Football
CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 1-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. But no matter how you slice it or dice it, Class 1-A is owned by Clairton. The Bears stormed their way to yet another WPIAL championship and another trip to Hershey and the state title game. 2016 WPIAL 1-A HEADLINES:
CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 2-A Football Flashback
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 3-A Football Flashback
August 10, 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 the playoff format garnered several headlines in Class 3-A, one 'super' conference was unhappy about the number of guaranteed playoff teams they would have. But in the end, a team from that conference, Beaver Falls stood tall to claim the Tigers in over three decades. 2016 WPIAL 3-A HEADLINES:CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 4-A Football Flashback
August 7, 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 Quad-A had been the league's highest classification since 1980, 4-A was the third highest class with a pair of nine team conferences. But when all was said and done, a familiar name was on top as Thomas Jefferson captured a second straight district championship. Here is a look back at the WPIAL 4-A in 2016. 2016 WPIAL 4-A HEADLINES:
CTK ’17 – 2016 WPIAL Class 5-A Football Flashback
August 6, 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 nine team conferences in Class 5-A. But when all was said and done, a familiar name was on top as West Allegheny captured the first 5-A crown and a third district title in five years. Here is a look back at the WPIAL 5-A in 2016. 2016 WPIAL 5-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:
2016-2017 MSA Sports Male Athletes of the Year
July 5, 2017
Darius Wise and Austin Butler were both 'Cats in high school, Wise playing for the Beaver Bobcats and Butler for the Latrobe Wildcats. But when it comes to athletes, Wise and Butler are top dogs. Wise and Butler, who both graduated last month, have been selected the MSA Sports Co-Athletes of the Year. The MSA Sports staff selects the athlete of the year from all WPIAL schools. In the days of high school athletes specializing in one sport, Wise and Butler were throwbacks. They were multi-sports athletes - in the same three sports. But it's not just competing in three sports that made them stand out, it's what they achieved in the three sports that made them two of a kind.Scholastic Notebook – 04/21/2017
April 21, 2017
Blackhawk baseball coach Bob Amalia has had talented pitchers before. Only a few years ago he had Brendan McKay, who came close to breaking a national scoreless streak record. But now Amalia is blessed with a stable full of pitchers who are putting up remarkable statistics for an undefeated team. “So far, so good. We’re trying to just go one game at a time,” said Amalia. “But as a staff, this is the best I’ve had.” Blackhawk has a 12-0 record and the Cougars’ statistics make eyes pop: * Blackhawk has allowed only eight runs in 12 games, including six earned runs. * The Cougars have seven shutouts and allowed only one run in four other games. Four of the runs allowed came in one game against New Castle.Scholastic Notebook – 04/08/2017
April 8, 2017
A star hurdler is emerging in girls track and field at Oakland Catholic, but the last time we heard much of her, she was at Penn Hills. Jayla Ellis is a sophomore at Oakland Catholic who has run the 100-meter hurdles in 14.1 seconds this spring. According to WPIAL girls track and field historian Jim Faiella, that is the second-fastest time in the history of the WPIAL. Lindsay Dolan of Center ran 14.1 in 2006. Ellis burst onto the WPIAL track scene a year ago, winning the 100 hurdles as a freshman and finishing fourth in the state. But Ellis attended Penn Hills last year. She transferred to Oakland Catholic for her sophomore year.
WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2017
The newest class of the WPIAL Hall of Fame includes a current NFL player, a former NFL head coach and a high school coach who sent almost a dozen players to the NFL. The 2017 class was announced by the WPIAL at a news conference Thursday at the Heinz History Center. This is the 10th anniversary of the Hall of Fame. The inductees with NFL ties are: Terrelle Pryor, who played for the Cleveland Browns last year and has signed with the Washington Redskins; former New York Jets head coach Joe Walton; former Woodland Hills coach George Novak, who sent 11 players to the NFL.Scholastic Notebook – 03/12/2017
March 12, 2017
New Castle was a good 3-point shooting team in the regular season. But the Red Hurricanes’ marksmanship has even improved in the postseason, and is it any wonder New Castle hasn’t lost a playoff game? New Castle won the WPIAL Class 4A championship and romped past Sharon in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. New Castle has averaged nine made 3-pointers a game in four postseason games and coach Ralph Blundo’s team is shooting 43 percent behind the arc in playoff games. That is excellent for any team, let alone a high school team. New Castle made 11, 9 and 10 3-pointers in three WPIAL playoff games, and then made 7 of 22 against Sharon in the first round of the playoffs.Scholastic Notebook – 02/24/2017
February 24, 2017
It’s unusual for the Canon-McMillan boys basketball team to still be playing in late February. It is certainly a fun time for the Big Macs. For the Bell family, it’s twice as nice. Canon-McMillan’s coach is Rick Bell. His son, R.J., is a 6-foot-4 senior guard who has played a big role in getting the Big Macs to the WPIAL 6A quarterfinals. They play No. 1 seed Pine-Richland Saturday. The younger Bell had six 3-pointers in a first round victory against North Allegheny. R.J. is averaging in double figures. The victory against North Allegheny was only the third playoff win in school history for Canon-McMillan. The others were in 1996 and 2008. This is only the ninth time the Big Macs have been to the postseason.Scholastic Notebook – 02/17/2017
February 17, 2017
For the second consecutive season, the West Greene boys and girls teams are both headed to the WPIAL playoffs. History says that is downright shocking. The Pioneers are making noise on the hardwood that has never been heard before from the tiny school in Greene County. This is the first time in school history that both teams have made the playoffs two years in a row. Heck, the boys team had been to the postseason only four times before – 2016, 1992, 1991 and 1989. The girls team actually won a section championship this year and heads to the playoffs with an 18-4 record. The West Greene boys finished in third place in Class 1A Section 2 with a 13-7 record.Scholastic Notebook – 02/03/2017
February 3, 2017
The spirit of 66 ended for one WPIAL girls team. But one boys team is close to getting into the same spirit. The subject is section winning streaks. The Quigley Catholic girls had what was the longest section winning streak in the WPIAL at 66, but it ended Thursday night after a 56-48 loss to Cornell. Turn to WPIAL boys basketball and look at Lincoln Park. The Leopards have a 64-game section winning streak. Lincoln Park has two section games remaining, and if the Leopards win both, they will finish the regular season with a 66-game streak. Lincoln Park plays Riverside and Ellwood City in its final two section games.2017 National Letter of Intent Day – MSA Sports Elite Eleven College Destinations
February 1, 2017
Wednesday was 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 2016 MSA Sports The Elite 11 football all-star team? Here is the list. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ZANE DUDEK, ARMSTRONG RB-DB, Sr., 5-10, 190 YALE DARIUS WISE, BEAVER QB-DB, Sr., 5-11, 170 COLORADO STATE2017 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 1st. PITT Grant Carrigan, Pine-Richland (TE) Paris Ford, Steel Valley (WR-DB) Gabe Houy, Upper St. Clair (OL) Tyler Sear, Neshannock (TE) PENN STATE C.J. Thorpe, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (OL) Lamont Wade, Clairton (DB) WEST VIRGINIA Kenny Robinson, Imani Christian (WR-DB)Scholastic Notebook – 01/27/2017
January 27, 2017
If A.J. Myers and Cameron Hanley ever get together and grab a bite to eat, it would only be appropriate if they went to Applebee’s, just so they could order off the 2 for $20 menu. Myers and Hanley are members of the Chartiers-Houston boys basketball team. On the menu that is the leading scorers list for the WPIAL, Myers and Hanley are the only 2 for 20 you can find. Myers, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, is averaging 26 points a game. He is the sixth-leading scorer in the WPIAL. Hanley, a 6-foot junior guard, is averaging 21.7. No other WPIAL team has two players averaging 20.Scholastic Notebook – 01/20/2017
January 20, 2017
It was six years ago that Kyle DeGregorio went through a painful experience of being let go as Baldwin’s boys basketball coach. But DeGregorio eventually found new coaching life a little farther south down Route 51, and has given the Belle Vernon program a new heartbeat. Belle Vernon is 10-3 and tied with McGuffey and South Fayette for first place in WPIAL Class 4A Section 3. Two of those tied teams square off Friday when Belle Vernon plays host to South Fayette.Scholastic Notebook – 01/13/2017
January 13, 2017
Over the next five days, WPIAL boys basketball has three of the top games of the entire season and all three are on MSA Sports. While the teams make the matchups big, the players involved make the contests bigger than big. The big games are Friday and Tuesday. They are: Pine-Richland (No. 1 in the MSA 6A rankings) at North Hills (No. 3) Friday night at 7:30. Chartiers Valley (No. 1 in 5A) at Mars (No. 3) Friday night at 7:30. Latrobe (No. 2 in 6A) at Penn Hills (No. 4) Tuesday night at 7:30.Scholastic Notebook – 01/06/2017
January 6, 2017
Look at the progression of the Laurel High School boys basketball program the past few years, and it is quite evident that the Spartans are now all Locked in. Ken Locke is in his fifth season as the Spartans’ coach. The program without much history has made giant strides the past few years. Now this year, the Spartans are doing things never seen before at the school. In the latest MSA Sports WPIAL rankings that came out at the beginning of the week, Laurel was No. 3 in Class 2A. But that was before Laurel knocked off No. 1 Sewickley Academy this past Tuesday. Laurel heads into Friday night’s big game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with a perfect 9-0 record. The Spartans are one of only four teams in the WPIAL with a perfect record.
