Football
Big Game Hunting – Week Sixteen
December 10, 2014
For the first time since 2007 we have all four District Seven Champions to write about on the final week of the Pennsylvania high school football season. Can the WPIAL go 4-0 this weekend? Not sure, but it is going to be so much fun to find out and, the best place to find out --- is right here on the MSA Sports Network. The team will be in Hershey all weekend long bringing you every minute of every game. If during the weekend you can’t find Bobby “O” in the stadium he will be working his second job as the guy who determines what does and does not taste good when coated with chocolate. So far, they haven’t found anything he doesn’t like, but they have vowed to keep trying. Only four games in the state, all featured right here in the final Big Game Hunting of the year.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/07/2014
December 7, 2014
The Road to Hershey concludes with a District 7 party in chocolatetown this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL four PIAA football state championship games as the WPIAL goes for a first ever sweep of golden footballs in Hershey. We also get hot and heavy into the winter sports season with section play starting in boys and girls basketball and scholastic wrestling, plus we have PIHL high school hockey, men's college basketball, Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and the debut of the WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 8th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net
All Four PIAA Semifinals Weekend Game Recaps
December 6, 2014
Four WPIAL teams have improved to 15-0 and now have their ticket punched for Hershey and the PIAA football championships, the first time since 2007 that the WPIAL is sending all four of its champions to the state finals. On Friday, Central Valley won a back-and-forth Class AAA thriller while after a tight opening quarter, Clairton cruised in Class A. Then on Saturday, Pine-Richland had to come from behind to pull out the victory while South Fayette was impressive throughout. Here are recaps from the Rams, the Warriors, the Lions and the Bears PIAA Semifinals victory on a wet and cold weekend. Thanks to Josh Rowntree, Bob Gregg, Sean Meyers and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps.Big Game Hunting – Week Fifteen
December 3, 2014
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?This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/01/2014
December 1, 2014
The Road to Hershey continues this week as we welcome in both the month of December and the 2014-2015 winter scholastic sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL four WPIAL football champions in action in the PIAA Semifinals right here on The Network, along with plenty of PIHL high school hockey, men's college basketball and the debut of WPIAL high school boys and girls basketball and scholastic wrestling, plus the debut editions of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and the PIHL Power Play Show here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 1st: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.netBig Game Hunting – Week Fourteen 2014
November 26, 2014
The four WPIAL champions venture into the PIAA tournament this coming weekend carrying the District 7 banner with them. These teams hold the hopes of garnering state titles 36-39 for the WPIAL firmly in their hearts. MSA Sports follows each team in the PIAA Quarters. The WPIAL champs enter the PIAA tournament with a combined five state titles, Clairton owns four and South Fayette one. Good news is that no quarter-final opponent has ever won a PIAA championship. A pair of District 7 quarterbacks could potentially break all-time state records in this tournament. We continue to go Big Game Hunting!Scholastic Notebook – 11/23/2014
November 23, 2014
There was the WPIAL regular season, then the playoffs, and now another season begins for four WPIAL teams. The four WPIAL champions begin the PIAA playoffs next weekend with four quarterfinal games. Sites and times have been determined for all of the games. Here is a look at the matchups for the WPIAL champs: CLASS AAAA - PINE-RICHLAND VS. STATE COLLEGE – This game will be played Saturday at Mansion Park in Altoona at 1 p.m. State College’s record certainly isn’t impressive. The Little Lions are only 6-6. But they are fresh off a terrific defensive performance against McDowell Saturday night.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/23/2014
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.2014 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
The two things this years District 7 football champions all had in common were they had previously won a title at Heinz Field and that they won this years crown with a perfect record. South Fayette successfully repeated in Class AA, Clairton made it six championships in seven years in Class A, Central Valley captured their second title in the schools five years of existence and Pine-Richland is golden again for the first time since 2003. Three top-seed and the Bears as a #2-seed prevail in a postseason where there were few surprises and only the strong survived. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2014 WPIAL Football Playoffs.
Central Valley Ends West Allegheny Reign in AAA
November 22, 2014
In what was an instant classic -- but what would anyone expect from two Parkway Conference teams -- the Central Valley Warriors scored in the final minute to defeat the West Allegheny Indians 35-28 to claim their second WPIAL Class AAA championship in the school’s five year history. The win also continues the dream of a perfect season for the Warriors, now 13-0. (Picture left: CV Warriors from left Kurt Reinstadtler, B.J. Powell, John George & Dante Lucci celebrate gold in locker room)
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.
Pine-Richland ‘Blows’ Past Central Catholic 21-13
The last time the Pine-Richland Rams tasted WPIAL Championship gold was 2003 when it was still a Class AAA team. The mass exodus of the Allegheny population from the Pittsburgh city limits worked to the school's advantage, warranting the WPIAL to raise the Rams' status to Quad-A competition beginning in 2010. Since that time, the program had experienced quite a few growing pains as they assimilated themselves to the competition...until now! Pine-Richland beat defending champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic Friday 21-13 at Heinz Field. (Picture above: Usually he's throwing touchdown passes, above Ben DiNucci catches a TD toss that put the Rams up 14-0)
Golden Bears Back on Top With WPIAL Class A Win
After a one year hiatus, the WPIAL Class A championship is coming back to Clairton. The Bears improved to 13-0 and won their sixth district title in the last seven years with a convincing 46-14 triumph over the Avonworth Antelopes Friday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. (Picture left: Ryan Williams launces one of his five touchdown passes) The first quarter of the WPIAL Class A finals started as a back-and-forth battle of heavyweights throwing haymakers. On the second play of their second possession, Lamont Wade scored on a 54-yard run. The standard two-point conversion attempt by the Bears was no good on an incomplete pass.Chicks Picks – Championship Friday
November 20, 2014
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.Big Game Hunting – Week Thirteen 2014
November 19, 2014
Championship Friday on a work day for WPIAL football fans, it will be interesting to see what that does to attendance at Heinz Field. The MSA Sports gang will be there in full force and will have you covered from every angle with updates, interviews, videos, pictures, and game stories. Everything you need to enjoy Championship Friday completely will be at www.msasports.net. The larger classifications feature rematches from this regular season. AA features a rematch of last year’s championship game and in single A the Bears are back after a year away. Let’s go Big Game Hunting.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/16/2014
November 16, 2014
The journey on the Highway to Heinz comes to an end with full day coverage from the Big House on the North Shore this week here on the MSA Sports Network. This years WPIAL Football Playoffs come to an end with all four Championship Games from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh along with the 2014 District Class A Championship Game from Altoona. We also have some winter sports with plenty of PIHL high school hockey contests including two more video-stream games along with men's and women's college basketball, plus its a Championship Friday Preview edition of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.netWPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 11/14
November 15, 2014
Including this below article and for the days ahead, there will be a lot of talk about the eight teams that will square off for a WPIAL football championship at Heinz Field to cap off the 2014 District 7 Playoffs. But eight teams that enjoyed OUTSTANDING seasons came up one victory short of taking the full ride on the Highway to Heinz all the way to the North Shore. Five of those eight teams did not lose until Friday night while the other three tasted defeat for only the second time this season.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.Scholastic Notebook – 11/14/2014
It has been well-documented how Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci has turned out to be one of the most prolific passers in the history of the WPIAL. But DiNucci also has benefitted from a terrific one-two receiving punch. It looks like you could call seniors D’ondre Gastion and Mike Merhaut are a receiving duo for the ages. There are no records available for best receiving one-two punches, but you can bet you will be hard-pressed to find many duos from the same team who have been as productive as Gastion and Merhaut. How many teams have had two receivers with 100 or more career catches? But that’s what Pine-Richland has in Gastion and Merhaut, a pair of seniors.
