Sports
CTK 2013 – WPIAL Class AAAA Players to Watch
August 8, 2013
Countdown to Kickoff 2013 continues with a four-day 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 2013 campaign in Class AAAA.OFFENSE:Quarterback:J.J. Consentino - Pittsburgh Central CatholicTy George - HempfieldJade Maher - ConnellsvilleRunning Back:Luigi Lista-Brinza - Pittsburgh Central CatholicCTK 2013 – 2012 Pittsburgh City League Football Flashback
It was leaner and trimmer Pittsburgh City League in 2012 with the first year of only SIX teams taking part in District 8 football. After winning it all in their very first year of competition in 2011, University Prep made it back to the City League Championship Game for a second straight season. However the Panthers were schools by the old dominant team in City League football, the Perry Commodores, who captured their second title in three years.2012 Pittsburgh City League Football Regular Season Standings:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spotPITTSBURGH CITY LEAGUE:Imani Christian Football Status for 2013 in Question
August 7, 2013
Less than a week before high school football camps open up, the status of the Imani Christian football team is up in the air for the 2013 season.School officials notified the WPIAL a few weeks ago that they would not be able to field a team this season. District officials in turn told the school that since schedules had already been distributed, they should do everything they can to field a team this fall.Official word is expected on Monday, August 19th whether the Saints will fulfill their schedule.CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Single-A Football Flashback
The beat continued for the Big Bad Bears in Class A. It seemed every time Clairton took the field, another record would fall after yet another victory. The Bears once put together their third straight perfect 16-0 season while winning a record fifth straight WPIAL crown as well as a fourth consecutive PIAA state championship. Clairton's state title game win was their WPIAL and PIAA record setting 63rd consecutive win and is the longest current win streak in the nation. The flip-side was West Shamokin snapping a WPIAL record 47-game losing skid with a Week 3 victory over the Riverview Raiders en route to a 3-victory season for the Wolves.2012 WPIAL Single-A Football Regular Season Standings:CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Double-A Football Flashback
August 6, 2013
It was strange to see South Allegheny in the playoffs and Ford City home for the postseason. But there was nothing strange about the end result in Class AA as Aliquippa won a second straight WPIAL championship with another dominating campaign. The title was the third in five year for the Quips, who soundly beat a Washington team that was back in the title picture for the first time in over a decade thanks to superstar junior running back Shai McKenzie.2012 WPIAL Double-A Football Regular Season Standings:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chaseWPIAL CLASS AA:Midwestern Conference:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/06/2013
Sure, we have plenty of baseball with both youth and pro diamond action during the first full week of August while we continue our Countdown to Kickoff 2013 all this week here on the MSA Sports Network. After a couple of days off, the Washington Wild Things host back-to-back three game series at CONSOL Energy Park while Washington PA will be hopping with the start of the 2013 PONY League World Series with every game right here on the network, plus we have the latest news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin and our annual preparation for the upcoming high school football season continues each day on the website with Countdown to Kickoff 2013 ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, August 5th:CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Triple-A Football Flashback
August 5, 2013
It was another banner year for Parkway Conference. For the fourth straight year, the WPIAL Class AAA champion came from arguably the 'toughest conference in the state." West Allegheny won their sixth WPIAL championship and second in four years despite the fact they finished in a three-way tie for the Parkway Conference title with 2010 winner Central Valley and 2011 district champion Montour. Meanwhile despite finishing behind Thomas Jefferson AGAIN in the Big Nine Conference, West Mifflin rebounded with a strong playoff run that put the Titans back in the title game for the first time since 2004.2012 WPIAL Triple-A Football Regular Season Standings:CTK 2013 – WPIAL 2012 Quad-A Football Flashback
August 3, 2013
North Allegheny capped off a three-peat in perfect fashion. The Tigers became the first school to win three straight WPIAL Quad-A championships by going undefeated and capping off their historic run with a PIAA state championship. we don't know if the run as ended for NA, but we do know 2012 was the end of three great coaching runs as Jack McCurry retired at North Hills, Clair Altemus retired at Pine-Richland and Terry Smith took a college coaching job after turning his alma-mater Gateway into a perennial power in Class AAAA this past decade.2012 WPIAL Quad-A Football Regular Season Standings:# - Clinched at least a share of the conference title * - Clinched playoff spot x - Eliminated from playoff chaseCTK 2013 – New High School Football Rules for 2013
A good way to kick off the high school football season is with a look at the rules and especially the rule changes for the 2013 season.Two of the biggest changes involve pass interference and enforcement of the penalty. When the defensive team commits the foul, it is not necessarily a first down. While it is still a 15 yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and replay the down, the offensive team must make the sticks to be awarded a first down. For example, it is third down and 22 for the offensive at the opponents 45, after a pass interference penalty against the defense, it will now be third down and 7 from the 30 yard line as the penalty yardage was not enough to make the sticks.CTK 2013 – New WPIAL Football Head Coaches
August 2, 2013
New Faces - New Places - New Hopes - New Dreams. While there was one fewer coaching change this off-season then before the 2012 campaign, there are many big name and legendary coaches who will be missing from the sidelines this upcoming season. Gone are long-time successful coaches Jack McCurray, Clair Altemus, Terry Smith, John Menhart and Bob Jacoby while one championship winning coach has come back-to-the-future. There are a lot of rookie head coaches getting their first crack, and some coaches who are just changing hats and addresses. In all, there 26 coaching changes that began days after the 2012 season ended and concluded with the last hiring last month. Here are the new football coaches that will be running the sidelines in the WPIAL this fall.CTK 2013 – 7:00pm Kickoffs in WPIAL
There are 125 schools in the WPIAL that field a high school football team and 119 of them play a majority of their home games on a Friday night. While there are still a good number of teams that kickoff at the 'traditional' time of 7:30pm, for the first time ever, that number is in the minority. in 2013, 65 schools will kickoff their home football games at 7:00pm. Here is a list of schools that will get the thirty minute head start on Friday nights.CLASS AAAA Foothills:Altoona Mountain LionsConnellsville FalconsHempfield SpartansMcKeesport TigersCLASS AAAA Northern Eight:Fox Chapel FoxesCLASS AAAA Southeastern:Plum MustangsCOUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2013
July 31, 2013
The countdown to the start of the 2013 high school football season is underway. High School football training camps throughout Western Pennsylvania open up on Monday, August 12th as teams prepare for a new season starting Friday, August 30th and Saturday, August 31st. As has been the case in the fourteen previous years here at MSA Sports, the ONLY place to turn for original DAILY updates that help prepare fans for all the excitement of the 2013 high school football season in the WPIAL is 'Countdown to Kickoff 2013' ONLY here at www.msasports.netALL UPDATED:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/31/2013
Sure, we have plenty of baseball with both youth and pro diamond action as the month melts from July to August, but we start up a tradition like no other as well this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things begin the week at home before hitting the road for a short 3-game set, then returning to CONSOL Energy Park this weekend. We also have the start of the American Legion Baseball State Championships and the news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin, plus with a pair of shows Tuesday from Kennywood Park, we begin our annual preparation for the upcoming high school football season with Countdown to Kickoff 2013 ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, July 29th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netWPIAL Recruiting: New Castle’s Hooker Commits to Ohio State
July 30, 2013
One of the WPIAL’s top football recruits has made his decision. New Castle’s Malik Hooker chose football over basketball a couple of months ago and now he'll take his skills to Columbus, accepting a scholarship offer from Ohio State University on Monday.Hooker is also one of the top basketball players in the WPIAL, playing on two championship teams for the Red Hurricanes in his sophomore and junior seasons, averaging 16.7 points in 2012-13. The senior did not play football until last season, he immediately produced and caught the eye of several college programs, scoring eleven touchdowns and averaged over 9 yards per carry and 25 yards per catch.WPIAL Recruiting: USC’s Blair Commits to Pitt
July 28, 2013
This 'Cat may be changing colors, but he's not changing his stripes. The great comeback story of Upper St. Clair senior Rori Blair continued when he announced he would be going from the Upper St. Clair Panthers this fall to the Pitt Panthers next fall. Blair made a verbal commitment to the University of Pittsburgh on Friday after his family met with Pitt head coach Paul Chryst.The decision for the 6-3, 225-pound tight end/defensive end continues an incredible comeback that began with a near death experience 15 months ago.Two Former WPIAL Football Stars Transfer to New Colleges
A pair of WPIAL football stars from the last two high school football seasons have officially transferred to different schools. Both Rushel Shell, a 2012 graduate of Hopewell High School and Chavas Rawlins, a 2013 graduate of Monessen High School are coming and going from West Virginia University.The WPIAL and PIAA's all-time leading rusher ends what turned out to be a tumultuous five months in which he left the University of Pittsburgh, enrolled at UCLA, decided against playing his college ball in California, had Pitt close the door on his chances to return and now will sit out this fall and have three years of eligibility left in Morgantown.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/23/2013
July 23, 2013
We have plenty of baseball, both youth and pro diamond action as the month of July winds down this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things begin the week at home for three games at CONSOL Energy Park before heading out on the road for a brief 3-game trip to Southern Illinois, plus we have the start of the American Legion Baseball Western Regionals and there is plenty of local, regional and national news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, July 22nd: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPro Baseball: Frontier League - Rockford Aviators vs Washington Wild Things at 7:05pm on WJPA-FM 95.3Tuesday, July 23rd:West Edges East in 2013 Frontier League All-Star Game
July 18, 2013
En route to their first victory in two years, the West used a big second inning to capture a 4-2 nail-biter against the East All-Stars at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa and here on MSA Sports on Wednesday.The game featured outstanding pitching by both teams and an electrifying finish line that saw the East nearly rally to win the mid-summer classic.In the top of the second frame, Tuesday night’s home run derby champion and Schaumburg Boomers Steve McQuail scored on a fielder’s choice from teammate Michael Valadez. Outfielder Sean Mahley also of the Boomers tripled to add two more runs for the West, scoring Valadez and Schwartz to give the West a 3-0 advantage.2012-2013 WPIAL Champions on Parade
July 16, 2013
We celebrated America's Birthday earlier this month with various parades and fireworks. You'll forgive us if we celebrate the 2012-2013 school year with just a parade and no pyrotechnics. It was been another great high school sports year in District 7 of the PIAA. All of us here at the MSA Sports Network and Management Science Associates thank our sponsors and fans for their support during the school year. As we get ready for another great scholastic campaign in 2013-2014, we look back at all the WPIAL team champions on parade from this past school year.Football:Class AAAA - North Allegheny TigersClass AAA - West Allegheny IndianaClass AA - Aliquippa QuipsClass A - Clairton BearsTop WPIAL Baseball Player Makes College Choice
One of the most dominant pitchers to come out of the WPIAL in recent years has made his college choice. Soon to be senior Brendan McKay, a left handed pitcher from Blackhawk High School who has been frustrating opponents since his freshman year three years ago, has decided to play his college baseball at the University of Louisville.McKay, who hopes to be drafted high in the 2014 Major League Baseball first-year player draft next June, selected Louisville over scholarship offers from West Virginia, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Teach and Kent State among others. He has twice been named to the MSA Sports Diamond Studs baseball all-star team.
