. check our twitter account or scores page for updated scores throughout the night.

2014 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

November 10, 2014

There is no Cinderella in the field, no long shots with several eye-brow raisers on their resume. No, only the strong have survived in the first two rounds on the Highway to Heinz. In fact, a tip of the cap to the district football steering committee as all four #1, #2, #3 and #5 seeds have done what was expected through two rounds and now they are headed to the Semifinals. Here are ALL of the final scores through the Quarterfinals, plus the sites and times for Final Four Friday in the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs heard ONLY here on MSA Sports. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 8th

November 9, 2014

The second Saturday of November saw two local teams claim conference titles as the final week of regular season play comes up next week. Here are ALL the recaps from all the games, including two heard here on the Network: W & J 49 – Thiel 18 The #13 ranked Presidents clinched the PAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs with the win in Greenville. W & J also remains undefeated at 9-0 with only the backyard brawl at Waynesburg standing in the way of a perfect regular season.

MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five – PIHL Hockey – 11/08/2014

November 8, 2014

Here are the initial MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the five classifications for the 2014-2015 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest PIHL rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus starting in December, it's the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best audio and video high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (5-0-0) 2) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (5-1-0) 3) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-1-0)

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 11/7

Gone but not forgotten from the WPIAL football championship chase on the second exit on the Highway to Heinz: Two Vikings, Two Rams (one that was Golden)...several members of the cat family including as pair of Panthers, a Tiger, a Mountain Lion and a Wildcat...a few birds such as an Eagle and a Jayhawk...a Wolverine, a Mustang, a Talbot, a Little Indian and a Planet. Some were awaken from their golden dreams but players listed below, whose ride on the Highway to Heinz will continue for another week toward the hard to reach town of Final Foursville. Ben DiNucci - Pine-Richland

WPIAL Football Playoff Quarterfinals Recaps

While there were some hints early on, some ooohs and aaahs as certain scores trickled in with upset alert written all over them. But in the end, 14 of the 16 higher seeds won and advanced with the lone exceptions begin a couple of #5 seeds defeating two #4 seeds. Here are ALL the recaps from the 16 games on Quarterfinals Friday, with archives of all these games available on The Network. A special thanks to Brandon Showers, Gero Von Dahn, Sean Meyers, Adam Hoerner, Paul Paterra, T.J. DiStefano, Sam Hall, Rob Matzie, Dennis Fischer, Rob Longo, Bob Orkwis, Randy Gore, Charlie Weston, Mark Schaas, Bob Barrickman and Bob Gregg for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:

Scholastic Notebook – 11/07/2014

November 7, 2014

If the first round of the WPIAL playoffs proved anything, it was that the Foothills are alive. Since coming back to being a WPIAL conference in 2006, the Foothills was always thought to be the weaker sister to all of the other Class AAAA conferences. Sure, it might have had a strong team like a Gateway, Penn-Trafford or even Central Catholic. But as far as strength from top to bottom, the Foothills didn’t measure up. This year, though, the Foothills flexed some muscle like never before. Four Foothills teams won first-round games – Penn-Trafford, McKeesport, Altoona and Plum. It was the first time since 2006 that the top four teams in the Foothills won first-round games. The two that lost were fifth-place Norwin and sixth-place Connellsville.

WPIAL & City League Week 11 Friday Football Scores

We came upon the second exit on the Highway to Heinz, where the lines between favorites and underdogs was supposed to be a little more blurred. While that might been the case in Class AAAA, the other three classifications seem to have a little more clarity in who advancing would surprise nobody and which teams winning Friday would raise plenty of eyebrows. Here is a rundown of the 16 WPIAL Quarterfinals results, all heard only here on The Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals: Pine-Richland Rams 49 - Altoona Mountain Lions 7 (MSA) McKeesport Tigers 20 - Plum Mustangs 5 (MSA) Penn-Trafford Warriors 35 - North Allegheny Tigers 31 (MSA)

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 8th

November 6, 2014

The PSAC West Division Title and a berth in the State Championship Game against #5 Bloomsburg will be at stake this week in Week 10 of the district college football slate. Four teams are still alive for the title going into the final week of divisional play. California is at Mercyhurst, Gannon hosts IUP and Slippery Rock is at Clarion. SRU, Gannon, California and Mercyhurst all are still alive for the title. Here’s how the tiebreakers would go:

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Ten 2014

We’re full steam ahead on the Highway to Heinz. Week one lacked a great number of upsets, but did provide a couple of big ones. A blocked kick, an early score, a late fumble and a Quarterback battling through an injury highlight the best plays from Week Ten. Before we make a pit stop in the Quarterfinals, let’s take a look back at the top plays from the WPIAL First Round:

Chicks Picks – Week Eleven – 2014

Welcome to Week 11 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks is an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Dad video series, always looking forward to new episodes every Tuesday. Needless to say, she was pleasantly surprised this Tuesday, when she saw her own name mentioned in the caption. Chick’s Picks clicked play without further delay. Pittsburgh Dad started off the episode in his finest Pittsburghese, “Yinz heard about that lady that says she can predict WPIAL football games? Well, I can do that, too. Hey Deb, bring me my magic eight ball.”

Seneca Valley, Montour & Greensburg CC Win WPIAL Girls Soccer Titles

November 3, 2014

A pair of top-seeds that have won recent district girls soccer championships added to their collection this year while a #5-seed quietly captured the schools first ever soccer crown. Seneca Valley repeated as AAA champs with their fourth crown while Greensburg Central Catholic cruised to a third A title in the last four years. However Montour is a first time soccer champion after stunning former champs South Park and Mars in the Class AA Semifinals and Finals. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs. All results marked with (MSA) can be heard archived here at MSAsports.net sponsored by Carlow University. 2014 WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

Baldwin, Ford City & Greensburg CC Win WPIAL Girls Volleyball Crowns

November 2, 2014

It was a great district postseason in which none of the top-seeds or defending champions was able to win gold. The playoffs were capped with an incredible championship day in which all three title matches went the distance in three straight 3-2 results as Ford City won their first ever girls volleyball championship, Baldwin won for the first time in over a decade and Greensburg Central Catholic claimed their second title in three years. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs. MSA Sports exclusive coverage of the district postseason was sponsored by Carlow University. All results with (MSA) after are games you can listen to archived on MSAsports.net

Shaler’s Brianna Schwart Runs Away With PIAA Cross-Country Gold

The golden career of Shaler's Brianna Schwartz had another championship chapter written Saturday in Hershey. The three time WPIAL Class AAA girls cross-country champion finally captured a PIAA championship and was joined in the winners circle by one other famle runner and a pair of boys teams from the WPIAL. Schwartz finished first in the near record setting course time of 17:39 , the second fastest time ever by a female runner on the Hershey course on a raw, rainy and windy afternoon with temps in the mid-40's. Also winning state gold was Marianne Abdalah of Vincentian Academy, who took first in the Girls Class A race with a winning time of 18:35.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 2nd

Week 9 of the college football slate saw a big win for W & J in the PAC, Slippery Rock takes back a share of the lead in the PSAC West and a big Homecoming win in Lorretto for Saint Francis. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including one heard here on the Network. W & J 51 – Geneva 12 The road woes for the Golden Tornadoes continued while the #15 Presidents continue their quest for a PAC title. W & J led 37-0 at the half and never looked back in the win.

Montour Girls Win First Soccer Crown in Beating Mars

November 1, 2014

The Montour girls’ soccer team had no playoff victories in school history heading into the 2014 postseason, but the No. 5 seed Lady Spartans now have a WPIAL title trophy, as they knocked off second-seeded Mars 3-1 in the Class AA Championship match on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Montour jumped out to an early lead less than five minutes into the contest, as senior Lauren Gerstel’s free kick from beyond midfield fooled Mars’ goalkeeper Sammy Papik. Papik got a piece of the ball, but it bounced over her head and into the net to provide the early edge to the Spartans.

Ford City Going Out in Golden Style

The Ford City Sabers took home the AA Girls Volleyball Championship with their win in five sets over Thomas Jefferson. The win was hard fought as both teams battled to the end and gave it their all. For Ford City it was their first WPIAL Volleyball Championship in school history. Remarkably, it comes in the last year of Ford City’s WPIAL existence. Next year the school is set to merge with Kittanning. Head coach Andrea Lasher was ecstatic as she saw her team win the final set 15-13 to seal the deal and hand TJ it’s first loss.

GCC Crushes Freedom For 3rd Girls A Soccer Title in 4 Years

The start was at 11:00am, but for the Freedom Bulldogs it may as well been at midnight. Freedom was not able to finish off their Cinderella run when they lost to the top seeded Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 9-1 in WPIAL Class A Soccer Championships. The game started out like the semi-final game for Freedom vs Shady Side Academy and they controlled the ball and played offense most of the first five minutes. The problem was though after that it was all Centurions. Greensburg opened the scoring when senior Cassie Sauder took a shot from twenty yards out and it cleared the Bulldogs keeper Jacklyn Hartle at the 7:58 mark.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 10/31

You remember some of the homemade costumes from back in the day, don't you? While all the neighborhood kids had fancy costumes, you had a while cloth diaper on your head with a while coat and were supposed to be a doctor. Or you had a big box on your torso and a little one on your head and each box was covered with aluminum foil and you were a robot. Or grab the bed sheet, cut out some eyes and a ghost was born. Those Halloween costumes pail to what these young men wore on Friday night as they collected a pillow case full of tasty big plays dressed up in various super hero costumes in leading their teammates past all of the tricks and on to the treat of playing in the WPIAL Quarterfinals. Ben DiNucci - Pine-Richland

Peters Township Whips Upper St. Clair 5-1 to Repeat as Boys Soccer AAA Champs

Peters Township turned the same trick they did last season and treated their fans to a ninth WPIAL championship in soccer Friday night at Highmark Stadium.The Indians playing in a constant cold. light rain built a 3-0 against their conference rival Upper Saint Clair and eventually won going away 5-1. The Indians entered the game as the three seed against the top-seeded Panthers. USC, just as they had done last year entering the championship tilt had beaten Peters Township twice during the regular season. Peters though, just as they did last year though proved winning the last game trumps winning the first two.

WPIAL Week 10 Friday Football Scores

October 31, 2014

Was Round One of the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs a Trick or a Treat for your favorite football team? That was the question after opening round fell on Halloween night this year. WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley braved the wet and chilly conditions and head out with his big giant scissors to cut the ribbon to officially open the Highway to Heinz. Chyeck out ALL of the results from the First Round on Friday. You can listen to ALL 32 postseason games archived on MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round: Pine-Richland Rams 63 - Connellsville Falcons 6 (MSA) Altoona Mountain Lions 27 - Bethel Park Black Hawks 17 (MSA) Plum Mustangs 17 - Penn Hills Indians 6 (MSA)

Scholastic Notebook – 10/31/2014

The Southmoreland football team failed to make the WPIAL football postseason again. The Scotties haven’t been to the playoffs since 1979, the longest current drought in the WPIAL. But there are some other playoff droughts that are notable as the WPIAL playoffs get under way Friday with 32 games around the area. Three teams in the postseason have never won a WPIAL playoff game. Never, ever, ever. They are Laurel Highlands, Mapletown and Altoona. Altoona is a little deceiving. The school re-joined the WPIAL for football only a few years ago. But the school played in the WPIAL a long time ago. Altoona has played in only two previous WPIAL playoff games. The last was in 2012. The first was in 1969 when Altoona lost to Gateway in the WPIAL final.

WPIAL Girls Volleyball Semifinals Thursday Recaps 2014

October 30, 2014

Coming into the Final Four, two of the three top-seeds were still alive as were all three defending champs. One champ and one #1-seed were eliminated all in the same match as Freeport was knocked off, guaranteeing a new champion would be crowned in Class AA. Here are recaps from all six Semifinals matches Thursday in the 2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs. A special thanks to Cory Campano, Randy Gore, Mike Azadian, Bob Orkwis, Sean Meyers and Brandon Showers for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

2014 Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 10

We live for the Highway to Heinz at Big Game Hunting. A short week of preparation for a do or die game puts coaches, players and yes, broadcasters to the test. But the accepting the challenge is enough!

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 1

Week 9 of the district college football slate was to see a battle for first place in the PSAC West with #25 California hosting Gannon on Saturday afternoon. But school officials announced Thursday afternoon that the Vulcans would forfeit the game to the Golden Knights after five players were arrested and charged after a violent incident outside of a local bar early Thursday morning. Interim President Geraldine Jones, in a release to the media, announced that she had asked that the game be cancelled. The five players have been suspended from the school and the PSAC informed Cal that they would forfeit the game.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Nine 2014

Rivalry week was the final stop before we hopped on the Highway to Heinz. And boy, it did not disappoint. Big defensive plays, a massively important kick and one special play for a Valley Junior top the best plays of Week Nine. Before you load up the car for what will, for your team, hopefully be a lengthy ride, make sure you look back at the final stop of the regular season with the Plays of the Week:

PIHL Notebook – 2014-2015 Class B & C Preview

October 27, 2014

Welcome to another installment of “PIHL Notebook” as we wrap up our season preview four-pack with a look inside what used to be the Open Class. Instead, it will now be known as Varsity Division II, divided into Class B and Class C. It bears mentioning, as touched upon in our feature on the new alignment on October 6, only co-op teams are allowed in Division II. Class B is the cream of the crop, at least on paper. Defending Nailers Cup champion Harbor Creek headlines things, joined by four semifinalists from the 2014 Open Class Playoffs. Also in the mix is a Penn-Trafford squad down from Class AAA, a brand new “B Team” from Upper St. Clair, and a blast from the past in Meadville.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 25th

October 26, 2014

Week 8 of the district college football slate saw an upset in the NEC, W & J continues to look for another PAC title and Geneva ended a long losing streak. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network: W & J 34 – Case Western Reserve 24 The 16th ranked Presidents remained unbeaten and on top of the PAC standings with the win at Cameron Stadium. Ryan Ruffing ran for 111 yards and scored four touchdowns in the win, three of those scores came in the second half, as the Presidents trailed 9-6 at the break.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 10/25

Rivalry weekend came to an end Saturday, as did the 9-week District 7 regular season. Sure, teams that did not qualify could opt to play a 'Week 10' game to extend the season, but sadly, most schools pass on that opportunity to work on their game one final time in 2014. So it is that the curtain came down with two Class A rivalries on center stage, one in the AK Valley and and one in Beaver County. Here are the two players that shined brightest on a sunny afternoon. Nathan Block - South Side

2014 WPIAL & City League Football Standings – Week 9

October 25, 2014

Here are the FINAL WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Nine of the 2014 high school football season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings for the Highway to Heinz. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 124 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL & City League Week 9 Friday Football Scores

October 24, 2014

53 teams had clinched their ticket to ride on the golden highway starting next week, which left 11 spots up for grabs along with several conference titles, home field advantage in round one spots and increased seeding opportunities on the final Friday of the regular season. Some may call it Rivalry Week…we just refer to it as Decision Friday. With a tint of Pink Out magic in the air, here is a rundown of the results for the ninth and final Friday of the District 7 regular season. Games with (MSA) following can be heard live and archived here on The Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference: Altoona Mountain Lions 42 - Connellsville Falcons 6 (MSA) Plum Mustangs 42 - Latrobe Wildcats 7 (MSA)

North Allegheny, Knoch & Sewickley Academy Win WPIAL Boys Team X-Country

On the boys’ side, North Allegheny once again shined, as the Tigers cruised to a team victory, led by individual winner Matt McGoey, who edged teammate Hunter Wharrey for the top spot.

Chicks Picks – Week Nine – 2014

October 23, 2014

Welcome to Week 9 of the high school football season. Every so often, Chick’s Picks has a run in with an internet heckler, one who enjoys stirring up some healthy banter over predictions that are not necessarily agreed upon. This occurred last week on Twitter, regarding one particular big-game pick. The loyal reader’s taunting began shortly after Chick’s Picks was posted on Thursday, calling out the prognosticator for what was deemed a terrible prediction. Chick’s Picks monitored the situation closely throughout the day, noticing that the same reader also called out other local prognosticators for the same prediction.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Nine- 10/22/2014

October 22, 2014

The 2014 regular season comes to a close Friday with so much still on the line for so many teams. Conference titles, playoff seedings and playoff spots up for grabs galore on…”The Network”!

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Eight 2014

Only one more week remains in the 2014 WPIAL football regular season. But before we get there, let’s look back one last time at a thrilling eighth week that featured big games, bigger wins and tons of playoff clinchings. All in all, it was a great appetizer to the entrée that will be week nine. So let’s dive into the top plays of week eight: 1. Pine-Richland 48, Pittsburgh Central Catholic 28

WPIAL Week 8 Saturday Football Scores

October 18, 2014

While most of the football games on the Week Eight Friday night schedule had some sort of playoff implication tied into it, that was not the case for the three games on the Saturday slate. Instead of the 'P' word being playoffs, the word for four of the six teams in action is pride. Only defending district and state Class A champion Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic played Saturday with any guarantees of playing meaningful football come Week Ten. Here are the three results as the road teams swept on the eighth Saturday of the WPIAL football season. WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Athletic Conference: Mohawk Warriors 42 - Summit Academy Knights 14 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoff Teams – 10/17/2014

October 17, 2014

Here is the FINAL edition of the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the 2014 regular season. However this time, we will rank ALL of the district playoff teams in each classification instead of just the top ten teams. Monday, we will have the 2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoff Pairings Show on Monday at 6:00pm as we begin our exclusive two week coverage of the district playoffs ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Final section record in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: (16 Teams - No Bye's, No Preliminary Round Matches) 1) SHALER TITANS (12-0)

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 18th

October 15, 2014

Week seven of the local college football season has a little of everything this week. A Thursday night game, battles for first place in the NEC, PSAC West and PAC and two local teams making a trip to Michigan to play in the Big House. Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that can be heard here on the Network: Gannon (4-2) at Edinboro (1-5) Thursday 7pm Thursday night football comes to Erie County. Gannon has lost two straight and is now 3-2 in the West Division. RB Brock Jones leads the offense, he is seventh in D-II at 142 rushing yards per game, he has scored eight touchdowns. QB Liam Nadler has thrown for over 14 hundred yards and has eleven touchdown passes.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Eight – 10/15/2014

Before we move on to week eight here at Big Game Hunting, a reminder, you need to go into the archive and listen to Lanny and Bobby on the call of the West Allegheny overtime win against Woody High in week seven. It is a shining example of why you should never ever find yourself anywhere else on a Friday night other than right here at The Network. Go ahead, I will wait, in fact here is the link http://www.msasports.net/broadcasts/woodland-hills-boys-football-at-west-allegheny-boys-football-0

PIHL Notebook – 2014-2015 Class AA Preview

October 13, 2014

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/13/2014

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten WPIAL football teams in each of the four classifications. Every Friday and Saturday during the high school football season, we have the best coverage with over 30 broadcasts each weekend with updated scores and standings here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (7-0) (Last Week #2) (Week Eight - host #4 Pine-Richland on MSA)

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 11th

October 12, 2014

Week 6 of the local college football season kick off Northeast Conference play, the PSAC West race for the top spot is a mess with three teams tied atop the leaderboard and W & J continues to roll towards a meeting with Bethany for first place in the PAC next week. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network: W & J 55 – Grove City 14 The #20 ranked Presidents led 35-0 at the half and cruised to a 5-0 record with the road win at Robert E. Thorn Field.

Scholastic Notebook – 10/10/2014

October 10, 2014

If Braydon Toy isn’t the smallest quarterback in the WPIAL, he ranks down there with the tiny guys. But you will find big statistics in this little Toy. Toy is only 5 feet 6 inches tall, but has been gigantic for the Kittanning Wildcats. He became the starter only last season and has started 16 games. But he went over 4,000 yards offense last week. Toy now has 4,116 yards. This season, he has completed 64 of 106 passes for 1,198 yards and also rushed for 473 yards on 60 carries. He has helped Kittanning to a 4-2 record. A year ago, Toy helped Kittanning to its first undefeated regular season since the 1970s. He finished 102 of 138 for 1,629 yards. He also rushed for 816 yards on 114 carries.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/10/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week ending October 10th. You can check out the new rankings every Friday through the regular season with daily updated girls volleyball standings and weekly matches as well all here on the home for the Hometown Volleyball Program, the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) SHALER TITANS (10-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (10-1) (Last Week #4) 3) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (9-1) (Last Week #2)

Chicks Picks – Week Seven – 2014

October 9, 2014

Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. Part of being a successful high school football prognosticator is always knowing what your competition is up to. While studying season statistics of those very rivals, Chick’s Picks noticed a few thing that were rather bothersome. She decided to schedule a meeting with The Boss to air her frustrations. “Boss, I want to start off by saying that I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me over the last 15 years. But, this week, I noticed that my biggest rivals are spreading their wings, so to speak,” Chick’s Picks said. The Boss replied, without looking up from his classic hunt and peck typing technique, “Chick’s, what is it that you want now?”

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 11th

The NEC kicks off conference play in week 6 of the local college football season. Slippery Rock continues to be ranked in the D-II top 25, while W & J moved up the polls after a huge win over Thomas More last week. Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that can be heard here on the Network. Thomas More (3-2) at Geneva (1-3) 2pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network. The Saints have fallen out of the top 25 after their loss to W & J last week. Thomas More is 2-1 in the PAC. Thomas More racked up 452 yards of offense last week. The Saints were led by RB Domonique Hayden with 183 yards and three touchdowns. Hayden leads the PAC with 931 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Six 2014

October 7, 2014

Welcome to the Stretch Run of the WPIAL football season! Amazing to think that we’re already talking about week seven. Before we go that far though, let’s look back at some of the top plays of week six, including a double record breaking pass from an all-time WPIAL great. 1. South Fayette 42, Steel Valley 14

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/06/2014

October 6, 2014

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten WPIAL football teams in each of the four classifications. Every Friday and Saturday during the high school football season, we have the best coverage with over 30 broadcasts each weekend with updated scores and standings here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (6-0) (Last Week #1) (Week Seven - at AAA #1 West Allegheny on MSA)

PIHL Notebook – 2014-2015 Class AAA Preview

Welcome to “PIHL Notebook” and our annual season preview. Over the next four Monday’s, we will provide thumbnail sketches of all 63 PIHL teams to make sure local high school hockey fans are ready when the puck drops…tonight! And, oh, by the way, we will have exclusive coverage, both audio AND video, of the opening night doubleheader from the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island. Seneca Valley will take on Canon-McMillan in Class AAA at 7:15, followed by Quaker Valley against Freeport at 9:15 in a rematch of last year’s dramatic Class A Semifinal.

PIHL Notebook – New 2014-2015 Alignment

Welcome to a special edition of “PIHL Notebook.” As documented earlier this fall, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League is under new leadership. A new board of governors was already in place last season, and now with a new commissioner in former North Allegheny head coach Jim Black, the powers that be are setting out to change things with an eye toward restoring some competitive balance across the league. Not since the formation of the Open Class has such a dramatic shift occurred. Sure, some notable programs have joined or left the league over the years. Some have moved up or down a classification. But this goes well beyond that, and it will be an ever-shifting situation going forward.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 10/3

October 5, 2014

There was a definite chill in the air for the first Saturday of high school football in October here in the 2014 season as Friday showers gave way to a drop in the mercury on S-s-s-s-s-aturday. But the cooler than usual temperatures did not slow down these Fearless Foursome who helped direct their teams to victory to close the door on Week 6. Brayden Toy - Kittanning

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 4th

The month of October brought cold and damp weather to this weekend’s district college football games. Two main games highlighted the schedule, an early season battle of Top 25 teams in the PAC and a pair of unbeaten in the PSAC-West. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including the Top 25 matchup on the Network. W & J 51 – Thomas More 28 Cameron Stadium in Washington saw a battle of nationally ranked teams, the fans there also saw the Presidents take a huge step towards another PAC title with a convincing win that will likely move them up the ranks in the AFCA Top 25 poll next week. Upper St. Clair’s Pete Coughlin threw for 383 yards and six touchdowns as the #25 Presidents used the skies to claim the win.

2014 WPIAL & City League Football Standings – Week 6

October 4, 2014

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Six of the 2014 high school football season...including the latest WPIAL playoff clinchings for the Highway to Heinz. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 124 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL Week 6 Saturday Football Scores

Friday rain has brought much cooler temperatures for the first Saturday of high school football in October. The schedule was split cleanly with two Class A afternoon frays and a couple of Class AA evening tilts, including a historic night at Burrell High School for the 500th game in Bucs history. The common denominator was that all four games can be heard ARCHIVED right here on The Network! Here are all of the final results, thus closing the curtain on Week 6. WPIAL CLASS AA Allegheny Conference: Kittanning Wildcats 43 - Burrell Buccaneers 7 (MSA) Shady Side Academy Indians 39 - Deer Lakes Lancers 0 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Big 7 Conference:

2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings – 10/03

October 3, 2014

Here are the latest WPIAL girls volleyball standings for the 2014 season, including the latest playoff clinchings. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs in October. Also, don't forget to click on the Girls Volleyball sports page for information on the 2014 MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program and don't miss the Hometown Girls Volleyball Show every Monday night at 7:00pm here on MSA Sports. Only section record is shown. MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program teams are capitalized.

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – West Allegheny Indians – 10/02/2014

October 2, 2014

West Allegheny used a multitude of point streaks and limited errors to easily defeat non-section foe Central Valley, 3-0, Thursday night in Imperial. The Indians, who are 4-4 this season in AAA Section 5, won all three sets by scores of 25-5, 25-11 and 25-18 over the Warriors, who have a 7-1 record in AA Section 2. Junior Lauren Long and Sophomore Allison Koester paced the Indians with 12 kills each, tied for a match high. Long also added a match high four service aces. The first set was the easiest and most impressive for West Allegheny, as the Indians used scoring runs of 3-0, 5-0, 8-0 and 6-0 to cruise to the 25-5 victory. "In high school volleyball, it's tough to win any set, against any team, 25-5," said West Allegheny head coach Brian Begor.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 4th

Week 5 of the local college football season has two huge games on tap. In the PSAC, a battle of unbeaten as Slippery Rock hosts Gannon, and in the PAC, two ranked teams square off as W & J hosts Thomas More for the easiest path to a conference title. Here are previews of ALL the games, the W & J can be heard here on the Network:

Chicks Picks – Week Six – 2014

Welcome to Week 6 of the high school football season. We have reached the mid-way point in the season—a critical point where some teams make it or break it, step on the gas, or are comfortable setting the cruise control for the remainder of the season. Chick’s Picks spent some time reflecting on her own first half performance, along with other recent halves of distinction—most notably the Steelers regular season opener against the Browns. The Steelers built a seemingly solid 27-3 lead over the Browns going into halftime. Battling back, though, the Browns tied the game late in the fourth quarter before the Steelers eventually closed the door with a game-winning field goal.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/01/2014

October 1, 2014

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 29th. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs and the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (12-0-1) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (11-1-0) (Last Week #2) 3) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (13-0-0) (Last Week #3)

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers

The Chartiers-Houston girls’ volleyball team notched a critical victory for its playoff bid on Tuesday, as the host Lady Buccaneers captured a straight-sets win over Burgettstown. All three sets were tightly contested, as Chartiers-Houston triumphed 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 to improve its record to 6-2 in Class A Section 6 play. Meanwhile, the Lady Blue Devils fall to 3-5 in section play, and are currently outside the playoff picture. In the opening set, the Buccaneers controlled the play early, but the Blue Devils rebounded to take a 16-13 advantage. Senior libero Kassie Kesneck keyed the comeback for Chartiers-Houston, though, as her potent served helped spark an 8-0 run for the Bucs.

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – Blackhawk Cougars – 10/01/2014

The Blackhawk Cougars continued on the road towards a possible section title with a 3-1 victory over the Laurel Spartans in WPIAL Section 1-AA girls volleyball action last night in Chippewa Township. The win moves Blackhawk to 8-1 in section play, trailing only Hopewell in the standings at the start of play on Tuesday. Those two teams could meet for the section title on October 16th. Blackhawk took the first game by a 25-18 score, pulling away in the later stages with the help of senior Nikki Beatty with some key points to allow the Cougars to gain a 21-13 advantage which they would not relinquish.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Five 2014

We interrupt Buctober to bring you another edition of WPIAL Plays of the Week. Boy, were there some great, close contests throughout week five. It’s amazing to think that we’ve passed the midway point and soon will hop on the Highway to Heinz. We appreciate your attention and, once you check out some of the top moments from Friday night, you may return to your scheduled Blackout (of PNC Park). 1. Highlands 28, Apollo-Ridge 27

District College Football Recap for Saturday, September 27th

September 28, 2014

A wild finish in Oakland, a record setting performance in Loretto and another home win for Slippery Rock highlighted the slate of local college football action on Saturday. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including one heard here on the Network. Carnegie Mellon 22 – Geneva 21 Trailing 19-7 in the fourth quarter, freshman Nick Cook came on for an injured Aaron Channing and led the Golden Tornadoes to a touchdown, but the GT’s could not find the end zone until the game’s final play and came up just short. Geneva has now lost eight straight on the road, dating back to 2012.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 9/27

On a picturesque evening at Dormont Stadium, the only WPIAL game on the fifth Saturday of the 2014 season took place. The stakes were high with five teams, Fort Cherry, Brentwood, Northgate and the two teams slated for Saturday night, Chartiers-Houston and Bishop Canevin all muddled together with one game separating the five in the battle for the final two playoff spots in the Black Hills Conference. One game, but double the stars as they raised the Jolly Roger in Washington County. Alex Ferrari - Chartiers-Houston

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 9/26

September 27, 2014

We hit the midway point of the 2014 WPIAL football regular season with points a plenty. Offenses around the district continue to amass record setting numbers with good solid defenses creeping closer to the endangered species list. Friday night saw 12 teams score over 50 points and five of those teams eclipsed the 60 point plateau. And that doesn't even include the traditional 70+ point total for Clairton. With those mind-numbing numbers, here are some of the top performers from the Fifth Friday of the season. Connor Slomka - Pine-Richland

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/26/2014

September 26, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week ending September 19th. You can check out the new rankings every Friday through the regular season with daily updated girls volleyball standings and weekly matches as well all here on the home for the Hometown Volleyball Program, the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) SHALER TITANS (7-0) (Last Week #1) 2) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (7-0) (Last Week #2) 3) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (7-0) (Last Week #4)

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – South Side Rams

September 25, 2014

In Hometown Girls Volleyball action at South Side High School in Hookstown, PA., the Our Lady Of Sacred Heart Chargers defeat the home standing Rams by a 3-0 match score and remain undefeated at 7-0 in single A section 4. South Side falls to 5-2 with their only two section losses coming at the hands of the Chargers.

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – Freeport Yellowjackets – 09/25/2014

The Hornets made the trek from Hermitage, PA and District 10 take face the defending WPIAL Class AA Champion Yellowjackets at “The Hive” in Freeport and the Jackets continued their strong 2014 campaign with a 3 game victory (25-16, 25-22, 25-14) over Hickory. Freeport jumped out to leads in all three games in the match including a 2-0 start in Game 1. Hickory provided some stubborn and stellar net play, but services errors by the Hornets did not lead to any long point runs and the Yellowjackets won by 9 points.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, September 27th

Week 4 of the local college football slate has divisional play heating up in the PSAC, conference games in the PAC and a week off for Duquesne and Robert Morris. W & J also has the week off, the Presidents debuted at #24 in the AFCA Division III poll after a 48-30 victory over CMU. A battle for the PAC title comes up next week when the Presidents host Thomas More. Here are previews of ALL the games, including one that can be heard here on the Network. Geneva (1-2) at Carnegie Mellon (0-2) 1pm on WBVP 1230-AM/WMBA 1460-AM and the MSA Sports Network The Golden Tornadoes are 0-1 in the PAC, Geneva has not won a road game in over two years, falling in seven straight away from Reeves Field.

QV’s Chris Tanabe Shoots Par, Wins WPIAL Boys AA Golf by 6

September 24, 2014

Chris Tanabe of Quaker Valley was a cut above the rest on Wednesday, as he shot an even-par round of 72 to claim the 2014 WPIAL Boys’ Class AA Golf Championship at Youghiogheny County Club. Tanabe, a sophomore, bested the second-place finishers by an incredible six strokes. After Tanabe finished tied for fourth with an 80 in the sectional round at Pittsburgh North Golf Course to qualify for the championship, he teed off with the eighth group. Tanabe struggled with a bogey on his first hole, but then scorched the course in McKeesport the rest of the way, shooting 36 on each the front and back-nine holes.

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Five – 09/24/2014

Welcome to week five of Big Game Hunting. Before we get started a word from our sponsor (yours truly). I am already on the record with regard to this issue but it seems I am the lone voice crying out in the wilderness. I hate the seven o’clock starts! There seems to be an overwhelming movement towards them and it is very frustrating. Why is the hurry that already consumes our everyday lives being allowed to worm its way into my favorite thing? I find it despicable, truly. There I have gotten that off my chest and since I know holding my breath and stomping my feet will not help I will just go Big Game Hunting. Super-irritated by the fact that three of the four-pack are of the shameful seven o’clock start variety.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/23/2014

September 23, 2014

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 22nd, including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs and the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (10-0-0) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (9-0-0) (Last Week #2) 3) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (8-0-3) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/22/2014

September 22, 2014

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten WPIAL football teams in each of the four classifications. Every Friday and Saturday during the high school football season, we have the best coverage with over 30 broadcasts each weekend with updated scores and standings here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (4-0) (Last Week #1) (Week Five - at Upper St. Clair on MSA)

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 9/20

September 21, 2014

For the second and final time this season, a WPIAL Class Quad-A game slipped into the Saturday schedule as the annual homecoming game at Shaler joined a list of three of the 'regulars' hosting Saturday afternoon high school football. While overcast skies replaced brilliant sunshine in the second half of these four contests, these players continued to shine bright al afternoon long. Lucas Dubyak and Tim Vernick - Butler

District College Football Recap for Saturday, September 20th

In week 3 of the district college football season, the President Athletic Conference kicked off with a pair of overtime games and the end of a long losing streak and the PSAC continued crossover play. Here are recaps of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network. Waynesburg 44 – Geneva 38 in two overtimes Carter Hill threw his fourth touchdown of the game, hitting Zac Cappan for a 25 yard strike in the second overtime for the win to send the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 start. Aaron Channing threw 5 touchdown passes in the loss for Geneva, who has not won a road game in two years.

2014 WPIAL & City League Football Standings – Week 4

September 20, 2014

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Four of the 2014 high school football season. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 124 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. CLASS AAAA FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE

WPIAL Week 4 Saturday Football Scores 2014

An annual homecoming game and three standard home afternoon contests made up the Week Four edition of the Saturday WPIAL football schedule. For the second straight week, there was a rare Class AAAA Saturday contest as Shaler could not end their long losing streak as they hosted Butler in their annual Saturday homecoming game. Plus there were home games for Saturday afternoon regulars Summit Academy, Western Beaver and Wilkinsburg. Here are the finals from all four contests which you can listen to archived here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: Butler Golden Tornado 42 - Shaler Titans 7 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Athletic Conference:

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 9/19

Neither players or coaches can complain about the weather in the first four weeks of this season as Mother Nature has cooperated very nicely. And the turned toward huge offensive numbers continued around fields in Southwestern Pennsylvania on the fourth Friday of the WPIAL football season. Thus it makes our job that much tougher with so many young men who deserve post-game kudos, only a few can receive our top ten tip of the cap. Ben DiNucci - Pine-Richland

Scholastic Notebook – 09/19/2014

September 19, 2014

At the rate he is passing, Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci has a good chance to become the 17th player in WPIAL history to throw for 5,000 career yards. While that is an impressive feat, Pine-Richland does thro the ball often. So DiNucci will naturally pile up yardage. What might be more impressive about DiNucci is his accuracy. DiNucci is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior who you probably wouldn’t want to play in darts. Sure, in Pine-Richland’s spread offense, DiNucci throws a number of short passes. But he still throws downfield and his accuracy is uncanny.

2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings – 09/19

Here are the latest WPIAL girls volleyball standings for the 2014 season. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs in October. Also, don't forget to click on the Girls Volleyball sports page for information on the 2014 MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program and don't miss the Hometown Girls Volleyball Show every Monday night at 7:00pm here on MSA Sports. Only section record is shown. MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program teams are capitalized. (Top 3 teams from each section qualify for playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

2014 WPIAL Girls Singles Tennis Championship Results

September 18, 2014

The first district championships of the 2014-2015 school year were decided Thursday with a pair of first time title winner crowned at the Shady Side Academy tennis courts Thursday afternoon. The battle of sisters never really materialized in the Class AA finals as junior Alyvia Kluska and sophomore Michaela Kluska played four games, then shook hands and announced that Alyvia would win the title via default. Last year, the two sisters were scheduled to meet in the consolation match and older sister Alyvia forfeited so younger sister Michaela could qualify for the states. Both sisters qualify for the PIAA singles playoffs next month. In Class AAA, top-seed junior Ananya Dua won on her home court by beating Charlotte Madson in straight sets to win the championship.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Three 2014

September 17, 2014

Week three of WPIAL football saw, quite possibly, the game of the year. So it's no surprise that the top game also featured the top play. Beyond that, we had a game-winning touchdown pass, a game-clinching interception and a pick-six that went coast to coast. Week four is just around the corner, so don't waste any time listening to the Plays of the Week! 1. Apollo-Ridge 44, Kittanning 41 (OT)

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Four – 09/17/2014

One third of the way into the 2014 season and the field is taking shape quite nicely, we have some traditional powers and some new kids on the block. Most satisfying for us here at BGH, there never seems to be any shortage of Big Games to choose from on a given weekend. Kudos to the WPIAL football steering committee for their expertise and vision. Just as there is no shortage of Big Games there seems to also be no shortage of articles calling themselves Big Game Hunting. You would do well for yourself to stick here with the original and, best I can tell, the only one that features an actual article on the games when you click on the link. Minor detail, maybe to some, but it feels like a big deal to us.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/16/2014

September 16, 2014

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 15th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs and the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (7-0-0) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (7-0-0) (Last Week #2) 3) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (5-0-3) (Last Week #3)

2014 WPIAL & City League Football Standings – Week 3

September 13, 2014

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Three of the 2014 high school football season. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 124 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. CLASS AAAA FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE

Scholastic Notebook – 09/12/2014

September 12, 2014

They haven’t exactly beaten world-class competition, but Norwin is still 2-0. After tonight, the Knights could be in a spot where they haven’t been in 15 years. Norwin plays at Seneca Valley in a non-conference game. While Seneca Valley (0-2) is trying to find itself, Norwin is trying to go 3-0 for the first time in 15 years. The last time Norwin was 3-0 was 1999, one of the greatest seasons in Norwin history. The Knights finished 8-4 and made it to the WPIAL semifinals before losing to Cecil Howard and McKeesport.

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap – South Side

South Side (3-1) got off to a hot start en route to a 3-0 (25-9, 28-26, 25-19) victory over Northgate (1-2) on Thursday night in Hookstown. The Rams were paced by Senior Outside Hitter Alexis Dhayer, who led all players with nine kills in the match, despite not playing for most of the second set. But it was South Side's quick and streaky start that propelled the Rams the most, as they stormed to a 25-9 first set victory. In the opening set, South Side started on a 5-0 run, then were led by serving specialist Lena Pieto, who helped rattle off eight-straight points, giving the Rams a 13-2 lead. A 4-0 run moments later would help South Side run away with the first set.

Chicks Picks – Week Three – 2014

September 11, 2014

Welcome to Week 3 of the high school football season. After a series of disappointing picks last weekend, Chick’s Picks decided that she needed seek out a bit of clarity before making this week’s predictions. So, she headed out with her beau, pooch, and trusty crystal ball in tow, off to a scenic overlook known for its tranquilizing nature. Upon arrival at the overlook, the beau set off with the trusty crystal ball to find an optimal zen spot, while Chick’s Picks took a short stroll with the puppy – whose name, Ursa, happens to be Latin for bear. As they sauntered through the scenic landscapes, Chick’s Picks glanced in the beau’s general direction – alarmed by what she saw.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Two 2014

September 8, 2014

1. Pine-Richland 28, North Allegheny 24 (OT) Possibly the top-billed game of week two produced the top play of week two as well. After battling back and forth for 48 minutes, Northern Eight Conference powers Pine-Richland and North Allegheny went to overtime, tied 21-21. After the Tigers had to settle for a field goal, Pine-Richland would get their shot at the win. That’s when Rams Quarterback Ben DiNucci would take over.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/08/2014

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten WPIAL football teams in each of the four classifications. Every Friday and Saturday during the high school football season, we have the best coverage with over 30 broadcasts each weekend with updated scores and standings here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (2-0) (Last Week #1) (Week Three - host Shaler on MSA)

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 9/6

September 7, 2014

It was a very quiet Saturday in Week Two, made louder by those wild and crazy zebras. Somehow, someway, there was a miscommunication with the game officials for the California at Avella Class A Tri-County South Conference contest on Friday night. Thus the stars that we gladly point out in the skies from this Second Saturday of the 2014 season go from two to three. Just gazin. Noah Rullo and Lavelle Rush - Monessen

2014 WPIAL & City League Football Standings – Week 2

September 6, 2014

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Two of the 2014 high school football season. This year we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 124 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. CLASS AAAA FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 9/5

Here at MSA Sports, we like to spread the wealth when it comes to shining our spotlight. It seems some players shine for top teams each and every week. Sure, we will acknowledge their greatness, but we also like to tip our cap to those players and teams that are not steady contributors in each week to the 'W' column around the WPIAL. When they do, we want to salute high and proud. So without further adieu, we shine on the brightest performance from Week Two. Ben DiNucci - Pine-Richland

WPIAL & City League Saturday Football Scores – 09/06/2014

After a somewhat busy start to the Saturday high school football schedule in District 7 last week, an expected quiet second Saturday got a little busier thanks to some ball dropping in Washington County. a miscommunication between the schools and game officials forced the postponement of a Tri-County South Conference contest Friday night, thus California at Avella became the third wheel on the Saturday slate. Here are all three final results, thus closing the curtain on Week Two. Games marked with (MSA) can be heard archived here at www.MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Monessen Greyhounds 35 - Riverview Raiders 26 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Big 7 Conference:

Scholastic Notebook – 09/05/2014

September 5, 2014

It is a recurring storyline at Indiana High School. The Stapletons are staples of the football team. It has been the story in recent years at Indiana, and it is again this season. Two of the four Stapleton brothers had big impacts on the Little Indians’ opening-night upset victory against Mars last Friday. Riley Stapleton, a 6-5 senior receiver, caught seven passes for 95 yards and scored a touchdown. Dylan Stapleton, a 6-4 junior, caught five passes for 111 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Chicks Picks – Week Two – 2014

September 4, 2014

Welcome to Week 2 of the high school football season. Network superstar Sam Hall contacted Chick’s Picks this week to invite her on an adventure like no other – the opportunity to join him on one of his daily morning helicopter rides. Chick’s Picks was hesitant, as panic typically sets in when performing any activity in which her feet leave the ground. Smooth-talking Sam sealed the deal, though, using a classic line: “Come on Chixy, you’ll see the city like you’ve never seen it before.”

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week One 2014

Welcome back, WPIAL football! And welcome back Plays of the Week. Week one was one of the more memorable in recent memory. Upsets, numerous last-second field goals, multiple games going to overtime. The bar, needless to say, has been set high for the rest of 2014. Until then, enjoy the Week One Plays of the Week:

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Two 2014

September 3, 2014

WPIAL Football never seems to let you down. It also never surprises me how quickly the regular season goes flying by. Especially now with conference re-alignment from last season pushing conference games up to the top of the schedule, the games become very important right out of the gate. In fact, many teams only play conference games. Getting inside a kids head and making sure they know that games in early September count every bit as much as the ones in mid-October in determining if you play in November can be a tall task for coaches around the league. Here are four great ones that will weigh heavily down the road. Yes, I just talked about playoffs in week two. I can do what I want, I write Big Game Hunting!

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/03/2014

For the first time in 2014...here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 1st. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs and the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (2-0-0) (Last Week *) 2) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (1-0-1) (Last Week *) 3) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (2-0-0) (Last Week *)

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for 8/30

August 31, 2014

Saturday football continues to become more rare with each passing school year. Now that Geibel Catholic is not fielding a team this season (moment of silence), the WPIAL now only has four schools that play a majority of their home games on Saturday afternoon: Summit Academy, Wilkinsburg, Riverview & Western Beaver. But that doesn't mean good things don't happen the day after Friday night lights. Here are the top five performances from a rather busy first Saturday of 2014. Tyler Perone - Seton-LaSalle

WPIAL & City League Saturday Football Scores – 08/30/2014

August 30, 2014

While the first Friday of the 2014 high school football season is in the books, opening weekend is not over yet. The first Saturday of the new scholastic pigskin campaign was a rather busy one with two WPIAL Class AA conference contests, three WPIAL Class A matchups and one non-conference game from the Pittsburgh City League. Here are ALL the district high school football results from the next to the last day of August. Games marked with (MSA) can be heard archived here on MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Athletic Conference: Ellwood City Wolverines 35 - Summit Academy Knights 0 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AA Century Conference: Seton-LaSalle Rebels 19 - South Park Eagles 8 (MSA)

2014 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Standings

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Saturday of Week One of the 2014 high school football season. Standings are updated after each game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. CLASS AAAA FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE TEAM

WPIAL & City League Friday Football Scores – 08/28/2014

August 28, 2014

After a month of preparation, Countdown to Kickoff has come to an end, giving way to the start of a new high school football season. Every team began with a clean slate and with golden hopes and dreams. Here is a rundown of ALL of the finals from the First Friday of football in both the WPIAL and the Pittsburgh City League. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conference: Penn Hills Indians 31 - Upper St. Clair Panthers 13 Woodland Hills Wolverines 27 - Peters Township Indians 0 Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 40 - Canon-McMillan Big Macs 0 WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: North Allegheny Tigers 14 - Seneca Valley Raiders 0 North Hills Indians 35 - Fox Chapel Foxes 7

CTK ’14: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – WPIAL Class A

August 27, 2014

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2014 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Pre-season Top Ten teams. This article, we present the Top Ten in Class A. Final 2013 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS (16-0) (Week One - at Northgate on MSA) 2. CLAIRTON BEARS (10-2) (Week One - at California)

CTK ’14: MSA Sports Preseason ELITE ELEVEN

August 26, 2014

Dual-threat quarterbacks seem to be all the rage in football these days – and it shows on the Elite 11 team. The Elite 11 is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. It is picked by the MSA Sports staff. This year’s team includes three quarterbacks who are dual-threats. In other words, they are excellent runners as well as passers. The dual-threat QBs are Seneca Valley’s T.J. Holl, Quaker Valley’s Dane Jackson and Ringgold’s Nico Law. But the Elite 11 is not without a traditional dropback QB. South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh might end up the most prolific passer in WPIAL history. Overall, nine seniors and two juniors are on the team. Here is a look at the MSA Elite 11.

CTK ’14: WPIAL A Eastern Conference Preview

August 24, 2014

In the new-look Eastern Conference, four teams return while there are five news kids on the block. But with the pedigree of most of the newcomers, you can see why they are considered the Fearsome Foursome. Here is the resume for the five new entrants into the Eastern Conference. Ten WPIAL football championships in the last eight years, two perennial powers in Class AA moving down to Class A and a team that set a district and state record 66-game winning streak along with the team that eventually broke that historic run. This could mean a tough 2014 campaign for Eastern traditionalists Leechburg, Riverview, Springdale and Wilkinsburg who finished a combined 8-28 a year ago and were all home listening to the postseason on MSA Sports.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/24/2014

The time is now! As Countdown to Kickoff 2014 concludes, it is time to kickoff a new high school sports year with the start of another high school football season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We kick off the 2014 season with 32 WPIAL football games on Friday and Saturday with Friday's action starting with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL Scoreboard Show.

CTK ’14: WPIAL A Big 7 Conference Preview

August 22, 2014

Prior to 2005, the Big Seven Conference was the standard for Class A football in Western Pennsylvania. A conference member had claimed 16 WPIAL championships, but that came to an end with the rise to power of the Clairton Bears, who won six titles in seven years and ran off an amazing winning streak to put them among the nation’s best. The conference was dominated by the Rochester Rams, who won seven WPIAL titles during that stretch. The Sto-Rox Vikings moved in and took two straight trips to Heinz Field but could not come home with gold, falling to Clairton in 2012 and Cardinal Wurhl North Catholic in 2013.

Former North Allegheny Hockey Coach Named PIHL Commissioner

August 21, 2014

If there is one word to describe the objective of Jim Black, it would be “competition.” Black, a fixture in Western Pennsylvania hockey, has been hired as the new Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, replacing Ed Sam, who held the position since 1999. An eight-year Coach of North Allegheny, Black won PIHL Penguins Cup Championships in 2007 and 2013. In both seasons, the Tigers won the Pennsylvania Cup as well. Additionally, Black won a PIHL Penguins Cup and Pennsylvania Cup in 2006 at Pine-Richland. Black will focus on making the PIHL a more competitive, transparent and noteworthy league. Already, he has helped contribute to the realignment of the entire League, forming two divisions at the Varsity Level and two tiers of Class A.

CTK ’14: WPIAL AA Interstate Conference Preview

August 18, 2014

The WPIAL’s Interstate has changed. There are no longer exits for Jeannette and Greensburg. Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic both dropped from Class AA to A this season and both teams played in the Interstate Conference last year. One other team is out of the Interstate this year as Yough moved up to Class AAA. The two new teams in the Interstate are Burgettstown and McGuffey, who both played in the Century Conference a year ago. The loss of Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette makes this conference a little weaker. A different team has won the conference title the past four years – Mount Pleasant, Washington, Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic. Here is an overview of the Interstate: BROWNSVILLE FALCONS

CTK ’14: New WPIAL Football Head Coaches

New Faces - New Places - New Hopes - New Dreams. While there were six fewer coaching change this off-season then before the 2013 campaign, there are some big names that have changed sidelines this upcoming season. Some of the changes include former championship winning coaches in Ray Reitz, Muzzy Colosimo, Greg Perry and Tom Nola. There are a lot of rookie head coaches getting their first crack, and some coaches who are just changing hats and addresses. Whatever the case, there 21 coaching changes coming into this 2014 season. Here are the new football coaches that will be running the sidelines in the WPIAL this fall. CLASS AAAA: BUTLER - Rob Densmore replaces Clyde Conti

CTK ’14: WPIAL/City League Week Two Scrimmages

August 17, 2014

One scrimmage is in the books and one more is coming up this weekend as WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football teams continue to prepare for the kickoff of the 2014 season. Scrimmage number two will take place for most teams on Friday 8/22 with three scrimmages on Saturday 8/23. Here is a rundown of ALL the second week scrimmages involving District 7 and District 8 high school football teams. All games are Friday, August 22nd unless otherwise indicated. WPIAL vs Pittsburgh City League: Clairton Bears vs Allderdice Dragons AT Cupples Stadium at 9:00am Perry Commodores vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings AT Central Catholic High School at 3:00pm

CTK ’14: WPIAL AAA Big Nine Conference Preview

August 16, 2014

The WPIAL realigned football conferences for this season, but the Big Nine stayed absolutely the same. Look for the conference race to stay the same as it has for a number of years. In other words, look for Thomas Jefferson on top. Thomas Jefferson has won or tied for the conference title eight consecutive seasons. The last time a team other than Thomas Jefferson won the title outright was West Mifflin in 2005. Many project Thomas Jefferson as the team to beat. Ringgold could challenge, though. A few teams have new coaches this season. Here is a look at all of the teams in the Big Nine: ALBERT GALLATIN COLONIALS

CTK ’14: WPIAL AAA Greater Allegheny Conference Preview

August 15, 2014

The teams in the Greater Allegheny Conference will have something new to worry about this season. They hope to avoid the bite of the Gators. One of the major changes in the WPIAL football landscape this year is Gateway dropping down to Class AAA. Since Gateway opened in the mid 1950s, the Gators had always played in the largest classification. But the school’s enrollment allowed the team to drop from Class AAAA to AAA this season.

CTK ’14: WPIAL AAAA Southeastern Conference Preview

August 13, 2014

While Upper St. Clair and Woodland hills battled for the top spot in the Quad-A Southeastern Conference in 2013, much the same as they did in 2012, one team that missed out on the WPIAL football playoffs in 2012 was back into the postseason in 2013 while a long time playoff team and co-champion in the conference in 2012 was a rare spectator come playoff time in 2013. Some things stayed the same in the conference made up of teams east of Pittsburgh as well as south of the city…like Upper St. Clair beating out Woodland Hills for the section crown in the regular season, only to see the Wolverines eliminate the Panthers for the second straight season in the district Semifinals.

CTK ’14: WPIAL 2013 Double-A Football Flashback

August 6, 2014

Aliquippa continued their 'annual' march to Heinz Field last fall, but in the end, it was South Fayette that was perfect. The Lions beat the Quips for the second time in four years for the WPIAL Class AA crown, then three weeks later, completed a 16-0 season by adding PIAA gold to their treasure chest. 2013 WPIAL Double-A Headlines: * South Fayette won their first WPIAL football championship in 1964, then had to wait nearly a half century before winning their second district title in 2010. The wait for number three only lasted four years as Joe Rossi's Lions won the Century Conference, the WPIAL and the schools first ever PIAA football championship in a perfect season for the green machine.

CTK ’14: High School Football Rule Changes

July 31, 2014

To play the game, you have to know the rules and the MSA Sports Network will help all of the fans of high school football out with the new changes for 2014 and beyond. This year will see probably the most major change to the game in years with two new rules adapted to bring the high school game in line with the higher levels of football. Here goes and don't worry, there is NO quiz. All rule changes are made by the National Federation of High School Sports and enforced by the PIAA. Targeting added to the rule book: The rules committee brought this rule to the high school game, knowing the controversy it brought to the college game in 2013.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/23/2014

July 23, 2014

A rather comfortable July continues with plenty of red hot diamond action for both the guys and the gals this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Frontier League pro baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as they hit the road all week long with stops in Normal, Southern Illinois and Evansville while the Pennsylvania Rebellion enjoy a week at home at CONSOL Energy Field as they host Akron and Chicago, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news every Monday with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 21st:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/07/2014

July 7, 2014

July kicks into full gear with plenty of red hot professional action on the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things spend the week at CONSOL Energy Field as they host the Lake Erie Crushers and the Florence Freedom while the Pennsylvania Rebellion close out a home stand against the USSSA Pride before hitting the road to battle the Chicago Bandits in pro fast pitch softball action, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 7th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/30/2014

June 30, 2014

We say so long to June and hello to July with a busy holiday weekend celebration coming up as we honor our nations birthday with plenty of play from the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things close out their home stand for three games at CONSOL Energy Field before hitting the road this weekend, while the Pennsylvania Rebellion finish their visit to Akron before returning home to CONSOL Energy Field this weekend in pro fast pitch softball action, plus your home for great auto racing updates is only here with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 30th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/24/2014

June 24, 2014

We celebrate the first full week of summer with another busy week of pro baseball and pro softball action with another high school football all-star game this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things close out their home stand for three games at CONSOL Energy Field before hitting the road this weekend, while the Pennsylvania Rebellion visit Akron for two weekend pro fast pitch softball games, plus the 2014 Penn/Ohio High School Football All-Star Game and another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 23rd: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

2014 MSA Sports Diamond Dolls Softball All-Star Team

June 18, 2014

It doesn’t matter whether it was in the biggest classification of the WPIAL, or the smallest. There was an abundance of talent in district softball this season, evidenced by the MSA Sports Diamond Dolls all-star team. The Diamond Dolls team is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL and is picked by the MSA Sports staff. This is one of the most balanced Diamond Dolls teams, in terms of talent spread out over all four classifications. Two of the players are from Class AAAA, two from Class AAA, two from Class AA and four from Class A. Seven of the 10 players were in WPIAL title games. Here is a look at the MSA Sports Diamond Dolls team as well as the Player of the Year. PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WPIAL Basketball Championships Headed To Pitt

June 17, 2014

The WPIAL Basketball Championships are moving up Forbes Avenue to Oakland. The WPIAL Board of Control voted yesterday to take the 2016 and 2017 title games to the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The Championships have been played at Duquesne University's A.J. Palumbo Center since 1995. Pitt has hosted the Championships before, first at the Fitzgerald Field House and most recently in 2006, when five title games were played at the Petersen Events Center due to a scheduling conflict with Duquesne.

2014 PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS

June 16, 2014

While it was a forgetful state baseball postseason for WPIAL teams, it was a golden run for District 1. Three D-1 teams ended up winning baseball championships at Penn State University including Conestoga in Quad-A, Pope John Paul II in Triple-A and Devon Prep in Single-A. The fourth state champion came from District 4 as Loyalsock Township was able to repeat as Double-A champs. Here are ALL the final results from the 2014 PIAA Baseball Playoffs 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: LaSalle College Explorers 4 - Conestoga Pioneers 2 in 8 innings PIAA CLASS AAAA Semifinals: Conestoga Pioneers 3 - SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS 2

PIAA Semifinals Monday Recaps

June 9, 2014

It had been a tough state postseason for District 7 teams heading into the state Semifinals on Monday with only three WPIAL teams reaching the Final Four. Now that Seneca Valley, Greensburg-Salem and Neshannock have lost, there will be no district representation in the PIAA baseball and softball championships for the first time since 1979. Here are recaps from the one baseball and two softball PIAA Semifinals games on Monday which ended the high school year for WPIAL teams. PIAA BASEBALL CLASS AAAA SEMIFINALS:

Scholastic Notebook – 06/06/2014

June 6, 2014

Connor Coward’s right arm has been a major part of Seneca Valley’s turnaround story and march through the postseason. But Coward’s bat is also starting to be a big factor. Coward is a senior pitcher-shortstop for Seneca Valley. He is one of the top pitchers in the WPIAL, but he pitched only one inning in the regular season because of a stress fracture in his back.

Thomas Jefferson Edges Mars For First WPIAL Softball Title

May 30, 2014

When the WPIAL released the Softball Pairings, they seeded Thomas Jefferson 13th. No one told the Jaguars, apparently. It took nine innings, but Thomas Jefferson (15-6) claimed their first WPIAL Softball Championship in school history, edging out a 5-3 victory over No. 11 Mars (12-5) on Thursday evening at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilley Field. Kyla Prickett went 2 for 3 with a 2-run home run and three RBI for Thomas Jefferson, who advances to the PIAA Playoffs as the top seed from District 7. “It feels amazing,” said Prickett. “I can’t even explain how much heart we put into this entire season and coming out on top like this just feels unreal.”

West Allegheny Stuns All in Winning Class AAA Baseball Championship

The West Allegheny Indians claimed their fourth WPIAL baseball championship by knocking off the Blackhawk Cougars 5-3 in eight innings on Thursday night at Consol Energy Park. Mike Cummings singled home Tyler Amedure with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third, ending the scoreless innings streak for Blackhawk senior pitcher Brendan McKay. The streak ended at 71.2 innings, good for third in the National Federation of High School record book. Amedure doubled to the left center field gap to plate Colin Claus. It was the first run allowed by McKay since April 25th, 2013 against Central Valley. The Indians weren't done, as Cummings brought home Amedure with a single.

Beaver Claims First Softball Gold in WPIAL AA Softball Championship

May 29, 2014

It was a dominant performance for Casey Farkasovsky when she needed it most. Beaver's sophomore starting pitcher shined bright on the big stage at California University as the Bobcats defeated the Deer Lakes Lancers 2-0 in the Class AA WPIAL Softball Championship. Both teams entered the game unbeaten and the matchup featured the top two seeds in the bracket. Farkasovsky shut down a Deer Lakes team that had seven hitters batting over .400 for the season. She held the Lancers to just three hits and fanned nine batters to go to 16-0 on the season with 129 strikeouts.

Steel Valley Rallies to Beat Seton-LaSalle for First WPIAL Baseball Title

May 27, 2014

It takes 21 outs to complete a 7 inning baseball game, but sometimes the final out is the hardest one to get. Seton-LaSalle came within 1 out of the WPIAL Class AA Championship at Consol Energy Park, but third seeded Steel Valley had other ideas, getting a game tying 2-run single from second baseman Bryce Varhola in the bottom of the seventh inning and an RBI base hit from designated hitter Jesse Cantley to complete the comeback with three runs to defeat the Rebels 6-5 to capture the school’s first ever WPIAL Baseball Championship.

WPIAL Consolation Tuesday Baseball & Softball Recaps

Stormy weather played a part in what was scheduled to be six WPIAL consolation baseball and softball games on Tuesday. Two games were postponed, one was suspended and three did go final despite a delay or two. Here are summaries from the three District 7 consolation games that did make it into the books as finals. A special thanks to Pete Blais, Mark Schaas, Bob Gregg and Aaron Thompson for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: WPIAL CLASS AA Consolation:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/26/2014

May 26, 2014

Championship Week is upon us as we conclude the final district playoffs of the 2013-2014 school year as May shifts into June this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have EXCLUSIVE coverage of all eight of the 2014 WPIAL Baseball and Softball as well as the eight consolation games and some of the District 6 diamond title games, plus we Washington Wild Things baseball, the debut of Pennsylvania Rebellion softball, another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show...championship edition on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 26th:

MSA Sports Baseball Playoff Recap for Friday, May 23rd

May 24, 2014

Seven Final Four baseball games took place on Thursday as the winners celebrated a berth in the finals while the losers began to regroup and prepare to play for a berth in the state playoffs. That left one missing piece to the district championship puzzle and that played out Friday afternoon at West Mifflin High School. Here is the recap. A special thanks to Dennis Fischer for his help on this recap. WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

Scholastic Notebook – 05/23/3014

May 23, 2014

The perfect championships don’t happen often in WPIAL softball. But for the Deer Lakes Lancers, they’ve been in the perfect storm before. Deer Lakes is 18-0 and will play Beaver (15-0) for the Class AA championship Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania. It is only the third time in 17 years that a softball title game will match two undefeated teams. But it’s the second year in a row for Deer Lakes. In 2013, Deer Lakes and Riverside both took undefeated records into the title game before Riverside came away with a 5-1 victory. The only other time in the past 17 years that two undefeated teams met in a final was 1998 when Carmichaels beat Sto-Rox for the Class AA crown.

Eight is Great as North Allegheny Wins Another WPIAL AAA Boys Volleyball Title

For an unprecedented eighth year in a row, the North Allegheny Tigers are WPIAL champions in boys volleyball. The Tigers used a furious rally in game one to build momentum and propel them to a 3-0 victory over Norwin for the Class AAA crown. Set scores for Thursday night’s match at Baldwin were 25-23, 25-11 and 25-21. Norwin jumped out quickly in the first set, scoring the game’s opening four points and building a seven-point advantage. With the score at 16-9, however, North Allegheny began chipping away at the Knights’ lead. By late in the set, the Tigers had stormed all the way back to tie the score at 22. Then, with the score knotted at 23, a block by senior David Haus and a Norwin miscue gave North Allegheny the come-from-behind victory.

MSA Sports Softball Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, May 20th

May 21, 2014

For some, it was a turn around of less than 24 hours between the First Round and the Quarterfinals of the WPIAL Softball Playoffs. Rain last week forced a cinch in the belt and a much tighter schedule than usual. But Tuesday's winners wont complain because they are Final Four bound and will actually have a days rest before the Semifinals on Thursday. A special thanks to Jason Tennant, Chris Lackner, Greg Kuntz, Bob Gregg and Josh Rowntree for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

Blackhawk’s McKay Continues Scoreless Innings Streak

May 18, 2014

It was a pitcher's duel for five innings at Pullman Park, but in the end Brendan McKay came out on top again as Blackhawk defeated Indiana 4-0 to advance to the Class AAA WPIAL baseball semifinals. The senior moved into third place in the National Federation of High Schools record book, pitching 65 consecutive innings without allowing a run, dating back to last season.The national record is 80 innings by Joey Porter in Mississippi in 1973.

MSA Sports Baseball Playoff Recaps for Saturday, May 17th

May 17, 2014

The surprises continued on Quarterfinals Saturday in AAAA, AAA and AA as the baseball brackets continue to be busted. The #1 seed in Class AA, Neshannock was ousted as was the #2-seed in Class AAA in Chartiers Valley. Here are recaps from all twelve second round baseball games as the twists and turns to CONSOL Energy Field continue. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Brandon Showers, Bob Gregg, Pete Blais, Josh Rowntree, Mike Azadian and Mark Schaas for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:

MSA Sports Baseball Playoff Recaps for Friday, May 16th

We are coming to end of the first week of the district baseball postseason, but the biggest splash thus far came on one of the final games from the First Round. A #16-seed stunned a #1-seed in the Class Quad-A opening round knocking out the first top seed, while AAAA-4, AA-1 and AA-5 were all a perfect 3-0 on Saturday. Here are recaps from the Class AAAA and Class AA First Round games from Friday. A special thanks to Josh Rowntree, Mark Schaas, Lee Mohn, Sean Meyers, Jess Levo, Mike Azadian, Bob Gregg, Don Rebel, Pete Blais and Sam Hall for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:

MSA Sports Baseball Playoff Recaps for Wednesday, May 14th

May 15, 2014

While the forecast was shaky, it turned out to be a wonderful day in Western Pa with only five games on the schedule. It took three days, but the Class AAA First Round came to an end and because of the suspended West Mifflin vs South Fayette contest fro Tuesday night, all of the Triple-A Quarterfinals were bumped back to Saturday. So it was Class A claiming the spotlight as the surprise results continued in Round Two, leaving top-seed California to battle in the Semifinals along with the #10, #11 and #13 seeds in the postseason. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Bob Gregg, Bobby Fox and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

MSA Sports Baseball & Softball Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, May 13th

May 14, 2014

After a Monday of rain delays, lightning delays, suspended game and postponements, the sun was shining bright...at least during the afternoon hours as two classifications in baseball and two classes in softball nearly put round one in the books. Here are recaps from the WPIAL Baseball Class AAA and Class A First Round games as well as the WPIAL Softball Class AAAA and Class AA Round One contests. A special thanks to Brian Mroziak, Josh Rowntree, Mark Schaas, Don Rebel, Jason Tennant, Randy Gore, Bob Gregg, Steve Nagler, Greg Kuntz, Lee Mohn and Mike Azadian for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

MSA Sports Baseball Playoff Recaps for Monday, May 12th

May 12, 2014

Rain was the big winner on opening day of the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs. With 15 games scheduled, only five games made to it the books while two others were suspended and eight were postponed until Tuesday. Here are recaps from those five games that opened up the district diamond postseason. Thanks to Don Rebel, Dennis Fischer, Bob Orkwis and Jason Tennant for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA FIRST ROUND:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/11/2014

May 11, 2014

Let the games begin! The 2014 WPIAL spring sports playoffs kick into full gear this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse and Boys Volleyball postseasons with First Round and/or Quarterfinals action along with the 2014 WPIAL Boys and Girls Individual Track & Field Championships, plus we another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show...playoff edition ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 12th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

FINAL 2014 WPIAL Baseball Standings

Here are the FINAL WPIAL baseball standings for the 2014 season. The standings will be updated daily throughout the regular season...including the final WPIAL PLAYOFF clinchings. You can follow the district high school baseball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Monday and game broadcasts every day through the postseason here on the MSA Sports Network. The top three teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention WPIAL Class AAAA: (SET WITH 16 PLAYOFF TEAMS)

Scholastic Notebook – 05/09/2014

May 9, 2014

With every zero that he puts on the scoreboard, Blackhawk senior pitcher Brendan McKay continues to climb the national list for the longest scoreless streak? That naturally brings up two questions: Is McKay anywhere near the national record and does he have a chance to break it before he graduates? The answers are yes and yes. McKay beat Montour, 3-0, earlier this week to stretch his scoreless streak to 58 innings, dating back to last season. That is the fourth-longest streak in U.S. high school history, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the governing body of high school sports in the country.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball Playoff Rankings 2014

May 8, 2014

It's district postseason time again, so MSA Sports is always ready to lend a helping hand in seeding the brackets. it's not a true ranking because in general, the WPIAL avoids teams from the same section playing each other. Here is our two cents, which is worth just that as 56 teams get ready to settle it on the field starting next week. In Quad-A (assuming Peters Twp does not come way back to clinch) has 12 teams, thus four first round bye's. Triple-A has 17 teams and will have one Preliminary Round game. Double-A has 15 teams and the top-seed will enjoy an opening round bye while Single-A is much like Quad-A with only 12 teams and four round one bye's.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 05/07/2014

May 7, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and match broadcasts here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Each teams section record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (10-1) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (11-0) (Last Week #2) 3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (11-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 05/05/2014

May 5, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including yet another NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (13-3) (Last Week #5) 2) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (13-3) (Last Week #6) 3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (12-3) (Last Week #1)

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for New Castle on 5/2/14

May 2, 2014

In maybe the best comeback of the season, the New Castle Red Hurricanes rallied from a 6-0 fourth inning deficit to defeat the Hopewell Vikings and move ever so closer to a fourth straight berth in the WPIAL Softball Playoffs. The Red Hurricanes posted three runs in the bottom of the fourth and then sent twelve hitters to the plate, scoring eight runs on the way to the win. New Castle is now 7-3 overall and 6-3 in Section 1-AAA, having won six straight section games.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/29/2014

April 29, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA and Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Canon-McMillan Big Macs (13-2) (Last Week #2) 2) Shaler Titans (9-2) (Last Week #7) 3) Penn-Trafford Warriors (12-2) (Last Week #8)

Hometown Softball Program Salute – SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS

April 25, 2014

South Side returns eight starters from last year’s playoff team. The Lady Rams are currently sitting in third place (7-2, 8-2), with five section games left. Two of them versus the co-leaders Shenango and Neshannock (May 1, 2). The Lady Rams are looking to get back to the post season for the sixth straight season. With only two weeks left, South Side will be looking to Senior Sarah Androlia and Sophomore Slugger Connor McGaffic to keep the Lady Rams on pace for the playoff berth. This year’s version of the Lady Rams are young, with only three seniors on the roster, Androlia, Amber Marburger and Cassidy Smith. Theresa Waxler is relying on the underclassman to step up the rest of the way. Even though they are young, they have playoff experience.

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Elizabeth Forward on 4/24/14

The Elizabeth Forward Warriors suffered a 6-4 defeat in a Class AAA Section 3 matchup versus the Yough Cougars Thursday afternoon at William Penn Field thanks to a late 7th inning 3 run rally put together by the Cougars.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/23/2014

April 23, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and match broadcasts here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Each teams section record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (7-0) (Last Week #2) 3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (7-0) (Last Week #3)

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Elizabeth Forward on 4/21/14

Elizabeth Forward (9-3, 6-1) started early, rattling off seven first inning runs and running away with an 11-1 mercy rule win over South Park (2-8, 1-7) on Monday afternoon at William Penn Elementary Field. The Warriors had their first six batters reach base and score, as the Eagles would be plagued by a pair of errors in the opening frame. Freshman Jessica Cartia's two-RBI double, Freshman Maddie Porter's two-RBI single and McKenna Kern's RBI single highlighted the bottom half of the first, which saw eleven Elizabeth Forward batters.

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for West Mifflin on 4/16/14

April 17, 2014

West Mifflin senior Paige Flore pitched a complete game four-hitter allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking just two as West Mifflin defeated Belle Vernon 7-1 in AAA Section three action Wednesday afternoon on the MSA Sports Network. Flore was untouchable at times, changing speeds and hitting her spots and keeping the Leopards off balance all afternoon.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/16/2014

April 16, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and match broadcasts here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Each teams section record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (6-0) (Last Week #3) 3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (6-0) (Last Week #4)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/15/2014

April 15, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAAA and Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Seneca Valley Raiders (6-0) (Last Week #3) 2) Canon-McMillan Big Macs (5-2) (Last Week #1) 3) Latrobe Wildcats (6-1) (Last Week #2)

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Brentwood on 4/14/14

On a rainy Monday afternoon at Brentwood High School, the Lady Spartans defeated the South Allegheny Lady Gladiators, 8-5 in a Class AA, Section 4 matchup. Brentwood scored five times in the first two innings to give themselves an early lead with which to work. They would also tack on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth giving themselves their largest lead of the day.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/14/2014

April 14, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including NEW #1 teams in Class AAA and Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (9-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (5-1) (Last Week #5) 3) SHALER TITANS (6-1) (Last Week #7)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/14/2014

While the kids prepare for the big hunt later this week, no need to look that hard for quality high school and college spring sports broadcasts this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have section play in WPIAL baseball, WPIAL softball, WPIAL boys lacrosse along with college women's lacrosse featuring Slippery Rock University, plus we another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 14th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for New Castle on 4/10/14

April 11, 2014

The George Washington Intermediate School field played more like Wrigley Field on Thursday as the Wolverines defeated the Red Hurricanes. The teams combined for three homeruns 19 runs scored and 22 hits in a two-plus hour game that saw both squads have to make pitching changes. Ellwood City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as senior Shea Barrett homered to dead center field. New Castle returned the favor as senior Shannon Dudich hit a line-drive homer to left center field to tie the game. Ellwood City took back the lead in the second on back to back doubles by Lauren Stiles and Mallory Swogger.

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for West Mifflin on 4/10/14

Shannon Davis' RBI single in the bottom of the 14th inning delivered West Mifflin (9-2, 4-2) a dramatic 8-7 win over rival Thomas Jefferson (7-3, 3-3) on Thursday evening at West Mifflin High School. The game, one of the wildest and longest in the 2014 WPIAL season, took turn after turn, with five lead changes and five ties. West Mifflin was forced to overcome seven errors and three wild pitches and rallied from two different two-run deficits in extra innings to pull out the late win. Senior Paige Flore pitched all 14 innings for the Titans, throwing 154 of her 199 pitches for strikes. The Slippery Rock recruit rung up 16 Jaguars batters on strikeouts and walked only two. Only one of the seven runs she allowed was earned.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/08/2014

April 8, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Canon-McMillan Big Macs (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2) Latrobe Wildcats (4-0) (Last Week #5) 3) Seneca Valley Raiders (3-0) (Last Week Unranked) 4) North Allegheny Tigers (6-1) (Last Week #2)

2014 WPIAL BOYS SINGLES TENNIS RESULTS

April 7, 2014

A senior and a freshman claimed the first gold of the spring on Tuesday afternoon. Pittsburgh Central Catholic senior Adam Blasinsky claimed a second consecutive championship while Sewickley Academy ninth grader Luke Ross also won in straight sets. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Boys Singles Tennis Playoffs with summary recaps of both championship and consolation finals from Tuesday. You can hear the broadcast of the finals any time you want on the MSA Sports archives. 2014 WPIAL CLASS AAA BOYS SINGLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Adam Blasinsky (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) over Chad Kissell (Latrobe) 6-2, 7-5 (MSA)

Hometown Softball Program Salute – CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS

Chartiers-Houston had another successful campaign last season in their first year of AA competition, finishing 19-2 and making it to the WPIAL Semifinals. However, with over half of last year's starters are not in the lineup this season as a young Buccaneers team looks to improve and learn quickly as they compete for a playoff spot in a competitive Class AA Section 2.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/07/2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-0) (Last Week #7) 2) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (5-0) (Last Week #10) 3) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (5-1) (Last Week #2)

Scholastic Notebook – 04/04/2014

April 4, 2014

It has been proven the Blackhawk baseball team is close to unbeatable when Brendan McKay pitches. That is the main reason the Cougars are the MSA Sports No. 1-ranked WPIAL Class AAA team. But the No. 1 question with Blackhawk remains what kind of team are the Cougars when McKay doesn’t pitch? It’s a natural question, especially after last season. McKay, one of the most successful pitchers in the WPIAL the past few decades, was 7-0 last year to lift his career record to 22-1. McKay was phenomenal, allowing only three runs and one earned run in 53 innings pitched. But the rest of the season, Blackhawk was 3-7.

MSA Sports Top Ten – Boys Volleyball – 04/02/2014

April 2, 2014

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and match broadcasts here on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net Each teams section record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (2-0) 2) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (2-0) 3) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (2-1) 4) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (2-0) 5) NORWIN KNIGHTS (2-0) 6) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (3-0)

Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap For Baldwin on 4/1/14

On a gorgeous, breezy day in the South Hills, the Brashear Bulls faced the Baldwin Highlanders on a dry, sunny softball field. Both teams are very young and are in a tight Section 4 AAAA division. However, consistent pitching and excellent offense made it look like an easy win for Baldwin.

Hometown Softball Program Salute – BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS

March 31, 2014

With one more year of experience, the young Baldwin Softball team looks to turn up in 2014. Lead by senior captain Melissa Paterni, Baldwin will compete and look for another run at the WPIAL championship.

Bethel Park Black Hawks Win High School Hockey National Championship

March 30, 2014

After losing to Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup championship game nearly two weeks ago, the Bethel Park Black Hawks regrouped in a major way and now they have a NATIONAL title to show for it. Bethel Park became the first Western Pennsylvania team to win the USA Hockey national Championship when they edged Providence, Illinois 2-1 Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska. Both Bethel Park and state champion Peters Township were a part of the 32-team national tournament. While the Indians were eliminated in pool play, the Black Hawks won their pool to advance to the Quarterfinals. There they beat Sioux Falls, South Dakota 3-0 on Saturday morning, then knocked off Des Moines, Iowa 3-1 in the National Semifinals Saturday night.

Scholastic Notebook – 03/28/2014

March 28, 2014

Baseball and softball teams were able to start playing games last week. But it’s never too early to look ahead – and there are two teams that have a chance to make history come late May. In baseball, Seneca Valley has been to the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game three years in a row, winning twice and losing last year. The Raiders could become the first WPIAL team in at least 70 years to make a championship game four years in a row. A check of WPIAL final game scores that go back to 1954, shows that no team has played in a championship game four consecutive years. Some teams have made it three years in a row. North Allegheny made it four of five years from 1990-94. Shaler made it four of five years from 1980-84.

2014-2015 WPIAL Springs Sports Alignment

March 24, 2014

The WPIAL Board of Control has approved the final seasonal alignment starting next season as the district spring sports sectional alignment has been approved. The new alignment kicks into affect next spring for WPIAL Baseball, Softball, Boys Volley, Boys Tennis, Boys Track & Field and Girls Track & Field. Click on the respective link below to see the new set up for each section and classification starting in the Spring of 2015. WPIAL Baseball: http://www.wpial.org/stuff/14-15/bse/14-15%20bse%20align%20o2.pdf

2014 MSA Sports Boys Basketball All-Netters

March 23, 2014

Two teams that won WPIAL championships this season each have two players on the MSA Sports All-Netters boys basketball all-star team. New Castle won the WPIAL Class AAAA championship and Lincoln Park the Class A title. They each have a duo on the team, which is picked by the MSA Sports Staff. The All-Netters squad (first- and second-teams) are made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. The teams also includes three juniors and one sophomore. Introducing the 2014 All-Netters team. FIRST TEAM: PLAYER OF THE YEAR MALIK HOOKER, NEW CASTLE 6-1, Senior, Guard-forward

2014 MSA Sports Girls Basketball All-Netters

The MSA Sports All-Netters squad is going places in the future. Five of the 10 players on the all-star girls team have either signed or made verbal commitments to Division I colleges. Another has around a dozen Division I scholarship offers. The team also has some youth. Four juniors and a sophomore are on the squad, which was picked by the MSA Sports staff. The team takes into consideration all WPIAL players. Here is a look at the 2014 All-Netters team. FIRST TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR BRENNA WISE, VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 6-0, Junior, Guard-Forward The MSA Sports staff made a Wise pick for Player of the Year.

2014 PIAA BOYS BASKETBALL STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS

Two WPIAL champions were able to double their championship totals this season while another had to settle for state silver to go with their district gold. The New Castle Red Hurricane finished off a perfect season with a PIAA Class AAAA title a day after Lincoln Park was crowned the Class A champ. Earlier on Saturday, Seton-LaSalle came close, but lost by two points to settle for the runner-up trophy in Class AA. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIAA Boys Basketball Playoffs. All of the results with (MSA) after the score means you can listen to that contest anytime via archive here on the MSA Sports Network. 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

31-0!

The New Castle Red Hurricanes did what they had to do, just remain perfect. New Castle finished an amazing three year run with a PIAA Quad-A championship, claiming a 52-39 victory over LaSalle College in front of 6,600 at the Giant Center on Saturday night. New Castle finishes 31-0 on the season, joining Williamsport in 1984, Carlisle in 1988 and Chester two years ago to go undefeated in Quad-A. The Red Hurricanes are the first WPIAL to finish unbeaten since Sto-Rox accomplished a perfect campaign in 1983. The Red Hurricanes had come up empty in three other trips to the title game, falling in 1936, 1982 and 1998. New Castle is 87-2 in the last three seasons, winning 3 straight WPIAL championships. 78 of those wins came by 10 or more points.

Peters Twp Holds On to Win Class AAA Pa Cup Title

March 22, 2014

Peters Township killed off a pair of late penalties to capture a 2-1 victory over LaSalle College High School in winning the Class AAA Pennsylvania State Championship at Pegula Ice Arena on the campus of Penn State University. Indians captain Josef Kittelberger’s second period goal proved to be the game-winner, and Peters Township goalie Brian Baker made 31 saves, including several key stops in the waning moments. The triumph marks the fourth Pennsylvania Cup for Peters Township, and its first in AAA. Adam Alavi put the Indians (20-4) on the board 7:18 into the opening period, when he skated into a drop pass from Samuel Barnes, and snapped the shot past LaSalle College netminder Harrison Feeney.

No Gold Rush For Seton-LaSalle as Rebels Boys Lose at Buzzer

The ball was in the right hands at the end of the game as Seton LaSalle had a chance to claim victory in the PIAA Class AA boys championship game against Philadelphia Constitution but Levi Masua’s three-pointer from the right win was a tad long and the Generals took home a 61-59 win over the Rebels at the Giant Center in Hershey.

2013 WPIAL SOFTBALL REVIEW

March 20, 2014

In 2013, hitting and offense was the theme during the regular season was good old fashioned pitching seemed to be the difference in tasting playoff success. In the end, a pair of first time champions were crowned, a defending champ made it two in a row in the district and went on to win state gold and one of the top programs captured a sixth WPIAL crown. Here is a look back at the final standings and results from the 2013 WPIAL and PIAA softball playoffs on the brink of the start of the 2014 campaign. FINAL 2013 WPIAL STANDINGS:

2014 PIHL PENGUINS CUP PLAYOFFS RESULTS

March 18, 2014

The fourth time is a charm for Peters Township as they won the Class AAA Penguins Cup after three consecutive seasons of going home second. Meanwhile, the other two champions crowned at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Monday were the top-seeds in their classification. Quaker Valley captured a third straight PIHL Penguins Cup Class A crown with a dominant victory over Thomas Jefferson while Bishop Canevin edged Erie Cathedral Prep in a Class AA thriller for the Crusaders second crown in four years. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. All games marked with (MSA) after the result (which is ALL but one game) can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.

Peters Township Finally Golden in Win Over Rival Bethel Park

March 17, 2014

At Consol Energy Center in the PIHL AAA Championship, the Peters Township Indians defeated the top seeded Bethel Park Black Hawks by a score of 4-2. This is the fifth overall title for the Indians and first since 2005. Both teams came into the showdown as numerous Penguin Cup winners and veterans to championship games. The Indians were in the title game for the fourth straight year and last won a title in 2005. The Black Hawks' last title was in 2012, a win over Peters Township 2-1. Both are led by two veteran coaches with 11 Penguin Cup titles between them.

Bishop Canevin Shuts Out Cathedral Prep in AA Final

In a tightly-contested battle between Bishop Canevin and Erie Cathedral Prep for the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA Championship, Crusaders’ goaltender Nikita Meskin proved to be the difference-maker. Meskin made 22 saves in a shutout performance, as top-seeded Bishop Canevin prevailed 1-0 at the Consol Energy Center. The victory marks the seventh time the Crusaders have captured the Penguins Cup, and the first time since 2011. Thomas Krivak netted the lone goal on Bishop Canevin’s third shot of the contest. Less than four minutes in, Krivak, who netted 13 goals in the regular season, took a shot from the right circle. His attempt deflected off the sliding Ramblers’ defenseman, and fluttered past Erie Cathedral Prep’s Grant Kennedy.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/16/2016

March 16, 2014

Welcome to our own version of March Madness and the winter sports Championship Week all this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have coverage of the Semifinals and the State Championships from Hershey as we conclude our coverage of the 2014 PIAA State Basketball Playoffs along with the three Championship games from CONSOL Energy Center of the 2014 PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs and the debut of college basketball featuring Slippery Rock University, plus the final edition of the PIHL Power Play Show and the next to last WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 17th:

Scholastic Notebook – 03/14/2014

March 14, 2014

Seton-LaSalle boys basketball coach Mark Walsh is known as “Knobby.” He has two brothers, Kevin and Danny, who also are known as “Knobby.” The boys’ father, Ed, also is known as “Knobby.” It is a crazy name game. But at Seton-LaSalle, just call Mark Walsh one thing. “Winner.” Walsh has made Seton-LaSalle basketball relevant again. Well, more than relevant. He has guided the Rebels to one of the best seasons in school history. Seton-LaSalle won a WPIAL title for only the second time since joining the league in the mid 1970s. Also, Seton-LaSalle has a 27-1 record. That is the most wins since the school joined the WPIAL.

PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Wednesday, March 12th

March 12, 2014

There was little separation all season between South Hills rivals Bethel Park and Peters Township. so it comes as no surprise that the two decorated programs will collide for a 2014 high school hockey crown as both were impressive Wednesday night registering convincing victories. here are recaps from both of the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA Semifinals played Wednesday night and setting up Championship Monday at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA SEMIFINALS: Bethel Park Black Hawks 4 - Pine-Richland Rams 0

2014 PIHL PENGUINS CUP PLAYOFFS Update

March 11, 2014

All three high school hockey title games are now set as Final Four week concluded with two AAA Semifinals doubleheader on Wednesday. Bethel Park broke a scoreless tie with a four-goal third period explosion while Peters Township jumped out early and cruised, setting up a Battle of South Hills rivals for AAA gold between the Black Hawks and the Indians at CONSOL Energy Center. Here are ALL of the results from the Semifinals, plus the three championship games schedule in the 2014 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs for the Penguins Cup titles at CONSOL Energy Center on Monday and here on the MSA Sports Network. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Semifinals: Bethel Park Black Hawks 4 - Pine-Richland Rams 0 (MSA)

PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Monday, March 10th

A couple of dandies got the puck rolling on the PIHL's Semifinals Week as the top four seeds in Class A took to the Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex center stage Monday night. Defending champ Quaker Valley was on the ropes, but could not be knocked out by Freeport while upstart Thomas Jefferson will continue their memorable season after eliminating Mars. Here are complete recaps from both Class A Semifinals games Monday, which can be heard archived here on MSA Sports at the link below. http://www.msasports.net/guide/2014-03-10 PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS A SEMIFINALS: Thomas Jefferson Jaguars 4 - Mars Fighting Planets 2

Eight WPIAL AAA Wrestlers Win State Gold

March 8, 2014

After a strong showing on Thursday and Friday, the WPIAL continued their dominant trend in AAA on Saturday, advancing 19 wrestlers into the finals. Out of those 19, the WPIAL brought home 8 PIAA Champions out of a possible 14 weight classes including winning a title in the first 7 bouts. Franklin Regional’s Devin Brown and Spencer Lee took the first two at 106 and 113, with both of them controlling their opponents to lead them to titles. Luke Pletcher of Latrobe had to sweat it out to win at 120. After exchanging escapes with Scott Parker of Pennridge, the match went in to overtime. In the overtime bout, Pletcher got a shot on the ankles of Parker and kept his toes in bounds to win the match 3-1.

PIAA Individual Wrestling – Day One Recap

March 6, 2014

The WPIAL could not have opened the tournament much better in AAA at Hershey on Thursday, with a whopping 31 of 42 wrestlers advancing in the winners bracket and another six wrestlers winning in the consolations to give the WPIAL 37 of 42 wrestlers still alive after day one. The wrestlers advancing into the quarterfinals were: • 106 – Devin Brown, Franklin Regional • 113 – Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional • 113 – Luke Landefeld, North Allegheny • 120 – Luke Pletcher, Latrobe • 126 – Sam Krivus, Hempfield • 126 – Dalton Macri, Canon McMillan • 126 – A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg • 132 – Tyler Smith, Franklin Regional • 132 – Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford • 132 – Ty Buckiso, Peters Township

Baldwin Beats Harbor Creek for PIHL Open Class Championship

The Baldwin Highlanders (22-2-1) claimed their fourth PIHL Championship in school history and first in the Open Class as they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 7-4 victory over the Harbor Creek Huskies (22-2-0) at the RMU Island Sports Center Olympic Arena on Wednesday night. Anthony Alaimo and Brian Dee each scored two goals in the game for the Highlanders, which finish the season unbeaten in their last 20 games and on a 13-game winning streak. Baldwin got off to a hot start, as Anthony Alaimo scored just 47 seconds into the game on a deflection of a Max Milan centering pass. Baldwin led 2-0 after the first period, getting a late goal from Milan in the final minute of the period.

PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Wednesday, March 5th

The Quarterfinals in Class AA and Class A were played out on Monday and Tuesday while Class AAA played out the opening round. While the other three round two games are slated for Thursday, the spotlight shined on top-seed Bethel Park against upset-minded State College. Here is the recap from the lone Penguins Cup Playoff game on Wednesday. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Tuesday, March 4th

March 4, 2014

After a frantic start on Monday with no surprises but with two of the seven contests going into overtime, we had our first two lower seeds advance. While both Class AA and Class A saw the top four seeds advance to the Final Four next week, Class AAA wrapped up Round One with a #9-seed and a #10-seed moving on. Here are summaries from each of the high school hockey playoff games on Tuesday...all of which were heard here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Greg Kuntz, Mike Azadian, Sean Meyers, Josh Rowntree, Adam Gusky and Adam Hoerner for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA First Round:

PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Monday, March 3rd

The curtain rose on the 2014 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs on Monday with a combined seven games. Here are summaries from two Class AAA, three Class AA and two Class A Preliminary Round, First Round and Quarterfinals contests, five of which can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Bob Orkwis, Josh Rowntree, Adam Hoerner, Steve Nagler , Mike Azadian and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Preliminary Round:

PIHL Notebook – 03/03/2014

March 3, 2014

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes some key match-ups with playoff seeding and berths on the line. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” *Note: As with last week, we have not forgotten the 2014 Penguins Cup Playoffs begin tonight. That is covered elsewhere on the site while we recap the end of the regular season below.* MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Canon-McMillan (5-0-0); Butler (5-0-0); Bethel Park (4-0-0)

FINAL 2013-2014 PIHL High School Hockey Standings

March 2, 2014

Here are the FINAL 2013-2014 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League...including the FINAL Penguins Cup (AAA, AA & A) high school hockey playoff clinchings. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey season with weekly broadcasts, the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm right here on the MSA Sports Network. # - Clinched Section Championship * - Clinched PIHL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated From Postseason Chase TEAM - OVERALL RECORD - POINT TOTAL

2014 WPIAL Class AAA Individual Wrestling Championship Results

Wrestling in his home gymnasium, Solomon Chishko of Canon McMillan looked to become the 24th wrestler to win a 4th WPIAL individual title. To do so, Chishko would have to beat another defending WPIAL Champion, Josh Maruca of Franklin Regional. Chishko dominated the action on their feet and thanks to four takedowns, cruised to a 9-4 victory.

Blackhawk Holds Off South Park In Girls AAA Championship

March 1, 2014

The Blackhawk Lady Cougars used torrid perimeter shooting early and clutch free throw shooting late to defeat South Park 62-55 to capture the WPIAL Class AAA Championship at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Halle Denman netted a game-high 21 points for the Lady Cougars, while her teammates Chassidy Omogrosso, a Duquesne recruit, and Bridgette Shaffer also scored in double figures, with 17 and 14, respectively. The Lady Eagles, the defending WPIAL and PIAA champions, were paced by Allison McGrath’s 19 points. Top-seeded Blackhawk (23-2), which never trailed in the contest, gained an early lead when Shaffer knocked down a three-pointer, the first of six shots the Lady Cougars hit from behind the arc in the first half.

Vincentian is Wise in Winning Third Straight WPIAL Crown

In a rematch of last year’s WPIAL A Championship game, the Vincentian Academy Royals defeated the Serra Catholic Eagles by the score of 66-46. Royals’ sensational junior Brenna Wise scored 25 points, 15 of which came in the pivotal 3rd quarter when Vincentian Academy effectively pulled away from the Eagles. Wise added 13 rebounds and 7 blocks to her dominating performace.

WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Championships – Day Two

Coming into the AAA WPIAL individual tournament, 160 pounds stood as the deepest weight class in the tournament, with eight wrestlers having the ability to win on any given night. On Friday night the results proved this to be true, as three of the top four seeds were upset. The first came when top seed Dom Scalise of Latrobe lost to TeShan Campbell of Penn Hills 4-0. Campbell picked up 3 back points late in the third period while riding out Scalise to pick up the victory. The next seeded wrestler to do gown was number four seed Devin Austin, who lost a hard fought 7-4 match to Jonathan Avon of North Hills. Finally number two seed Brendan Burnham of Pine Richland gave up a late takedown to Waynesburg freshman Colin McCracken to drop a 4-3 decision.

Shorthanded Warriors Use Double OT To Win First WPIAL Title

February 28, 2014

It took a little longer than originally planned.?In fact it took a lot longer than anyone originally planned.?But when all was said and done, the Central Valley Warriors had the first WPIAL basketball championship in the school’s brief history after a 70-69 win in double overtime over perennial title contender Chartiers Valley. Tony Gates sealed the victory with a free throw with just .6 seconds left on the clock at the end of the second extra frame. After a desperation heave came up empty, Central Valley players erupted into a wild on-court celebration.

WPIAL Girls Basketball Championship Preview

For one of the few times in district basketball finals history, the WPIAL will have book-end girls basketball championship games with the Class A title games lifting the curtain and the Class AAAA finals concluding two days of championships. Here is a look at all four of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Basketball Championship Games which can be heard only here on the MSA Sports Network. CLASS AAAA: The game: Hempfield (17-8) vs. Penn-Trafford (19-6) Saturday at 9 p.m. Coaches: Aaron Epps, Hempfield … John Giannikas, Penn-Trafford

WPIAL Class AAA Boys and Grils Swimmings Results from Thursday

February 27, 2014

A tight race on the boys side thru day 1 of the McDonald’s/WPIAL Class AAA swimming championship, not so much on the girls side. North Allegheny leads Upper St. Clair by 1.5 points for the boys championship, after the Panthers beat out the Tigers in the final event, the Boys 200 Freestyle Relay. North Allegheny has won the last two championships but USC has been breathing down their necks. For the girls, NA has won the last 5 titles, the last by 160 point margin over Oakland Catholic. The Tigers led by 150 points entering Friday’s action. Several WPIAL records fell during the day. North Allegheny set a new mark in the 200 Medley Relay,

WPIAL Basketball Playoffs – Wednesday 2/26 Recaps

February 26, 2014

Things got off to an interesting start in several of the early games, but by the time the final horn sounded in the late games, all was well as the higher seeds won most of the contests on Wednesday setting up some outstanding matchups for Championship Weekend. Here are the summaries for the eight Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A games on Semifinals Wednesday around the WPIAL. A special thanks to Steve Nagler, Bob Gregg, Don Rebel, Randy Gore, Bob Barrickman and Mark Schaas for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Playoff Semifinals recap for 2/25/14

At the Morgantown Ice Center, Kienan Battin knocked home a loose puck past Cory Steinle in overtime to push the Mohawks past the Cougars and into the PIHL Open Class Southwest Division championship game on Thursday night. Battin recorded his second hat trick of the playoffs, he leads the Mohawks with 6 goals during the post season and 34 overall for the season.

PIHL Notebook – 02/24/2014

February 24, 2014

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes a busy week for Freeport in Class A with mixed results along with some wild Open Class action to close out the regular season. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of two network games coming up this week in Class AAA and Class A. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” *Note: We did not forget about the Open Class Playoffs getting started last night. We have that covered separately elsewhere. Check link below for the latest.*

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Playoff Quarterfinals recap for 2/23/14

The Blackhawk Cougars were a much better road team during the regular season than at home, Sunday night was no different in the opening game of the PIHL Open Cup playoffs as the 5th seeded Cougars knocked off the 4th seeded Trojans at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Robert Swinderman scored twice and goalie Cory Steinle stopped 28 of 30 shots to advance to the next round on Tuesday night.

WPIAL Class AAA Individual Wrestling Sectional Results – 02/23/2014

February 23, 2014

The field for the 2014 WPIAL Class AAA Individual Wrestling Championships is now set following the results from all four Double-A sections. The top five wrestlers from each section qualify for the district championships next weekend.

NH’s Bostick & Char Valley’s Lohman Win WPIAL AAA Diving Gold

February 22, 2014

North Hills senior Noah Bostick captured a bronze medal as a sophomore and at last year’s competition he took home the silver with a score of 496.65. Consider the progression complete for Bostick as he captured the WPIAL Class AAA gold medal by posting a score of 506.85 at North Allegheny High School. Bostick was solid throughout all three rounds of the meet. After going back and forth with Penn-Trafford sophomore Joey Ference heading into the final round of three dives, Bostick took control with his first final dive and finished 52.10 points ahead of the second place finisher, Andrew Doerfler of North Allegheny.

WPIAL Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships – Day One Recap

Burrell came into the AA individual WPIAL Championships with the most representatives in the tournament with a wrestler in all 14 weight classes and through the first day, the Buccaneers have not disappointed. Burrell advanced all 14 wrestlers into the second day with a leading 8 wrestlers advancing to the semi-finals. Making the semi-finals for the Buccaneers were John Andrejcik (132), Damon Greenwald (138), Corey Falleroni (145), Steven Edwards (152), Derrick Beattie (160), Nick Pattock (170), Robert Scherer (195), and Allan Beattie (285).

S. Fayette’s Zombeck and Mohawk’s Stelter Repeat as WPIAL AA Diving Champs

February 21, 2014

At South Park High School in the WPIAL Boys AA Diving Championships, Senior Stephen Zombeck wins his second WPIAL championship in a row. He outdistanced 2nd place finisher Micah Ringer (last years silver medalist) by 51.15 points. Last year he beat Ringer in a close contest by 10.6 points. Zombeck In the process, smashed his score of last year of 353.25. He posted a 423.55 besting last years mark by 70.30 points. Ringer beat his score by 30 points from last year taking the silver 2 straight years. In 2012 as Sophomores Zombeck finished 2nd, Ringer 5th.

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Game recap for 2/19/14

At the Beaver County Ice Arena in PIHL Open class competition, the Blackhawk Cougars with a chance to play for a home playoff game lost in a tough battle with McDowell 5-3. A win by the Trojans sends the Cougars on the road Sunday February 23rd at Mercyhurst College at a time to be determined in the first round of the Northeast section playoffs.With the loss Blackhawk is the number 5 seed, McDowell the number 4.

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 02/20/2014

February 20, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (15-3-0) (Last Week #2) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (16-3-0) (Last Week #1) 3) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (10-7-0) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL Basketball Playoffs – Wednesday 2/19 Recaps

February 19, 2014

Four days and 64 high school basketball postseason games later, the First Round of the 2014 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs has come to an end. While the surprises were kept to a minimum, there were enough eye-brow raisers to make things interesting heading into the Second Round this weekend. Here are recaps from opening round action in the Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A District 7 playoffs on Wednesday night. A special thanks to Dennis Fischer, Jason Tennant, Paul Paterra, Steve Nagler, Pete Blais, Mark Schaas, Sean Meyers, Matt Vandriak, Josh Rowntree, Don Rebel, Lou Rood, Bob Barrickman, Brian Mroziak, Randy Gore, Mike Sackley, Bob Gregg, John Smathers and Mark Uriah for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:

WPIAL Basketball Playoffs – Tuesday 2/18 Recaps

Tuesday featured 20 First round games in Boys AAA, Girls AAAA and Girls AA. Of the 20 games played, only three lower-seeds were able to punch their ticket for the Quarterfinals as double-digit seeds Hempfield girls, Montour boys and Blackhawk boys attempt to bust the brackets. Here are the recaps from opening round action on Tuesday. A special thanks to Bob Orkwis, Mark Uriah, Sean Meyers, Lou Rood, Terry Neary, Adam Hoerner, Mike Sackley, Mark Schaas, Steve Nagler, Sam Hall, Steve Nagler, T.J. DiStefano, Bob Gregg, Mike Azadian, Brian Mroziak, Paul Paterra, Don Rebel, John Smathers and Adam Gusky for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

NEW WPIAL BASKETBALL ALIGNMENT

February 18, 2014

Chartiers Valley and Lincoln Park boys are moving up, New Castle boys and Hampton boys are moving down and Pittsburgh Central Catholic boys are moving north...again. The WPIAL Board of Control on Tuesday approved the new alignment for bot the boys and girls in high school basketball.

PIHL Notebook – 02/17/2014

February 17, 2014

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes a healthy dose of section play highlighted by three network broadcasts. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of a key section battle in the Open Class. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Canon-McMillan (3-0-0) Class AA: Erie Cathedral Prep (8-0-0); Bishop Canevin (7-0-0); Plum (5-0-0) Class A: Quaker Valley (12-0-0); Freeport (11-0-0)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/17/2014

We are without regret to again inform all of the parents, players and fans of THE Network that we continue our exclusive coverage of the district postseason this week ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. We will broadcast every WPIAL Basketball Playoff boys and girls First round and Quarterfinals game, along with coverage of the District 6 boys and girls basketball postseason.

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Game recap for 2/13/14

February 16, 2014

The Blackhawk Cougars sitting in 4th place and an outside shot at the third seed in the Open Class PIHL playoffs simply laid an egg in a 7-0 nothing loss to the Harbor Creek Huskies. The Huskies have the first seed wrapped up for the playoffs which start Sunday February 23rd. It was all Huskies all night as they came on strong right from the first face off. They had played the night before so it came as somewhat of a surprise. Goals by Zach Morris and Nick Rocco in the first period gave them a 2-0 lead after the first 17:00 minute period. they out shot the Cougars 17-3 as well.

2014 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Preview

February 13, 2014

There are plenty of teams looking for gold, but after two weeks of on-court battles, only four will come away with district gold. Here is a preview of the 2014 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs which tip off this weekend and conclude at Duquesne University's A.J. Palumbo Center on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st. CLASS AAAA: Top four seeds: North Allegheny is first, Mt. Lebanon second, Fox Chapel third and Bethel Park fourth. Leading scorers: Monica Burns, Hempfield, 20.1; Maria Palarino, Penn-Trafford, 18.1; Alayna Gribble, Norwin, 17.6; Krista Pietropola, Plum, 17.3; Erin Mathias, Fox Chapel, 16.4; Christine Ehland, Mt. Lebanon, 15.5; Rachel Mazzie, Upper St. Clair, 15.2.

FINAL 2013-2014 WPIAL Boys Basketball Standings

February 11, 2014

Here are the FINAL WPIAL boys basketball standings for the 2013-2014 regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL PLAYOFF CLINCHINGS. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL boys roundball rankings are released each Tuesday and boys hoops talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched Share of Section Title * - Clinched a WPIAL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated from Playoff Chase @ - Ineligible for WPIAL Playoffs

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Rankings 2014

February 10, 2014

For the final time in this 2013-2014 high school basketball season, MSA Sports ranks the Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball teams. However this time we aren't ranking the Top 10 in each classification, no this time we are seeding all 79 playoff bound teams in their respective classes. This is NOT a straight ranking because of the rule of thumb that teams in the same section can not play each other in the Preliminary or First Round, so there is always some shuffling that needs done. Don't forget the WPIAL Basketball Playoff Pairings Show is Tuesday night from 7pm to 9pm right here on the MSA Sports Network. We will also have exclusive coverage of every WPIAL girls basketball playoff game sponsored by Carlow University.

2014 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs Recap

February 8, 2014

For a third straight year, the WPIAL Class AAA champion goes on a week later to win the PIAA Class AAA state crown. The gold rush continued for the Franklin Regional Panthers. A week after winning their first district team title, the Panthers once again knocked off the Latrobe Wildcats to win the schools first state crown. Also, after losing in the First round, Burrell won five matches to finish third in Class AA after sweeping through the consolation rounds. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs at the GIANT Center in Hershey. 2014 PIAA TEAM WRESTLING CLASS AAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: FRANKLIN REGIONAL PANTHERS 37 - LATROBE WILDCATS 23

FINAL WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoff Field

Here is the FINAL playoff picture for WPIAL Boys Basketball after Friday's games. 77 boys basketball teams are set for the four postseason tournaments that begin next weekend. Class AAAA: (SET WITH 16 TEAMS) Section 1: Hempfield (champ), Kiski Area, Norwin and Latrobe are all in. Section 2: Plum (champ), Franklin Regional, Gateway and Fox Chapel are all in. Section 3: New Castle (champ), Hampton, North Allegheny and Seneca Valley are all in. Section 4: Upper St. Clair (champ), Bethel Park, Mount Lebanon and Peters Township are all in. Class AAA: (SET WITH 21 TEAMS)

PIAA Team Wrestling – Quarterfinals, Consolations & Semifinals Recaps

It was a memorable day for the WPIAL’s Class AAA representatives at the PIAA Wrestling Championships held at the GIANT Center on Friday. It will be an all-WPIAL final on Saturday afternoon in Hershey featuring Franklin Regional against Latrobe. This marks the third time in the past 17 days these two teams will battle with gold medals on the line. Franklin Regional beat Latrobe, 46-28, on January 22nd for the Section 1 title and then backed it up with a 42-19 pounding of the Wildcats last Saturday in the WPIAL championship match.

Scholastic Notebook – 02/07/2014

February 7, 2014

Mars High School was built in 1918. So you could say it took almost 100 years for Mars to win a basketball section title outright. Now, Mars is on the verge of winning two sections in two years. Mars plays at Knoch Friday night in a big WPIAL Class AAA Section 1 game. Mars leads the section with a 10-1 record and is guaranteed at least a share of the section championship. Knoch is 9-2 in section and Indiana 9-2. But a Mars victory will give the Planets the section title outright. The first time they won a section title outright was last year and the Planets also made it to the WPIAL semifinals for the first time in school history.

PIAA Team Wrestling – First Round Recaps

The WPIAL could not have asked for a better day in Hershey in AAA on Thursday, with all three WPIAL qualifiers advancing to Friday's quarterfinals. Winning easy were Franklin Regional and Latrobe. WPIAL Champion Franklin Regional, led by seven falls, two technical falls, and two forfeits, blew by District 3 third place finisher Wilson 67-9. They will wrestle District 10 Champion Erie McDowell on Friday at 2:00 PM. WPIAL Runner-Up Latrobe meanwhile cruised to a 60-6 win over District 4 Champion Jersey Shore. Latrobe won 13 of the 14 bouts wrestled, picking up 4 falls, a technical fall, and two forfeits. They will wrestle District 1 Champion Boyertown on Friday at 2:00 PM.

2014 National Letter of Intent Day – MSA Sports Elite Eleven College Destinations

February 6, 2014

Wednesday was National Letter of Intent Day where high school seniors make their verbal committments official by signing on the dotted line to the school of their choice. What were the final college destinations for the member of the 2013 MSA Sports The Elite 11 football all-star team? Here is a look: CHASE WINOVICH, THOMAS JEFFERSON QB/RB-LB, 6-4, 220, UNIVERSITY of MICHIGAN NIKO THORPE, PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC LB, 5-10, 225, SENIOR FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

2014 National Letter of Intent Day – Division I Football Players from WPIAL

February 5, 2014

Here are the seniors from the WPIAL or Pittsburgh City League who have signed to make their verbal commitments to Division I-A colleges. High school seniors could not sign a binding letter of intent until Wednesday, February 5th. AKRON Brock Boxen, Beaver Falls (DL, 6-3, 260) Chandler Kincade, Blackhawk (QB, 6-4, 210) ARMY Shafer Swan, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (WR, 6-2, 180) BALL STATE Jake McPhatter, New Castle (RB-DB, 5-11, 170) BUFFALO Adam Mitcheson, Kiski Area (K-P, 6-2, 190) FLORIDA STATE J.J. Cosentino, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (QB, 6-4, 215)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 02/03/2014

February 3, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season...including another NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. North Allegheny Tigers (16-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Fox Chapel Foxes (16-3) (Last Week #4) 3. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (14-4) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes one-goal games all over the place, including some overtime action in Section 1-AAA and a Section 3-A battle heard right here. Last but not least, we round things out with a broadcast doubleheader preview set for Thursday in Class AAA and the Open Class. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Peters Township (3-0-0); Penn-Trafford (3-0-0)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/02/2014

February 2, 2014

The 'Stretch Run' of the 2013-2014 high school basketball season wraps up with the final week of section play this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have all of the big games from around the WPIAL in both boys and girls basketball as well as plenty of District 6 and District 9 boys and girls hoops along with men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and action from the PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 3rd: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

Franklin Regional Wins First Ever WPIAL Team Wrestling Gold

February 1, 2014

Last year Franklin Regional came one match away from winning WPIAL gold as a team. This year, they didn’t let it go down to the last match, dominating action while beating Greater Latrobe 42-19 for their first ever WPIAL team championship. The match started at 138 pounds, where Franklin Regional bumped their lineup up one weight class each from 138 to 170 pounds. The Panthers would jump out to an early 19-0 lead thanks to a fall, technical fall, and two major decisions. Greater Latrobe would fight back, registering a pair of victories, one by technical fall, to cut the lead to 19-8. But Franklin Regional would regain control, winning four of the next five matches en route to a 42-19 victory.

Burrell Remains Great After Title Win Number Eight

Some things never seem to change. This is especially true when it comes to high school wrestling in Western Pennsylvania. For the eighth straight season, Burrell (12-3) won the WPIAL Class AA team championship with a 34-28 thriller Saturday afternoon over previously undefeated South Fayette (20-1) at Chartiers Valley High School.

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/29/2014

January 29, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (12-2-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (13-2-0) (Last Week #2) 3) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (9-4-0) (Last Week #4) 4) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-4-1) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL to GCC: Suspend Boys Basketball Coach or Else

January 28, 2014

The WPIAL has no authority over personnel at district schools, but they do have the power to keep a school out of their postseason tournament. On Tuesday, the WPIAL ruled that Greensburg Central Catholic High School would have to suspend boys basketball coach Greg Bisignani at least three games or else they would not be allowed to participate in the upcoming WPIAL boys basketball playoffs. The ruling came following a hearing on Monday after Coach Bisignani was accused of making contact with a game official following the Centurions 66-63 loss to McKeesport on January 18th. Bisignani denied he made contact with the official. The Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball program has also been put on probation for the rest of the season.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/28/2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. New Castle Red Hurricane (17-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Hampton Talbots (17-1) (Last Week #3) 3. North Allegheny Tigers (14-2) (Last Week #4)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/26/2014

January 26, 2014

The first team champions of the 2013-2014 WPIAL winter sports season will be crowned on the mat this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have exclusive postseason action from the Triple-A and Double-A WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs along with scholastic wrestling from District 6. We also have the start of the 'Stretch Run' boys and girls section basketball from the WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 along with men's and women's college basketball, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 27th:

Scholastic Notebook – 01/24/2014

January 24, 2014

All of a sudden, the menu of top boys basketball teams in WPIAL Class AAAA Section 4 has Big Macs on it. The Canon-McMillan Big Macs have pushed their way into a tie for the Section 4 lead with Upper St. Clair. The two teams meet tonight in a big game. Although Section 4 isn’t strong this year, nothing should take away from the Big Macs’ surge. They were 3-4 at one point this season and have since won seven of eight. Of the last five wins, Canon-McMillan has give up 46 points or less in four of those games. Canon-McMillan has a legitimate shot at a section title. Section title and Canon-McMillan usually aren’t mentioned in the same sentence.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling Playoff Teams – 01/23/2014

January 23, 2014

For the final Top 10 rankings of the WPIAL Team Wrestling season, we rank all of the 2014 playoff qualifiers. Don't miss the WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoff Pairings Show on Thursday, January 23rd at 7:00pm plus EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs next week only here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Franklin Regional Panthers (7-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Latrobe Wildcats (6-1) (Last Week #2) 3. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (7-0) (Last Week #3) 4. North Allegheny Tigers (7-0) (Last Week #4)

2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectional Results

The 2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals are nearly complete with one more fifth place consolation match postponed from Wednesday to take place on Thursday. 20 Class AAA and 15 Class AA teams will battle in the upcoming WPIAL team wrestling playoffs. Seven teams enter the playoffs as section champs: Franklin Regional, Belle Vernon, North Allegheny, Canon-McMillan, South Fayette, Jefferson-Morgan and Burrell were all crowned section winners from the team sectionals. Here are all of Wednesday's results.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/22/2014

January 22, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. New Castle Red Hurricane (15-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Hempfield Spartans (13-1) (Last Week #3) 3. Hampton Talbots (15-1) (Last Week #2) 4. North Allegheny Tigers (13-2) (Last Week #4)

WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Realignment for 2014

January 21, 2014

The WPIAL Board of Control officially passed the new alignment for WPIAL boys and girls soccer on Tuesday afternoon. Here is the new make-up of the sections in each of the three classifications for the 2014 soccer season. BOYS SOCCER: WPIAL CLASS AAA SECTION 1: Albert Gallatin Colonials (over from AAA-4) Connellsville Falcons Hempfield Spartans Latrobe Wildcats Norwin Knights Penn-Trafford Warriors

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/20/2014

January 20, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. North Allegheny Tigers (12-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (11-3) (Last Week #3) 3. Bethel Park Black Hawks (11-1) (Last Week #2)

Scholastic Notebook – 01/17/2014

January 17, 2014

Jared Walker and his brother, Zach, brought a lot of people to the ground during football season. The Walkers led undefeated South Fayette in tackles. In the winter, the Walkers are pretty good at taking more people down to the mat. You’ll have to think long and hard to come up with two brothers in the WPIAL who were so good at football – and so good at wrestling. Jared Walker, a South Fayette junior, is the No. 1-ranked WPIAL Class AA wrestler in the 170-pound division. He entered the week with a 7-0 record. Zach Walker, a senior, is No. 1-ranked at 195 pounds. He was 6-1 entering the week. The Walkers are two of the main reasons South Fayette is the MSA Sports’ No. 3-ranked team in Class AA.

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/16/2014

January 16, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications...including a NEW #1 team in the Open Class. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-2-1) (Last Week #1) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (10-2-0) (Last Week #2) 3) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (10-2-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/14/2014

January 14, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. New Castle Red Hurricane (11-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Hampton Talbots (13-0) (Last Week #2) 3. Hempfield Spartans (10-1) (Last Week #4) 4. North Allegheny Tigers (10-2) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/13/2014

January 13, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. North Allegheny Tigers (10-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Bethel Park Black Hawks (10-0) (Last Week #3) 3. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (8-3) (Last Week #2)

PIHL Notebook – 01/13/2014

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes the end of Peters Township’s long winning streak in Class AAA along with a pair of overtime battles in Class AA. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of this week’s broadcast schedule, a double-header in Class AAA. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Bethel Park (8-0-0); North Allegheny (4-0-1); Shaler (3-0-0) Class AA: Chartiers Valley (4-0-0)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/12/2014

January 12, 2014

We say so long to the first half and welcome the second half of section play in the high school basketball regular season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have lots of WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 boys and girls section high school basketball along with WPIAL and District 6 scholastic wrestling, PIHL high school hockey and men's and women's college basketball, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 13th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

Scholastic Notebook – 01/10/2014

January 10, 2014

No matter what time of year it is at Western Beaver High School, it always seems to be Miller Time. Miller is a senior at Western Beaver. True, he may not be at the same athletic level as, say, New Castle’s Malik Hooker or Gateway’s Montae Nicholson, a pair of future Division I college players who shine in others sports. But as far as production goes in three sports, you’d be hard-pressed to find a WPIAL athlete who is better than Miller. Western Beaver was a .500 team in football, but Miller was their leading receiver for the second year in a row.

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Game Recap for 1/9/14

It was Senior night at the Beaver County Ice Arena for the Blackhawk Cougars Hockey team. Seven players were honored before the game. However the Harborcreek Huskies spoiled the festivities with a 6-3 come from behind victory to improve to 12-1 on the season. The Huskies gained revenge from the teams previous encounter at Harborcreek where Blackhawk won 6-3 on November 25th.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 01/09/2014

January 9, 2014

Here are the latest Top 10 rankings in WPIAL Team Wrestling. Every Thursday through January, MSA Sports ranks the top ten teams in both the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA team wrestling. Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show every Monday at 7:00pm AND weekly matches broadcast on Wednesday's and select weekends only here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Franklin Regional Panthers (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Latrobe Wildcats (4-0) (Last Week #2) 3. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (4-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/08/2014

January 8, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-2-1) (Last Week #2) 2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (9-2-0) (Last Week #1) 3) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (8-2-0) (Last Week #4) 4) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (7-5-0) (Last Week Unranked)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/06/2014

January 6, 2014

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. North Allegheny Tigers (8-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (6-2) (Last Week #2) 3. Bethel Park Black Hawks (8-0) (Last Week #3) 4. Shaler Titans (9-0) (Last Week #4)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/06/2014

Baby it's C-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-old outside, but we will help melt away the deep freeze with plenty of hot high school and college winter sports this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 boys and girls section high school basketball along with WPIAL and District 6 scholastic wrestling, PIHL high school hockey and men's and women's college basketball, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 6th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

MSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – #25 to #1

January 3, 2014

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. Here is our entire countdown fr0m #25 through #1. #25 - Playoff Drought Ends In a year when the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a long Major League Baseball playoff drought, a long WPIAL football playoff drought also came to an end when in Week 9, the Avella Eagles clinched a WPIAL playoffs berth with a 55-14 thrashing of Bentworth to clinch fourth place in the Class A Tri-County South Conference.

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/02/2014

January 2, 2014

MSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – 01/01/14

January 1, 2014

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. We conclude our countdown with the five stories that ended up #5 through #1. #5 - Section 3 Superiority Everybody knew that WPIAL Class AAAA Section 3 in boys basketball was special. But the strength of the four postseason representatives ended up being historic. #1 seed New Castle, #2-seed North Allegheny, #3-seed Hampotn and #12-seed Seneca Valley all advanced through the First Round...then through the Quarterfinals before making the Class AAAA Semifinals a personal Section 3 in-house tournament.

PIHL Notebook – 12/30/2013

December 30, 2013

Welcome to the New Year’s week edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. There were no games played over the past week due to the Christmas break, so whatever shall we do with ourselves? How does a look at the playoff picture in each classification heading into the second half of the 2013-14 season sound? We knew you would think it was a good idea, but we won’t stop there! With a hat trick of network broadcasts scheduled to kick off 2014, preview goodness is also in store. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” CLASS AAA – 2014 PENGUINS CUP PLAYOFFS (Top 12 teams qualify):

MSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – 12/30/13

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #15 through #11. #15 - Perfect Champions It was a rare Perfect Saturday at Heinz Field on November 23rd as all four WPIAL football champions crowned did so with no losses. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny, South Fayette and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic were all 13-0 as they were presented with the golden football on a snowy day on the North Shore, but both the Lions and Trojans were not satisfied with just a district title, they wanted to stake their claim to state gold as well.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/30/2013

We say 'So Long' to 2013 and say 'Hello' in typical grand style to 2014...with the best coverage of high school sports this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 boys and girls section high school basketball along with scholastic mat action and the return of high school hockey, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and the debut of the Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 30th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL Boys High School Basketball - Thomas Jefferson vs Elizabeth Forward at 4:30pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, December 31st:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 12/23/2013

December 23, 2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. North Allegheny Tigers (5-1) (Last Week #2) 3. Fox Chapel Foxes (5-1) (Last Week #3)

PIHL Notebook – 12/23/2013

Welcome to the Christmas week edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. The league may be on holiday hiatus, but there is still plenty to report. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your thermometer of streaking teams around the league at the de facto halfway point of the 2013-14 campaign. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes three games heard on our airwaves along with a pair of overtime contests. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Peters Township (7-0-0); Bethel Park (6-0-0); North Allegheny (4-0-1)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/22/2013

December 22, 2013

While the broadcasts may not be what they usually are, there are plenty of high school events stuffed in the stocking or crammed under the tree to help you through this busy holiday time this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have WPIAL and District 6 non-section and holiday tournament boys and girls high school basketball along with scholastic mat action from the POWERade Wrestling Tournament, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and the PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 23rd: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL Boys High School Basketball - Laurel Highlands vs Latrobe at 1:00pm on WCNS-AM 1480

Scholastic Notebook – 12/20/2013

December 20, 2013

Every two years, the PIAA realigns classifications in all sports. The PIAA’s realignment for the next two years brings about some noteworthy changes in WPIAL sports. The PIAA bases its classifications on school enrollments. In October, schools had to report the number of boys and girls they had in grades 9 through 11. Earlier this week, the PIAA released the enrollment figures for all schools in the state. Some of the major changes in WPIAL football for the next two years will be: * Gateway drops from Class AAAA to AAA. Since the school opened in the 1950s, Gateway had always played in the WPIAL’s largest classification.

PIHL Notebook – 12/16/2013

December 16, 2013

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes overtime action in Class AAA and the Open Class. Last but not least, we round things out with a preview of three upcoming broadcasts, including one in Class A which the “PIHL Power Play” crew will have for you on Thursday. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Central Catholic Has Bid For Perfection Come Up Short in PIAA AAAA Championship

The St. Joseph’s Prep Hawks (12-3) made it two for two for the Philadelphia Catholic League, using a dominating second half to push the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (15-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 35-10 victory Sunday night at Hersheypark Stadium. The Vikings led 10-7 at the half, but lost starting quarterback and Florida State recruit JJ Cosentino to a left ankle injury in the third quarter. Senior quarterback Chris Martin led the Hawks back from the halftime deficit, throwing for 192 yards and three touchdowns against a Central Catholic defense that had only surrendered 85 points and pitched seven shutouts coming into the championship tilt.

Lions Roar to First State Football Title

December 15, 2013

It was a record setting day for the South Fayette Lions, tying a PIAA title game record with 35 first half points, en route to a 41-0 victory over Imhotep Charter to win the Class AA title for the first time in school history. The victory also caps an undefeated season for the Lions, going 16-0. Junior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh became the single season passing leader in WPIAL history, besting his brother Christian’s record of 3,726 yards set in 2010. Brumbaugh set the record in style with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Justin Watson on the second play of the second quarter.

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Game Recap for 12/12/13

December 14, 2013

At the Beaver County Ice Arena the Blackhawk Cougars improved to 6-3 with an 8-1 victory over the Trinity Hillers. It was all Cougars in the first period. Kyle Schaefer opened up the scoring at the 6:11 mark with a slap shot to make it 1-0. Robbie Swinderman, and Grant Rombold, would each score and Austin Javens would score twice as Blackhawk would lead 5-0 after 1 period. The Cougars were 1 for 2 on the power play and had 21 shots on goal. Into the second period Hiller goalie Nathan Connelly was replaced in net by Zacchary Kagle and he would only allow one goal in period 2. Rombold would score his second of the game at 5:27 on a wrist shot to make it 6-0. The Cougars would have 25 shots on goal in period two.

Archbishop Wood Wins PIAA Class AAA Football Title

Seventh year head coach Steve Devlin knew adjustments needed to be made and made they were in the Class AAA championship game at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday night as the Archbishop Wood Vikings used a pounding, time consuming ground game to defeat the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders to claim their second PIAA football crown with a 22-10 victory. Jarrett McClenton set a PIAA Class AAA title records with 40 carries and 238 yards as the Vikings used a drive that last just over twelve minutes to extend the lead to 14-3 with 4:05 remaining in regulation time. Archbishop Wood possessed the football for almost 33 minutes of a 48 minute regulation game. The defense did their part, holding the Crusaders to just 19 yards and one first down in the second half.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling – 12/13/2013

December 13, 2013

Here are the latest Top 10 rankings in WPIAL Team Wrestling. Every Thursday through January, MSA Sports ranks the top ten teams in both the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA team wrestling. Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show every Monday at 7:00pm AND weekly matches broadcast on Wednesday's and select weekends only here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Franklin Regional Panthers (0-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (1-0) (Last Week #2) 3. Latrobe Wildcats (1-0) (Last Week #3)

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 16

December 11, 2013

The final Big Game Hunting of the 2013 season is here, and we are delighted that we still have three teams to talk about in week sixteen. For the 11th time in the history of the state playoffs District 7 will be represented by three teams. The WPIAL will be looking to add to their lead in the chase for state championships, the WPIAL enters this weekend with 33 state championships, districts 3 and 4 are tied for second place with 11 championships each. MSA Sports will have you covered from Hershey for all three district teams vying for titles.

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 12/11/2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications...including a NEW #1 team in the Open Class. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (7-1-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-2-1) (Last Week #2) 3) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (5-3-0) (Last Week #4)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/08/2013

December 8, 2013

Well the weather outside is frightful, but the broadcast schedule for the final week of the high school football season is quite delightful this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have all three remaining WPIAL football champions in action this weekend as the Road to Hershey concludes with the PIAA Football Championship Games at Hersheypark Stadium. We also open up section play in boys and girls high school basketball along with the start of section action on the mats in high school wrestling and men's and women's college basketball as well, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and the PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 9th:

Road to Hershey Semifinals Recaps

The three remaining WPIAL football champions on the Road to Hershey have all met their final destination of playing for a state title next weekend at Hersheypark Stadium, two of them based on impressive one-sided victories while the other struggled, but prevailed as Pittsburgh Central Catholic, South Fayette and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic all improved to a perfect 15-0 with PIAA Semifinals on Saturday. PIAA CLASS AAAA: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 45 - Lower Dauphin Falcons 0 In a PIAA Semifinal defensive performance for the ages, WPIAL AAAA Champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic (15-0) pounded District 3 Champion Lower Dauphin 45-0 at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona.

WPIAL Girls Basketball – 2013-2014 Preview

December 6, 2013

With the exception of Vincentian Academy in Class A, repeating for the 2012-2013 WPIAL girls basketball champions could be a steep up hill climb. Sure, bethel Park, South park and Bishop Canevin are going to be competitors and will be tough outs once the district playoffs start in mid-February, but graduation and injuries have hit those three defending champs hard, possibly leaving the door open for some new faces raising the gold in March. Here is a rundown of WPIAL girls basketball Players to Watch and the Preseason Top Ten in all four classifications. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Players to Watch: Monica Burns - Hempfield Maria Palarino - Penn-Trafford Alayna Gribble - Norwin Erin Mathias - Fox Chapel

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 15

December 4, 2013

State semifinals week is here and three district seven teams remain with a seat at the table. We will break down their opponents here in Big Game Hunting week 15. Kudos to West Allegheny as they bow out in week 14 losing to Erie Cathedral Prep here on the MSA Sports Network. Hearing that score and seeing the Indians throughout the regular season makes you just marvel at how good the Ramblers must be. The WPIAL banner remains high aloft, can one, two, or even all three teams, reach week sixteen? PIAA CLASS AAAA: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (14-0) vs. Lower Dauphin Falcons (13-1) Saturday December 7th at 1:00 PM @ Mansion Park in Altoona, PA broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Josh Rowntree and Lou Rood

WPIAL Boys Basketball – 2013-2014 Preview

The boys basketball gold has been somewhat hoarded the last few years in the WPIAL. Of the twelve championships won over the course of the last three years, five schools (Gateway, New Castle, Montour, Beaver Falls and Vincentian Academy) have won ten of them. Could the 2013-2014 season mark a changing of the guard in District 7 boys hoops, or just more of the same golden antics from those teams listed above? Here is a rundown of WPIAL boys basketball Players to Watch and the Preseason Top Ten in all four classifications. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Players to Watch: Kason Harrell - Hempfield Tony Pilato - Hempfield Matt D'Amico - Fox Chapel Brian Papich - Fox Chapel Tom Kromka - Gateway

WPIAL Wrestling – 2013-2014 Preview

December 3, 2013

Will a coaching change at Canon-McMillan slow down the Big Macs? Will the Burrell Buccaneers add an eighth straight WPIAL Class AA team title to their bloated wrestling trophy case? Which returning wrestlers and top newcomers will have that golden shine about them this winter? We preview the 2013-2014 WPIAL Wrestling season with a look at some of the top wrestlers in the district and the MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten in both classifications> Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, every Monday night at 7:00pm only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAA:

WPIAL Wrestling – 2012-2013 Review

December 2, 2013

The two wrestling dynasties in the WPIAL continued along their golden way a year ago when Canon-McMillan in Class AAA and Burrell in Class AA won district team titles, later matched by a team state championship for the Big Macs. As we prepare for another season of great mat action, here is a look back at the team standings, team playoff results and individual WPIAL and PIAA results from the 2012-2013 season. FINAL 2012-2013 WPIAL Team Wrestling Standings # - Won Section Championship % - Clinched Sub-Section Championship * - Clinched Berth in Section Playoff x - Eliminated From Section Playoff

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/02/2013

The Winter high school and college sports kick into full gear as we welcome in the festive month of December this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the three remaining WPIAL football champions this weekend as the Road to Hershey continues with the PIAA Semifinals. We also open up the high school winter sports season with basketball and wrestling action along with men's and women's college hoops, plus the debut shows of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and the PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 2nd: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

Road to Hershey Recaps: PIAA Football Saturday Afternoon

November 30, 2013

After winning one of two Friday night, two more WPIAL football champions were in action on Saturday afternoon as both Pittsburgh Central Catholic and South Fayette headed north on Interstate 79. The Quad-A champion Vikings stayed on 79 all the way to Erie while the Double-A champion Lions turned east on Interstate 80 toward Clarion. Both came back home Saturday evening to Southwestern Pennsylvania with a win and the hopes of state gold still alive. Here are the summaries from both of those contests. PIAA CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS:

Road to Hershey Recaps: PIAA Football Friday Night

November 29, 2013

Two of the four winners on the Highway to Heinz began their journey Friday night on the Road to Hershey. For one experienced traveler, it was deja-vu from 2012 and a short trip in the state playoffs, but for the rookie squad heading out for the first time in the PIAA football postseason, the first ride was very enjoyable. Here are recaps from the two PIAA Football Playoff games involving WPIAL champions from Friday night. PIAA CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS:

MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 11/29/2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (5-1-0) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-2-0) 3) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-2-0) 4) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (4-2-0) 5) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (4-2-0) PIHL CLASS AA:

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 14

November 27, 2013

Four District Seven teams head off into the PIAA tournament carrying the WPIAL banner with them this weekend after a fantastic championship Saturday at Heinz Field. How will they do and who will they face, we will try to take away some of the mystery for local fans as they get set for the state tournament. AAAA and AA teams from the WPIAL hit the road, heading out of district to play while AAA and A get what amounts to a home game playing within the district. Without further ado let’s go Big Game Hunting.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/25/2013

November 25, 2013

We have no turkey programming for you this holiday week as the weather turns frosty and the calendar turns from November to December this week here on the MSA Sports Network. All four WPIAL football champions are in action this weekend as the Road to Hershey continues with PIAA state football playoff action along with the Class A District 6 champs, plus we have men's and women's college basketball featuring Slippery Rock, Geneva and Penn State-Fayette all here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 25th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, November 26th: No Broadcasts Wednesday, November 27th:

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 23

November 24, 2013

Eyes turn to the hardwood as the district college football season came to an end on a windy and snowy Saturday afternoon. Slippery Rock fell in the D-II playoffs, while W & J saw their season come to an end in the Northeast Ohio snow belt. Waynesburg lost in the ECAC Northeast Bowl, while Duquense and Saint Francis posted wins in their respective regular season finales. The district also says goodbye to a coaching great, Joe Walton coached his final game at Robert Morris, ending a 20 yard career in Moon Township.

Lions Quell the Quips to Capture WPIAL AA Gold

November 23, 2013

For the second time in three years, the Aliquippa Quips and the South Fayette Lions met at Heinz Field to battle for the WPIAL AA Championship. And for the second time since 2010, the Lions ended the Quips season, as South Fayette captured its fourth WPIAL title defeating Aliquippa 34-28. This battle of (12-0) teams was a tremendous back-and-forth contest between top seeded Aliquippa and the second-seeded Lions.

Scholastic Notebook – 11/22/2013

November 22, 2013

The weather for the WPIAL football championships Saturday is not good. The forecast is for cold, possible snow showers and winds gusting to 20 m.p.h. But for half of the four title games, the outlook looks absolutely perfect. Never mind the weather, two of the games match perfect teams – and that is a pretty unusual occurrence. Sto-Rox meets North Catholic for the WPIAL Class A title at 11 and Aliquippa takes on South Fayette for the AA championship at 5. All four teams in those games have perfect 12-0 records.

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Championship Saturday

November 20, 2013

So Saturday is your chance to come to Heinz Field and meet the MSA Sports crew. Find the guy who mispronounced your son or daughter’s name and let him have it. Find the guy or girl who left your club out of Big Game Hunting or Chix Picks and let them have it. Find the guy who completely credited someone else with your kid’s touchdown run, or tackle, and let them have it. Find the person who completely messed up the stats and flip-flopped the years when they were talking about your team in the playoff pairings show or on the round table and let them have it! Find the guy who clearly missed the fact that the ball had touched the ground and you saw it with your own eyes and let him have it.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2013

November 19, 2013

Before we reach the final destination on the Highway to Heinz, we had one final stop to make. And boy, was it fun. In Class A and AAAA, we will definitely have new Champions, as North Allegheny lost in the Quarterfinals and the WPIAL's biggest powerhouse of all-time, Clairton, fell late in the Semifinals. In AA and AAA, South Fayette and Central Valley will look to dethrone Aliquippa and West Allegheny on Saturday. Don't forget, we will have EXCLUSIVE audio broadcasts of Saturday's Championships. But before we get there, let's look back in the rear view mirror one last time at the Semifinals.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/18/2013

November 18, 2013

The Highway to Heinz comes to a conclusion with four district title contests on the North Shore this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The ONLY place where Championships are heard is here on MSA Sports as we have all four WPIAL football finals along with the District 6 Class A championship game, plus college football postseason action, men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and our Championship Saturday preview with This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, November 18th:No BroadcastsTuesday, November 19th:PIHL High School Hockey - Bethel Park vs North Allegheny at 6:10pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 16

November 17, 2013

It was a day of bad news, good news and then bad news for three area teams with title hopes on the line. Slippery Rock lost in the final minute in the PSAC and now will wait to see if an NCAA bid is availilble.W & J claimed the 23rd PAC title in school history and a NCAA D-III bid with a win in the PAC Backyard Brawl over Waynesburg while both Robert Morris and Duquense saw their FCS playoff hopes fall with Sacred Heart's victory over the Colonials in Moon Township.Here are recaps of ALL the games including three here on the Network:

Panthers Pride as USC & Sewickley Win State Soccer Gold While West A Settles for Silver

November 16, 2013

There were mixed results Saturday for the two WPIAL boys soccer teams playing for state gold. Upper St. Clair captured a second consecutive PIAA Class AAA crown with a four goal victory over Conestoga Valley while West Allegheny fell 1-0 to Holy Ghost Prep in the Double-A state soccer title match Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. On friday, Anthony Stinson scored two goals and added an assist, all in the second half as Sewickley Academy wiped out a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Mountain View 4-2 Friday evening at Hersheypark Stadium. Connor Zieden and Matt Teitelbaum also scored for the Panthers who captured their third boys state soccer crown and first since 2007. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs.

WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2013

For the eight teams that were winners on Friday night in the WPIAL Semifinals, they keep alive the dream of winning a district and state football championship. Some of those dreams will be fulfilled on Saturday, November 23rd at Heinz Field, while others will be devastated by coming so close to reaching that golden goal, but having to settle for silver. But at least the four runners-up next week will have had the chance to play at Heinz Field and come away with some silver lining in a dark title game cloud. But it is those eight teams that lost on Final Four Friday that have to deal with the deepest wounds of a successful season washed away one win from the Big House on the North Shore.

Scholastic Notebook – 11/15/2013

November 15, 2013

Look at Friday night’s WPIAL Semifinals and you see many of the same old faces, like Aliquippa, Woodland Hills and Thomas Jefferson, to just name a few. But there are definitely some new faces mixed in.Penn-Trafford is making its first semifinal appearance since 1997. The Warriors have been to only one WPIAL title game.Neshannock is making its second consecutive semifinal appearance and will play Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. Neither Neshannock nor North Catholic has ever been to a WPIAL title game.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 9th

November 10, 2013

For the second time in three years, SRU will play for the PSAC title next week and a NCAA D-II playoff berth.Also looking for playoff berths are W & J and Robert Morris. The Presidents can win the PAC with a win over rival Waynesburg next week while Robert Morris can claim the NEC title with victories at home next week to Sacred Heart and a road win in two weeks at Saint Francis.In other action, the first night game under the lights in Greenville saw Thiel and Westminster play four quarters then four more overtimes to an exciting finish.Here are recaps of ALL the games, including two heard right here on the Network:

District 10, 9, 8, 6 & 5 Playoff Football Scores – Nov. 9

November 9, 2013

While the Highway to Heinz has two rounds in the books, there was plenty of other high school football postseason in Western Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday. Here are ALL of the results from the playoffs in Districts 10, 9, 6 and 5 as we are two weeks from the start of the Road to Hershey and the PIAA Football Playoffs.DISTRICT 5/6/8/9 Class AAA Semifinals:Somerset Golden Eagles 28 - University Prep Wildcats 20Clearfield Bisons 42 - Johnstown Trojans 7DISTRICT 5/8 Class AA Semifinals:Chestnut Ridge Lions 55 - Westinghouse Bulldogs 20Bedford Bisons 41 - Everett Warriors 24----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scholastic Notebook – 11/08/2013

November 8, 2013

There are 10,000 reasons to like Lenny Williams at quarterback. Williams is a senior at Sto-Rox and it has been well-documented that he is the all-time leading passer in WPIAL history in yards and touchdowns. But what has been lost in the passing numbers and records is the fact that Williams now has over 10,000 yards offense.No other WPIAL player is known to have 10,000 yards offense in a career.Williams has 7,799 yards passing and his rushing yardage puts him over 10,000. Williams passed for more than 2,000 and ran for more than 1,000 last year. So far this season, he has thrown for 2,050 yards and rushed for 347.

Blackhawk Cougars Hockey Game Recap for 11/5/13

November 7, 2013

At the Beaver County Ice Arena on Tuesday November 5th in a special Hometown Broadcast the Beaver Bobcats score 3 goals within :37 seconds late in the third period to defeat the Blackhawk Cougars by an 8-6 score. Blackhawk down four players due to injury or sickness skated only 11 players plus a goalie in this battle of neighboring school districts. The Bobcats used 14 skaters and a goalie and this would prove to be an advantage late in the game. Both teams entered the game with 0-2 records and were looking for their first win.

Chicks Picks – Week 11 – 2013

Welcome to Week 11. It is not unusual for Chick’s Picks to be flooded with requests for guest appearances around the WPIAL—a small part of the price of fame that has come along with her celebrity prognosticating career. A rather extraordinary request came in last week, however—one that Chick’s Picks could simply not refuse.The City of Pittsburgh reached out late last week seeking her availability to serve as a parade Grand Marshal—a role that Chick’s Picks had always aspired to be. Looking back at other famous Grand Marshals throughout history—Paula Deen, Mr. Rogers, Pele, and even Mickey Mouse himself—Chick’s Picks knew at that moment that she had made it.

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 11

November 6, 2013

Quarterfinals! They are all big now, makes my job a little more difficult but, don’t cry for me Argentina! I will keep my promise to bring you what I think will be the biggest game in each of the classifications. Exit number two on the Highway to Heinz is approaching. There were not a huge amount of upsets in the first round but certainly a couple and some games that were a lot closer than most thought they would be. That is just another of the reasons WPIAL playoff football is such a blast. Now you have to be extra careful about choosing where you will go, you don’t want to miss a great game. Take your smart phone so you can track the scores and listen to whatever turns into THE game of the week on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Ten 2013

November 5, 2013

The Highway to Heinz started out with a bang. Big plays, upsets, stats galore and performances for the ages. In all, it was an exciting Week Ten of WPIAL Football (and kudos to non-playoff Week 10 winners, especially Plum for breaking a WPIAL-long 25-game losing streak). Let's take a look back at Week Ten's best plays before hopping back on the road in the Quarterfinals. #1 Penn-Trafford 22, Penn Hills 16

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/04/2013

November 4, 2013

With the WPIAL soccer and volleyball playoffs behind us, we focus on the ride on the Highway to Heinz as well as open up a new chapter of winter high school and college sports this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We continue our exclusive coverage of the District 7 football playoffs with all 16 WPIAL Quarterfinals games starting Friday with the expanded MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL High School Football Scoreboard Show.

2013 WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS

November 3, 2013

The top seeds advanced all the way to the finals where two of the three were able to reach the high expectations the district steering committee set for them. The Tigers claimed girls volleyball gold for the fourth time, the Yellowjackets for the third time and the close but no cigar Crusaders captured their school first ever volleyball title. Here are all of the results after North Allegheny in Triple-A, Freeport in Double-A and Bishop Canevin in Single-A win titles in the 2013 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs.All matches with (MSA) after the result can be heard archived ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network.2013 WPIAL CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:North Allegheny Tigers 3 - Bethel Park Black Hawks 0 (MSA)

West Allegheny Boys & Central Valley Girls Win WPIAL Class AA Soccer Titles

November 2, 2013

Coming into Super Soccer Saturday, West Allegheny was the top seed in the Boys Class AA playoff field while Central Valley was the only undefeated and untied team remaining in the WPIAL. At then end of the day, both were wearing the golden crown in the sport of soccer for the first time in their schools history. Here are the recaps from both Class AA district championship soccer matches.AA Girls: Central Valley Warriors 2 - Hopewell Vikings 1

Freshman Marianne Abdalah of Vincentian Wins PIAA X-Country Girls A Title

The field of runners in the PIAA Class A girls cross-country championship race Saturday got some Royal treatment. But they couldn’t have liked it.Youth was served when Marianne Abdalah, a freshman for the Vincentian Academy Royals, ran away from the field and won the Class A title in Hershey. Abdalah won with a time of 18 minutes, 24 seconds and the next closest finisher was almost one minute behind.The win capped off quite a first year of high school cross country for Abdalah. She also won the WPIAL title a few weeks ago and emerged as one of the top runners in the area, no matter the classification. She was the only WPIAL athlete to win a PIAA title.

University Prep Claims Second City League Football Title

The University Prep Wildcats won their second Pittsburgh City League football championship in the three year history of the program with a 33-20 victory over the Allderdice Dragons Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium.University Prep is a combination of that school, along with Obama Academy and Science and Technology for football, they have qualified for the title game all three seasons, besting Allderdice in 2011 and falling to Perry last season.

Peters Township Boys & Seneca Valley Girls Win WPIAL Class AAA Soccer Titles

While Class AA and Class A district soccer finalists have to wait for Super Soccer Saturday to play for gold, Class AAA went Primetime at the new Highmark Stadium at Station Square. A couple of one goal games led the championships for Peters Township boys and Seneca Valley girls. Sam Hall has the details from both title matches. AAA Girls: Seneca Valley Raiders 1 - Peters Township Indians 0

Scholastic Notebook – 11/01/2013

November 1, 2013

Moon’s running game went from Colaianni to Cole, and now everything is cool with the Tigers on the ground.Moon is in the WPIAL football playoffs this season for the first time since 2006, and one of the main reasons for the turnaround is Cole Blake, a senior running back who is the fifth-leading rusher in the WPIAL heading into the playoffs.Blake has made a name for himself, rushing for 1,457 yards. He set a school record with 342 yards in one game. But Blake’s story is interesting in that he only got a chance to be the featured back this year because of an injury. Suffice to say, Blake has run with that chance.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 2nd

October 31, 2013

A huge battle for the PSAC West Division crown and the berth in the State Championship Game will be at stake at Thompson-Mihalik Stadium on Saturday afternoon when the Vulcans and the Rock do battle.In the PAC, Geneva will play it's final home game of the season and in the NEC, a good matchup on the Bluff as Saint Francis meets Duquesne.Here are previews of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network:California (6-2) at Slippery Rock (7-1) 1pm on WLER 97.7-FM and msasports.net It’s a battle for the PSAC West title as both teams are tied with 4-1 records in the division. The winner will likely represent the West in the PSAC State Title Game against the Eastern Division Champion.

Chicks Picks – Week Ten – 2013

Welcome to Week 10. As yet another high school football season begins to wind down, Chick’s Picks spent some time with Team MSA Sports simply reflecting on her tenure at the network. She shared her stories with the team, from her first day as an intern many moons ago, to her first venture in prognosticating.One of the network’s newer members, who shall remain nameless, seemed preoccupied during the team’s storytelling session. Unable to make sense of this reaction, Chick’s Picks said, “Young man, are we boring you with this MSA Sports history lesson?” He responded, “Chick’s Picks, it’s just that I was only two years old when you started working here. So, please forgive my disinterest.”

2013 Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 10

October 30, 2013

I’m on the Highway to Heinz, the Highway to Heinz, with apologies to AC/DC there will in fact be stop signs. In fact 32 teams will get off this Friday night after the shortest trip imaginable on the Highway to Heinz. But for those naysayers who claim there are too many teams in the playoffs, I dare you to ask any member of those 32 teams if they would give back the memory of making the playoffs even after getting dumped in round one, the answer is no, they would not. In fact, they would do it all again even knowing the heartbreak was coming right at them. That’s why the playoffs in the WPIAL are perfect just the way they are. Now let’s stop bickering about it and go Big Game Hunting!

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Nine 2013

#1 Kittanning 28, Shady Side Academy 27For the second week in a row, the top play is a controversial call. After pulling within one point on a Jared Brevard 7-yard touchdown run with under four minutes to play, Shady Side Academy would be penalized for excessive celebration. The personal foul pushed the extra point to 35 yards out, a kick that Dan Marous would push wide left. Kittanning would eat clock on the final drive, giving the Wildcats an undefeated regular season and the Allegheny Conference title.Full Broadcast: http://www.msasports.net/broadcasts/kittanning-boys-football-at-shady-side-academy-boys-football

WPIAL Girls Volleyball Quarterfinals Recaps 2013

October 29, 2013

Most of the top seeds were able to survive Round Two and move on to the Final Four. However Pine-Richland, Thomas Jefferson and Shenango were not so fortunate as they were upset Tuesday night. Here are recaps from the Quarterfinals of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs as twelve teams advance to the district Semifinals.Thanks to Pete Blais, Bob Orkwis, Sean Meyers, Lee Mohn, Mark Schaas and Mike Azadian for their help on these recaps.WPIAL CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Semifinals Recaps

On the night when the WPIAL announced the high school football playoff brackets, the district European football playoffs hit the Semifinals Round. Here are recaps from all twelve WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Semifinals, matches that can be heard archived only here on the MSA Sports Network.Thanks to Steve Nagler, Lee Mohn, Adam Hoerner, Pete Blais, Rick Smith, Chris Lackner, Sean Meyers, Matt Vandriak, Lou Rood and Paul Paterra for their help on these recaps.WPIAL BOYS CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

PIHL Notebook: 2013-2014 Open Class Preview

October 28, 2013

Welcome to another installment of “PIHL Notebook” as we celebrate the drop of the puck across the league tonight by wrapping out season preview four-pack with a look inside the Open Class.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football Playoff Rankings – 10/27/2013

October 27, 2013

The WPIAL will unveil the playoff brackets Monday night for the upcoming journey that we call the Highway to Heinz. The committee does not rank the teams 1 through 16, they seed them. First they figure out the top 4, then the rest of the top 8 that will be home for the opening round adhering to some basic rules including...you can't play a team in your own conference in Round One and you can't be seeded beneath a team that you finished ahead of in your own conference. You start plugging in the rest of the puzzle until the picture is complete. Here is a completed picture of a football bracket as drawn by the artists here at the MSA Sports Network.CLASS AAAA:#1 Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (9-0)

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 26th

The final weekend of October brings wind, rain and tough conditions, just how football players like it.Slippery Rock and Cal both came up with huge wins in the PSAC, setting up a battle next week at the Rock for the West Division title.W & J wins as well, the Presidents control the PAC race. And a quarterback making his first NCAA start leads Robert Morris to a comeback in the NEC.Here are recaps of ALL the games:Slippery Rock 44 – Edinboro 20 The 22nd ranked Rock used the ground game to win their fifth straight game. Teddy Blakeman ran for three touchdowns as SRU will host Cal next week with a spot in the PSAC State Title Game on the line.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for Week Nine

The curtain has come down on the 2013 WPIAL football regular season. A final Huzzah to all of the great players and their highlight performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday throughout the past nine weeks. Here is the final encore from the top six stand outs in District 7 on the final day of this years campaign.Elijah Hardy and Nathaniel Cofer - Summit Academy

North Allegheny Wins 2013 PIAA AAA Team Tennis Gold

October 26, 2013

North Allegheny winning a championship is not breaking news. However a week after winning their very first WPIAL Girls Team Tennis Class AAA title, the Tigers added their first ever state tennis crown to their crown trophy case. North Allegheny edged District 1 champion Methacton Saturday evening in Hershey to claim the PIAA Triple A championship. District 10 Mercyhurst Prep won the Class AA state championship. Here are all of the results from the 2013 PIAA Girls Team Tennis Playoffs.2013 PIAA CLASS AAA GIRL TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 3 - Methacton Warriors 2PIAA CLASS AAA Semifinals:NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 4 - West Chester Henderson Warriors 1

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Nine

Friday night in Week Nine. One last chance for ALL of the teams around the WPIAL to shine. Some will move on to the Highway to Heinz in the hopes of making this a lucky 13th season in the 21st century. Others who will not move on just wanted to close out the campaign on a high note. Here are the players who sang like soprano's Friday night with large performances that had the crowd calling for an encore. Trevor Morrow - Upper St. Clair

FINAL WPIAL Football Playoff Picture

The 64 teams and their positions out of their respective conferences are now set. Now it is up to the WPIAL football steering committee to seed the 16 teams in each classification. Here are ALL of the final playoff teams and their position through the nine week regular season.CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:McKeesport Tigers (8-0) have clinched CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPPenn-Trafford Warriors (6-2) have clinched Second Place (Take second based on head-to-head tiebreaker with Gateway)Gateway Gators (6-2) have clinched Third Place

2013 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Standings – 10/25

October 25, 2013

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Ten of the 2013 high school football season...plus the FINAL WPIAL football playoff clinchings. Standings are updated after each game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chase % - Not eligible for WPIAL playoffsWPIAL CLASS AAAA: (SET WITH 16 PLAYOFF TEAMS)Northern Eight Conference:

WPIAL and City League Football Scores for Friday, October 25th

For several WPIAL teams headed into the final Friday of the 2013 football regular season, it was now or never. As Apollo Creed told Rocky Balboa..."there is no tomorrow' (echo trails off). There weren't many playoff berths up for grabs, but the chase was on for conference titles, home field advantage, playoff seeding and those precious remaining postseason openings for one final night. Here are the Week Nine final scores of games in the WPIAL plus the Pittsburgh City League Semifinals schedule.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conference:Upper St. Clair Panthers 35 - Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 7Woodland Hills Wolverines 19 - Penn Hills Indians 7

Washington Back in Football Playoffs After PIAA Overturns Forfeits

October 24, 2013

In again out again in again Washington. The case involving the Washington football team and the eligibility of one of its players is over. Washington wins and now the Little Prexies can start thinking playoffs once again.On Thursday afternoon, the PIAA overturned a previous WPIAL ruling that ordered Washington to forfeit five wins for using a player who is in his fifth year of high school. Under PIAA and WPIAL rules, a student only gets four consecutive years to play sports when the student starts ninth grade. Regardless of whether the student doesn’t play sports for a year, he/she gets only four continuous years.

Chicks Picks – Week Nine – 2013

Welcome to Week 9. After nearly a decade of dominating fantasy football leagues, Chick’s Picks decided to throw her hat into fantasy hockey, hoping for at least a bit of a challenge. While her league mates spent weeks researching and preparing for the draft, Chick’s Picks sat back and chuckled, knowing her prized crystal ball was the only research she needed.Draft day was finally here. Chick’s Picks packed up her crystal ball and headed to meet the gang at league headquarters. It was no surprise to see the gaggle of league mates in line awaiting her autograph when she arrived. Chick’s Picks is, after all, kind of a big deal around the WPIAL.

MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Salute – FREEPORT YELLOWJACKETS

Last 7 years the Lady Jackets section record has been 90-2. In 2013, Freeport finished 11-1 and as co-champs with Knoch in Class AA Section 4. They are the #2-seed in the Class AA playoffs.This years Lady Jackets are anchored by it's 5 senior players. Returning AA all-state and WPIAL first team outside hitter Alexis Schrecengost (2.6 GPA) along with Section 4-AA All-stars libero Brittany Bianco (3.7 GPA), setter Emily Toy (4.0 GPA)and opposite hitter Megan Sweeny (3.4 GPA).

Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 9

October 23, 2013

Although much has already been decided week nine of the 2013 WPIAL football season brings us all the sweetness you might expect with regard to conference championship tilts. It also has a fair share of win and you are in games. It also has some games that will have a huge impact come seeding time for the football steering committee. The stretch run winds down and we get set for the Highway to Heinz.AAAA Foothills Conference: #3 McKeesport Tigers (8-0)(7-0) at #6 Gateway Gators (7-1)(6-1) Thursday October 24th at 7:00 PM @ Antimarino Stadium on the campus of Gateway high school. Broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Paul Paterra and Lou Rood

2013 MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Playoff Recaps

Six of the seven teams that were a part of the 2013 MSA Sports Girls Volleyball Program qualified for the WPIAL postseason. Over the next two weeks, anytime Avonworth, Brentwood, South Side, Blackhawk, Freeport and West Allegheny hit the court, we will recap their playoff performance right here.WPIAL CLASS AA FIRST ROUND:

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Eight 2013

October 22, 2013

Oh Week Eight, you were something. From controversies to conversions to comebacks, the eighth week of the 2013 WPIAL season was certainly special. In all, there were 10 games decided by 7 points or less, including 3 dramatic, one-point games. Throw in a Quad A comeback and one of the most talked about plays in recent history and how can you not be pumped for the remainder of the season? Here are the top playoff from Week Eight:#1 Aliquippa 34, Beaver Falls 28

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/22/2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week EIGHT.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (8-0) (Last Week #1) (This Week: host Butler on MSA)2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (8-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: at Mount Lebanon on MSA)3. McKEESPORT TIGERS (8-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: at #6 Gateway Thursday on MSA)4. SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (7-1) (Last Week #6) (This Week: host Fox Chapel)

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for Week Eight

October 20, 2013

Only three games were on the docket on the third Saturday of October, but all had some sort of playoff implication...one team trying to clinch a spot, one team trying to control its own destiny and a playoff bound team trying to improve seeding. Here are the three players that shined in those games despite the gray, chilly and damp conditions.Jesse Zelonka - Apollo-Ridge

WPIAL Football Scores for Saturday, October 19th

October 19, 2013

The second to the last Saturday of high school football in the 2013 regular season focused on Class A with three games on the docket. While the schedule was light, the playoff ramifications were there in two of the games as Western Beaver looked to clinch a postseason berth in the Big 7 Conference and Brentwood hoped to stay in control of their own destiny as they are now one win away from clinching in the Black Hills Conference. Here are the Saturday WPIAL football final scores in Week Eight.WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:Apollo-Ridge Vikings 41 - Riverview Raiders 16WPIAL CLASS A Big 7 Conference:Western Beaver Golden Beavers 28 - Shenango Wildcats 14 (MSA)

PIAA Boys and Girls Western Regional Golf Qualifiers

October 17, 2013

The PIAA state golf qualifiers were held Wednesday at the Tom's Run Golf Course in Blairsville as WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League boys and girls golfers battled players from District 6 and District 10 in an effort to qualify for the state championships. 16 Class AAA and AA boys golfers will be headed to York while 14 girls golfers qualified for the two day event next week.PIAA BOYS CLASS AAA: (Top 12 Golfers Advance to State Finals)

Chicks Picks – Week Eight – 2013

Welcome to Week 8. Chick’s Picks, like most other Pittsburghers, was honored to witness the success of the Pirates this season. Since she was just a baby prognosticator during the last Pirates postseason appearance, Chick’s Picks cherished every moment this time around, down to the final pitch. When the season came to an end, Chick’s Picks made it her mission to find a way to give back to the city of Pittsburgh, just as the Pirates had done.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoff Teams – 10/15/2013

October 15, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports ranked the top ten girls teams in all three classifications. Now that we are on the brink of the postseason, will rank ALL of the playoff bound teams as they prepare to shoot for district gold starting Saturday, October 19th.WPIAL Class AAA:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoff Teams – 10/15/2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports ranked the top ten boys teams in all three classifications. Now that we are on the brink of the postseason, will rank ALL of the playoff bound teams as they prepare to shoot for district gold starting Monday, October 21st.WPIAL Class AAA:

WPIAL Football Playoff Picture 2013

Two weeks remain in the 2013 WPIAL football regular season. Two weeks for the boys to frolic around before the men come take over the yard. Here is the latest update on the teams that have clinched their ticket to ride on the Highway to Heinz and the start of the district postseason ONLY here on MSA Sports.CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:Gateway Gators (6-0) have clinched (If McKeesport and Gateway win in Week 8, the Tigers-Gators winner will be conference champion, the loser will be second place) 10/18: PENN-TRAFFORD – 10/25: McKEESPORT

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/14/2013

October 14, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week SEVEN.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (7-0) (Last Week #1) (This Week: At Altoona on MSA)2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (7-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: at Plum)3. GATEWAY GATORS (7-0) (Last Week #3) (This Week: host Penn-Trafford on MSA)4. McKEESPORT TIGERS (7-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: host Kiski Area on MSA)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/13/2013

October 13, 2013

The 'Stretch Run' of the 2013 high school football regular season continues with a bang this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have a busy eighth week of the high school football season with FORTY ONE WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 football games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Friday night kicking off with the expanded MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL High School Football Scoreboard Show.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, October 12th

It was not a good day for ranked teams in either the PSAC and PAC. IUP came into the day ranked number 7 in D-II and gave up more points than the Crimson Hawks had allowed all season. Thomas More came off a 61-0 pounding of Geneva, the 20th ranked Saints were dumped at W & J.Here are recaps of all the games:Slippery Rock 42 – IUP 16 In a battle of bitter rivals, the Rock staked their claim to the PSAC West Division title with a dominating first half performance in the victory over the #7 ranked Crimson Hawks. The Rock led 28-3 at the half and 42-3 after three quarters.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Seven

October 12, 2013

The nerves are a little more active when you hit the 'Stretch Run' of the high school football season as each game takes on more meaning. Some teams have been known to wilt and struggle under said pressure, while others thrive and succeed toward the second season. Here are the top performance from what was another rain free, yet a tad damp Friday night as these players put a damper on their opponents Week Seven.Doug Altavilla and Nick Barca and Luke Smorey - Baldwin

WPIAL & City League Football Scores for Friday, October 11th

October 11, 2013

Welcome to the 2013 MSA Sports 'Stretch Run', the final three weeks of the 2013 high school football season that will help determine conference champions, home field advantage in the opening round of the postseason and playoff berths themselves. Here are all of the final scores from the second Friday in October.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conference:Upper St. Clair Panthers 28 - Bethel Park Black Hawks 13 (F)Peters Township Indians 39 - Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 35 (F)Woodland Hills Wolverines 34 - Canon-McMillan Big Macs 0 (F)Penn Hills Indians 33 - Plum Mustangs 10 (F)WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference:

Scholastic Notebook – 10/11/2013

The Beaver football team changed its offense this year, going to a spread offense with much more passing.You could say the new offense has been a Rowse-ing success.Alex Rowse is Beaver’s quarterback and is doing things unheard of by Beaver quarterbacks. After six weeks of the season, Rowse leads the entire WPIAL in passing yardage with 1,581 yards. To put that in perspective, consider that last year’s quarterbacks – Rowse and Austin Ross - had less than 1,000 yards passing combined.

Upper St. Clair and Sewickley Academy Win WPIAL Boys team Golf Crowns

October 10, 2013

You could say Upper St. Clair winning the district boys team golf title was very odd. that's because for the 7th time in the last 8 years ending with an odd number, the Panthers are Class AAA champs. in Class AA, Sewickley Academy made it a clean sweep for schools named Panthers as they claimed district gold for the first time since they won three consecutive championships from 2006 through 2008. Here are all of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Boys Team Golf Class AAA and Class AA Playoffs.2013 WPIAL BOYS GOLF CLASS AAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: At Cedarbrook Golf Club in Belle Vernon:Upper St. Clair Panthers - 381Fox Chapel Foxes - 411

Penn-Trafford & Central Valley Capture WPIAL Girls Team Golf Gold

The song remains the same when it comes to the girls team golf landscape in District 7. For the second year in a row and the second time in school history, Penn-Trafford captured the WPIAL Class AAA with a four stroke victory over runner-up North Allegheny and the rest of the seven team field. Meanwhile, Central Valley continued its dominance in Class AA with a second straight crown earned with a convincing 82-stroke victory over runner-up Sewickley Academy and the other two finalists. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Girls Team Golf Championships held Thursday at the Cedarbrook Golf Club in Belle Vernon.WPIAL CLASS AAA GIRLS TEAM GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP:AT Cedarbrook Golf Club in Belle Vernon:

MSA Sports Big Game Hunting – Week Seven

October 9, 2013

What a neat year it has already been. The Pirates reached the playoffs and it appears so will the Avella Eagles and the West Shamokin Wolves! All three are tremendous stories this fall. The stretch run is here and all of those teams control their own destinies. That is all their fans have been hoping and praying for. Some teams don’t control their own fate. Some need help, and some need a lot of help. The time has come for scoreboard watching and more importantly listening to the MSA Sports Scoreboard show every Friday night with Don Rebel. But you should have been doing that all along. Let’s go Big Game Hunting. AAAA Southeastern Conference:

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Six 2013

October 8, 2013

With nine WPIAL games decided by four points or less this week, there was definitely no shortage of big plays. Next week, we move to the "Stretch Run" of the 2013 season. But first, let's reminisce on a fantastic sixth week of high school football. #1 Bethel Park 21, Penn Hills 19 So often does a missed extra point come back to haunt a team. Penn Hills found that out the hard way on Friday night. After a Marshall Thompson miss on a PAT and a blocked field goal, Penn Hills would find themselves down 21-19 following a Ja’Mar Gee touchdown reception with 10 seconds left. But the Blackhawks’ defense would come up big on the two-point conversion, coming away with a massive AAAA Southeasten Conference victory.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/07/2013

October 7, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week SIX.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (6-0) (Last Week #1) (This Week: host #8 North Allegheny on MSA)2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (6-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: host Bethel Park on MSA)3. GATEWAY GATORS (6-0) (Last Week #3) (This Week: at Norwin)4. McKEESPORT TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: at Connellsville on MSA)

MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Salute – WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS

Now in their second year in Class AAA, the West Allegheny Indians look forward to competing for a playoff spot in this 2013 season.The Indians returned 4 starters, led by all WPIAL junior setter Tara Savisky. "Tara is in my opinion the best setter in the WPIAL and a fantastic competitor", said head coach Brian Begor.Also leading the charge Is senior Alexi Hamm who has worked very hard to develop into a quality player. Also playing key roles are seniors Jenna Reilly, Lizzie Murn, and juniors Rachel Buck and Nicole Ostrander. Sophomore Alyssa Placha continues to improve every day in the libero position and sisters Sam and Lauren Schaupp have provided some good play in serving and defensive roles.

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Saturday, October 5th

October 5, 2013

If not for a couple of old school Homecoming Games, it would have been a lonely Saturday of high school football in Southwestern Pennsylvania. There were no games in the Pittsburgh City League and even with a pair of 'Saturday specials', there were only three games on the docket in the WPIAL. All three games Saturday are now in the books and can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA Parkway Conference:Ambridge Bridgers 45 - Hopewell Vikings 13 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Conference:Beaver Bobcats 62 - Riverside Panthers 29 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:West Shamokin Wolves 27 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 8 (MSA)

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Friday, October 4th

October 4, 2013

The second half of the 2013 high school football season and the first Friday in October kicked off with weather conditions closely associated with the first Friday of September. The care free days from the ninth month of the year are a distant memory as we bear down for the second month of the season. Separation Friday preped us for the final three week Stretch Run…so with that in mind, here are all of the results for Friday, October 4th in both the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:Altoona Mountain Lions 14 - Hempfield Spartans 37McKeesport Tigers 25 - Latrobe Wildcats 0Connellsville Falcons 15 - Penn-Trafford Warriors 21

Fox Chapel and Sewickley Academy Duo Win WPIAL Girls Doubles Tennis Gold

For the first time in ten years, there was a repeat WPIAL champion in girls doubles tennis. Amy Cheng and Jappman Monga of Sewickley Academy captured district gold for the second consecutive season, marking the first repeat duo winners since Patty Kaczmarek and Meghan Stubblebine of Bishop Canevin in 2003. A pair of sophomores may have the chance to match consecutive crowns next fall after sophomores Laurel Shymansky and Lacey Cohen of Fox Chapel upset top-seed Maddy Adams and Anna Li of North Allegheny in the Class AAA Girls Doubles Finals Thursday afternoon.WPIAL CLASS AAA GIRLS DOUBLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP:Laurel Shymansky and Lacey Cohen (Fox Chapel) over Maddy Adams and Anna Li (North Allegheny) 7-5, 6-4

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap: Knoch Knights 3 – FREEPORT YELLOWJACKETS 2

The Freeport Yellowjackets' Girls' Volleyball team had been running roughshod over all of its competition going into the return match with the Knoch Knights. The two squads met back on September 10, and the Yellowjackets embarrassed the Knights, 3-0, on Knoch's own home court. The Knights had quite a bit of time to think about revenge since then, and they jumped on the unbeaten Yellowjackets in Game 1, winning 25-21, on huge kills from Celina Sanks and Mary Zellhart. The Jackets pulled to within one at 22-21, but could get no further than that.

District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 5th

October 3, 2013

As the calendar turned to October, Week 6 of the college football season brings Crossover Week in the PSAC as East meets West. Conference play heads up in the NEC and PAC with three games right here on the Network.Here are previews of ALL the games, recaps will be posted Sunday morning.Slippery Rock (3-1) at Kutztown (0-4) 1:05pm on WLER 97.7-FM and msasports.net Slippery Rock defeated Mercyhurst 58-34 last week to get back on the winning track.WR John Schademan had 229 receiving yards, a single game record in the win. Schademan has over 100 yards in all four games this season. The senior is fourth in the conference with seven touchdowns.

Chicks Picks – Week Six – 2013

Welcome to Week 6. Pittsburghers had plenty to celebrate this week, Chick’s Picks included. The Pirates recorded their first playoff victory in 21 years, and Chick’s Picks played a key part in it.Earlier this week, a member of the Pirates staff contacted Chick’s Picks about making a special guest appearance during the game. Chick’s Picks was thrilled to learn that she was being invited to join Sauerkraut Saul, Cheese Chester, Jalepeno Hannah, and Oliver Onion in the world-famous Pierogy Race.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/02/2013

October 2, 2013

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 30th. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (11-0-1) (Last Week #1)2) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (12-1-1) (Last Week #3)3) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (11-1-0) (Last Week #4)4) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (11-1-2) (Last Week #2)5) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (10-2-1) (Last Week #5)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/29/2013

September 29, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week FIVE.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (5-0) (Last Week #1) (This Week: at #10 Pine-Richland on MSA)2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (5-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: host Butler on MSA)3. GATEWAY GATORS (5-0) (Last Week #3) (This Week: AT #5 North Allegheny on MSA)4. McKEESPORT TIGERS (5-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: at Latrobe on MSA)

2013 MSA Sports Hometown Volleyball Program Member – The Avonworth Antelopes

This is my 13th year as head coach. Hope it’s not unlucky, but we already have two girls who had season ending injuries from basketball. We hope to compete for the section championship and go deeper into the playoffs than last season. But, we have a very solid and very big team this season and we think that we can compete with anyone. The returning starters for my team are: Katie Pendrak - 6’1” returning senior middle hitter Olivia London - 5’10” returning senior strong side hitterAbby Turnbull – 5’4” returning senior defensive specialistEricka Thomas – 5’5” returning senior defensive specialist

District College Football Recap for Saturday, September 28th

It was an exciting day of college football around Western Pennsylvania with a pair of double overtime games, a huge offensive performance by the Rock and IUP takes the Coal Bowl for the first time from Cal.Here are recaps of ALL the games:Slippery Rock 58 – Mercyhurst 34 The Rock racked up 609 yards of offense in the win. Transfer Teddy Blakeman ran for three scores and caught a td pass, he also threw for a touchdown. WR John Schademan had a school record 229 yards receiving on 11 catches, he has gone over 100 yards in all four games this season.

WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for Week Five

It would have been another lonely, one WPIAL game on Saturday in Week Five if not for three school's who celebrated their Homecoming Weekend with afternoon high school football games. While most Saturday action focuses on Class A, the smallest classification played out on Friday, leaving one Quad-A and three Double-A games to soak up the sunshine and churn out the top performers on the final play date of September.Billy Urso - Fox Chapel

2013 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Standings – 09/27

September 27, 2013

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Five of the 2013 high school football season. Standings are updated after each game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chase % - Not eligible for WPIAL playoffsWPIAL CLASS AAAA: (2 out of 16 Teams Have Clinched Playoff Spots)Northern Eight Conference:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/27/2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week ending September 27th...including a NEW #1 team in Class A. You can check out the new rankings every Friday through the regular season with daily updated girls volleyball standings and weekly matches as well all here on the home for the Hometown Volleyball Program, the MSA Sports Network.Section record in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #1)2) SHALER TITANS (5-0) (Last Week #5)3) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (5-1) (Last Week #4)4) OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES (6-1) (Last Week #2)

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Friday, September 27th

We hit the midway point of the 2013 WPIAL football regular season on the fifth Friday of the campaign. This also marked the final Friday in September, although it felt more like the first Friday of the ninth month with temps in the 70's around kick off time. Here are ALL of the final scores from Friday night.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conference:Bethel Park Black Hawks 24 - Peters Township 0 (F)Woodland Hills Wolverines 49 - Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 10 (F)Upper St. Clair Panthers 44 - AT Baldwin Highlanders 0 (F)Canon-McMillan Big Macs 17 - Plum Mustangs 7 (F)WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 42 - Seneca Valley Raiders 0 (F)

District College Football Preview for Saturday, September 28th

September 26, 2013

Week 5 of the College Football season and conference play is heating up with a Top 25 meeting in the PSAC. Waynesburg puts their unbeaten record on the line with a trip to Kentucky to meet Thomas More and Geneva travels to the city to meet CMU.Here are previews of ALL the games including three heard right here on the Network, recaps will be posted SundayMercyhurst (1-2) at Slippery Rock (2-1) 6pm on 97.7 FM and MSASports.net Mercyhurst leads the series 3-2, the road team has never won in the series. The Lakers fell 20-13 at Clarion last week in the division opener. It was the first time that the Lakers had dropped the PSAC West opener.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/25/2013

September 25, 2013

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 23rd. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (9-0-1) (Last Week #1)2) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (8-0-2) (Last Week #2)3) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (9-1-1) (Last Week #8)4) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (8-1-0) (Last Week #3)5) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (8-2-1) (Last Week #4)

Hometown Volleyball Match Recap: BLACKHAWK COUGARS 3 – Hopewell Vikings 2

September 24, 2013

The Blackhawk Cougars rallied from a 0-2 deficit to defeat the 2nd ranked Hopewell Vikings Tuesday night in Chippewa 21-25, 18-25, 26-24, 25-18 and 15-9. With the victory, the Cougars move into a tie for first place with Hopewell for the top spot in Section 1 AA at 5-1.The Vikings led 22-17 in the third game, when Blackhawk coach Cindy Guthrie called a timeout. She said that she told the girls to just get the score to 22-20 and see where it goes from there. Blackhawk scored three straight points to make it 23-20 and Hopewell coach Terry Borkovic called timeout.The Cougars were able to tie the game at 23 and then won it with senior Haley Schramm making the big play to give Blackhawk the win.

WPIAL Boys Class AAA Individual Golf Semifinals

Wednesday marks the first of three WPIAL individual golf championships with the Boys Class AA finals from the Sewickley Heights Country Club. Tuesday, the Semifinals for the Boys Class AAA Championships were held at three sites. The qualifiers advance to the finals to be held on Wednesday, October 2nd.WPIAL Boys AAA Semi-Final Individual Qualifier - Cranberry Highlands G.C.- Par 70

District College Football Recap for September 21

September 22, 2013

Conference play opened up in the PSAC and PAC, as W & J and Geneva opened with big wins. Clarion and California went to 3-0 overall and Duquesne crossed the border into Ohio with not so good results.Here are recaps of ALL the games from Saturday.Gannon 38 - Slippery Rock 20 The Rock’s woes continued in the city of Erie, where SRU has not won a game since 2002. 4 turnovers and a powerful Gannon running game that controlled the clock took the Golden Knights to the win in the PSAC Western Division opener for both teams.

Scholastic Notebook – 09/20/2013

September 20, 2013

Now that Shai McKenzie’s football career is over, it’s time to reflect on how good of a running back he was at Washington High School. Going strictly by statistics, it’s not an overstatement to say McKenzie was one of the best of all time in the WPIAL.McKenzie’s senior season is finished because of a torn ACL sustained in last Friday’s game against Charleroi. He was scheduled to have surgery Friday.McKenzie finished his career with 4,856 yards on 493 carries and 77 touchdowns. The yardage is the 15th best in WPIAL history. Had he stayed healthy, there is a good chance McKenzie would have become only the fifth running back in WPIAL history to reach 6,000 career yards.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 09/20/2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week ending September 20th. You can check out the new rankings every Friday through the regular season with daily updated girls volleyball standings and weekly matches as well all here on the home for the Hometown Volleyball Program, the MSA Sports Network.Section record in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (5-0) (Last Week #1)2) OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES (5-0) (Last Week #2)3) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-0) (Last Week #4)4) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (3-1) (Last Week #3)

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Friday, September 20th

One-third of the season is in the book as we began the middle third of the high school football regular season on Friday night. This weeks saw several up and coming programs test their mettle against some of the mighty established squads in District 7. Here are ALL of the final scores from the Week 4 Friday schedule.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Southeastern Conference:Upper St. Clair Panthers 35 - Penn Hills Indians 0 Baldwin Highlanders 20 - Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 19 in OvertimePlum Mustangs 0 - Woodland Hills Wolverines 51Bethel Park Black Hawks 31 - Canon-McMillan Big Macs 0WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference:Pine-Richland Rams 28 - North Allegheny Tigers 29

Callie Frey of Mount Lebanon & Samantha Gohh of Sewickley Academy Claim WPIAL Gold

September 19, 2013

The comeback kids became the golden girls Thursday afternoon in the 2013 WPIAL Girls Singles Tennis Championships as Callie Frey of Mount Lebanon won her second straight Class AAA crown while Samantha Gohh of Sewickley Academy won Class AA gold at North Allegheny High School.WPIAL Class AAA Championship: Callie Frey d. Marlys Bridgham 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Chicks Picks – Week Four – 2013

Welcome to Week 4. Chick’s Picks has a dear friend at the MSA Sports Network who loves nothing more than to spend his free time attending bizarre fitness classes. For months, Mike Azadian has been strongly encouraging Chick’s Picks to attend a hot yoga session with him. Nothing about this idea sounded even the slightest bit intriguing to Chick’s Picks, but after a stressful week, she decided to give it a try.Chick’s Picks was right—she found little stress relief stretching her body in ways it did not belong. To make matters worse, her trusty crystal ball could not withstand the heat of the 105-degree studio. This week’s picks melted out of the crystal ball, right into oblivion.

2013 WPIAL Girls Singles Tennis Playoffs Recap

The battle for the first district championship of the 2013-2014 school year did not come easy as both winners needed three sets Thursday in the finals of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Singles Tennis Playoffs. Top-seed Callie Frey of Mount Lebanon made it back-to-back Class AAA titles with a comeback victory over Marlys Bridgham while Samantha Gohh won the all Sewickley Academy finals match with a comeback win over Panthers teammate Sydney Miggantz. Here are ALL of the results from both the Class AAA and Class AA tournaments. You can listen to the archive broadcast of the finals and consolations right here on the MSA Sports Network.2013 WPIAL CLASS AAA Girls Singles Tennis Championship Match:

Hometown Girls Volleyball Match Recap: WEST ALLEGHENY 3 – Montour 0

September 18, 2013

At West Allegheny High School in Hometown Volleyball action the West Allegheny Indians win a hard fought game with section rival the Montour Spartans by a 3-0 match score. They improve their record to 2-2 overall and in section 5 AAA are in 4th place.Game scores were 25-22, 25-21, and 25-10.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/17/2013

September 17, 2013

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 16th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) NORWIN KNIGHTS (4-0-1) (Last Week #1)2) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (6-1-0) (Last Week #4)3) CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (8-0-0) (Last Week #5)4) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (6-1-0) (Last Week #2)5) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (6-2-0) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Salute – CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS

September 16, 2013

The Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers graduated five starters as part of the class of 2013. We have three returning starters beginning with junior defensive specialist Kassie Kesneck, junior outside hitter Montana Johnston and sophomore setter/right side Kylee Levers. Johnston was named all-section third team last season. Levers was named all-section and All-WPIAL first teams last season and will be a captain for the CH team this season.

District College Football Recap for Saturday, September 14th

September 15, 2013

Another Saturday of college football around the region and some more high scoring games.The PSAC started Eastern-Western crossover play and the PAC had one conference game.Here are recaps of ALL the games from Saturday:Slippery Rock 58 - Shippensburg 38 The Rock jumped out to a 30-0 lead and handed the Red Raiders their second straight loss. Shippensburg was ranked in the top 10 to start the season. Nigel Barksdale threw four touchdown passes for the Rock in the victory as SRU goes to 2-0.

WPIAL Football Score for Saturday, September 14th

September 14, 2013

Hello, hello, hello...is there anybody out there? OK, my apologies to Pink Floyd, but a day after one of the busiest Friday's in WPIAL history with 61 contests came one of the quietest regular season Saturday's in the history of District 7. There was only one game on tap in the entire WPIAL as all eyes were on the Class A Eastern Conference battle in Oakmont. Here is the final result.WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:West Shamokin Wolves 41 - Riverview Raiders 12

Hometown Girls Volleyball Match Recap: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 3 – AVONWORTH 0

September 12, 2013

At Avonworth High School in Hometown Volleyball action the Avonworth Antelopes took a tough section four loss at home to the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Chargers by a score of 3-0. Both teams came into the game with 3-0 records. Avonworth was 3-0 in section four, OLSH 2-0. However the Antelopes after tonite fall to 1/2 game back of the Chargers.

WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings – 09/11/2013

September 11, 2013

Here are the latest WPIAL girls volleyball standings for the 2013 season. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs in October. Also, don't forget to click on the Girls Volleyball sports page for information on the 2013 MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program.Only section record is shown.MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program teams are capitalized and bolded.(Top 3 teams from each section qualify for playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff ChaseWPIAL CLASS AAA:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 09/11/2013

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of September 9th...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (4-0-1) (Last Week #1)2) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (3-0-1) (Last Week #2)3) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (5-0-0) (Last Week #4)4) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (5-1-0) (Last Week Unranked)

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Two 2013

September 10, 2013

Week Two of the WPIAL football season featured a high number of blowouts, as the top teams began to separate themselves from the pack. However, big plays were prominent, particularly on special teams. Week Two included 6 punt return touchdowns, 6 kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt returned for a score as well. Throw in 13 pick-six returns and 5 fumbles returned for scores and it was an exciting week for non-offensive players. So it maked sense that the Top Play of Week Two belongs to, who else, a kicker. #1- Chartiers-Houston 9, Bishop Canevin 6

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 09/10/2013

Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of September 9th, including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) NORWIN KNIGHTS (2-0-0) (Last Week #2)2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (4-0-0) (Last Week #5)3) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (4-1-0) (Last Week #1)4) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (3-1-0) (Last Week #10)

MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Salute – BLACKHAWK COUGARS

September 9, 2013

Under the direction of new head coach Cindy Guthrie, Blackhawk expects good things from this veteran quad of five returning starters. Haley Schramm, left front hitter, is returning as a 3-year letter winner, WPIAL first team member and WPIAL all-district. She led the team in kills and blocks last season. MaKenna Malinowski is a 2-year letter winner, defensive specialist that led the teams in digs and aces last season. She was also chosen as first team all-section. We look for significant contributions from Senior Hannah Pringle, a left-handed right side hitter as well as middle hitters senior Allie Menges and junior Nikki Beatty.

WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Two

September 7, 2013

Football is a copycat sport. If somebody has success at any level, it seems to filter up and done as fads and tendencies come and go. For years many teams have wanted to emulate the Baltimore Ravens defense. After the Ravens D’s performance in the NFL season opener on Sunday, it seems many WPIAL football teams can now say mission accomplished after a night of high scoring with points a plenty. Hard to settle in on just ten…but we accept that challenge by cheating with plenty of duo kudos as we look back at a wild Friday night of football around the WPIAL.Billy Kisner and Isaiah Jones – Penn Hills

2013 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Standings – 09/06

September 6, 2013

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Two of the 2013 high school football season. Standings are updated after each game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chase % - Not eligible for WPIAL playoffsWPIAL CLASS AAAA:Northern Eight Conference:

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Friday, September 6th

If there was one word that best described opening night of the 2013 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football season, it was probably cramps. That funny sounding word that is no laughing matter when you are laying on the field in horrific pain. There should be a lot fewer of those nagging muscle issues this week with a splendid evening temperature wise expected throughout Western Pennsylvania. Here are the Week Two Friday night matchups in both District 7 and District 8. Check back later this evening for final results and check out updated scores throughout the night at m.scores.msasports.netAll games kick off at 7:30pm unless otherwise indicated. All games followed with (MSA) can be heard live on the MSA Sports Network.

Chicks Picks – Week Two – 2013

September 5, 2013

Welcome to Week 2. Chick’s Picks typically likes to avoid angry fans, especially in Week 1. Things did not exactly go as planned last week, however, when the house prognosticator inadvertently riled up the Tri-County South faithful.Upon further review, it appears that Chick’s Picks, amidst the excitement of opening week, unwittingly omitted her Tri-County South predictions. Fans from the conference were outraged—rightfully so—and were not afraid to let their voices be heard.

District College Football Preview for 9/7/13

The 2013 district college football slate kicks off with a bang this weekend. 19 teams from the area start their season, while two others head to the field for the second time. Here are previews of all the games, including three to be played later tonight:(All games are on Saturday, except where noted)Slippery Rock at Northwood Noon on WLER 97.7-FM and the MSA Sports NetworkThe teams have not meet on the gridiron since 1992. Slippery Rock has won both meetings between the foes.The Rock was 6-5 in 2012 and finished 5-2 in the PSAC West. SRU was picked third by the PSAC coaches in the West in the 2013 preseason poll, behind IUP and Mercyhurst, last year’s co-champs.

WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings – 09/04/2013

September 4, 2013

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week One 2013

September 3, 2013

After an exciting Week One of WPIAL football, one of the prominent storylines was big defensive plays at crucial moments. In fact, three of the top five plays of Week One were done on the defensive side of the ball. The top play, however, belongs to a surprising backup running back for one of Class A’s top teams.Here are the top plays from Week One:#1- North Catholic 22, Apollo-Ridge 21 (2OT)

Geibel Forfeits Friday Football Game at Beth-Center

September 2, 2013

After losing their 2013 season opener this past Friday 81-0, Geibel High School will forfeit their Week Two game on Friday at Beth-Center.This marks the second year in a row the Gators will forfeit their second game against the Tri-County South powerhouse Bulldogs. Because of low numbers a year ago, Geibel forfeited their first two games of the season against Frazier and Beth-Center before being able to finish out the schedule with seven straight losses.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 09/02/2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week One, including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (1-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: at #8 North Hills on MSA)2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (1-0) (Last Week #3) (This Week: host Fox Chapel on MSA)3. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (1-0) (Last Week #5) (This Week: host Canon-McMillan)4. GATEWAY GATORS (1-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: host Connellsville on MSA)

WPIAL/City League Football Scores for Saturday, August 31st

August 31, 2013

With fewer and fewer teams playing their home games on Saturday, more times than not this season there will only be a couple of games on the docket. however that was not the case as opening weekend concluded with a grand total of nine WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League games slated on the final day of August. Here is a rundown of ALL the Saturday final scores.(MSA) after the game indicates that game is being broadcast on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA vs CLASS AA Non-Conference:Aliquippa Quips 44 - Ambridge Bridgers 13 (MSA)WPIAL CLASS AA Century Conference:Seton-LaSalle Rebels 40 - South Allegheny Gladiators 3 (MSA)WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:

2013 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Standings – 08/31

Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week One of the 2013 high school football season. Standings are updated after each game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network.# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chase % - Not eligible for WPIAL playoffsWPIAL CLASS AAAA:Northern Eight Conference:

Chicks Picks for Week One 2013

August 29, 2013

Welcome to Week 1. Chick’s Picks has been counting down all summer (or lack thereof) to the start of football season. In an attempt to stay connected with her favorite time of year, she decided to host a summer camp for her prognosticating pals. A generous soul, Chick’s Picks thought it would be a good opportunity to share her prophetic wisdom with her counterparts.The Boss was kind enough to offer the use of MSA Sports World Headquarters for the camp. Chick’s Picks suspected that this could be The Boss’s way of living his childhood dream of pigskin prognosticating vicariously through the professionals. Regardless, the turnout was impressive, and included the likes of The Birdie, The Fumbler, HS Picks and some amateurs as well.

CTK 2013 – MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten: WPIAL Quad-A

August 26, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2013 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams. This article, we present the Top Ten in Class AAAA.Final 2012 record is in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN:1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (10-3)2. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (8-3)3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (16-0)4. GATEWAY GATORS (9-2)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/26/2013

The curtain is about to be lifted in GRAND style on the high school football season as we conclude our Countdown to Kickoff 2013 schedule this week here on the MSA Sports Network. How about over FORTY WPIAL and District 6 football games on Friday and Saturday to get the high school season started, beginning with the expanded MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL High School Football Scoreboard Show, plus the pro baseball season winds down with Frontier League baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as well as news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, August 26th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netTuesday, August 27th:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Tri-County South Conference Preview

August 24, 2013

Youth was served last year in the Tri-County South Conference. Of the 24 positions for first-team all-conference last year, 16 were filled by sophomores. Those players are a year older, which means the Tri-County South could be a little stronger. Last year was the first of the “new” Tri-County South. That basically meant Monessen no longer was in the conference. The Tri-County South did not fare well in the postsesaon as all four teams lost in the first round. Will the conference get to taste any postseason success this year? With so many returning all-conference players, maybe Tri-County South teams will fare better.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Allegheny Conference Preview

August 21, 2013

The Allegheny Conference of Class AA has seen its share of balance recently. Over the past four seasons, four different teams have won at least a share of the conference title.While many are picking Shady Side Academy as the team to beat this year, balance seems to permeate through the section again.A number of teams seem capable of grabbing one of the WPIAL playoff spots. One thing the teams in the conference would like to do is improve their playoff fortunes. Shady Side Academy is the only Allegheny team to win a playoff game the past two seasons.Here is a look at the Allegheny Conference: BURRELL BUCCANEERS:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Century Conference Preview

2012 was another strong year for a pair of Class AA powers and South Fayette and Seton-LaSalle finished one-two in the conference and had some playoff success with the Rebels going to the Quarterfinals and the Lions to the Semifinals. But they were not the story last fall in the Century Conference.In his 4th year at South Allegheny, former Duquesne High School football coach Pat Monroe did what few people thought he could, he turned the Gladiators into a contender.The moribund program turned it around in the fall of 2012 as South Allegheny finished third in the conference and was 7-2 in the regular season before bowing out in Round One of the WPIAL playoffs.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Interstate Conference Preview

August 19, 2013

Over the past four seasons, four different teams have won the Interstate Conference championship. It was Washington last year, Jeannette in 2011, Greensburg Central Catholic in 2010 and Mount Pleasant in 2009. The race for the 2013 conference crown looks to be among those same four teams. All four have some firepower that could lead a team to the conference title. Washington made it to the WPIAL title game last year and has super running back Shai McKenzie. But the Little Prexies still have a lot of holes to fill. Here is a look at the Interstate Conference: BROWNSVILLE FALCONS: There is nowhere to go but up for the Falcons.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Midwestern Conference Preview

The Aliquippa Quips continued their dominance of Class AA with another WPIAL championship in 2012. The win was the fifteenth title in school history and the second of back to back gold footballs for the Quips.Aliquippa is likely the favorite once again in both the Midwestern and the classification, a huge challenge could come from their old rivals, the Beaver Falls Tigers, who are also in everyone’s top 5 to start the season. Could it be another Beaver County matchup at Heinz Field in November, stay tuned to the MSA Sports Network to see.Here is a look at the Midwestern Conference.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/19/2013

it is the calm before the storm as the focus for the final time this year is squarely on Frontier League baseball and auto racing as we get closer to wrapping up Countdown to Kickoff 2013 this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things are home at CONSOL Energy Park for three games hosting Gateway before hitting the road for a weekend set at River City, plus we have the latest news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, August 19th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netTuesday, August 20th:Pro Baseball: Frontier League - Gateway Grizzlies vs Washington Wild Things at 7:05pm on WJPA-FM 95.3Wednesday, August 21st:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Triple-A Parkway Conference Preview

August 15, 2013

While repeats have been the story in the WPIAL in the last few years with Clairton winning five consecutive Class A titles, two straight Class AA titles for Aliquippa and three straight titles for North Allegheny in Quad A, there have been no repeat champion in Class AAA.However, a team from the Parkway Conference has claimed the last four AAA trophies, with West Allegheny as the defending champion. In fact, five of the nine coaches in the conference has won a WPIAL championship, those coaches have combined for 13 gold medals for their teams since 1991.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Quad-A Foothills Conference Preview

August 13, 2013

The Foothills Conference is made up of nine schools who played a lot of young players in 2012. While that led to a competitive conference and some exciting football a year ago, it also led to an 1-6 record in the postseason with only conference champion Gateway picking up a postseason victory in the 2012 WPIAL football playoffs.There is an effort up and down the conference to shed that ‘weak link’ reputation the Foothills has when compared to the other Class AAAA conferences. In the 32-year history of WPIAL Quad-A football, Foothills Conference teams have captured gold only four times: Gateway in 1986, Connellsville in 1991, McKeesport in 1994 and only once since the turn of the century, when the Tigers won it again in 2005.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL/Pgh City League Week One Scrimmages

August 11, 2013

FINALLY! High school football camps throughout Pennsylvania open for business on Monday. That means teams have less than a week of practice before they hit the field for the first of two scrimmages in preparation for the season lid-lifter on Friday, August 30th and Saturday, August 31st. Scrimmage number one takes place this Saturday, August 17th on fields around Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here is a rundown of all the first week scrimmages involving WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League high school football teams.WPIAL vs Pittsburgh City League:Perry Commodores AT North Allegheny Tigers at 9:30amBrashear Bulls AT Seton-LaSalle Rebels at 10:00amCarrick Raiders AT Shady Side Academy Indians at 10:00am

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/11/2013

We have plenty of baseball with both youth and pro diamond action while we also continue our Countdown to Kickoff 2013 all this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things go back and forth as they close out a short homestand, then hit the road for three games before returning over the weekend back to CONSOL Energy Field in Washington PA, which will also be hosting the conclusion of the 2013 PONY League World Series, with each game right here on the network. Plus we have the latest news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, August 12th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Class AAA Players to Watch

August 9, 2013

Countdown to Kickoff 2013 continues with a four-day look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on the contact button at the top right of this page, then clicking Submit Scores/Schedule Corrections/Updates. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2013 campaign in Class AAA.OFFENSE:Quarterback:Chandler Kincade - BlackhawkTory Delmonico - West AlleghenyJaQuan Davidson - Elizabeth ForwardCharan Singh - Franklin RegionalNate Climo - Central ValleyXavier Ellis - Uniontown

CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Single-A Football Flashback

August 7, 2013

The beat continued for the Big Bad Bears in Class A. It seemed every time Clairton took the field, another record would fall after yet another victory. The Bears once put together their third straight perfect 16-0 season while winning a record fifth straight WPIAL crown as well as a fourth consecutive PIAA state championship. Clairton's state title game win was their WPIAL and PIAA record setting 63rd consecutive win and is the longest current win streak in the nation. The flip-side was West Shamokin snapping a WPIAL record 47-game losing skid with a Week 3 victory over the Riverview Raiders en route to a 3-victory season for the Wolves.2012 WPIAL Single-A Football Regular Season Standings:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Double-A Football Flashback

August 6, 2013

It was strange to see South Allegheny in the playoffs and Ford City home for the postseason. But there was nothing strange about the end result in Class AA as Aliquippa won a second straight WPIAL championship with another dominating campaign. The title was the third in five year for the Quips, who soundly beat a Washington team that was back in the title picture for the first time in over a decade thanks to superstar junior running back Shai McKenzie.2012 WPIAL Double-A Football Regular Season Standings:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chaseWPIAL CLASS AA:Midwestern Conference:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Triple-A Football Flashback

August 5, 2013

It was another banner year for Parkway Conference. For the fourth straight year, the WPIAL Class AAA champion came from arguably the 'toughest conference in the state." West Allegheny won their sixth WPIAL championship and second in four years despite the fact they finished in a three-way tie for the Parkway Conference title with 2010 winner Central Valley and 2011 district champion Montour. Meanwhile despite finishing behind Thomas Jefferson AGAIN in the Big Nine Conference, West Mifflin rebounded with a strong playoff run that put the Titans back in the title game for the first time since 2004.2012 WPIAL Triple-A Football Regular Season Standings:

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2013

July 31, 2013

The countdown to the start of the 2013 high school football season is underway. High School football training camps throughout Western Pennsylvania open up on Monday, August 12th as teams prepare for a new season starting Friday, August 30th and Saturday, August 31st. As has been the case in the fourteen previous years here at MSA Sports, the ONLY place to turn for original DAILY updates that help prepare fans for all the excitement of the 2013 high school football season in the WPIAL is 'Countdown to Kickoff 2013' ONLY here at www.msasports.netALL UPDATED:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/31/2013

Sure, we have plenty of baseball with both youth and pro diamond action as the month melts from July to August, but we start up a tradition like no other as well this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things begin the week at home before hitting the road for a short 3-game set, then returning to CONSOL Energy Park this weekend. We also have the start of the American Legion Baseball State Championships and the news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin, plus with a pair of shows Tuesday from Kennywood Park, we begin our annual preparation for the upcoming high school football season with Countdown to Kickoff 2013 ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, July 29th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

Washington Wild Things Host 2013 Frontier League All-Star Game

July 16, 2013

The Washington Wild Things and CONSOL ENERGY PARK will play host to the Frontier League’s signature events, the 2013 All-Star Game Wednesday night starting at 7:05pm and can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.The All-Star Festivities will feature a softball clinic and exhibition softball game with the Akron Racers, a professional women’s softball team, the Home Run Derby contest, a community activity with Habitat for Humanity , a luncheon with keynote speaker Steve Blass, the 2013 Frontier League All-Star Game and much, much more.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/10/2013

July 10, 2013

The Frontier League pro baseball action heats up as the first half of the regular season winds down this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things are at home for three against Lake Erie before hitting the road this weekend for the final series before the all-star break at Florence, plus there is plenty of local, regional and national news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, July 8th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netTuesday, July 9th:Pro Baseball: Frontier League - Lake Erie Crushers vs Washington Wild Things at 7:05pm on WJPA-FM 95.3Wednesday, July 10th:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/01/2013

July 1, 2013

The first full week of the month of July continues to focus on pro baseball here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things hit the road for a week-long Frontier League series as they travel to Gateway and Evansville, plus there is plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, July 1st:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, July 2nd:Pro Baseball: Frontier League - Washington Wild Things vs Gateway Grizzlies at 8:05pm on WJPA-FM 95.3

2012-2013 MSA Sports Female Athlete of the Year – SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH

June 28, 2013

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough’s favorite athlete is LeBron James. “It’s actually an obsession with him,” Walker-Kimbrough said with a laugh. “My neighbors hate when the Heat plays on TV.” But while Walker-Kimbrough looks up to James, she is sort of like her idol in one way. James is king of the NBA and Walker-Kimbrough is the queen of WPIAL female athletes – again.

WPIAL Coaching Changes

June 27, 2013

Three district coaching vacancies have been filled as a new football coach was hired at a Class A school while boys basketball coaches were appointed at a Class AAAA school and a Class AA powerhouse.* The change on the coaching staff at Carmichaels was more a switch of titles than anything else. John Menhart ended his second stint as head coach of the Mighty Mikes (1989-2002 and (2009-2012) after last season and will become an assistant coach at Carmichaels. So it only seemed right to take one of his assistants and slide them into the leadership role. Offensive coordinator Ryan Krull has been named new head coach of the Mighty Mikes, keeping it all in the family. Krull is Menhart's son-in-law.

Record Year Leads North Allegheny to 10th MSA Sports Cup Quad-A Title

WOW! North Allegheny has won every MSA Sports Cup Class AAAA championship, but you could say the title they won in the 2012-2013 school year was perfect. There are 20 sports in which schools can earn points in the competition and for the first time in ten years, a school earned points in ALL of them.North Allegheny scored a mind-numbing and record 1,115 points this year, 'edging' runner-up Peters Township by a mere 635 points. Mount Lebanon finished third, Canon-McMillan fourth and Hempfield fifth. The rest of the top ten was Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Latrobe, Gateway and Fox Chapel.

Mars Earns First Repeat MSA Sports Cup Class AAA Title

The first ten years of the MSA Sports Cup has shown us that while there are a couple of dominating schools in the other three classifications, the chase for the Class AAA Cup has been up for grabs with eight different schools earning The Cup in ten years. However for the first time, a Triple-A school has captured the MSA Sports Cup for a second straight year.Mars earned 520 points, giving them a 105-point cushion over runner-up South Fayette. Former winner South Park was third with Indiana fourth and another former champ, West Allegheny fifth. Rounding out the Class AAA top ten were Ambridge, Hopewell, Hampton, Blackhawk and the only other two-time Triple-A Cup winner, Moon.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/24/2013

June 24, 2013

The first full week of summer is also the last full week of June as the focus continues on pro baseball this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things hit the road for a mid-week Frontier League series before returning home to CONSOL Energy Park for a four game weekend set including a Friday doubleheader, plus we have the top senior football players from Beaver, Northern/Western Allegheny and Lawrence County battle the elite from Eastern Ohio in the annual Penn-Ohio all-star football game along with plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, June 24th:

Clairton’s Tyler Boyd Shines Again in PA Win Over Md in Big 33

June 16, 2013

The last four years, Tyler Boyd of Clairton has concluded each football season with some gridiron magic at Hersheypark Stadium in leading the Bears to four straight state crowns. So it was only fitting he would cap off a dream scholastic career with a huge game in Chocolatetown in leading Pennsylvania to a 58-27 victory over Maryland in the annual Big 33 Classic high school football all-star game.Boyd ran back the opening kickoff 91-yards for a touchdown to get the ball rolling. he caught a pair of touchdown passes, both from North Allegheny quarterback Mack Leftwich of 16 and 5 yards, he had a scoring run from 4-yards out and just for good measure, he threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Brian Lemelle of Bishop McDevitt.

Riverside Perfect No More After PIAA AA Title Game Loss To Brandywine Heights

June 14, 2013

One run was all it took to claim a state championship. The Brandywine Heights Bullets got that run and won their first PIAA Class AA softball title 1-0 over the Riverside Panthers at Beard Field on Friday morning. Senior Megan Olson pitched a dandy, keeping the Panthers hitters off balance all day. The loss spoils the undefeated season for Riverside, who had won 22 straight games and had only allowed seven runs all season.

PIAA Softball Championship Previews

June 13, 2013

Last year, only Neshannock from District 7 returned home from State College with a PIAA softball championship. Now the Lancers are back in the finals, except this time the 2012 Double-A state champs are playing in the 2013 Single-A finals. The Lancers are not alone from the WPIAL in Happy Valley on Friday, as they are joined by 2013 WPIAL Quad-A champion Canon-McMIllan and 2013 WPIAL Double-A champion Riverside, who want to double their gold in-take before ending the season. Here are recaps from all three championship contests to be played at Beard Field in Nittany Lions Softball Park on the campus of Penn State University.All three games can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.

PIAA Softball Semifinals Recap from Tuesday

June 11, 2013

After Monday turned into a washout for all eight remaining high school softball teams, Tuesday saw the wait was worth it for three of the four WPIAL squads in the state Semifinals. 2013 WPIAL champions Canon-McMillan, Riverside and Neshannock all were victorious Tuesday and will move on to play for state gold on Friday. However Tuesday was the end of the line for Class AAA Ambridge. Here are recaps from all the Western Semifinals softball games from Tuesday afternoon.A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Todd Brown and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps.

2013 PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

District 7 had one team clinch a trip Happy Valley on Monday and had three more teams with state gold dreams ending in the Final Four 24 hours later. Semifinals Tuesday turned into Black Tuesday for the WPIAL as all three teams, North Allegheny in Class AAAA, Keystone Oaks in Class AAA and California in Class A had their state title bubble pop with losses in Round Three. Here are ALL the final scores through the Semifinals, plus the four championships games on Friday at Penn State University in the 2013 PIAA Baseball Playoffs with the Class AA contest right here on MSA Sports.2013 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:North Penn Knights 6 - Lower Dauphin Falcons 5

2013 PIAA SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

The 24-hour push back from Monday to Tuesday due to rain did not dampen the spirits of three WPIAL softball teams. 2013 WPIAL champions Canon-McMillan in Class AAAA, Riverside in Class AA and Neshannock in Class A were Round Three winners and are now headed to Happy Valley to play for a state softball crown. Fellow District 7 mate Ambridge lost in their bid to make it to State College. Here are ALL the final scores through the Semifinals, plus a look at all four championship games set for Friday at Penn State University in the 2013 PIAA Softball Playoffs with the Class AAAA, Class AA and Class A softball state title games ALL here on the MSA Sports Network .2013 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

North Allegheny Wins 5th PIAA Boys Volleyball Class AAA Championship

June 5, 2013

A pair of dominant WPIAL boys volleyball programs played in the state finals on Saturday with different results. North Allegheny is going to party like its 1999 after beating Pennsbury in four games to capture the schools fifth state boys volleyball championship. The Tigers victory matches their state crowns in 1979, 1987, 1991 and 1999. Meanwhile, Ambridge had to settle for state silver after losing to Northeastern York in four games in the Class AA championship at Penn State University. The Bridgers were trying to win their second boys volleyball title and first since 2009. Here are ALL of the final results from both the Class AAA and Class AA 2013 PIAA Boys Volleyball Playoffs.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/03/2013

June 3, 2013

The district baseball and softball playoffs are in the books, so now the attentions swings to the state playoffs as we kick into June this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have expanded coverage of the First Round of the PIAA Baseball and Softball state playoffs with more action later in the week in the Quarterfinals along with PIAA Boys Volleyball Semifinals match action, plus more Frontier League pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, June 3rd:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

Wilson & Riverside KO Defending Champ Deer Lakes in WPIAL AA Finals

May 30, 2013

Riverside senior Kirsten Wilson pitched like a champion the entire 2013 season. Now she has received her just do as she and her Panthers teammate are all winners after beating the 2012 WPIAL Class AA champion Deer Lakes Lancers 5-1 Thursday at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania.Wilson entered the district title game with an 18-0 record and a .043 earned run average with 213 strikeouts and twelve straight shutouts. She picked up where she left off by not allowing a hit until there were two outs in the 6th inning and by then, the Panthers were leading 3-0.

Neshannock Runs Away With WPIAL Class A Softball Championship

The hit parade was out in full force as the Neshannock Lancers pounded out 16 hits in route to their first WPIAL Class A softball championship with a 10-4 victory over the Carmichaels Mighty Mikes at Lilley Field. The Lancers were ousted in the 2012 Class AA semifinals but went on to run thru the PIAA bracket to claim the state championship.Madison Shaffer struck out twelve in picking up her 18th win of the season, the sophomore also was 2 for 4 at the plate with a triple and a double, she drove in three runs. Marissa DeMatteo and Alexandra Fischer both had three hits for Neshannock, now 18-2 on the season.

North Allegheny Knocks Seneca Valley From WPIAL Quad-A Baseball Perch

May 29, 2013

The North Allegheny Tigers won their seventh WPIAL baseball title with a 4-2 victory over the Seneca Valley Raiders at Consol Energy Park on Wednesday night. Mitchell Machi pitched 6. 1 innings for the win, he was the winner in three consecutive post-season starts. The championship is the first for the Tigers since 2009. Brandon Bergstrom went 2 for 3 at the plate, including a double and started two double plays on defense. Machi credited Bergstrom and all of his fielders for helping him out of jams.The Tigers avenged two 3-2 losses to the Raiders on April 11 and April 25, North Allegheny will take on Hempfield for a second time in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs on Monday. The Tigers shut out the Spartans 3-0 in the WPIAL semifinal round.

Western Beaver Truly Golden In WPIAL Class A Baseball

In an improbable finish to the Class A Baseball championship game, Western Beaver pitcher Nick Miller picked off Santino Platt off second base to end the game and give the Golden Beavers a 3-2 come from behind victory over the OLSH Chargers to claim their second WPIAL championship. Western Beaver scored two runs in the sixth inning to take the lead entering the final frame.The win for Western Beaver give the Golden Beavers their second WPIAL title, they claimed the gold in 2000. Miller picked up the win, going to 7-1 on the season.

WPIAL Class AAAA and Class A Baseball Consolation Recaps

History was made Wednesday evening at Ross Memorial Field as the WPIAL held its very first Class AAAA baseball consolation game. With the demise of the Pittsburgh City League in baseball, the PIAA added a third team from District 7 Class AAAA. Here are recaps from both the Quad-A and the Single-A consolation games played on Wednesday at the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex.

2013 WPIAL Softball Championships Preview

Never before has a district postseason tournament played out the same way the 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs have. in the end, the top-seed in all four classifications have made it through three round to the championships where they will face all four #3-seeds in each class. Here is a look at all four #1 vs. #3 matchups to decide the 2013 WPIAL golden girls on Thursday at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania.WPIAL CLASS AAAA:The game: Canon-McMillan (20-1) vs. North Allegheny (17-4), 7 p.m. Thursday at California University.The pitchers: Canon-McMillan’s Alayna Astuto (20-0) vs. North Allegheny’s Sami Beining (10-2).

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/29/2013

There will be plenty of diamond gold dished out in both the District 7 and District 6 as the baseball and softball playoffs come to an end this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have all four WPIAL Baseball Championship Games, all four WPIAL Softball Championship Games, all eight WPIAL baseball and softball consolation contests and a pair of District 6 Baseball Championship Games and two D-6 Softball Championship Games, plus more Frontier League pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, May 27th: HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM ALL OF US HERE AT THE MSA SPORTS NETWORK

WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA Baseball Consolation Recaps

With a PIAA state playoff berth at stake, both the Class AAA and Class AA WPIAL consolation baseball games were thrillers all the way down to the final at bat. A walk-off sacrifice fly and a walk-off triple helped keep the 2013 baseball season alive for both Shady Side Academy in AA and Keystone Oaks in AAA.

South Park Remains Perfect In Extra Inning AAA Title Game Win

May 28, 2013

In a game full of missed opportunities, the South Park Eagles came thru when it counted the most, claiming a 4-3 nine inning victory over the Hopewell Vikings to become only the fifth team in WPIAL baseball history to win a district championship as an unbeaten team. Adam Thompson, who was hit for in the eighth inning, reentered the game to draw a bases loaded walk to push the Eagles to the win.The game was the first extra inning title game since Franklin Regional beat Mount Lebanon 9-8 in 2001 to win the Class AAA title in eight innings. It's the first WPIAL baseball title for South Park, the Eagles last made the title game in 2002.

2013 WPIAL Baseball Championships Preview

May 27, 2013

The upcoming 2013 WPIAL baseball championships are as easy as 1, 2, 3. One defending champ looking for a third straight title...Two undefeated teams trying to stay perfect in securing district gold...Three top seeds heading into a game that many expected them to be a part of. Here is a look at the Class AA and Class AAA finals on Tuesday and the Class A and Class AAAA championship games on Wednesday at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington and only here on the MSA Sports Network.

Scholastic Notebook – 05/24/2013

May 24, 2013

Peters Township Edges SSA to Repeat as WPIAL D-I Girls Lacrosse Champs

Been there, done that for Peters Township, as for the second straight season and the fifth time in ten years, the Indians captured the WPIAL Girls Division I lacrosse championship with a 16-14 victory.This match at Martorelli Stadium in the North Hills between Division I – Section 1 rivals Peters Township and Shady Side Academy was the third game on the season between the pair of Indians.

Mount Lebanon’s Odd Streak Continues With Another WPIAL Boys Lacrosse Title

Peters Township and Shaler Win 2013 WPIAL Girls Lacrosse Crowns

May 21, 2013

A couple of thrillers at drenched Martorelli Stadium in the North Hills produced gold for one decorated program and one first time champion. Peters Township won the Battle of the Indians with Shady Side Academy to capture the schools second straight and fifth WPIAL Division I title in the last seven years while Shaler is celebrating a first ever WPIAL girls lacrosse Division II crown as the Titans edged the Chartiers Valley Colts. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Girls Lacrosse Playoffs.Games marked with (MSA) after the result can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.2013 WPIAL DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

The South Shines as Mount Lebanon & Seton-LaSalle Celebrate 2013 WPIAL Boys Lacrosse Titles

In the fifth anniversary of WPIAL boys lacrosse, won school captured gold for a third time while the other enjoyed their first ever golden crown. Mount Lebanon held off North Allegheny in the Division I finals to keep their streak of winning every other year in tact (2009, 2011 and 2013) while Seton-LaSalle knocked off the Quaker Valley Quakers for the Rebels first ever WPIAL boys lacrosse championship in the Division II title match. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Boys Lacrosse Playoffs.Any result marked with (MSA) after the score can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.2013 WPIAL DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/20/2013

May 20, 2013

While the District baseball and softball playoffs cruise through the Quarterfinals and Semifinals Rounds, gold will be decided in scholastic lacrosse and boys volleyball this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the WPIAL Baseball Semifinals, the Quarterfinals and Semifinals of WPIAL Softball along with District 6 Quarterfinals and Semifinals Baseball and Softball action and the Championship Finals in WPIAL Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse and Boys Volleyball, plus more Frontier League pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and plenty of holiday news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, May 13th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

Shady Side Academy Settles for Silver in 2013 PIAA Boys Team Tennis

May 18, 2013

The 2013 PIAA Class AAA Boys Team Tennis Finals ended the same way the 2012 championships ended a year earlier, with District 1 champion Conestoga beating WPIAL winner Shady Side Academy as the Pioneers captured their third straight state title. In Class AA after Sewickley Academy lost in the Semifinals, Wyomissing won a second straight PIAA crown by beating Lancaster Country Day Saturday in Hershey. Here are ALL the results from the 2013 PIAA Boys Team Tennis Playoffs.2013 PIAA CLASS AAA Boys Team Tennis Championship Match:Conestoga Pioneers 4 - SHADY SIDE ACADEMY INDIANS 1PIAA CLASS AAA Semifinals:SHADY SIDE ACADEMY INDIANS 3 - Council Rock North Indians 0

2013 WPIAL AAA and AA BOYS Individual Track & Field Results

May 17, 2013

It was a two team show Thursday at the WPIAL Track and Field Individual Championships from Baldwin High School on the boys side. In AA, the Washington Little Prexies returned to their peak form and performed well, taking the majority of the medals. The Little Prexies goal going into the event was to avenge their second place finish in last year’s 4x100 meter relay and they were successful. It seemed as if each time there were AA Boys medals being handed out there was a Wash High member in the top half of the medals. (Pictured above are the medalists for the Boys Class AAA Triple Jump)

FINAL 2013 WPIAL Baseball Standings

May 11, 2013

Here are the FINAL WPIAL baseball standings for the 2013 season. The standings will be updated daily throughout the regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings with 64 teams postseason bound. You can follow the district high school baseball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Monday and game broadcasts every day through the postseason here on the MSA Sports Network.The top three teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs while the top eight teams make the Pittsburgh City League postseason.# - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention

FINAL 2013 WPIAL Softball Standings

May 10, 2013

Here are the FINAL WPIAL softball standings. The standings will be updated daily through the 2013 regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings with 58 teams postseason bound. You can follow the high school softball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Tuesday and game broadcasts, including another year of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program here on the MSA Sports Network. The top three teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. The 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs ONLY on the MSA Sports Network will be sponsored by Carlow University. # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention

North Allegheny and Washington Win Gold in the 2013 WPIAL Boys Team Track & Field Finals

May 9, 2013

An old-new champion was crowned in Class AAA Thursday at Baldwin High School in the boys team track finals. It is the 9th WPIAL team championship for North Allegheny, but only the Tigers first in five years. NA knocked out two-time defending champion Hempfield en route to the gold. In Class AA, Washington won its second straight district title, the 4th AA team track championship overall for the Little Prexies. Here are the results from the Semifinals and Championship Finals in the 2013 WPIAL Boys Team Track & Field Playoffs.

Hempfield and South Fayette are the Golden Girls of WPIAL Team Track & Field in 2013

Hempfield won their first WPIAL girls team track championship in 1984 and waited 27 years for their second crown. The wait for a third district title was a bit shorter...12 month to be exact as the Spartans won gold for a second consecutive season Thursday at Baldwin High School. Meanwhile, South Fayette captured the schools first ever girls team track gold by edging Beaver, Southmoreland and two-time defending champion Freeport. Here are the results from the Semifinals and Championship Finals in the 2013 WPIAL Girls Team Track & Field Playoffs.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball Playoff Teams – 05/08/2013

May 8, 2013

Every week during the regular season, MSA Sports ranks the Top Ten teams in each of the four classifications. It’s a sliding system based on wins and losses that week. Our final ranking is more of a seeding as we attempt to put together our own little playoff bracket based on what we believe the WPIAL steering committee might do Thursday.The WPIAL Baseball Playoff Pairings Show can be heard Friday night at 7:00pm only here on the MSA Sports Network.The records are overall through Tuesday.WPIAL BASEBALL CLASS AAAA:

WPIAL Softball Playoff Clinchings

May 5, 2013

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 05/03/2015

May 3, 2013

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Baldwin vs Bethel Park

The 2013 WPIAL playoffs started a little early Thursday in the South Hills as Baldwin visited Bethel Park in a win-and-your-in battle for third place in Class AAAA Section 4. When all was said and done, youth was served again as the freshmen led Highlanders knocked out the Black Hawks 9-5.Baldwin broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when after Jaimie Schleicher reached on an error, Kayla Ebert's pop fly fell safely when Bethel Park second baseman Julia Sherwin lost it in the sun. Abbey Suhoski tripled home both, then scored on a ground ball to the shortstop.The Highlanders added to their lead in the fourth inning on the first of three triples by Eberst scored Breanna Meyer who led the inning off with a single.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/30/2013

April 30, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts, including the Hometown Softball Program here on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (12-1) (Last Week #1)2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (10-1) (Last Week #2)3) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (13-3) (Last Week #3)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/29/2013

April 29, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA, Class AA and Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (11-2) (Last Week #2)2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (13-2) (Last Week #4)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/29/2013

The second half of section play begins for high school baseball and continues in scholastic softball in this final full week of the month of April this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL and District 6 high school baseball and softball coverage along with college baseball featuring Slippery Rock University, high school boys and girls lacrosse and women's college lacrosse as well as WPIAL boys volleyball, plus we have the latest news form the world of auto racing with another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, April 29th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netWPIAL High School Baseball - Mount Lebanon vs Canon-McMillan at 4:15pm on WJPA-AM 1450

Scholastic Notebook – 04/28/2013

April 28, 2013

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Volleyball – 04/24/2013

April 24, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL in both classifications every Wednesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and match broadcasts here on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Boys Volleyball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netEach teams section record is in parenthesis.WPIAL Class AAA:1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-0) (Last Week #1)2) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (8-0) (Last Week #2)3) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (7-0) (Last Week #3)

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Baldwin Highlanders – 04/24/2013

Youth continues to lead the way for the Baldwin Highlanders on the softball diamond. Tuesday afternoon, the Highlanders won their sixth straight game with a 9-0 whitewash of the four-time defending Pittsburgh City League champion Brashear Bulls.Baldwin struck first in the bottom of the first when Mallory O'Brien drew a one out walk against Bulls starter Miranda Piccolino. She scored on a triple by Kayla Eberst. Eberst scored one out later on an error on Brashear shortstop Anna Bruecken, who's throw to first base was low, allowing Melissa Paterni to be safe as the Highlanders led 2-0.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/23/2013

April 23, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts, including the Hometown Softball Program here on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (10-1) (Last Week #1)2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-1) (Last Week #3)3) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (10-3) (Last Week #7)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/22/2013

April 22, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA, Class AA and Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (8-1) (Last Week #2)2) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (7-2) (Last Week #5)

2013 MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program Salute – Baldwin Highlanders

April 21, 2013

Youth has been served this spring when it comes to Baldwin softball. The Highlanders have started as many as seven freshman this year and after a slow start, are in the playoff chase in the very competitive Class AAAA Section 4. A year ago, Baldwin made the playoffs for a third straight year, only to lose to North Allegheny in Round One.Baldwin athletic director and former softball coach Vince Sortino provides some information on the 2013 Baldwin Highlanders.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/21/2013

The second half of section play begins for high school baseball and continues in scholastic softball in this final full week of the month of April this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL and District 6 high school baseball and softball coverage along with college baseball featuring Slippery Rock University, high school boys and girls lacrosse and women's college lacrosse as well as WPIAL boys volleyball, plus we have the latest news form the world of auto racing with another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, April 22nd:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For South Side Rams – 04/18/2013

April 18, 2013

In a key Section 4-A matchup, the Shenango Wildcats went on the road and took the victory over the South Side Rams on Thursday afternoon in Hookstown. Junior Kim Burdett went 4 for 4 for the Wildcats with a homer, two doubles and drove in five of the six runs. Michelle Klein went 2 for 3 at the plate for the Rams, but allowed all six runs in the circle and took the loss.

PCC’s Blasinsky & Vincentian’s Chen Win WPIAL Boys Singles Tennis Titles

April 16, 2013

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/16/2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net, including another NEW #1 team this week in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts, including the Hometown Softball Program here on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (6-1) (Last Week #2)2) McKEESPORT TIGERS (9-0) (Last Week #4)3) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (6-1) (Last Week #5)

2013 WPIAL BOYS SINGLES TENNIS RESULTS

April 15, 2013

The 2013 WPIAL Boys Singles Tennis Playoffs are in the books as a pair of new champions were crowned at the Lakevue Racquet Club in Valencia Tuesday afternoon. You can listen to the archive broadcast of the finals anytime here on the Network. Here are all the results from both postseason tournaments.2013 WPIAL CLASS AAA BOYS SINGLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:Adam Blasinsky (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) over Peter Hazlett (Mount Lebanon) 6-2, 6-1 (MSA)WPIAL CLASS AAA Consolation:Caleb Kramer (Pine-Richland) over Fernando Escribens (Upper St. Clair) 6-4, 6-4 (MSA)WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/15/2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including a NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (6-0) (Last Week #4)2) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (5-1) (Last Week #3)3) MOON TIGERS (5-1) (Last Week #5)

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Baldwin Highlanders – 04/13/2013

April 13, 2013

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2013 WPIAL Hall of Fame Class

April 11, 2013

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 04/10/2013

April 10, 2013

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/09/2013

April 9, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net, including a NEW #1 team this week in Class AAAA and in Class AAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts, including the Hometown Softball Program here on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Softball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (5-1) (Last Week #2)2) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (3-1) (Last Week #1)3) PLUM MUSTANGS (3-0) (Last Week #5)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/08/2013

April 8, 2013

Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings, including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA, Class AAA, Class AA and in Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2013 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.netWPIAL Class AAAA:1) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (7-0) (Last Week #3)2) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (4-0) (Last Week #6)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/03/2013

As the mercury rises, the action on the diamonds, field and hard courts heats up this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL and District 6 high school and college baseball and softball coverage along with high school and women's college lacrosse and some WPIAL boys volleyball matches as well, plus for all the race car fans, we have Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, April 8th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netWPIAL High School Baseball - Moon vs Woodland Hills at 4:00pm on MSAsports.netWPIAL High School Baseball - Bethel Park vs Upper St. Clair at 4:15pm on MSAsports.net

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Chartiers Houston Buccaneers

April 6, 2013

Hometown Softball Program Game Recap for Montour Spartans

April 5, 2013

WPIAL Baseball – 2012 Baseball REVIEW

March 30, 2013

When it came down to WPIAL baseball in 2012, all of the gold was found due north. All four WPIAL champions and the lone state champion from District 7 are all located in the northern tier of the district map. Will there be another Northern Gold Rush in 2013?Before we look ahead to a new year in high school baseball, let's take a look back at the 2012 WPIAL Baseball season.2012 WPIAL BASEBALL STANDINGS:WPIAL Class AAAA:Section 1: (Section Record) (Overall Record)

WPIAL Softball – 2012 Softball REVIEW

In 2012, one softball team successfully repeated as WPIAL champions while another won their second title in three years. The other two that sat atop the district softball hill a year ago celebrated their first ever WPIAL golden crowns. The in the PIAA playoffs, a team that didn't even qualify for the WPIAL finals ended up as the lone District 7 team to win a state softball crown. Before we look ahead to the 2013 campaign, here is a look back at the 2012 WPIAL Softball season.2012 WPIAL FINAL STANDINGS:

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/25/2013

March 25, 2013

We officially kick into the spring high school and college sports season with snow in this final week of March this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We HOPE to have the start of our WPIAL high school softball coverage along with women's college lacrosse featuring Slippery Rock University, plus it's the season finale of the WPIAL Roundball Report this week here at MSAsports.netMonday, March 25th: WPIAL High School Softball - Carmichaels vs West Greene at 4:30pm on the Greene County Sports Network at MSAsports.net {PPD}

North Allegheny and Latrobe Win 2013 Pennsylvania Cup State Hockey Titles

Last year, the Pennsylvania Cup Championships were played the day after the PIHL Penguins Cup Finals and Quaker Valley was the only west team to win. This year, there were two days between the PIHL and PA Cup championships and Quaker Valley was the only west team that did NOT win. Here is a recap of all three PA Cup Finals played Saturday at the Ice Works in Aston, PA, outside of Philadelphia.PENNSYLVANIA CUP CLASS AAA: North Allegheny Tigers 6 - LaSalle College Explorers 2

Lower Merion Ends Chester’s Reign As PIAA Quad-A Champs

March 24, 2013

The weekend ended in Hershey as the PIAA Basketball Championships came to a conclusion with an exciting Quad A Boys title game. The move back to Chocolate Town was a success at the box office as 24,582 attended this year's eight title games, up almost 10 thousand from last year's championships at the Bryce Jordan Center.Here is a recap of the Lower Merion victory:Lower Merion Aces 63 - Chester Clippers 47The Aces ended the two year reign of the Clippers with the victory in the PIAA Boys Quad-A championship at GIANT Center on Saturday night. The Aces have now won seven state titles, it’s the first since 2006. Syracuse recruit B.J. Johnson led all scorers with 22 points and snagged 11 rebounds to lead the Aces.

South Park Wins First PIAA Girls Basketball Gold

March 23, 2013

The South Park Eagles controlled the game from the start in taking home their first PIAA Class AAA Girls Basketball championship with a 53-38 victory over the Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks. Senior Shelby Lindsay closed out her career with a 20 point performance, besting her season average of 18 points per game.The Eagles closed the first quarter with an 8-0 run, helped by threes from Lindsay and Halie Torris. South Park extended the lead to 14 as Lindsay exploded with 9 points in the quarter. South Park did it defensively as well in the opening half, forcing 9 turnovers and held Bethlehem Catholic to 7 of 27 from the field.

Beaver Falls Golden In Hershey With Victory in Class AA Boys Title Game

Very rarely does a player get a second chance to ice a game but that’s what Drew Cook got for Beaver Falls this afternoon at the GIANT Center in Hershey. Cook missed two free throws in the final minute, but a Zachery Miller offensive rebound, set Cook up for that second chance. He buried both free throws, cinching a 69-63 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders in the PIAA Boys AA Championship Game. The win was the 18th straight for Beaver Falls, who finished at 28-3 overall.

North Allegheny Rolls In Third Period To Claim Class AAA Penguins Cup Crown

March 21, 2013

The North Allegheny Tigers got two third period goals from Joe Griffin to claim the 2013 Class AAA PIHL Penguins Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Peters Township Indians Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center. Bradford Thornburgh stopped all 20 shots he faced to pick up the shutout win, his first of the playoffs and fourth of the season.It's the second Penguins Cup Championship for the Tigers, North Allegheny claimed the crown in 2007.

Latrobe Golden In PIHL Class AA Title Game

March 20, 2013

Latrobe got yet another outstanding performance in a stellar goaltending career by senior Shane Brudnock as the Wildcats added a fourth PIHL Penguin Cup Championship to their High School mantle with a 5-0 blanking of the Pine-Richland Rams in the Class AA championship game. Brudnock stopped all 24 Pine Richland shots that he faced for his 2nd post-season shutout and fifth of the season.

Twice Is Nice For Quaker Valley as They Win PIHL Class A Title Again

The Quaker Valley Quakers continued their winning ways, taking the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup championship for a second straight year with a 5-1 victory over the Mars Planets at Consol Energy Center. Jimmy Perkins scored two goals to lead the Quakers, who have now won 32 straight games and are unbeaten in their last 55. It was the third time that Quaker Valley defeated Mars this season, besting the Planets 5-2 and 4-0 and fifth overall, with 7-0 and 4-2 in last year’s title match.

PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Blog 2013

Thanks for following along tonight and congratulations to Quaker Valley, Latrobe and North Allegheny on winning the PIHL Penguins Cup Championships. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Peters Township vs. North AlleghenyFINAL: North Allegheny 2, Peters Township 0. 2nd title in program history for NA. Joe Griffin credited with both Tigers goals.NA GOAL! NA scores again & this time it's a Tiger putting it in the net. Joe Griffin with a sick wrister. Fantaski with assist. 2-0 NA.6 minutes left. Time running out on PT. Would be tough to see this one end with an own goal.

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 03/18/2013

March 18, 2013

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This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/18/2013

The winter high school sports season comes to an end just as the spring sports season begins as winter officially turns to spring this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We continue our coverage of the 2013 PIAA Basketball Playoffs with Semifinals and Championship Games in the boys and girls state basketball playoffs as well as the 2013 PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Games and the start of the boys lacrosse season, plus the final edition of the PIHL Power Play Show and the next to the last WPIAL Roundball Report on the special day of Thursday this week here at MSAsports.netMonday, March 18th:

Mars And Quaker Valley To Meet Again For Class A Penguins Cup Title

March 11, 2013

It's a rematch for the Class A Penguins Cup championship next Wednesday at Consol Energy Center as the defending champion Quaker Valley Quakers and Mars Planets both punched their tickets on Monday night.Mars defeated Westmont Hilltop 4-1 in the opening game and Quaker Valley won by the same 4-1 score over Kittanning in the nightcap. The Quakers beat the Planets 4-2 in last year's title game.Here are recaps and scoring summaries of both of the Semfinals games:Mars Planets 4 – Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers 1

2013 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships Recap – Day Two

March 9, 2013

Day 1 of the PIAA tournament could not have went better for the AAA WPIAL wrestlers, with 38 of 42 wrestlers staying alive. The success continued into Day 2, with 31 of 42 wrestlers continuing their wrestling season and guaranteeing themselves a spot on the medal stand Saturday night.

PIHL Penguins Cup Hockey Playoff Recaps for Thursday, March 7th

March 8, 2013

Two games in each classification made for another busy night as the high school playoffs wrapped up the second round. A couple of mild surprises will crack the Final Four party as #5 State College in AAA and #6 Kittanning were winners on Thursday to move on to the PIHL Semifinals. Here are recaps from the six games played on Quarterfinals Thursday in the Penguins Cup Playoffs.A special thanks to Lou Rood, Alex Richert, Matt Vandriak, Don Rebel, Greg Kuntz and Brandon Showers for their help on these recaps.PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS:

PIHL Penguins Cup Hockey Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, March 5th

March 5, 2013

A ho-hum first night of Round One of the high school hockey postseason gave way to a pair of Class AAA dandies. Here are recaps from both games played Tuesday night as the opening round of the 2013 PIHL Penguin Cup Playoffs goes in the books.A special thanks to Josh Rowntree and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps.PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA FIRST ROUND:

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 03/04/2013

March 4, 2013

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/04/2013

The focus switches from district playoffs and championships to state playoffs and championship during this first full week of March this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We start the ball rolling on the 2013 PIAA Basketball Playoffs while wrapping up the postseason mat action with the 2013 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships this weekend from Hershey. We also drop the puck on the start of the PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs and we have men's and women's college basketball postseason play, plus the PIHL Power Play Show, the WPIAL Roundball Report on a special day and Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle all this week here at MSAsports.net

New Castle, Montour, Beaver Falls & Vincentian Win 2013 WPIAL Boys Hoops Titles

March 3, 2013

Four teams with recent championship experiences got another sweet taste of gold in this seasons district playoffs. Top-seeds New Castle in Class AAAA and Beaver Falls in Class AA won championships for a second straight year. The Red Hurricane made history by becoming the first boys teams to win back-to-back titles in different classifications and with undefeated records each year. Plus #2-seed Vincentian Academy won the Class A title for the second time in three years while #3-seed Montour also celebrated their second crown in three seasons. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2013 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs.

Bethel Park, South Park, Bishop Canevin & Vincentian Queens of WPIAL Court

A #1 seed, a #2-seed and a pair of #3-seeds walked away from the district postseason wearing the gold. Vincentian Academy was the only top seed to prevail as the Royals won a second straight WPIAL championship. A team that settled for silver in 2012 won gold here in 2013 as South Park captured the Class AAA crown. Meanwhile, a pair of teams captured their first ever girls basketball gold as Bethel Park won in all in Class AAAA and Bishop Canevin stunned Seton-LaSalle to win the Class AA title. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs.Don't forget, you can listen to the archive broadcast of each and every game from the Battle to the Bluff anytime you want ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL Qualifiers for the 2013 PIAA Basketball Playoffs

Eight basketball games this weekend at the A.J. Palumbo Center and here on MSA Sports not only decided who went home with district gold, but it also decided which WPIAL teams and in what order will qualify for the PIAA Basketball Playoffs. Here are the teams and the final order from District 7 for the state postseason.BOYS CLASS AAAA (5 Teams Qualify):1) New Castle Red Hurricane2) Hampton Talbots3) Seneca Valley Raiders4) North Allegheny Tigers5) Gateway GatorsBOYS CLASS AAA (6 Teams Qualify):1) Montour Spartans2) Chartiers Valley Colts3) Mars Fighting Planets4) Beaver Bobcats

New Castle Masters Perfection as Canes Beat Hampton Again for WPIAL AAAA Gold

March 2, 2013

The third meeting of the year between New Castle and Hampton turned out to be like the first two. In fact, it turned out a lot like the previous 25 games for the defending Triple-A champs turned Quad-A beasts. The Red Hurricane rocked the Talbots with a big second quarter and rolled to a 68-53 victory Saturday night before a raucous crowd at Duqnuesne Univeristy's A.J. Palumbo Center.Things were quiet for the first two minutes of the game. Scoreless, even. Then, a Brandon Dominick three opened up the flood gates for New Castle. Ryan Luther answered for Hampton, scoring his team’s first five points. The Red Hurricane slowed things down to close out the quarter, and led 19-15 and the end of one.

Bethel Park Gets Defensive in Beating Char Valley & Winning Girls AAAA Gold

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Beaver Falls Routs Burrell 61-33 For Second Straight WPIAL Boys AA Title

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Vincentian Girls too Wise for Serra in Girls Class A Basketball Championship

Vincentian girls basketball star Brenna Wise played in last year's WPIAL Class A Championship at 50% with an ankle injury. This year, she was 100%, and that was bad news for Serra Catholic.Wise scored 18 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked 4 shots, leading the Royals to their second Championship in as many years, defeating Serra 53-46 on Saturday afternoon at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

2013 WPIAL Basketball Championship Saturday Blog

Keep up to date with the action from the A.J. Palumbo Center at Duquesne University all day long with five more WPIAL basketball championships from morning to late night.Boys Class AAAA: Hampton Talbots vs. New Castle Red Hurricane10:33pm: New Castle scoring: Shawn Anderson - 16, Antonio Rudolph - 15, Anthony Richards - 12, Malik Hooker - 11, Brandon Dominick - 7, Drew Allen - 4, Jesse Salzano - 310:29pm: Hampton scoring: Ryan Luther - 17, Richard Ford - 9, David Huber - 8, Jon Floss - 4, Jack Obringer - 3, Hayden Seserko - 3, Joey Lafko - 3, Tom Radziminski - 2, Jake Adams - 210:21pm: Final: New Castle 68 - Hampton 53

Montour Comes back to Topple #1 Chartiers Valley in Boys AAA Finals

Trailing by nine points at the half, Montour turned up the heat on defense, holding Section 5 rival Chartiers Valley to 11 second half points en route to a 47-40 victory Friday night at the A.J. Palumbo Center at Duquesne University. The win gives Adam Kaufman and the Spartans their second WPIAL Class AAA championship in the last three years.Spencer Casson, Chartiers Valley’s 6’6” senior center, made his presence known from the start, opening up the scoring with what would be his first of three dunks in the first quarter. Casson led the Colts through the first with 10 points and four rebounds. Montour standout Devin Wilson was held to only two first quarter points, as the Spartans trailed 18-11 at the end of one.

Bishop Canevin Pulls Stunner to Win Girls AA Basketball Championship

March 1, 2013

There is a new champion in Girls AA basketball. The Bishop Canevin Crusaders (22-4) started championship weekend in grand fashion, defeating top-seeded Seton LaSalle 56-47 and winning their first championship in school history Seton LaSalle (24-2) came into the game with a 66 game winning streak over WPIAL competition and an 8 game winning streak over the Crusaders. Bishop Canevin jumped out to an early 18-8 lead thanks to three 3 pointers from Johnie Olkosky. The Crusaders defense also caused problems, forcing 8 first half turnovers.

2013 WPIAL Basketball Championships Friday Blog

GAME #2: Boys Class A- #5 Clairton vs. #2 VincentianHALF: Clairton 39, Vincentian 39. Bryon Clifford and Terrish Webb with 13 each for Bears. Ryan Wolf leads a balanced Vincentian attack with 9 points.END 1: Vincentian 19, Clairton 15, depite 9 first quarter turnovers by Royals.FAST pace to start this one. Vincentian leads 9-8 with 4:30 left in 1st. About set to go here for the Boys Class A Championship, with surprising Clairton and dynamic Vincentian.GAME #1: Girls Class AA- #1 Seton-LaSalle vs. #2 Bishop Canevin

WPIAL Boys Basketball Championship Previews

FINAL 2012-2013 PIHL High School Hockey Standings

Here are the FINAL 2012-2013 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, including all of the FINAL postseason clinchings. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey season with weekly broadcasts, the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm right here on the MSA Sports Network.# - Clinched Section Championship * - Clinched PIHL Playoff Spot % - Ineligible for PIHL Playoffs x - Eliminated From Postseason ChaseTEAM - OVERALL RECORD - POINT TOTAL

PIHL Open Class: Nailers Cup and Chiefs Cup Championship Recaps

February 28, 2013

Two Cups were captured on Thursday night, setting the stage for the Open Class championship to be decided on Monday. Here are recaps from both the Wheeling Park Nailers Cup victory and the Ford City Chiefs Cup win. You can listen to archives from both games played at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on MSAsports.netWheeling Park Patriots 4 - Morgantown Mohawks 3

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Wednesday, February 27th

February 27, 2013

Eye-brows were being raised on Semifinals Wednesday in Girls Class AAA where both the undefeated and top-seed Blackhawk Cougars along with the defending champion and #2-seed Hopewell Vikings were eliminated. Elizabeth Forward and South Park will be joined by Vincentian Academy and Serra Catholic girls and New Castle, Hampton, Beaver Falls and Burrell boys in playing for district gold on Saturday. Here are recaps from the Semifinals in Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A.A special thanks to Mike Azadian, Dennis Fischer, Sam Hall, Mike Krcil, Josh Rowntree, Melissa Carle, Bob Barrickman and Mark Schaas for their help on all of these recaps.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Tuesday, February 26th

Two top seeds felt the pain of losing just short of the expected goal of a trip to the championships. Both Mount Lebanon girls and Lincoln Park boys wore the golden crowns a year ago, now they get an early jump start on preparing for the PIAA state playoffs. Here are recaps from the Boys Class AAA, Boys Class A, Girls Class AAAA and Girls Class AA Semifinals played on Tuesday.A special thanks goes out to Mike Sackley, Lee Mohn, T.J. DiStefano, Bob Orkwis, Scott Briggs, Bob Gregg and Josh Rowntree for their help on these recaps.WPIAL BOYS CLASS AAA Semifinals:

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 02/25/2013

February 25, 2013

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Saturday, February 23rd

February 23, 2013

Quarterfinals Saturday in the WPIAL Basketball Playoffs was a little wild, a tad crazy and a bit one-sided as well. Boys Class AAAA made history with all four Section 3 teams winning to make it to the Semifinals while in Boys AA, Burrell, Quaker Valley and Apollo-Ridge won to eliminate seeds 2, 3 and 4. Meanwhle, the eight girls teams won by a combined 197 points or an average margin of victory of just under 25 points. Here are recaps from Quarterfinals Friday played in the Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A brackets.A special thanks to Mike Azadian, Dennis Fischer, T.J. DiStefano, Mike Sackley, Mark Schaas, Josh Rowntree, Bob Barrickman, Greg Kuntz, Randy Gore and Johnny Lee for their help with these recaps.

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Friday, February 22nd

The top four seeds in Boys Class AAA, four of the top five in Boys Class A and four of the top five in Girls Class AA all advanced to the Semifinals on Friday. The lowest seed to reach the Final Four was #7 Gateway in Girls Class AAAA as they eliminated #2 North Allegheny. Here are recaps from Quarterfinals Friday played in the Boys AAA, Boys A, Girls AAAA and Girls AA brackets.A special thanks to Justin McKim, Mark Uriah, Mike Azadian, Terry Neary, Lee Mohn, Mike Sackley, Bob Gregg, Sam Hall, Josh Rowntree, Randy Gore, Scott Briggs, Matt Vandriak, Mark Schaas, Bob Barrickman, Bob Orkwis and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:

Scholastic Notebook – 02/22/2013

February 22, 2013

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WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Wednesday, February 20th

February 21, 2013

The Top Four teams in all eight postseason tournaments are moving on to the Quarterfinals, but it hasn't been smooth sailing for all the fifth, sixth and seventh seeds as a total of ten seeds from ten through twelve are moving on to the next round this weekend. Here are recaps from First Round games played in the Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A brackets.A special thanks to Lanfer Simpson, Jason Tennant, Dow Carnahan, Mike Krcil, Jim Frederick, Brian Mroziak, Steve Nagler, Randy Gore, Bob Orkwis, Justin McKim, Mike Azadian, Bob Gregg, Bob Barrickman, T.J. DiStefano, Chris Lackner, Mark Schaas, Melissa Carle, Johnny Lee, Dennis Fischer and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps!

WPIAL Basketball Playoff Recaps From Saturday, February 16th

February 16, 2013

Opening weekend of the 2013 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs came to and end with 24 games In Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A. Here are recaps from the Saturday afternoon action as the Preliminary Round concluded and the First Round hits the midway point.Thanks to Don Rebel, Mike Krcil, Jim Frederick, Sam Hall, T.J. DiStefano, Jordan Thompson, Josh Rowntree, Mike Sackley, Bob Gregg, Melissa Carle, Brian Mroziak, Bob Orkwis, Dennis Fischer, Jason Tennant, Mark Schaas, Mike Azadian, Bob Barrickman, Matt Vandriak and Alex Richert for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:

Hempfield Jr Abbie Bache Guns Down WPIAL Rifle Title

February 15, 2013

Two days after leading Hempfield to the WPIAL Team Rifle championship, Spartans junior Abbie Bache captured gold in the Individual Finals Thursday afternoon at the Dormont/Mount Lebanon Sportsmens Club in Canonsburg. Bache becomes the second Spartans shooter in a two to win individual rifle gold after former teammate Nicole Metz won it in 2012.Bache shot a 200-19X with eight center shots to win the title. Trinity's Kayla Huffman beat out McGuffey's Courtney Stiles in a tiebreaker for the silver medal. Both shot a 200-19x with five center shots.

WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Preview

February 14, 2013

FINAL 2012-2013 WPIAL Girls Basketball Standings

February 12, 2013

Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls basketball standings for the 2012-2013 regular season, including the final playoff clinchings. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL girls roundball rankings are released each Monday and girls hoops talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched a Share of Section Title * - Clinched a WPIAL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated From Playoff Chase @ - Ineligible for WPIAL Playoffs

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoff Rankings 2013

February 11, 2013

Clarification alert. These are more seedings and rankings and there is a difference. The WPIAL does not rank the playoff teams from #1 through #16 and beyond. They rank the top four, then the next eight and start filing in the blanks from there which is not an easy task when you have upwards of 26 playoff teams.When putting this together, we looked at every team to discover quality wins. Strength of section, avoiding upset losses and recent program success also comes into play. So teams with average records but some stand out victories may beat out those teams that got fat and happy record wise on a less than stellar schedule. Plus don't forget the shuffling to avoid section teams from playing each other in the Preliminary Round or the First round.

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Rankings 2013

Clarification alert. These are more seedings and rankings and there is a difference. The WPIAL does not rank the playoff teams from #1 through #16 and beyond. They rank the top four, then the next eight and start filing in the blanks from there which is not an easy task when you have upwards of 26 playoff teams.When putting this together, we looked at every team to discover quality wins. So teams with average records but some stand out victories may beat out those teams that got fat and happy record wise on a less than stellar schedule.Find out the actual matchups Tuesday night at 7:00pm by tuning in to the WPIAL Basketball Playoff Pairings Show only here on the MSA Sports Network.

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 02/11/2013

Canon-McMillan & Bethlehem Catholic Win 2013 PIAA Team Wrestling Titles Again

February 9, 2013

Four in a row on the district level, now Canon-McMillan has won back-to-back state championships. The Big Macs edged Central Dauphin Saturday afternoon to win the PIAA Team Wrestling Class AAA crown. Also in Hershey, Bethlehem Catholic won their third straight Class AA championship.Meanwhile, making their first ever state playoff appearance, Franklin Regional finished third when the Panthers won the Consolation Round championship. Here are ALL of the results form the 2013 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs.2013 PIAA CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS MATCH:CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS 34 - Central Dauphin Rams 31 (MSA) PIAA CLASS AAA Consolation Finals:

National Letter of Intent Day: Division I-A Signings From WPIAL Class of 2013

February 6, 2013

It was a down year for top talent coming out of District 7. A year ago, 32 WPIAL football players put their John Hancock to paper and faxed their futures plans to their respective Division I-A schools. On National Letter of Intent Day 2013, only 18 players from the WPIAL took part in the annual process Wednesday morning. Here is a rundown of the players and the Division I-A FBS schools they are now officially headed to.

National Letter of Intent Day: Where the MSA Sports Elite Eleven Players Are Headed 2013

Wednesday was National Letter of Intent Day. A day where football seniors make their verbal commitments iron clad. So where are the members of the 2012 MSA Sports Elite Eleven officially heading? Well, there were three juniors...Shai McKenzie of Washington, Dravon Henry of Aliquippa and Lenny Williams of Sto-Rox have to wait for their day in the sun until February of 2014. Here are where the eight seniors on our list are headed to play football at the next level TYLER BOYD - Clairton - RB-WR-DB, 6-2, 175, Sr.

MSA Sports Fab Five – PIHL High School Hockey – 02/06/2013

Here are the Top Five teams in the PIHL's Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Open Class for this week. MSA Sports will unveil a new Fab Five every Wednesday during the high school hockey regular season only at MSAsports.net. MSA Sports also has the PIHL Notebook every Monday and The PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm on your best source for high school hockey, the MSA Sports Network.PIHL CLASS AAA:1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-2-2) (Last Week #1)2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (13-4-0) (Last Week #2)3) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (9-5-3) (Last Week #4)4) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (11-4-1) (Last Week #5)

Canon-McMillan Edges Franklin Regional for Fourth Straight WPIAL AAA Wrestling Crown

February 3, 2013

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Burrell Completes Stairway to Seven

February 2, 2013

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North Allegheny & Chartiers-Houston Win Team Wrestling Consolations

For the first time in AA, the WPIAL will have the opportunity to have three teams compete in the PIAA Team Tournament. The Chartiers Houston Buccaneers defeated the Jefferson Morgan Rockets Saturday 42-30 to advance to the pigtail round. Chartiers Houston will wrestle Fort LeBoeuf on Monday night at 7:00 PM with the winner advancing to the preliminary round in Hershey on Thursday.113 - Brendan Howard (JM) fall Tyrone Wormsley (CH) 0:19 (6-0 JM)120 - Richie McGinnis (CH) fall Jacob Guthrie (JM) 0:47 (6-6)126 - John Demaske (JM) fall Jake Jones (CH) 0:55 (12-6 JM)132 - Dylan Briggs (CH) maj. dec. Trevor Kniha (JM) 11-3 (12-10 JM)

Scholastic Notebook – 02/01/2013

February 1, 2013

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MSA Sports Fab Five – PIHL High School Hockey – 01/30/2013

January 30, 2013

Here are the Top Five teams in the PIHL's Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Open Class for this week. MSA Sports will unveil a new Fab Five every Wednesday during the high school hockey regular season only at MSAsports.net. MSA Sports also has the PIHL Notebook every Monday and The PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm on your best source for high school hockey, the MSA Sports Network.PIHL CLASS AAA:1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-2-1) (Last Week #1)2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (11-4-0) (Last Week #2)3) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (11-3-0) (Last Week #3)4) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (9-5-3) (Last Week Unranked)

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 01/28/2013

January 28, 2013

Scholastic Notebook – 01/25/2013

January 25, 2013

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MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoff Rankings – 01/24/2013

January 24, 2013

Every Thursday through January, MSA Sports ranks the top ten teams in both the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA team wrestling. For our final rankings of the season, we rank ALL of the WPIAL team wrestling playoff bound teams. Don't miss Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show every Monday at 7:00pm AND exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs next week only here on the MSA Sports Network.Section records in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (7-0) (Last Week #1)2. North Allegheny Tigers (7-0) (Last Week #2)3. Franklin Regional Panthers (6-1) (Last Week #5)

MSA Sports Fab Five – PIHL High School Hockey – 01/23/2013

January 23, 2013

Here are the Top Five teams in the PIHL's Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Open Class for this week. MSA Sports will unveil a new Fab Five every Wednesday during the high school hockey regular season only at MSAsports.net. MSA Sports also has the PIHL Notebook every Monday and The PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm on your best source for high school hockey, the MSA Sports Network.PIHL CLASS AAA:1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-2-0) (Last Week #1)2) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (10-4-0) (Last Week #2)3) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (10-3-0) (Last Week #3)4) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (10-3-1) (Last Week Unranked)

MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball 01/22/2013

January 22, 2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2012-2013 season. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday at 6:00pm all here at MSAsports.netWPIAL CLASS AAAA:1. New Castle Red Hurricane (15-0) (Last Week #1)2. Bethel Park Black Hawks (14-1) (Last Week #3)3. North Allegheny Tigers (13-1) (Last Week #4)4. Gateway Gators (9-1) (Last Week #2)

Two Veteran WPIAL Quad A Football Coaches Step Down

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MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/21/2013

January 21, 2013

Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2012-2013 season. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.netWPIAL CLASS AAAA:1. Bethel Park Black Hawks (13-1) (Last Week #1)2. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (14-2) (Last Week #2)3. North Allegheny Tigers (12-2) (Last Week #3)4. Hempfield Spartans (13-2) (Last Week #4)

PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 01/21/2013

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/20/2013

January 20, 2013

The first taste of postseason play in the high school winter sports season is coming up this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have action from all seven WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals as well as District 6 scholastic wrestling, plenty of great WPIAL and District 6 high school boys and girls basketball games along with men's and women's college hoops and PIHL high school hockey, plus the PIHL Power Play Show, the WPIAL Roundball Report and Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle all this week here at MSAsports.netMonday, January 21st:TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.netPIHL High School Hockey -