Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/20/2012
August 20, 2012
As we continue our Countdown to Kickoff 2012 schedule, we call this the calm before the storm...the final week before the 2012-2013 high school football broadcast season begins this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The sole focus will be on pro baseball one final time this summer with Eastern League baseball featuring the Altoona Curve and Frontier League baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things, plus all of the news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin is here at MSAsports.net Monday, August 20th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPro Baseball: Class AA Eastern League - Altoona Curve vs Trenton Thunder at 7:05pm on MSAsports.netCTK 2012 – WPIAL AA Midwestern Conference Preview
Class AA saw some changes after the WPIAL realignment but the Midwestern Athletic Conference stayed almost entirely intact from 2011. Only the Laurel Spartans dropped back to Class A, leaving the MAC an eight team field for the next two seasons. Aliquippa has won or shared the conference title for the last three seasons and eight of the last ten, they also reigns as WPIAL champions. The Quips lost some key members, but are always in the hunt for championship gold. Once again, the MAC teams will cross over with members of the AAA Parkway Conference, that could lead to some interesting match ups and some really ugly games, you be the judge. Here is a preview of the Midwestern Conference:
CTK 2012 – MSA Sports Football Preseason Elite Eleven
August 19, 2012
Quarterbacks and receivers are big in WPIAL football this year. The MSA Sports Preseason Elite 11 includes four receivers and three quarterbacks. The team, picked by the MSA Sports Staff, is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL heading into the 2012 season. Western Pennsylvania isn’t known much for producing Division I college receivers, but this year’s crop of pass-catchers is very good. All four receivers on the Elite 11 have either committed to a Division I college, or have scholarship offers from Division I teams. Two of those four will also also play some at running back this season. The remaining part of the Elite 11 is made up of two offensive linemen, one tight end and one running back.CTK 2012 – WPIAL AAA Greater Allegheny Conference Preview
August 18, 2012
It’s not a complete facelift for the Greater Allegheny Conference, but the conference sure looks a lot different this season. With the WPIAL’s realignment, the Greater Allegheny got bigger overall and added a little Keystone Conference flavor. What happened to the Greater Allegheny Conference is basically a two-fold thing: 1. Kittanning and Valley dropped out of the conference and moved down to Class AA. 2. Derry, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem and Hollidaysburg all were moved out of the Keystone and into the Greater Allegheny. The much-maligned Keystone Conference is no more. As for the Greater Allegheny race, it seems just about everybody is picking Franklin Regional as the team to beat.
2012 PONY League World Series Game Recaps
Once again this August, every game of the 2012 edition of the PONY League Baseball World Series was heard here on the MSA Sports Network. Here a a recap from all 17 games from Washington, Pa, with Long Beach, California winning it all.SATURDAY, AUGUST 18th:CTK 2012 – WPIAL AAA Big Nine Conference Preview
August 17, 2012
The Keystone Conference and its futility in the postseason made the conference an easy object of many jokes over the past decade. But you can’t knock the Keystone Conference this year. Why? Because it’s gone. With the new WPIAL alignment, there are only three conferences in Class AAA now instead of four. The teams that were in the Keystone Conference were absorbed into the Big Nine and Greater Allegheny conferences. The Big Nine loses Chartiers Valley, South Park and McGuffey. Chartiers Valley moved to the Parkway Conference while South Park and McGuffey dropped to Class AA.CTK 2012 – WPIAL AAA Parkway Conference Preview
August 16, 2012
In the 2011-12 off season, there was some talk that the Parkway Conference would be broken up, but when the dust settled, that was not the case. The conference was voted one of the top fifteen conferences in the nation by ESPN and here's why: The last three WPIAL Class AAA champions have come from the Parkway, West Allegheny in 2009, Central Valley in 2010 and Montour last season. Since 1990, thirteen WPIAL Champions have been crowned out of the Parkway. If anything the conference was made stronger by the addition of Chartiers Valley into the fold. Seven of the nine teams in the conference finished with winning records in the 2011 regular season, with three of the four qualifiers winning at least one playoff game.CTK 2012 – WPIAL AAAA Foothills Conference Preview
August 15, 2012
Over the past three seasons, three different teams have won the Foothills Conference championship. Gateway won in 2009, McKeesport in 2010 and Penn-Trafford last year. It’s a pretty safe bet one of those teams will end up on top of the standings again this year – and just about everyone has Gateway as the favorite. The Foothills looks a little different this season, at least in size. The conference is bigger. Altoona and Kiski Area have moved from the Big East to the Foothills. Here is a look at the Foothills Conference: ALTOONA MOUNTAIN LIONS:CTK 2012 – WPIAL Class A Players to Watch
Countdown to Kickoff 2012 continues with a week-long look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on the contact button at the top right of this page, then clicking Submit Scores/Schedule Corrections/Updates. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2012 campaign in Class A.OFFENSE:CTK 2012 – WPIAL AAAA Southestern Conference Preview
August 14, 2012
When the new Class AAAA football alignment was announced back in January, more than a few heads were being scratched when folks starting looking at "Section 2". The conference was made up of the six teams from the old Great Southern Conference along with three teams from the Big East. Six schools from southern Allegheny County and northern Washington County joined by three teams right in the heart of eastern Allegheny County.Anybody who has tried going from East to South or vice-versa, yet alone during rush-hour on a Friday, knows there is no easy commute. However while the travel aspect of this new conference will be a pain, the football aspect should be a thrill.CTK 2012 – WPIAL Class AA Players to Watch
Countdown to Kickoff 2012 continues with a week-long look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on the contact button at the top right of this page, then clicking Submit Scores/Schedule Corrections/Updates. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2012 campaign in Class AA.OFFENSE:Quarterback: Luke Brumbaugh – Seton-LaSalle Dakota Datz – SouthmorelandBurke Moser - Quaker ValleyCTK 2012 – WPIAL/City League Week One Scrimmages
August 13, 2012
FINALLY! High school football camps throughout Pennsylvania are open for business. That means teams have less than a week of practice before they hit the field for the first of two scrimmages in preparation for the season lid-lifter on Friday, August 31st and Saturday, September 1st. Scrimmage number one will take place this Saturday, August 18th on fields around Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here is a rundown of all the first week scrimmages involving WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League high school football teams.Class AAAA:Butler Golden Tornado AT Woodland Hills Wolverines at 10:00amPittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings AT McKeesport Tigers at 10:00amConnellsville Falcons AT Fox Chapel Foxes at 10:00amCTK 2012 – WPIAL AAAA Northern Eight Conference Preview
The Class AAAA conference with Northern suburban teams will have a little city flavor this season. Pittsburgh Central Catholic moves into the Northern Eight for 2012. Instead of heading east from Oakland for conference games this season, Central Catholic will head North. This is not something totally new to Central Catholic. The Vikings actually played in the Quad North in 1998 and ’99, and did not make the playoffs either year. But Central Catholic is not the only new team in the Northern Eight. Fox Chapel also moves in after more than a decade of playing in a few different conferences. But Fox Chapel also played in the Quad North in 1998 and ’99 along with Central Catholic.CTK 2012 – WPIAL Class AAA Players to Watch
Countdown to Kickoff 2012 continues with a week-long look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on the contact button at the top right of this page, then clicking Submit Scores/Schedule Corrections/Updates. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2012 campaign in Class AAA.OFFENSE:Quarterback: Derrick Fullmore – West MifflinChandler Kincade - BlackhawkRobbie Hebenthal - DerryJon Nigro - HamptonThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/13/2012
As we continue our Countdown to Kickoff 2012 schedule, youth baseball continues along side pro baseball in a crowded spotlight this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We continue our coverage of the 2012 PONY League World Series from Washington, PA along with Eastern League baseball featuring the Altoona Curve and Frontier League baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things, plus all of the news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin is here at MSAsports.net Monday, August 13th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPONY League World Series: Game 9 - Chinese Taipei vs New Bedford, Massachusetts at 5:30pm on WJPA-AM 1450CTK 2012 – WPIAL Class AAAA Players to Watch
August 12, 2012
Countdown to Kickoff 2012 continues with a week-long look at some of the top high school football talent in the WPIAL for this upcoming season. As always, this list just scratches the surface. We ask for your help in building a complete rundown of candidates. You can nominate a top player by clicking on the contact button at the top right of this page, then clicking Submit Scores/Schedule Corrections/Updates. Here is a look at some of the players to watch this 2012 campaign in Class AAAA.OFFENSE: Quarterback: Mack Leftwich - North Allegheny Tommy Woodson - Gateway Jordan Brown – Seneca ValleyJade Maher - ConnellsvilleCTK 2012 – Complete WPIAL Saturday Football Schedule
August 11, 2012
There is little doubt that high school football is king on Friday nights in Western Pennsylvania. However it's not ALL about Friday nights. However now, there are only SEVEN WPIAL high schools that play a majority of their home games either under the sun on Saturday afternoons or under the lights on Saturday night. Here is a complete rundown of the Saturday schedule for high school football action in the WPIAL this season.WEEK 1: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st:Aliquippa Quips AT Ambridge Bridgers at 8:00pmEast Allegheny Wildcats AT Summit Academy Knights at 12:30pmNeshannock Lancers AT Western Beaver Golden Beavers at 12:30pmSto-Rox Vikings AT Shenango Wildcats at 7:00pmCTK 2012 – New WPIAL Head Football Coaches
August 10, 2012
New Faces - New Places - New Hopes - New Dreams. Many are rookie head coaches while a couple of veteran coaches are starting over at new venues. Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in years while others continue to play roulette with their head coaching position. In all, it was a busy off season with a mind-numbing 27 coachings changes, the most in more than a decade and five more than last season. Here are the new football coaches that will be running the sidelines in the WPIAL this fall.CLASS AAAA:ALTOONA - John Franco replaces Tom PalfeyHEMPFIELD - Rich Bowen replaces Greg MeisnerKISKI AREA - Dave Heavner replaces Troy WilsonCTK 2012 – 2011 Pittsburgh City League Football Flashback
It was a year of hello's and a season of goodbye's in the Pittsburgh City League. 2011 marked the final year for both the Langley Mustangs and the Oliver Bears as both schools were closed following the 2011-2012 school year. However it was a fabulous first year for University Prep. Much like Central Valley in 2010, the Panthers celebrated their first season with a District 8 title after U Prep beat Allderdice in the City League football championship game.2011 PITTSBURGH CITY LEAGUE STANDINGS:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chaseCTK 2012 – 2011 WPIAL Class A Football Flashback
August 9, 2012
The beat continued for the Big Bad Bears in Class A. It seemed every time Clairton took the field, another record would fall after another victory. The Bears once again were perfect in the regular season, then captured their fourth straight WPIAL crown with a sound victory over previiously undefeated Sto-Rox in the district finals at Heinz Field, then capped off a third consecutive PIAA state championship with a record setting 47th consecutive win.2011 WPIAL CLASS A STANDINGS:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chaseEastern Conference:
