Sports
North Allegheny, Freeport & Bishop Canevin Win WPIAL Girls Volleyball Gold
November 2, 2013
All three top seeds made it to the WPIAL girls volleyball championship finals Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School while a pair of #2-seeds were joined by a #7-seed in the title match thrills. While Bishop Canevin needed five games to knock out the defending champion Greensburg Central Catholic in Class A, Freeport and North Allegheny needed only the minimum three games to add to their golden collection. Here are the recaps from all three title matches.AAA Finals: North Allegheny Tigers 3 - Bethel Park Black Hawks 0
West Allegheny Boys & Central Valley Girls Win WPIAL Class AA Soccer Titles
Coming into Super Soccer Saturday, West Allegheny was the top seed in the Boys Class AA playoff field while Central Valley was the only undefeated and untied team remaining in the WPIAL. At then end of the day, both were wearing the golden crown in the sport of soccer for the first time in their schools history. Here are the recaps from both Class AA district championship soccer matches.AA Girls: Central Valley Warriors 2 - Hopewell Vikings 1Freshman Marianne Abdalah of Vincentian Wins PIAA X-Country Girls A Title
The field of runners in the PIAA Class A girls cross-country championship race Saturday got some Royal treatment. But they couldn’t have liked it.Youth was served when Marianne Abdalah, a freshman for the Vincentian Academy Royals, ran away from the field and won the Class A title in Hershey. Abdalah won with a time of 18 minutes, 24 seconds and the next closest finisher was almost one minute behind.The win capped off quite a first year of high school cross country for Abdalah. She also won the WPIAL title a few weeks ago and emerged as one of the top runners in the area, no matter the classification. She was the only WPIAL athlete to win a PIAA title.PR’s Bridgham in Singles & FC’s Shymansky/Cohen in Doubles Win PIAA AAA Tennis Gold
While there was nothing to write home about for the WPIAL qualifiers in the Class AA state doubles and singles tournaments, it turned out to be a golden success for district doubles and singles girls tennis players in Class AAA this weekend at the Hershey Racquet Club in Hershey.While Class AA had no qualifiers make it to the Semifinals on Saturday in the PIAA Singles or Doubles postseason, Class AAA had two qualifiers in each make it to the final day. and when the last winner was served, Marlys Bridgham of Pine-Richland won the state Class AAA singles championship and the duo of Laurel Shymansky and Lacy Cohen claimed the Triple-A state doubles championship.
Sewickley Academy Boys & Shady Side Academy Girls Win WPIAL Class A Soccer Titles
Coming in to the WPIAL Class A soccer championships, both the boys and girls top-seeds made it through the first three rounds and into the championship finals Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Sewickley Academy was able to follow through and win the boys title where Greensburg Central Catholic could not, getting upset by Shady Side Academy in the girls finals. Here are the recaps from both Class A district championship matches.
University Prep Claims Second City League Football Title
The University Prep Wildcats won their second Pittsburgh City League football championship in the three year history of the program with a 33-20 victory over the Allderdice Dragons Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium.University Prep is a combination of that school, along with Obama Academy and Science and Technology for football, they have qualified for the title game all three seasons, besting Allderdice in 2011 and falling to Perry last season.WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Ten
To the victors go the spoils. Or in the case of the WPIAL football playoffs...to the victors goes a spot on Quarterfinals Friday. Round One is on the books on this years ride on the Highway to Heinz as 32 teams prevailed and live to fight another day for the gold at the end of the rainbow which splashes down at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh in three weeks. Sometimes the first postseason win is a walk in park or a fight to the bitter end. Whether is one one extreme or the other, or somewhere in the middle, here are the players that got their primetime jaunt off on the right foot in the First Round of the district playoffs.Luigi Lista-Brinza, Riley Redman and J.J. Cosentino - Pittsburgh Central CatholicPeters Township Boys & Seneca Valley Girls Win WPIAL Class AAA Soccer Titles
While Class AA and Class A district soccer finalists have to wait for Super Soccer Saturday to play for gold, Class AAA went Primetime at the new Highmark Stadium at Station Square. A couple of one goal games led the championships for Peters Township boys and Seneca Valley girls. Sam Hall has the details from both title matches. AAA Girls: Seneca Valley Raiders 1 - Peters Township Indians 0WPIAL Football First Round Recaps 2013
The four week journey on the Highway to Heinz is underway as the orange barrels have been replaced with spread offenses and suffocating defenses. All 32 First Round games in the 2013 WPIAL Football Playoffs are in the books from Friday night. Here are ALL of the game recaps from those postseason contests that were heard here on the MSA Sports Network.Scholastic Notebook – 11/01/2013
November 1, 2013
Moon’s running game went from Colaianni to Cole, and now everything is cool with the Tigers on the ground.Moon is in the WPIAL football playoffs this season for the first time since 2006, and one of the main reasons for the turnaround is Cole Blake, a senior running back who is the fifth-leading rusher in the WPIAL heading into the playoffs.Blake has made a name for himself, rushing for 1,457 yards. He set a school record with 342 yards in one game. But Blake’s story is interesting in that he only got a chance to be the featured back this year because of an injury. Suffice to say, Blake has run with that chance.WPIAL Football Scores for Friday, November 1st
The winds of change are in the air (and i do mean winds). On Friday, we say goodbye to October and hello to November while at the same time, we say so long to the WPIAL Football regular season and usher in the 2013 District 7 Postseason. All 32 First Round games on the Highway to Heinz will kick off at 7:30pm tonight and all can be heard live and archived here on the MSA Sports Network. Stay caught up with the scores on your mobile phone at m.scores.msasports.net or click here on your laptop or desktop http://www.msasports.net/scoresWPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:Upper St. Clair Panthers 44 - Kiski Area Cavaliers 13 (F)North Allegheny Tigers 28 - Bethel Park 0 (F)Woodland Hills Wolverines 35 - Pine-Richland Rams 14 (F)WPIAL Girls Volleyball Semifinals Recaps 2013
All three of the top-seeds have done their duty and are headed to the final to play for gold on Saturday. A pair of #2-seeds will join them at Chartiers Valley along with the lone surprise team left in the district girls volleyball postseason as #7 Bethel Park will crash the top ranked party and shoot for the golden slipper on Saturday. Here are recaps from all six WPIAL Girls Volleyball Semifinals matches on Thursday as the winners got the treats and the losers settled for the tricks on Halloween night.Thanks to Randy Gore, Lee Mohn, Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian and Greg Kuntz for their help on these recaps.WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 2nd
October 31, 2013
A huge battle for the PSAC West Division crown and the berth in the State Championship Game will be at stake at Thompson-Mihalik Stadium on Saturday afternoon when the Vulcans and the Rock do battle.In the PAC, Geneva will play it's final home game of the season and in the NEC, a good matchup on the Bluff as Saint Francis meets Duquesne.Here are previews of ALL the games, including two heard here on the Network:California (6-2) at Slippery Rock (7-1) 1pm on WLER 97.7-FM and msasports.net It’s a battle for the PSAC West title as both teams are tied with 4-1 records in the division. The winner will likely represent the West in the PSAC State Title Game against the Eastern Division Champion.Chicks Picks – Week Ten – 2013
Welcome to Week 10. As yet another high school football season begins to wind down, Chick’s Picks spent some time with Team MSA Sports simply reflecting on her tenure at the network. She shared her stories with the team, from her first day as an intern many moons ago, to her first venture in prognosticating.One of the network’s newer members, who shall remain nameless, seemed preoccupied during the team’s storytelling session. Unable to make sense of this reaction, Chick’s Picks said, “Young man, are we boring you with this MSA Sports history lesson?” He responded, “Chick’s Picks, it’s just that I was only two years old when you started working here. So, please forgive my disinterest.”2013 Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 10
October 30, 2013
I’m on the Highway to Heinz, the Highway to Heinz, with apologies to AC/DC there will in fact be stop signs. In fact 32 teams will get off this Friday night after the shortest trip imaginable on the Highway to Heinz. But for those naysayers who claim there are too many teams in the playoffs, I dare you to ask any member of those 32 teams if they would give back the memory of making the playoffs even after getting dumped in round one, the answer is no, they would not. In fact, they would do it all again even knowing the heartbreak was coming right at them. That’s why the playoffs in the WPIAL are perfect just the way they are. Now let’s stop bickering about it and go Big Game Hunting!WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Nine 2013
#1 Kittanning 28, Shady Side Academy 27For the second week in a row, the top play is a controversial call. After pulling within one point on a Jared Brevard 7-yard touchdown run with under four minutes to play, Shady Side Academy would be penalized for excessive celebration. The personal foul pushed the extra point to 35 yards out, a kick that Dan Marous would push wide left. Kittanning would eat clock on the final drive, giving the Wildcats an undefeated regular season and the Allegheny Conference title.Full Broadcast: http://www.msasports.net/broadcasts/kittanning-boys-football-at-shady-side-academy-boys-footballNorth Allegheny & Shady Side Academy Back on Top in WPIAL Girls Field Hockey
October 29, 2013
The two most successful and decorated girls field hockey programs in Southwestern Pennsylvania are adding more gold to the trophy case Tuesday night. North Allegheny captured its 12th WPIAL Class AAA championship and first since 2010 with a victory over defending champ Fox Chapel. In Class AA, Shady Side Academy won a title for the 13th time in district history and three straight crown with a victory over Winchester Thurston. Here are recaps from the title matches and ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Girls Field Hockey Playoffs.2013 WPIAL GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:North Allegheny Tigers 2 - Fox Chapel Foxes 1 (MSA)WPIAL Girls Volleyball Quarterfinals Recaps 2013
Most of the top seeds were able to survive Round Two and move on to the Final Four. However Pine-Richland, Thomas Jefferson and Shenango were not so fortunate as they were upset Tuesday night. Here are recaps from the Quarterfinals of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs as twelve teams advance to the district Semifinals.Thanks to Pete Blais, Bob Orkwis, Sean Meyers, Lee Mohn, Mark Schaas and Mike Azadian for their help on these recaps.WPIAL CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Semifinals Recaps
On the night when the WPIAL announced the high school football playoff brackets, the district European football playoffs hit the Semifinals Round. Here are recaps from all twelve WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Semifinals, matches that can be heard archived only here on the MSA Sports Network.Thanks to Steve Nagler, Lee Mohn, Adam Hoerner, Pete Blais, Rick Smith, Chris Lackner, Sean Meyers, Matt Vandriak, Lou Rood and Paul Paterra for their help on these recaps.WPIAL BOYS CLASS AAAA Semifinals:PIHL Notebook: 2013-2014 Open Class Preview
October 28, 2013
Welcome to another installment of “PIHL Notebook” as we celebrate the drop of the puck across the league tonight by wrapping out season preview four-pack with a look inside the Open Class.
