Sports
WPIAL and City League Football Finals for 10/7
October 7, 2016
Last Friday, we closed out the month of September. This Friday, we kicked off the second half of the regular season with the first Friday of October. The night brought a mixed back of comfortable temperatures and some rain in the forecast. We also had a mixed back a big conference games and HUGE non-conference frays highlighted by the much anticipated battle of champions as Aliquippa visits Clairton. Big school or small school, fights for first place or battles for pride, we had an autumn cornucopia of WPIAL high school football with 28 games streamed live and archived here on The Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Northern Seven Conference: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 49 - Butler Golden Tornado 7 (F)Scholastic Notebook – 10/07/2016
It seems dual-threat quarterbacks are all the rage in high school football these days, from Western Pennsylvania to all around the country. Just take a look at the leading rushers in the WPIAL to see the effects that dual-threat QBs are having. Among the top 25 rushers in the WPIAL, four are quarterbacks – and two of the top seven are quarterbacks. Beaver quarterback Darius Wise is third in the WPIAL in rushing with 1,093 yards. Burrell’s Max Garda is seventh with 791. Wise is averaging 11 yards a carry. After those two, McGuffey’s Marcus Czulewicz is 15th with 702 yards rushing and North Allegheny’s Ethan Maenza 23rd with 584 yards, and he missed a game with an injury.Chicks Picks for Week Six
October 6, 2016
Welcome to Week 6 of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks attended her favorite yearly golf outing last week. Though the event is for charity, Chick’s Picks – a scratch golfer – often gets bored rather easily with the lackluster play of average golfers. While driving to the 16th hole, a very brief rain shower passed through, but then rewarded the golfers with a rainbow.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/06/2016
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings in all four classifications for the week of October 3rd...including a NEW #1 team in Class 4-A. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Volleyball broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Volleyball Playoffs in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records listed. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS 4-A: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (6-0) (Last Week #2) 2) OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES (8-0) (Last Week #3)Big Game Hunting for Week Six 2016
The game we all circled back on our calendars when the 2016 WPIAL Football schedule came out is finally here. While normally I frown on even inter-conference games getting into Big Game Hunting, let alone an inter-classification game, this game is different. These two teams have long been the gold-standard for WPIAL football and their meeting this Friday at Neil Brown Stadium this week, cannot be denied as a big event for any fan of WPIAL football over the last two decades. I don’t imagine I will get emails complaining about my choices this week, but as a reminder, those should all now be directed to ChixPix1@msasports.net. For now let’s go Big Game Hunting!MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/06/2016
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of October 3rd. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Boys Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (10-0-1) (Last Week #1)North Allegheny & Beaver Are WPIAL Girls Tennis Champs Again
North Allegheny captured a fourth straight WPIAL 3-A girls team tennis crown Wednesday while Beaver was able to repeat as district 2-A champions. The Tigers four-peat was a nail biter, as they edged Mount Lebanon 3-2 at Sewickley Academy. Meanwhile the Bobcats postseason dominance continued as they outscored their four opponents 19-1 after sweeping past Neshannock 5-0 at North Allegheny High School. Here are ALL but two of the results from the 2016 WPIAL Girls Team Tennis Championships. The two consolation matches are Thursday. 2016 WPIAL GIRLS TEAM TENNIS CLASS 3-A CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: North Allegheny Tigers 3 - Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 2 WPIAL CLASS 3-A Consolation:Freeport Yellow Jackets Hometown Volleyball Broadcast Recap – 10/06/2016
The 4A standout Armstrong River Hawks traveled to Freeport on Wednesday night to face The Freeport Yellow Jackets. A 2A conference team doesn’t seem like the proper title for Freeport as they gave Armstrong everything they could handle. Armstrong took the match in 4 competitive sets (27-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-17). This non-conference bout featured two teams who already looked primed and prepared toward the WPIAL Playoffs.
Sophomores Rule at WPIAL Girls Golf Championships
October 5, 2016
Two new champions were crowned at the WPIAL 3-A and 2-A Girls Golf Championships at Treesdale Golf Club in Gibsonia on Wednesday. Caroline Wrigley of North Allegheny claimed the 3-A crown with a 3 over par 75, while Kiaria Porter of Central Valley shot a 6 over 78. Porter bested two-time champion Olivia Zambruno of Greensburg Central Catholic by two strokes. Wrigley finished fifth in last year’s championship. She started the day on a sour note with two bogeys but rebounded strong with seven pars to close out the front nine. Trailing Peters Township senior Mia Kness by two shots at the turn, she was able to take the lead after the 10th hole with a birdie on the par 4 on the Orchard nine, while Kness ran into trouble and posted a 6.
Fox Chapel’s Gregor Meyer Wins WPIAL Boys 3-A Golf Title
October 4, 2016
Gregor Meyer did not play in the WPIAL Individual Golf Championships at the Triple-A level last year. He was the 11th worst qualifier by score for a qualifying round to head to hollowed Oakmont Country Club for the Boy’s 3A Individual Golf Championship, Tuesday, Oct. 4. When all was said and done, the sophomore out of Fox Chapel High School shot the only under par score of the day, a 70 on the par-71 course, good for a -1 and a WPIAL crown.
Penn-Trafford Warriors Hometown Boys Soccer Broadcast Recap – 10/04/2016
Austin Kreutzberger’s goal in the 69th minute of play proved to be the game winner as Penn-Trafford came from behind at home in the second half to defeat Kiski Area at Warriors Stadium. Kreutzberger, a junior forward, took a feed from senior Joe Salesi up ahead and in the right side of the box and buried a shot from 12-yards out past Cavaliers goalkeeper Nick Bisceglia to give the Warriors their first lead.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/04/2016
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings in all four classifications for the week of October 3rd. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including Hometown Soccer broadcasts each week. You can also listen to exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs in October and check out the Pro Grass Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS 4-A: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (10-0-1) (Last Week #1)WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Five 2016
The latest slate of games marked the midway point of the regular season, and both Friday and Saturday were full of exciting action. This week's edition features a goal-line stand as time expires, a prolific running back making his mark as a receiver on the winning score, a diminutive dynamo breaking a long run to close out the scoring in a battle of 6A heavyweights, and a punt return that put the icing on an upset win. Thus, here's the collection of the finest plays from Week Five on the gridiron. 1. Central Valley 42, Beaver 35
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Nina Barbano
October 3, 2016
Competing in tennis at the college level requires tremendous talent, and doing so at a high level in both singles and doubles is even more impressive. That's exactly what Nina Barbano, a former standout at Bethel Park, is now doing for Slippery Rock's program. For that reason, she's the feature of this week's WPIAL Alum Q&A. With the Black Hawks, Barbano was a four-time letterwinner on the court. The diminutive player enjoyed individual accolades, but also helped Bethel Park reach the team postseason each year during her tenure.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/03/2016
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 Five of the 2016 high school football season...including a NEW #1 team in Clas 3-A. WPIAL CLASS 6-A WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP SEVEN: 1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (5-1) (Last Week #1.....Week Six - at Butler on MSA) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-2) (Last Week #3.....Week Six - at #6 Penn Hills on MSA)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/03/2016
We open up a busy October with a bang with high school football, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, golf and even hockey this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The high school football season kicks off the second half of the regular season with Week Six and The Network has 31 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 Standings – 10/02
October 2, 2016
Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week Five of the 2016 high school football season. 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. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs)MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Five
After a couple of lean Saturday scholastic football slates, the WPIAL kicked off the month of October with five conference contests. All three Class 1-A games were played under some sun which followed morning showers, while the Class 3-A and Class 2-A games were played on Saturday night to wrap up the high school football weekend. Here are the five standout Saturday performances from Week Five. Duane Brown - Apollo-RidgeWPIAL and City League Football Scores for Sat 10/1
October 1, 2016
While the last two Saturday's have been quiet around the WPIAL with three high school football games total, the month of October kicks off with a bang. There were four WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League games in the afternoon with two more in primetime on a busy Saturday that will conclude the Week Five weekend. Four of the six games were heard right here on The Network. Here are the final results. WPIAL CLASS 3-A Allegheny Conference: Apollo-Ridge Vikings 35 - Seton-LaSalle Rebels 28 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 2-A Midwestern Athletic Conference: Riverside Panthers 18 - Freedom Bulldogs 10 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 1-A Big 7 Conference:Friday HighLights for Week Five
As Friday night of Week Five of the 2016 campaign began, most pre-games and kickoffs had to deal with passing rain showers. But as the games went on, the skies cleared, the temps dropped and the stars started to shine. However in a day and age when most of the star are found in the sky, or at least doing damage through the air, it was a night of success for those who love to pound on the ground as eight running backs in the district surpassed 200 yards rushing, including one massive record setting performance. Zane Dudek - Armstrong
