Football
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.2013 PIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
December 7, 2013
Three WPIAL football champions are now a perfect 15-0 and are moving on to Hershey to play for a state football championship. Pittsburgh Central Catholic in AAAA, South Fayette in AA and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in A all registered impressive Semifinals victories on Saturday afternoon and will conclude the Road to Hershey next weekend playing for a state crown at Hersheypark Stadium. Here are ALL of the final results through the State Semifinals on Saturday in the 2013 PIAA Football Playoffs, plus the schedule for the state championships in Hershey with the AA and AAAA title games being bumped back from Saturday to Sunday here on the MSA Sports Network.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 RoodRoad 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:Scholastic Notebook – 11/29/2013
It was a pretty big deal this fall when Sto-Rox’s Lenny Williams became the WPIAL all-time leading passer. But it’s looking like Williams’ record might not last more than a year. South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh appears to have a very good shot at Williams’ record next year. Let’s look at the numbers and the possibilities: Williams, a senior, finished his career with 8,508 yards. Besides that being the best in WPIAL history, it also was fifth-best in state history. Sto-Rox lost lost last week in the WPIAL Class A finals and the loss means Williams can’t add more distance between himself and Brumbaugh.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.2013 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
November 25, 2013
It was a clean sweep for Allegheny County as Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny, South Fayette and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic captured WPIAL football championships. For only the second time ever and the first time since USC, West A, South Park & Riverview won in 1997 have schools from one county won all four District 7 football crowns. West Allegheny was the only repeat champion and the Indians were the only top seed to win it all as the other three champs were all #2-seeds. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Football Playoffs. All games marked with (MSA) after the results can be heard archived here on MSA Sports. 2013 WPIAL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/25/2013
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: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.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Finds Gold In The Snow at Heinz Field
In a dominant performance in the opening half, the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings defeated the Woodland Hills Wolverines to claim their 4th WPIAL championship. The Vikings piled up 188 yards of offense in the first half, all on the ground and used a turnover and a bizarre play to lead 20-0 at the half. Luigi Lista-Brinza started after being injured in the semifinal win over Penn Trafford, the senior was questionable coming into the game. He scored twice on runs of 13 and 4 yards, the second sealed the win with just under 9 minutes to play in the final quarter, finishing with 27 carries for 136 yards.
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Claims First Football Crown
The third time was not a charm for Sto-Rox. Playing in their very first WPIAL football title game, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic used a stifling defense to blank the high powered Vikings 14-0 to win a first ever WPIAL football championship for the Trojans. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic rushed for 159 yards on the ground, including a team high 83 yards by Trojans quarterback P.J. Fumore, who ended the first possession of the game for North Catholic with a 2-yard run on fourth and goal. Mike Tarsovich added the extra point and the Trojans led 7-0, an advantage they would take into halftime.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.Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/21/2013
November 21, 2013
Welcome to Championship Week. Chick’s Picks received a delightful phone call over the weekend. The recording on the other end of the line delivered the best news—Chick’s Picks was the lucky winner of an all-expenses paid, undoubtedly legit, dream vacation to Aruba next week. Having never been the recipient of such a lavish price, Chick’s Picks was thrilled.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.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.netWPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Twelve
November 16, 2013
Many times, there is a fine line between advancing to the next round and hanging up the gear for good when you get deep into the postseason, and make no doubt about it, Final Four Friday in the WPIAL Football Playoffs is deep into the postseason. A turnover here, a costly penalty there, or a big block that leads to a big play, it all adds up in November football. Here are the Primetime Performers who have helped their team get their ticket punched to Heinz Field and the 2013 WPIAL Football Championships next Saturday here on MSA Sports. Trevon Mathis - Woodland HillsScholastic 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.WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Scores for Friday, November 15th
The 2013 ride on the Highway to Heinz hit the Semifinals Round on Friday and the final exit. For the eight teams that won tonight, dreams were be realized as they will move on to play for a district championship next Saturday at Heinz Field. For the eight teams that came up short, it was the cruelest cut of all...so close and yet, so far. Here are ALL the WPIAL Final Four scores plus the final Pittsburgh City League team in action as Allderdice hosted Erie McDowell in a PIAA Preliminary Round game.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:Woodland Hills Wolverines 28 - Upper St. Clair Panthers 21 (F)Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 49 -. Penn-Trafford Warriors 10 (F)WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:
