Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/05/2014
August 5, 2014
As Countdown to Kickoff 2014 continues each day online, it is a busy week of youth and professional diamond action this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Frontier League pro baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as they hit the road for three games before returning to CONSOL Energy Field this weekend while the Pennsylvania Rebellion close out a road trip before they also come home to Washington over the weekend.CTK ’14: WPIAL 2013 Quad-A Football Flashback
For a fourth straight season, a team from the Northern Eight Conference won the WPIAL Quad-A football championship. However for the first time in four years, it was not the North Allegheny Tigers. Pittsburgh Central Catholic captured district gold for the fourth time and first time since 2007. 2013 WPIAL Quad-A Headlines: * The most successful title run in Class AAAA history came to an end as the North Allegheny Tigers run of three straight district championships as the Tigers finished third in the Northern eight Conference before falling in the WPIAL Quarterfinals to Upper St. Clair 41-23.CTK ’14: 7:00pm Kickoffs in WPIAL
August 4, 2014
There are 124 schools in the WPIAL that field a high school football team and 120 of them play a majority of their home games on a Friday night. The kick off times of those Friday games however has almost become a big school, small school split. 19 of the 25 Quad-A schools start their games at the 'traditional' time of 7:30pm while in Triple-A, it is nearly halved with 12 schools kicking off at 7:30pm and 15 teams starting 30 minutes earlier. But in Double-A, 34 of the 37 (Beaver, South Allegheny and South Park the exceptions) and 28 of the 31 in Single-A kick off at the top of the hour at 7:00pm.CTK ’14: High School Football Rule Changes
July 31, 2014
To play the game, you have to know the rules and the MSA Sports Network will help all of the fans of high school football out with the new changes for 2014 and beyond. This year will see probably the most major change to the game in years with two new rules adapted to bring the high school game in line with the higher levels of football. Here goes and don't worry, there is NO quiz. All rule changes are made by the National Federation of High School Sports and enforced by the PIAA. Targeting added to the rule book: The rules committee brought this rule to the high school game, knowing the controversy it brought to the college game in 2013.CTK ’14: New WPIAL Football Alignment
July 30, 2014
Two years ago, there were major changes in the WPIAL football conference alignment. The biggest change came in Class AAAA and Class AAA where both classifications shrunk from the standard four conferences to three conferences and the wild card came into play. This time around, there were hardly any changes to the top two classifications while the biggest moves were made as expected in Class A.COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2014
July 28, 2014
The countdown to the start of the 2014 high school football season is underway. High School football training camps throughout Western Pennsylvania open up on Monday, August 11th as teams prepare for a new season starting Friday, August 29th and Saturday, August 30th. As has been the case in the fifteen 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 2014 high school football season in the WPIAL is 'Countdown to Kickoff 2014' ONLY here at www.msasports.net ALL UPDATED: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/28/2014
We prepare to wrap up a comfortable July and welcome in what will likely be an unbearable August with plenty of diamond action for both the guys and the gals this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Frontier League pro baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as they return to CONSOL Energy Field after a long road trip while the Pennsylvania Rebellion conclude their long home series against Chicago before hitting the road this weekend in Akron.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/23/2014
July 23, 2014
A rather comfortable July continues with plenty of red hot diamond action for both the guys and the gals this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Frontier League pro baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as they hit the road all week long with stops in Normal, Southern Illinois and Evansville while the Pennsylvania Rebellion enjoy a week at home at CONSOL Energy Field as they host Akron and Chicago, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news every Monday with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 21st:WPIAL Coaching Change – Pine-Richland Boys Hoops
July 15, 2014
A veteran championship winning coach who lost his job a few months ago has a new gig. On Monday evening, the Pine-Richland school board hired former Moon basketball coach Jeff Ackerman to take over as the new Rams boys basketball coach. The 41-year old Ackerman spent the last 13 years as head coach of the Moon Tigers amassing a record of 224-116 with eight playoff seasons, four trips to the WPIAL finals and three district championships. The Tigers have struggled over the last five years with a record of 8 games under .500 and Ackerman was let go in April. Ackerman takes over for Brian Gaetano, who had a record of 51-66 with one postseason trip in his six years at Pine-Richland before he was not hired back after this past season in which the Rams finished 9-12.Six Wild Things set for Frontier League All-Star Game
The Frontier League announced that the first-place Washington Wild Things will have outfielders Stewart Ijames, CJ Beatty and Daniel Poma alongside infielder Carter Bell and pitchers Shawn Blackwell and Jonathan Kountis represent the team at this years’ Frontier League All-Star Game at GCS Ballpark, the home of the Gateway Grizzlies, in Sauget, IL on Wednesday, July 16th.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/15/2014
While the pro baseball scene takes a mid-season break, it's full steam ahead for the pro softball gals this week here on the MSA Sports Network. After the Frontier League all-star break, the Washington Wild Things are back in action this weekend at CONSOL Energy Field as they host the River City Rascals while the Pennsylvania Rebellion fill the mid week gap with pro fast pitch softball at CONSOL Energy Field as they host the Akron Racers, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 14th:Pgh Central Catholic RB Ruled Ineligible for 2014
July 9, 2014
A wrestler from Burrell High School and a top returning running back and kicker from Pittsburgh Central Catholic received bad news Wednesday when they were ruled ineligible for the 2014/2015 high school sports season. Riley Redman rushed for 1,192 yards and scored 16 touchdowns last year for the WPIAL Quad-A champion Vikings and was voted as the all-Conference kicker in the Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference. However Redman turned 19 on June 26th, four days before the PIAA eligibility cutoff of July 1st.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/07/2014
July 7, 2014
July kicks into full gear with plenty of red hot professional action on the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things spend the week at CONSOL Energy Field as they host the Lake Erie Crushers and the Florence Freedom while the Pennsylvania Rebellion close out a home stand against the USSSA Pride before hitting the road to battle the Chicago Bandits in pro fast pitch softball action, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 7th:
MSA SPORTS CUP: Sewickley Academy Back on Top After Winning Class A Cup
July 3, 2014
Eight time champion Sewickley Academy and defending champ Greensburg Central Catholic were deadlocked with 360 points each with one more sport to calculate in the chase for the 2013-2014 MSA Sports Class A Cup. That one sports was boy tennis, which was great news for Panthers fans and bad news for everybody else in Class A. A district title and state runner-up in boys tennis helped Sewickley Academy win the MSA Sports Cup for the ninth time in eleven years.
MSA SPORTS CUP: Seton-LaSalle Are Rebels With a Cause After Winning AA Cup
July 2, 2014
For only the third time in the eleven years of the MSA Sports Cup Class AA chase, the torch has been passed to a new champion. Greensburg Central Catholic won the first three years, followed by a five year run by Shady Side Academy and the last two years with Quaker Valley on top. Now thanks to a lot of hardwood gold, Seton-LaSalle High School is wearing the Cup crown. After a couple of close calls in recent years, Seton-LaSalle was lifted to the top spot in part because of double gold on the basketball court this winter followed up with some diamond success in the spring.
MSA SPORTS CUP: South Fayette Roars to First Class AAA Cup Title
July 1, 2014
The first ten years of the MSA Sports Cup has shown us that while there are a couple of dominating schools in the other three classifications, the chase for the Class AAA Cup has been up for grabs with eight different schools earning The Cup in ten years. Now in the eleventh year of this competition, we have another first time winner in Triple-A making it nine different champs in eleven years. After finishing as the runner-up in 2012-2013 and being a steady member on the Top 5 in recent years, South Fayette is finally enjoying its day in the Championship Sun with a convincing victory.
MSA SPORTS CUP: Another Year, Another Quad-A Title for North Allegheny
June 30, 2014
Another school year and another MSA Sports Cup in Class AAAA for North Allegheny High School. NA captured their 11th Cup in eleven years since the MSA Sports Network started this school year long competition to determine the top sports programs in each classification. There are 20 sports in which schools can earn points in the competition and for the second straight year and only the second time in this history of the coveted competition, the Tigers earned points in ALL of them. In the 2012-2013 school year, North Allegheny scored a mind-numbing and record 1,115 points. In 2013-2014, they had to settle for a mere 965 points. The second place school finished 530 points behind NA.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/30/2014
We say so long to June and hello to July with a busy holiday weekend celebration coming up as we honor our nations birthday with plenty of play from the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things close out their home stand for three games at CONSOL Energy Field before hitting the road this weekend, while the Pennsylvania Rebellion finish their visit to Akron before returning home to CONSOL Energy Field this weekend in pro fast pitch softball action, plus your home for great auto racing updates is only here with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 30th:
2013-2014 MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year
June 26, 2014
Neshannock High School in Lawrence County was much more than a school for Ernie Burkes. To him, the place was like his own personal “four seasons” resort. Oh, don’t get the wrong idea. Neshannock was never a place Burkes went to relax. But it was where he always went to get his fix of sports – in all four seasons. Burkes would start football in late summer and play it into the fall. He would move to basketball in the winter. In the spring, it was on to baseball and track. Four seasons. Four sports. One incredible athlete. Now just call him Athlete of the Year. Burkes, a Neshannock senior, wins the MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year for the 2013-14 school year. The winner is picked from the entire WPIAL and is selected by the MSA Sports staff.
2013-2014 MSA Sports Female Athlete of the Year
June 25, 2014
Brianna Schwartz ran her final event of the school year two weeks ago in New York. It was a prestigious invite-only event sponsored by adidas and Schwart ran a race in which 10 high school runners from around the country competed in the mile. The entire meet was part of the adidas “Grand Prix” and the event that Schwartz participated was called the “Dream Mile.” For Schwartz, it was a rather appropriate title because she had a “dream year.” Schwartz, a junior at Shaler Area High School, did some marvelous things in the 2013-14 school year. She put herself in the WPIAL spotlight, but also gained national prominence. She is the MSA Sports Female Athlete of the Year.
