Football

Freeport’s Garrett King work outs July 15, 2020, at Freeport Area High School.

With support of teammates, Freeport QB Garrett King ready to overcome cancer diagnosis

September 12, 2020

Garrett King was at the top of his game and eager to take over the quarterback reins for the Freeport football team.

Clairton running back Dontae Sanders breaks into the clear against Jeannette Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 at McKee Stadium in Jeannette.

Trib HSSN’s Week 1 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving

Top performers for Week 1 high school football in Western Pennsylvania.

WPIAL Class A roundup: Rochester rolls past Northgate

Denny Robinson rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns to lead Rochester to a 47-6 win at Northgate (0-1, 0-1) in the Class A Big Seven Conference opener Friday night.

Aliquippa running back Vernon Redd works out during practice on Aug. 17, 2020, above The Pit.

WPIAL Class 4A roundup: No. 5 Aliquippa takes down New Castle

Vernon Redd scored on a 55-yard punt return and a 96-yard run as No. 5 Aliquippa debuted in Class 4A and defeated New Castle, 44-28, in the Parkway Conference on Friday night.

McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at McGuffey High School.

WPIAL Class 2A roundup: No. 3 McGuffey edges No. 2 Washington

Kyle Brookman scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter as No. 3 McGuffey slipped past No. 2 Washington, 7-6, in the Class 2A Century Conference opener Friday night.

South Park’s Nate May catches a pass on Sept. 3, 2020, at Eagle Stadium.

WPIAL Class 3A roundup: South Park edges Southmoreland

Adam Johnson scored on a 26-yard run and a 45-yard fumble return as South Park scored a 33-23 victory over Southmoreland (0-1, 0-1) in the Class 3A Interstate Conference Friday night.

Central Catholic’s Eddy Tillman catches a pass during practice on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Oakland.

WPIAL Class 6A roundup: Central Catholic cruises past Canon-McMillan

Eddy Tillman ran for 197 yards and one touchdown to lead top-ranked Central Catholic to a 45-17 victory against Canon-McMillan (0-1, 0-1) in a Class 6A showdown on opening night Friday.

Avonworth players warm up before taking on Quaker Valley on Sept. 11, 2020, at Avonworth.

Avonworth makes smooth transition to Class 3A, blanks Quaker Valley

September 11, 2020

Coming off a historic season that culminated in a WPIAL Class 2A championship, Avonworth had a lot of great players to replace, including a 2,500-yard passer and a 2,300-yard rusher, as it moved up to Class 3A this fall.

Mt. Pleasant’s Asher O’Connor (1) looks to gain some yardage while South Allegheny’s Antonio Epps (4) and Eric Anderson (15) try to slow him down during the first quarter Sept. 11, 2020, at Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant opens season with win over South Allegheny

South Allegheny took an early lead in Friday’s Class 3A Interstate Conference opener, but host Mt. Pleasant scored three unanswered touchdowns and withstood a late rally by the Gladiators to clinch a 21-14 win.

Monessen quarterback Shane Swope Jr. attempts a pass against Avella on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020.

Avella uses fake punt, interception return to rock Monessen

The game could not have started any better for Shane Swope and his debut with the Monessen Greyhounds. However, things turned in the second quarter and left Swope looking for answers.

Yough’s CJ Waldier (5) runs the ball past Chartiers-Houston defenders on Sept. 11, 2020, at Yough.

Yough offensive stars sting Chartiers-Houston, give coach first win

Yough successfully defended Cougar Mountain on Friday night thanks in part to the right arm of Tristan Waldier, the legs of Gamal Marballie and the hands of CJ Waldier.

Belle Vernon’s Logan Cunningham returns an interception Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, against McKeesport.

QB Whitlock helps Belle Vernon shut out McKeesport in opener

When the Belle Vernon football team shuts out an opponent, it gets doughnuts from the coaching staff.

Ligonier Valley and Apollo-Ridge warm up for kickoff Sept. 11, 2020, at Apollo-Ridge.

Jake Fello leads Apollo-Ridge to big win in Ligonier Valley’s WPIAL return

With limited parents in the stands and no on-field halftime performances, Ligonier Valley and Apollo-Ridge opened the season in the Class 2A Allegheny Conference, marking the Rams’ first WPIAL game since 1967.

Gateway players take the field before a game against Franklin Regional on Sept. 11, 2020, at Gateway.

Gateway looks sharp in opener, rolls past Franklin Regional

The start of Gateway’s WPIAL title defense was a dominant display of offense.

Trib HSSN previews WPIAL football season in Gameplan 2020

The Tribune-Review and TribLive High School Sports Network presents, GAMEPLAN 2020, an in-depth look at the upcoming high school football season in Western Pa. It is designed to serve as a reference for high school football fans throughout the season. Inside the 132-page edition, you will find preview stories for every team in the WPIAL, […]