Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/14/2016
February 14, 2016
To our Sweetheart Fans, we continue our exclusive journey on The Path to the Pete this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL the First Round and Quarterfinals boys and girls games in the 2016 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs along with the start of the District 6 boys and girls high school basketball playoffs and the WPIAL Individual Wrestling Class AA-2 Sectionals and PIHL high school hockey, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, Carlow Sports Talk and The PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 15th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net TALK SHOW - Carlow Sports Talk at 8:30pm on MSAsports.netPath to the Pete Recaps From Saturday 2/13
February 13, 2016
While the weather outside was freightful...and frigid, the postseason basketball inside was delightful for the winners, not so much for those teams that saw their 2016 season come to an end. Here are recaps from the Boys AAAA, Boys AA, Girls AAA and Girls A Preliminary and First Round games, 18 games in all on Saturday afternoon on the Path to the Pete. A special thanks to Mike Azadian, Mark Schaas, T.J. DiStefano, Bob Orkwis, Sean Meyers, Steve Nagler, Brandon Showers, Brian Mroziak, Greg Kuntz, Jason Tennant, Nate Regotti, Lee Mohn, Bob Barrickman and Bob Gregg for their help on these recaps. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Preliminary Round:PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs – Day Three Recap
WPIAL champion Belle Vernon (20-2) finished in third place at the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships by winning the consolation final over Nazareth, 30-28, on Saturday afternoon at the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA.Bethlehem Catholic & Brookville Win 2016 PIAA Team Wrestling Titles
For only the second time in the last nine years and the first time since 2010, a WPIAL team did not bring state gold back from Hershey in the team wrestling playoffs. Bethlehem Catholic won the AAA title after winning four straight AA state championships from 2011 to 2014. District 9 champion Brookville is celebrating their second PIAA state title and first since 1999. The best finish for a WPIAL team was Belle Vernon as the Leopards finished in third place by winning the Class AAA Consolations. Here are ALL of the results from the 2016 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS AAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks 37 - Boyertown Bears 12PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs – Day Two Recap
All three WPIAL Class AAA teams remain alive at the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships, but only one will bring home the hardware from Hershey's GIANT Center. Belle Vernon lost Friday evening in the semifinals in a much anticipated showdown with the state's top-ranked team. As a result, the Leopards drop to the consolation bracket and await the winner of a match between the WPIAL's other two representatives, Canon-McMillan (12-3) and Kiski Area (22-2), who will square off on Saturday morning in a third round consolation match at 9:00am .Path to the Pete Recaps From Friday 2/12
February 12, 2016
The first night of the 2016 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs featured Preliminary Round hoop games from Boys AAA and Girls AA along with First Round action from Boys A and Girls AAAA. Here are recaps from all 18 district playoff games to begin the trip on the Path to the Pete. A special thanks to Josh Rowntree, Cory Campano, Randy Gore, Steve Nagler, Andy Stanko, James Dotson, Mark Schaas, Gary Frankhouser, Steve Superick, Brian Mroziak, Bob Orkwis, Paul Paterra, Bob Barrickman, Melissa Carle, Kyle Dawson, Bob Gregg and Kevin Zielmanski for their help with these recaps. WPIAL BOYS CLASS AAA PRELIMINARY ROUND:WPIAL Boys Basketball Preview
There are 74 boys teams that begin the Path to the Pete in the hopes of raising one of the four championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on February 26th or 27th. Here are some factoids to help you get ready for the 2016 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs. CLASS AAAAWPIAL Girls Basketball Preview
There are 73 girls teams that begin the Path to the Pete in the hopes of raising one of the four championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on February 26th or 27th. Here are some factoids to help you get ready for the 2016 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs. CLASS AAAA TOP SEED: Norwin (21-0). The Knights are the defending champions and an overwhelming choice as the top seed. They are led by Alayna Gribble, a Pitt recruit who just might be the No. 1 player in the WPIAL this year. Norwin has been impressive offensively, but their defense is absolutely stifling. The Knights allow only 31 points a game. DEFENDING CHAMP: Norwin.PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs – Day One Recap
February 11, 2016
WPIAL qualifiers Belle Vernon, Canon McMillan and Kiski Area all won opening round matches at the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships on Thursday evening at the GIANT Center in Hershey. The trio now advances to the:quarterfinal round scheduled to start at 2:00 pm on Friday.Woodland Hills Three-Peats as WPIAL Team Rifle Champs
The sharp shooters at Woodland Hills High School have earned another gold bulls-eye for the Wolverines. Woodland Hills scored a final total of 800-59x to edge out Hempfield and win a third straight WPIAL Team Rifle championship Wednesday at the Dormont/Mount Lebanon Sportsman's Club in Canonsburg. The Wolverines beat out the Spartans in a close finish after Hempfield ended with a total 800-57x. Butler finished third in the team finals with a score of 799-65x, followed by Waynesburg (799-50x), Mount Lebanon (797-58x) and McGuffey (795-57x).WPIAL SPORTS SECTION & PLAYOFF STRUCTURE UNVEILED
February 10, 2016
While WPIAL admiinistrators, coaches, players and fans will have to wait until Monday, February 15th for the new WPIAL Six Classification alignments to be announced, the structure of the sections and the playoff format were released on Wednesday. WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley said after investigating what course the WPIAL should take after the PIAA expanded classifications in several sports last fall, the district will follow suit and follow the classes set forth by the state expansion.MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings – 02/10/2016
Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm with audio and video game broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (12-4-1) (Last Week #1) 2) ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERS (9-5-3) (Last Week #3)2015-2016 WPIAL FINAL Boys Basketball Standings
February 9, 2016
Here are the FINAL WPIAL boys basketball standings for the 2015-2016 regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL boys hoops rankings are released each Tuesday along with boys basketball talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report at 6:00pm and live and archived broadcasts only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched Share of Section Title * - Clinched a WPIAL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated from Playoff Chase2015-2016 WPIAL FINAL Girls Basketball Standings
Here are the FINAL WPIAL girls basketball standings for the 2015-2016 regular season...including the FINAL WPIAL playoff clinchings. The standings will be updated daily throughout the rest of the regular season here on the MSA Sports Network. Don't forget weekly WPIAL girls hoops rankings are released each Monday along with girls basketball talk every Wednesday during the WPIAL Roundball Report at 6:00pm and live and archived broadcasts only here on the MSA Sports Network. Top FOUR teams in ALL sections qualify for the WPIAL playoffs: # - Clinched Section Title Outright & - Clinched Share of Section Title * - Clinched a WPIAL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated from Playoff ChaseMSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoff Rankings 2016
February 8, 2016
Our final WPIAL Boys Basketball Top 10 rankings of the season is not really a true rankings, just like the WPIAL Steering Committee doesn't truly rank the teams when putting the brackets together. Sure, the top eights teams are according to perceived rankings, but then a lot of what follows the rest of the way is more fill in the blanks to avoid teams from the same section meeting in Round One. Throw in Preliminary Round games like we'll see in Class AAA and Class AA, and then you really have to dance around to avoid Preliminary and First Round games against teams from the same section. The First Round seed matchups break out this way in this order.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Rankings 2016
Our final WPIAL Girls Basketball Top 10 rankings of the season is not really a true rankings, just like the WPIAL Steering Committee doesn't truly rank the teams when putting the brackets together. Sure, the top eights teams are according to perceived rankings, but then a lot of what follows the rest of the way is more fill in the blanks to avoid teams from the same section meeting in Round One. Throw in Preliminary Round games like we'll see in Class AAA and Class AA, and then you really have to dance around to avoid Preliminary and First Round games against teams from the same section. The First Round seed matchups break out this way in this order.
