Sports
Steel Valley Dominant in Winning WPIAL 2-A Title
November 26, 2016
Total dominance. That has been Steel Valley’s motto the entire 2016 football season and did not come close to stopping Saturday night at Joe Walton Stadium at Robert Morris University. The top-seeded Ironmen (13-0) ran away with their 13th consecutive mercy rule victory in the WPIAL 2A Championship Game, beating No. 3 Neshannock 49-14. "It means a lot to bring this back to Steel Valley," said head coach Rod Steele. "The Mon Valley has always been known for hard-nosed kids, good programs and you can throw us in there now as Champions."
Clairton Wins 3rd Straight, 8th WPIAL 1-A Title in 9 Years
For the ninth time in the last eleven years and the 13th time overall, the Clairton Bears have captured WPIAL gold by defeating the Jeannette Jayhawks 26-6 at Joe Walton Stadium at Robert Morris University. Without their starting quarterback, Noah Hamlin, for the second straight game, the Bears relied heavily on running back Lamont Wade to lead the way for the victory. Wade rushed for 100 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns and salted away the victory with an 82-yard interception return for a third touchdown. The interception return was the dagger in what was Jeannette’s fifth loss to Clairton in the last two years.PIAA Football Quarterfinals Recaps 2016
November 25, 2016
While the WPIAL Class 2-A and Class 1-A championship football games were played Saturday at Robert Morris University and 3-A champion Steel Valley enjoyed the weekend off, WPIAL champions Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson hit the field for Second Round state playoff action. While Pittsburgh Central Catholic and West Allegheyn weere winners to move on to the State Final Four, Thomas Jefferson saw their season end again at the nads of Erie Cathedral Prep. Here are recaps from those three state games heard here on The Network. A special thanks to Donny Chedrick, Bob Gregg and Mark Uriah for their help on these recaps. PIAA CLASS 6-A Quarterfinals:Chicks Picks for Week Thirteen
November 23, 2016
Welcome to Week 13 of the high school football season. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Chick’s Picks took some time to reflect on all that she is thankful for this holiday season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for her trusty crystal ball. Without it, she would surely not be half the talented prognosticator that she is today. Chick’s Picks is thankful for The Fumbler and H.S. Picks. These rival prognosticators keep Chick’s Picks’ competitive spirit alive every season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for the WPIAL and its coaches and players. After all, these are the folks that keep her and her crystal ball in business.Big Game Hunting for Week Thirteen
The six-pack becomes a five-pack this week, not at all unlike when Steve Nagler is coming over to your house for the back-yard barbecue, one just seems to disappear before he gets to the picnic. It’s a pair of District Seven Championships at stake Saturday and the three largest classifications go to work in the PIAA Tournament “proper” this weekend as well. You can stuff yourself with turkey and the fixins, we will stuff you full of the best WPIAL football coverage in the land, let’s go Big Game Hunting!WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2016
November 22, 2016
The dream of every team when the season kicked off nearly three months ago was to claim the WPIAL Championship. For four of those teams, that dream became a reality at Heinz Field. Two of the title contests came down to the final plays, while the other two matchups were largely decided by key moments in the first half. In Class 5A, a gutsy call to go for a two-point conversion gave the Indians the W, in 3A, the Tigers sealed the victory with a late TD run, while Central Catholic used a punt return to take command in the first half of the 6A game, and Thomas Jefferson's defense tilted the field in the Jags favor late in the second quarter in 4A. Here are the biggest plays of Championship Friday at Heinz Field. 1 West Allegheny 38, McKeesport 37
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jessie Thiessen
November 21, 2016
For many athletes, their greatest achievements occur when they face and overcome adversity. For Jessie Thiessen, missing her entire junior season at Allegheny College could've possibly derailed her promising career. Instead, Thiessen came back stronger than ever on the pitch this year. The former Fox Chapel standout is the focus of this week's edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A. In high school, Thiessen was a four-year letter winner for the Foxes, including a three-time offensive MVP for Fox Chapel. Additionally, she was a three-time All-Section honoree, as well as an All-WPIAL selection in her senior year in 2012.Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/20/2016
November 20, 2016
There were eight WPIAL football games this past weekend. Half on Friday produced four district champions and the other half on Saturday produced four teams that are now one win away from bringing gridiron gold to their schools trophy case. here are the eight players who made it happen from both the sunny and warm North Shore of Pittsburgh on Friday, or the frozen tundra of four high school sites in Western Pa on Saturday. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central CatholicThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/20/2016
Despite the fact that the football fans holiday of high school football at Heinz Field is in the books, there is still plenty of postseason football to feast on this week on the MSA Sports Network. The Road to RMU conclude with both the Class 2-A and Class 1-A WPIAL championship football games as well as the District 6 Class 1-A title game and five PIAA Quarterfinals state playoff football broadcasts, plus a pair of PIHL high school hockey games, this months edition of Carlow Sports Talk and a pre-holiday edition of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 21st:2016 PIAA Girls Soccer State Playoff Results
Two out of three ain't bad. The WPIAL sent three district teams to Hershey to play for state girls soccer championships on Friday and Saturday and two teams return home clad in gold. On Friday, the Moon Tigers won their second state championship with a victory in the Class 3-A title match, then on Saturday, Canon-McMillan went overtime to capture the schools first ever PIAA girls soccer crown. The lone exception to a district girls golden weekend was Shady Side Academy bringing home silver in Class 1-A. Here are ALL the final scores from the 2016 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:2016 PIAA Boys Soccer State Playoff Results
It was a silver lining weekend for a pair of WPIAL teams at Hersheypark Stadium in Chocolate Town. On Friday, Sewickley Academy fell in the Class 1-A finals, then less than 24 hours later, Quaker Valley settled for silver after falling in the Class 2-A state championship. This marks the fourth time this century and the first time since 2011 that a WPIAL boys soccer team did not win a PIAA title. Here are ALL the finals scores from the 2016 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Conestoga Pioneers 1 - Elizabethtown Bears 0 PIAA CLASS 4-A Semifinals: Conestoga Pioneers 1 - NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 02016 PIAA Girls Volleyball State Playoff Results
For the third year in a row, a WPIAL has captured gold in the PIAA Class 1-A girls volleyball playoffs and for the second time in three years, that team is Greensburg Central Catholic. The Centurions were dominant Saturday at Richland High School in Johnstown as they swept past Marian Catholic in three games for the schools second state championship. Here are ALL the final results from the 2016 PIAA Girls Volleyball Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Garnet Valley Jaguars 3 - Parkland Trojans 2 (25-19, 27-29, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8) PIAA CLASS 4-A Semifinals:WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2016
November 19, 2016
The new high school football postseason format has some strange twists that will take some time getting used to. Usually after the four games in one day marathon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, district high school football fans usually can unwind for another week prior to the WPIAL winners entering the PIAA playoffs. However less than 24 hours after the 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A champions were crowned at the big house on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the 2-A and 1-A playoffs continued with the Semifinals, setting the stage for next Saturdays completion of The Road to RMU. Here are the summaries of those four high school football Semifinals games. A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Steve Nagler, Bob Barrickman and Jimmy Lee Santorella for their help on these recaps.Scholastic Notebook – 11/19/2016
When a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave D.J. Opsatnik another chance at a game-tying field goal in Friday’s WPIAL Class 5 championship at Heinz Field, Opsatnik took advantage, making a 34-yarder that sent the game into overtime. West Allegheny eventually defeated McKeesport, 38-37, to win the title. But not only did that penalty give Opsatnik another chance to tie the game, it ended up giving him a future chance at the state record for career field goals.
Central Catholic’s 6th WPIAL Title Comes in First 6-A Finals
Pittsburgh Central Catholic used its tried and true formula – a power running attack and suffocating defense – along with crucial special teams plays to secure the first 6A football title in WPIAL history, defeating Seneca Valley 42-7 at Heinz Field. In the process, the top-seeded Vikings (12-1) claimed their second-straight championship, and sixth in team history. All of the previous titles for Central Catholic came in Class Quad-A.
TJ Storms Past New Castle to Repeat as WPIAL Champs
November 18, 2016
For many teams across the district, winning a WPIAL Championship seems like a giant mountain to climb. For Thomas Jefferson, that mountain feels more like a hill. Quinton Hill, that is. Hill rushed for 248 yards on 39 carries and scored three touchdowns for the Jaguars as they rolled to a 42-0 victory over New Castle in the WPIAL Class 4A Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Jaguars repeat as WPIAL champions, winning in the Class AAA title clash last season also with a convincing shutout. After their semifinal victory last week, coach Bill Cherpak said his Thomas Jefferson squad was "going home" to Heinz Field. Maybe the Rooney family should charge rent to Coach Cherpak, as his Jaguars have won six WPIAL titles at Heinz Field since 2004.
West Allegheny Wins First WPIAL 5-A Title in OT Thriller
The West Allegheny Indians made sure there was no miracle for McKeesport on Friday at Heinz Field, but the Indians may be the team believing in magic after defeating the Tigers 38-37 in dramatic fashion in overtime at Heinz Field in a thrilling game to become the first 5A WPIAL Champion. Any championship win is special for any team, but the special teams play for both McKeesport and West Allegheny played a huge part in shaping this title game.
