Sports
Scholastic Notebook – 10/09/2015
October 9, 2015
Many Class A football players are often smaller in size than those in Class AAA or AAAA. But Avonworth’s Zach Chandler and Neshannock’s Frank Antuono are Class A quarterbacks who would be large for any team, regardless of class. And Chandler and Antuono are doing some big, big things this season. Chandler is 6 feet 4, 235 pounds, while Antuono is 6-2, 220 and bench presses 400 pounds. Now consider what these “big guys” are doing: *Chandler, a senior, leads the WPIAL in passing yardage with 1,702 after five games. He has completed 83 of 134. This after missing most of the past two seasons with injuries. He has helped Avonworth to a 4-1 record.WPIAL/City League Friday Football Scores – 10/08/2015
October 8, 2015
Week Six...WOW! Big games here, big games there, big games, big games everywhere. One week before the Stretch Run began, first place was at stake in no less than seven conferences up and down the WPIAL, including five matchups between teams that had perfect conference records and three showdowns of 5-0 vs 5-0. Of Course, ALL of those key contests can be heard archived here on The Network. Here are ALL of the final scores from the sixth Friday of the season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference: Penn-Trafford Warriors 42 - Hempfield Spartans 7 (F) Plum Mustangs 49 - Connelsville Falcons 23 (F) Altoona Mountain Lions 28 - Latrobe Wildcats 14 (F) Norwin Knights 40 - Kiski Area Cavaliers 31 (F)Hometown Boys Soccer Recap – Upper St. Clair Panthers – 10/08/2015
Logan Brinsky's goal in the 45th minute lifted Peters Township (9-3-2, 6-2-1) to a 1-0 victory over Upper St. Clair (8-5-1, 6-3-0) in Class AAA's Section 5 on Thursday night. Brinsky, who had a number of scoring chances throughout the night, would finally capitalize just moments after a near miss, taking a long pass in the middle of the field, sneaking behind the Panthers' back row and tucking a shot inside of the far goal post, just out of the reach of Upper St. Clair goalkeeper Mack Dominick. Without Dominick, the match would likely have been far more lopsided, as the junior netminder made a variety of difficult saves during the course of a physical and chippy game.
Peters Township Sophomore Hunter Bruce Wins WPIAL Boys AAA Golf
On a golf team full of excellent golfers, the youngest of the group, Peters Township’s Hunter Bruce stunned the field to win the WPIAL Boys AAA Individual Gold Championships at Southpoint Golf Club. Bruce, only a sophomore, fired a 1-over 73 to edge teammate Alec Stopperich by one shot and became the first Peters Township Indian to win WPIAL individual gold in golf.Chicks Picks – Week 6 – 2015
Welcome to Week 6 of the high school football season. Friday nights at MSA Sports World Headquarters are hard work. As a reward, The Boss provides delicious dinner for the crew from the best pizza place in town. Last week, an unfamiliar delivery man showed up with the evening’s provisions. As he handed over the order, however, it became obvious that something was not right. When the crew began to question the delivery man, he panicked and ran for the exit—right into the regular delivery man who was bringing the actual order. The spill caused the impersonator to lose the contents of his pockets, including his cell phone, which happened to start ringing at that exact moment—caller I.D.: The Fumbler.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/08/2015
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week of October 5th...including a NEW #1 team in Class A. You can check out the new rankings every Thursday 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 2015 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University in October ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. Section record in parenthesis. WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA: 1) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (7-0) (Last Week #1)PIAA Approves 6 Classes for Football, Hoops, Baseball & Softball
Are you ready for six classifications in Pennsylvania high school football? And boys basketball? And girls basketball? And baseball? And softball? Six classifications in all of those sports will be a reality in the 2016-17 school year. That was the gigantic news that came out of a PIAA board of directors meeting Wednes day in Mechanicsburg. Heading into the meeting, the main topic on the agenda was supposed to be a final vote on the expansion of classifications in football from four to six. The PIAA had already passed that in two other votes, and needed only to pass one more vote before going into effect for the 2016-17 season. That proposal easily passed by a 26-4 vote. But there was more big news to come.WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Six 2015
October 7, 2015
In the mid-1800’ when you went to the fabric store and asked for a bolt or a yard of cloth, the clerk would first just hold it out at ‘arms- length’ to give you an idea of how much you were getting. But, when the time came for the actual cutting of the fabric and the paying of the money the fabric would be measured exactly between a pair of brass tacks set in the counter at specific lengths. That’s where the term “getting down to brass tacks” comes from. No more looks from a distance at who are the championship contenders in the WPIAL. This week we get down to “brass tacks” with top-ten battles sprinkled throughout every classification. Here are four dandies for you to take in on…. THE NETWORK, this weekend.District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 10th
The second weekend of October hopefully brings better weather and lots of conference games. In the PSAC, Clarion looks to go to 6-0, while in the PAC, W&J tries to get on the winning track. The Presidents remain in the D-III top 25. Here are previews of ALL the games: Gannon(3-2) at Mercyhurst(3-2) Noon Both teams are in dire need of a win, having dropped their first 2 conference games.Fox Chapel and Quaker Valley Duo’s Win WPIAL Girls Doubles Tennis Titles
Senior Laurel Shymansky is certainly not shy about winning district doubles titles. Shymansky and Fox Chapel partner Amanda Nord won in straight sets Wednesday afternoon at North Allegheny to repeat as WPIAL Class AA Girls Doubles Tennis champions. This marks the third straight year Shymansky captured gold, winning two years ago along with Foxes teammate Lacey Cohen. In the Class AA Finals, the Quaker Valley duo of Zoe Bojalad & Emily Kraus were straight set winners over Ania Luckiewicz & Angelica Arshoun of Vincentian Academy, who had to finish their suspended Semifinals match prior to the Finals. This marks Bojalad's second straight WPIAL doubles crown after winning last year with her sister Farrah.Three Football Players Suspended After Monessen-Wilkinsburg Fight
After meeting with school officials from both Monessen and Wilkinsburg along with game officials on Tuesday, the WPIAL has ordered that two Wilkinsburg players and one Monessen player be suspended by the schools for at least two games, or else the two programs could be suspended by the WPIAL. This edict came down Wednesday morning following a fight Saturday between players from both teams that led to the football game being stopped in the third quarter with Monessen leading at historic Graham Field in Wilkinsburg. The identity of all three players was not revealed. The WPIAL does not have the authority to suspend the players, so they have asked the schools to do it or else they risk having their season suspended by the WPIAL.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/07/2015
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of October 5th...including another NEW #1 team in Class AAA. 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 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL BOYS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (12-0-0) (Last Week #2)Hometown Girls Volleyball Recap – Bishop Canevin Crusaders – 10/07/2015
In a highly anticipated and dramatic contest, Serra Catholic and Bishop Canevin once again faced each other atop the hard court. To recent memory over the past few seasons, it had been the home Crusaders who have dominated play over the Eagles, but Monday was a different story. Serra Catholic won this matchup on BC’s home floor in just four games. Both teams came in at 6-1 overall in the section. Serra’s only loss prior to this had been Bishop Canevin early on this season. Canevin on the other hand had seen itself lose the game prior to this one at Vincentian and could not find a way to rebound from that tonight.WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Five 2015
October 6, 2015
While the first four weeks of the 2015 season were filled with fantastic finishes, dramatic comebacks and upsets galore, lopsided affairs and powerhouse teams asserting their dominance proved prevalent in the fifth week of the campaign. Still, the top plays of the week are not short on excitement or drama, as they include a game-changing run seconds before halftime, the lone score in a defensive battle, and a pair of touchdowns scored by defense and special teams. Here's what made the cut in week five. 1. West Allegheny 47, Montour 14Marissa Balish and Olivia Zambruno Win WPIAL Girls Golf
Olivia Zambruno of Greensburg Central Catholic repeated as WPIAL Class AA champ while Marissa Balish of Hampton captured gold in Class AAA Tuesday afternoon at the Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray. Both won in convincing fashion with with Balish shooting at 1-over par 73 and winning by three strokes while Zambruno shot a 3-over par 75 to win by five strokes. It was the first district crown for the senior Balish while the junior Zambruno won for a second straight year. Balish is a member of the Talbots boys golf team since the girls do not have a team at Hampton. Zambruno did the same thing last year for the Centurions, but this year, a girls team was added at Greensburg Central Catholic.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/06/2015
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of October 5th. 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 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs and the check out the Pro Grass Boys and Girls Soccer Player of the Month in September, October and November ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA: 1) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (12-0-0) (Last Week #1) 2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (13-0-0) (Last Week #2)Hometown Girls Volleyball Recap – Freeport Yellowjackets – 10/06/2015
Freeport Coach Tom Phillips was able to rally his Yellowjackets Monday night to a 3-0 non section victory over the visiting Derry Trojans.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/05/2015
October 5, 2015
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. These are the rankings following Week Five of the 2015 WPIAL football season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (5-0) (Last Week #1.....Week Six at Canon-McMillan on MSA) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-0) (Last Week #2.....Week Six host Hempfield on MSA) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (5-0) (Last Week #3.....Week Six host #9 Seneca Valley)
