Sports
Scholastic Notebook – 10/28/2016
October 28, 2016
It was a first-time occurrence earlier this season when Armstrong’s Zane Dudek, Clairton’s Lamont Wade and Steel Valley’s DeWayne Murray all surpassed 5,000 career yards rushing. Of the 19 running backs in WPIAL history who ran for 5,000, Dudek, Wade and Murray were the first trio to do it in the same year. But that trio isn’t just settling at 5,000. They could be the three amigos for 6,000.WPIAL and City League Football Scores for Friday 10/28
It is a scary time of the year. No, I’m not talking about all of those ghosts and goblins that will invade in a few days on Halloween night; I’m talking about looking in the standings and not seeing an asterisk next to your favorite team’s name. The end is near for all playoff hopes. You either get your ticket punched for a ride on The Highway to Heinz or starting this year…The Road to RMU, or you wonder ‘what if’ as you listen to exclusive coverage of the WPIAL football playoffs. The complete puzzle is nearly in place after tonight, but like a good jig-saw, sit back and enjoy as we put the final WPIAL Playoff Picture pieces together on Friday night of Week Nine. Here are ALL the finals scores from the final Friday of the regular 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.
Provenzo (FR), Skolnekovich (QV) & Littman (WT) Win WPIAL Boys X-Country Gold
On a rainy and mud-filled day at the 2016 WPIAL boys cross country championship, the biggest story of the afternoon was Seneca Valley dethroning North Allegheny in Class AAA. The Tigers had captured the previous 11 team titles, but the Raiders, who also edged them in section competition this year, reigned victorious at Cooper's Lake Campground near Slippery Rock. Seneca Valley's margin of victory over NA was small, as both teams had their top five runners all finish within the top 22. As a result, both squads, along with Butler, advance to the state championship next month. In Class AA, Greensburg Salem's Golden Lions lived up to their moniker, besting Quaker Valley for the top spot. South Fayette won a tiebreaker over New Castle to move on the the PIAA's, as well.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.
Three District Golfers Win PIAA State Titles
October 25, 2016
Three WPIAL golfers captured PIAA state championships Tuesday at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. 2014 WPIAL champion Chris Tanabe of Quaker Valley won the Boys PIAA Class 2-A championship with a one stroke victory over 2016 WPIAL winner Skyler Fox of Riverside. Mia Kness of Peters Township won the Girls PIAA Class 3-A crown with a two stroke victory while Olivia Zambruno of Greensburg Central Catholic also won by two stroke to earn Girls PIAA Class 2-A gold. BOYS PIAA CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP Final Results Kevin Scherr, Nazareth 69-75--144 Campbell Wolf, Cumb. Valley 73-76--149 Brady Pevarnik, Latrobe 73-77--150 J.T. Spina, Pope John Paul II 73-77--150WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Eight 2016
Incredibly, the 2016 football regular season is already winding down, with this past week representing the penultimate opportunity for many squads to make a playoff push or improve their standings. On a rain-filled weekend in the region, teams and players battled the elements to once again produce an impressive collection of outstanding moments. Among the plays to make the cut is another monumental clash in the Beaver Valley Conference, a long run that provided insurance in a crucial 5A battle, a QB keeper that helped fuel a big upset in 2A, and a spectacular interception return for a score. 1. Aliquippa 22, Central Valley 14MSA 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)
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Brendan Lynch
Brendan Lynch was a special athlete in his time at Freeport High School, and now Lynch is proving to be a special player at Case Western Reserve University. Formerly a three-sport standout for the Yellowjackets, Lynch is enjoying a prolific senior campaign as a receiver for the Spartans. Before he made his mark in the college ranks, Lynch was well known throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley for his efforts on the gridiron, hardwood and track. He was a four-year letterwinner in track and field, while garnering letters in three seasons for both football and basketball. He was also a three-time All-County selection in hoops.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/23/2016
October 23, 2016
The final seven days of the tenth month of the year heats up as the mercury drops as the fall sports postseason kicks into full gear this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The 'Stretch Run' of the high school football season concludes with Week Nine and The Network has 30 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.2016 WPIAL Football Playoff Picture – 10/23
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.2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 10/23
Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week Eight 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.MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Eight
Rain that made Friday night in Week eight interesting carried over into Saturday afternoon, making for a slow track at four of the five 'natural surface' sites around the WPIAL as grassy fields soon turned muddy and clean uniforms were not so much. But the late Autumn weather conditions made the afternoons and evening for these five standouts really stand out as we put a bow on the next to the last weekend of regular season high school football. Dominic Fundy - Beth-CenterMSA 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-RichlandWPIAL 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.FINAL 2016 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Standings
Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls volleyball standings for the 2016 season...plus the FINAL WPIAL playoff picture with postseason clinchings and eliminations. Standings will be updated daily through the regular season, leading up to MSA Sports EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs in October. Also, don't forget to click on the Hometown Broadcast Program tab under High Schools for information on this falls 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. Click on the team to see their section results and remaining section schedule. MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Program teams are capitalized.Nord & James of Fox Chapel and Heckert & McLaughlin of Indiana Win WPIAL Tennis Doubles Crowns
October 20, 2016
Last year, Amanda Nord and Laurel Shymansky of Fox Chapel beat Tina Li and Ashley Huang of North Allegheny to win the WPIAL Class AAA girls doubles tennis title. This year, Nord and new partner Charlotte James did it again, as they beat the top-seed duo of Li and Huang to win the 2016 WPIAL Girls Doubles Tennis Class 3-A crowns on Friday. In 2-A, Kelsey Heckert and Katie McLaughlin beat Indiana teammates Margaux Marcus and Lauren Bertig to claim 2-A gold. Here are ALL of the results from the two day 2016 WPIAL Girls Doubles Tennis Championships. 2016 WPIAL CLASS 3-A GIRLS DOUBLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Amanda Nord and Charlotte James (Fox Chapel) over Tina Li and Ashley Huang (North Allegheny) 6-2, 6-4
