Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/02/2013
December 2, 2013
The Winter high school and college sports kick into full gear as we welcome in the festive month of December this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the three remaining WPIAL football champions this weekend as the Road to Hershey continues with the PIAA Semifinals. We also open up the high school winter sports season with basketball and wrestling action along with men's and women's college hoops, plus the debut shows of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and the PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, December 2nd: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.netRoad to Hershey Recaps: PIAA Football Saturday Afternoon
November 30, 2013
After winning one of two Friday night, two more WPIAL football champions were in action on Saturday afternoon as both Pittsburgh Central Catholic and South Fayette headed north on Interstate 79. The Quad-A champion Vikings stayed on 79 all the way to Erie while the Double-A champion Lions turned east on Interstate 80 toward Clarion. Both came back home Saturday evening to Southwestern Pennsylvania with a win and the hopes of state gold still alive. Here are the summaries from both of those contests. PIAA CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS:Road to Hershey Recaps: PIAA Football Friday Night
November 29, 2013
Two of the four winners on the Highway to Heinz began their journey Friday night on the Road to Hershey. For one experienced traveler, it was deja-vu from 2012 and a short trip in the state playoffs, but for the rookie squad heading out for the first time in the PIAA football postseason, the first ride was very enjoyable. Here are recaps from the two PIAA Football Playoff games involving WPIAL champions from Friday night. PIAA CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS:Scholastic Notebook – 11/29/2013
It was a pretty big deal this fall when Sto-Rox’s Lenny Williams became the WPIAL all-time leading passer. But it’s looking like Williams’ record might not last more than a year. South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh appears to have a very good shot at Williams’ record next year. Let’s look at the numbers and the possibilities: Williams, a senior, finished his career with 8,508 yards. Besides that being the best in WPIAL history, it also was fifth-best in state history. Sto-Rox lost lost last week in the WPIAL Class A finals and the loss means Williams can’t add more distance between himself and Brumbaugh.MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 11/29/2013
Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (5-1-0) 2) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-2-0) 3) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (5-2-0) 4) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (4-2-0) 5) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS (4-2-0) PIHL CLASS AA:Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Week 14
November 27, 2013
Four District Seven teams head off into the PIAA tournament carrying the WPIAL banner with them this weekend after a fantastic championship Saturday at Heinz Field. How will they do and who will they face, we will try to take away some of the mystery for local fans as they get set for the state tournament. AAAA and AA teams from the WPIAL hit the road, heading out of district to play while AAA and A get what amounts to a home game playing within the district. Without further ado let’s go Big Game Hunting.2013 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
November 25, 2013
It was a clean sweep for Allegheny County as Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny, South Fayette and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic captured WPIAL football championships. For only the second time ever and the first time since USC, West A, South Park & Riverview won in 1997 have schools from one county won all four District 7 football crowns. West Allegheny was the only repeat champion and the Indians were the only top seed to win it all as the other three champs were all #2-seeds. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 WPIAL Football Playoffs. All games marked with (MSA) after the results can be heard archived here on MSA Sports. 2013 WPIAL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/25/2013
We have no turkey programming for you this holiday week as the weather turns frosty and the calendar turns from November to December this week here on the MSA Sports Network. All four WPIAL football champions are in action this weekend as the Road to Hershey continues with PIAA state football playoff action along with the Class A District 6 champs, plus we have men's and women's college basketball featuring Slippery Rock, Geneva and Penn State-Fayette all here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 25th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, November 26th: No Broadcasts Wednesday, November 27th:District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 23
November 24, 2013
Eyes turn to the hardwood as the district college football season came to an end on a windy and snowy Saturday afternoon. Slippery Rock fell in the D-II playoffs, while W & J saw their season come to an end in the Northeast Ohio snow belt. Waynesburg lost in the ECAC Northeast Bowl, while Duquense and Saint Francis posted wins in their respective regular season finales. The district also says goodbye to a coaching great, Joe Walton coached his final game at Robert Morris, ending a 20 yard career in Moon Township.West Allegheny Remains Perfect in WPIAL Championship Title Games
November 23, 2013
It is official. West Allegheny just doesn’t lose when it plays for a WPIAL championship. The Indians (13-0) made it seven for seven with a 16-6 victory over Central Valley (11-2) to clinch the Class AAA title on a wintry autumn evening at Heinz Field. In the process, West Allegheny coach Bob Palko became the first WPIAL grid boss to win seven outright WPIAL crowns. The other Indians titles came in 1997, 1999-2001, 2009 and 2012. West Allegheny won the game with its usual method of success. That would involve controlling the ball and taking large chunks of time off the clock on long, methodical drives. The Indians controlled the ball for 29:12, while Central Valley had the ball for just 18:48.Lions Quell the Quips to Capture WPIAL AA Gold
For the second time in three years, the Aliquippa Quips and the South Fayette Lions met at Heinz Field to battle for the WPIAL AA Championship. And for the second time since 2010, the Lions ended the Quips season, as South Fayette captured its fourth WPIAL title defeating Aliquippa 34-28. This battle of (12-0) teams was a tremendous back-and-forth contest between top seeded Aliquippa and the second-seeded Lions.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Finds Gold In The Snow at Heinz Field
In a dominant performance in the opening half, the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings defeated the Woodland Hills Wolverines to claim their 4th WPIAL championship. The Vikings piled up 188 yards of offense in the first half, all on the ground and used a turnover and a bizarre play to lead 20-0 at the half. Luigi Lista-Brinza started after being injured in the semifinal win over Penn Trafford, the senior was questionable coming into the game. He scored twice on runs of 13 and 4 yards, the second sealed the win with just under 9 minutes to play in the final quarter, finishing with 27 carries for 136 yards.
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Claims First Football Crown
The third time was not a charm for Sto-Rox. Playing in their very first WPIAL football title game, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic used a stifling defense to blank the high powered Vikings 14-0 to win a first ever WPIAL football championship for the Trojans. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic rushed for 159 yards on the ground, including a team high 83 yards by Trojans quarterback P.J. Fumore, who ended the first possession of the game for North Catholic with a 2-yard run on fourth and goal. Mike Tarsovich added the extra point and the Trojans led 7-0, an advantage they would take into halftime.Fundraising Info for Injured Area Hockey Player
November 22, 2013
Family and friends are coming to aid of a young Pittsburgh hockey player who suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a recent game. Kevin Kenny, 20, a forward for the Pittsburgh Vengeance of the North American 3HL League, crashed into the boards in the first period of a game with the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks on November 16. Kenny reportedly could not feel anything below his waist following the crash. The 5’10,” 160 lb. former Quaker Valley High School standout underwent emergency surgery on Saturday and had a follow-up procedure as well. He remains in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. As a result of the injury, the teams postponed the November 17 “home and home” game in Cleveland.Scholastic Notebook – 11/22/2013
The weather for the WPIAL football championships Saturday is not good. The forecast is for cold, possible snow showers and winds gusting to 20 m.p.h. But for half of the four title games, the outlook looks absolutely perfect. Never mind the weather, two of the games match perfect teams – and that is a pretty unusual occurrence. Sto-Rox meets North Catholic for the WPIAL Class A title at 11 and Aliquippa takes on South Fayette for the AA championship at 5. All four teams in those games have perfect 12-0 records.Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/21/2013
November 21, 2013
Welcome to Championship Week. Chick’s Picks received a delightful phone call over the weekend. The recording on the other end of the line delivered the best news—Chick’s Picks was the lucky winner of an all-expenses paid, undoubtedly legit, dream vacation to Aruba next week. Having never been the recipient of such a lavish price, Chick’s Picks was thrilled.District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 23
The regular season is over for the D-II and D-III teams with SRU and W & J qualifying for post-season play. Waynesburg was also honored by the ECAC with a trip to the Northeast Bowl. The NEC finishes up the regular season with two games, including a battle of local teams in Loretto. Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that will be heard right here on the Network: NCAA DIVISION II PLAYOFFS/SUPER REGION ONE Slippery Rock (9-2) at Winston Salem State (9-1) 1pm on WLER 97.7-FM and msasports.net The winner plays number one seed Shepherd (10-0), who receives a bye. Bloomsburg received the number two seed and the other bye. West Chester also qualified, they host American International.Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Championship Saturday
November 20, 2013
So Saturday is your chance to come to Heinz Field and meet the MSA Sports crew. Find the guy who mispronounced your son or daughter’s name and let him have it. Find the guy or girl who left your club out of Big Game Hunting or Chix Picks and let them have it. Find the guy who completely credited someone else with your kid’s touchdown run, or tackle, and let them have it. Find the person who completely messed up the stats and flip-flopped the years when they were talking about your team in the playoff pairings show or on the round table and let them have it! Find the guy who clearly missed the fact that the ball had touched the ground and you saw it with your own eyes and let him have it.WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2013
November 19, 2013
Before we reach the final destination on the Highway to Heinz, we had one final stop to make. And boy, was it fun. In Class A and AAAA, we will definitely have new Champions, as North Allegheny lost in the Quarterfinals and the WPIAL's biggest powerhouse of all-time, Clairton, fell late in the Semifinals. In AA and AAA, South Fayette and Central Valley will look to dethrone Aliquippa and West Allegheny on Saturday. Don't forget, we will have EXCLUSIVE audio broadcasts of Saturday's Championships. But before we get there, let's look back in the rear view mirror one last time at the Semifinals.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/18/2013
November 18, 2013
The Highway to Heinz comes to a conclusion with four district title contests on the North Shore this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The ONLY place where Championships are heard is here on MSA Sports as we have all four WPIAL football finals along with the District 6 Class A championship game, plus college football postseason action, men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and our Championship Saturday preview with This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, November 18th:No BroadcastsTuesday, November 19th:PIHL High School Hockey - Bethel Park vs North Allegheny at 6:10pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net
