Sports
Big Game Hunting for Week Eleven
November 9, 2016
Call it what you like, redemption Friday, redo Friday, rematch Friday, every single game in the three largest classifications this Friday night is a game that was already played at some point during the regular season. We prefer to call it the semi-finals, and there is no better time to go Big Game Hunting! The suddenness with which the semi-finals jump up on us in 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A is a little unnerving. But hey, we got a new President recently, let’s find out if we are going to get some new champions as well.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Shavonta Craft
Jeannette's football tradition is nearly unparalleled in the district, and the Jayhawks have produced a bevy of college and even professional players in recent years. While some of those athletes have played football throughout the country, Shavonta Craft continued his career just a few miles from his high school. Craft, a running back, is about to conclude his tenure at St. Vincent College. He's the featured athlete in this week's edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A.WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Ten 2016
November 8, 2016
While football realignment made for an unusual format to begin the 2016 playoffs (first round games in 1 and 2A, quarterfinals in 3-6A), the intensity and excitement was still very much present. So, too, were upsets, as the number of lower-seeded teams that prevailed nearly reached double digits. Among the tops plays for the first week of the postseason were a winning field goal nearly as time expired in 6A, a go-ahead touchdown with just seconds left in 1A, a shocker sealed by an interception in 4A, and a team continuing its magical run in 3A by knocking off a perennial powerhouse. Without further ado, here are the best plays from Week 10. 1. Pine-Richland 35, Bethel Park 32This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/06/2016
November 6, 2016
We start to make the slow transition from the fall to the winter high school sports season as the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU continues this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2016 WPIAL football postseason continue with 16 Semifinals and Quarterfinals games starting with the MSA Sports pregame Show Friday at 6pm and concluding with the Scoreboard Show Friday at 9:30pm. We also have District 6 and District 9 high school football playoff games and PIHL high school hockey, plus This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 7th: PIHL High School Hockey - Armstrong vs Upper St. Clair at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, November 8th:2016 WPIAL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS Results
Three defending champions had a chance to win more district gold heading into the finals, but only Freeport was able to follow through with another championship in the first postseason with four classifications. Here are ALL the final results from the 2016 WPIAL Girls Volleyball Playoffs. All of the below results that have (MSA0 after are matches you can hear archived at MSAsports.net. All four championship matches can also be viewed on video archive from Baldwin High School. 2016 WPIAL CLASS 4-A GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Seneca Valley Raiders 3 - Baldwin Highlanders 0 (MSA) (27-25, 25-22, 25-21) WPIAL CLASS 4-A Consolation:2016 WPIAL BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFFS Results
The 2016 WPIAL boys soccer champions came in a variety of shapes and sizes from a seed perspective with only one thing in common, none of the four winners began the playoffs as the team to beat. A #2-seed, a #3-seed, a #5-seed and a #6-seed did what they needed to do to register four victories and claim district gold. Here are ALL of the results from the 2016 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs. All results with (MSA) after are matches you can hear archived here at MSAsports.net All four championship matches can be viewed as well with the video archive. 2016 WPIAL CLASS 4-A BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: North Allegheny Tigers 2 - Seneca Valley Raiders 1 in Overtime (MSA)2016 WPIAL GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFFS Results
In the very first four classification district postseason, three #1-seeds prevailed and the other was a #3-seed that stunned the top-seed in the finals. In winning the first ever 4-A crown, Norwin also became the only girls soccer team to repeat as WPIAL champions. Here are ALL the results from the 2016 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs. All results with (MSA) after are matches you can hear archived here at MSAsports.net. All four championship matches can also be viewed with the video archive. 2016 WPIAL CLASS 4-A GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Norwin Knights 3 - Canon-McMillan Big Macs 1 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 4-A Consolation:City League and Other Western Pa District Football Playoffs
While the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU opened up this weekend with the start of the expanded WPIAL football playoffs, high school postseason gridiron action started elsewhere in other districts this weekend. Here is a rundown of ALL the final high school football playoff scores in the Pittsburgh City League (District 8), District 5, District 6, District 9 and District 10. DISTRICT 8: PITTSBURGH CITY LEAGUE Championship Game: University Prep Wildcats 15 - Brashear Bulls 14 (MSA) DISTRICT 5 and 8: CLASS 2-A Semifinals: Berlin-Brothersvalley Mountaineers 21 - Westinghouse Bulldogs 20WPIAL Football Saturday Playoff Summaries
For the first time in years, there was a Saturday game on opening weekend in the WPIAL Football Playoffs. With both Keystone Oaks and Bishop Canevin earning opening round home games at Dormont Stadium, KO joined 62 other teams in action Friday night while BC hosted California for the 32nd and final football postseason game for the first weekend of scholastic gridiron playoff action. A special thanks to Bob Orkwis for this recap. WPIAL CLASS 1-A First Round:
Seneca Valley Unseats Baldwin to Win the First Volleyball 4-A Title
November 5, 2016
Three was the number of the night in the WPIAL Class 4-A Girls Volleyball Championships. Baldwin was going for their third straight district title, but it was Seneca Valley winning their third District title in program history, in straight sets, 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-21). The Lady Raiders became the first ever WPIAL Champions in Class 4-A under the new classifications, defeating the two-time defending champs on their home court.
Chartiers Valley Hold Off Mars to Win WPIAL 3-A Boys Soccer Championship
Chartiers Valley capped their first playoff season since 2009 in grand fashion, winning their first Boys Soccer Championship in 15 years with a 1-0 win over Mars at Highmark Stadium.
University Prep Dethrones Brashear for City League Football Gold
Based on the first meeting between Brashear and University Prep back on Oct. 20, it seemed as if Saturday’s City League Championship between those two teams would result in a similar 13-0 win for USO, despite much more favorable playing conditions, rather than the monsoon and inclement weather that day, which moved up the start time of that game. Instead, it was the battle of who could overcome adversity the best Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Penalties and turnovers for both sides piled up, and it came down to the penultimate possession of the game to determine the winner.
West Allegheny Beats Hampton to Win WPIAL 3-A Volleyball Title
The West Allegheny Indians continue their perfect season as they beat Hampton in 4 sets to win the Class 3A WPIAL Championship on Saturday. West A came into the match with a perfect record and although they dropped the first set, they were able to regroup and win the next three in impressive fashion.
Norwin Repeats With Win Over Canon-Mac for Girls 4-A Crown
For the second straight year, the Norwin Knights are WPIAL champions. In 2015, it was in Class AAA. One year and a realignment later and the Knights now are Class 4A champs. The top-seeded Knights dominated the No. 2 seed Big Macs in a game played at Highmark Stadium. Norwin (20-0-1) started the scoring at the 27:50 mark of the first half when Emily Harrigan, a Rutgers recruit, got behind the defense off a feed from Alyssa Victor and beat Canon McMillan goalkeeper Megan Virgin.
Norwin’s Santilli & Fox Chapel’s Nord/James Win State Tennis Titles
Three WPIAL tennis players were able to win Class 3-A state titles Saturday at the 2016 PIAA Girls Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships at the Hershey Racquet Club. While district players were shut out of the medal chanse in Class 2-A, Maria Santili of Norwin won the PIAA 3-A singles title while Amanda Nord and Charlotte James of Fox Chapel cruised to the PIAA 3-A double championship. Norwin's Santili a junior won 6-4 6-4 over Eliza Askarova from George Washington. Up until the finals, Santili had only lost 9 total games in 6 sets and reached the finals rather easily. She was tested Saturday in a close match but brought home a PIAA state singles title.
Waynesburg’s Baumgarner and Winchester Boys Win PIAA X-Country Gold
One individual and one team ran to cross-country state gold Saturday afternoon in Hershey. Winchester Thurston won the PIAA Class 1-A boys championship while Ben Baumgarner of Waynesburg won the PIAA Class 2-A individual boys championship race. Here are the results of the district runners that finished in the Top 25 of each boys and girls race along with the top five overall team finish form the 2016 PIAA Cross-Country Championships. PIAA BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS CLASS 3A Team — 1. Council Rock North, 76; 2. Carlisle, 118; 3. Downingtown West, 158; 4. Seneca Valley, 202; 5. LaSalle College, 204.
Freeport Repeats in 2-A by Knocking Off Top-Seed Beaver
The Freeport mindset heading into Saturday's championship match was “refuse to lose”. The Yellowjackets had that mentality on display throughout the contest, as they staged an unbelievable comeback to claim the first set, and ultimately defeated Beaver Area 3-1 in the Class 2A Championship at Baldwin High School. Freeport, the No. 2 seed, defeated top-seeded Beaver 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 25-20. As a result, Freeport claimed back-to-back titles for the first time in program history, and also notched its fourth title since 2010.
Quaker Valley Edges Shady Side Academy for WPIAL Boys 2-A Gold
A pair of first-half goals by senior Owen Harkins were enough to crown Quaker Valley WPIAL boys 2A soccer champions in 2016. The Quaker Valley Quakers captured the eighth WPIAL boys soccer championship in school history with a 2-1 victory over fifth-seeded Shady Side Academy at Highmark Stadium. Shady Side knocked off the top seed in class 2-A, South Park, in a 1-0 double overtime thriller, and kept QV from finding the back of the net for the first 24 minutes of play. The best opportunity for either team came when Quakers earned a penalty kick after a foul inside the box. However, Doran Kozel made a diving save on the attempt by Bando Grant to keep the match scoreless.
Greensburg C.C. Dethrones Bishop Canevin in 1-A Girls Volleyball
The Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions claimed their third WPIAL Championship in five years with a commanding 25-14, 25-10 and 25-8 victory over the defending champion Bishop Canevin Crusaders in the Class 1-A Girls Volleyball Championship at Baldwin High School. Greensburg Central Catholic won the title in 2012 and 2014 and fell to the Crusaders in the semifinals last year. The Centurions used their senior leaders to grab the gold medal. 6-2 middle hitter Mikayla Bisignani and 5-8 right side hitter Taylor Obusek, both dominated the match from the service line to lead GCC to the gold.
