Tag: North Catholic
WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Seven 2015
October 14, 2015
The “Stretch Run” for 2015 is on us, the final third of the regular season will start this weekend with several big games around the WPIAL. Players, whether you are playing for a number one seed, a conference title, a home playoff game, a shot at the playoffs, a winning season, or to get your only win of the season, play hard, keep your head up when you tackle and make the most of this time in your life. If you are going to watch, cheer hard, bellyache less about the refs and the coaches, support your kids and your team without feeling like you need to control or have some input as to how the other team should or should not conduct themselves. It’ll be so much more fun for you and the people around you. Need to know where to go, or which link to click?WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Four – 09/23/2015
September 23, 2015
One third of the regular season is in the books and there are still a lot of questions to be answered. There were some big games in week three that seemed to indicate that 2015 might be wide open with regards to the teams with a chance to reach Heinz Field. That’s what makes this job so much fun. You see, you research, and you get a feel for history, and coaches, and programs but the bottom-line is you cannot really know what will happen when those kids go out there and take the field every Friday night. We do know it will be fun, and we also know MSA Sports will be the ultimate place for you to find out what happened, and how and, why it happened. More unbeaten teams will fall this weekend, it’s time to go Big Game Hunting!
CTK 2015 – Class A Black Hills Conference Preview
August 28, 2015
The Hills have been alive the past two years. In 2014 and 2013, the a team from the current Black Hills Conference has made it at least to the WPIAL championship game. It was Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in 2013 (then in Class A's Eastern Conference) and Avonworth last year. North Catholic won the title in 2013 and also the PIAA title, while Avonworth lost to Clairton in last year’s WPIAL final. Will the championship-caliber play continue this year? Possibly. Clairton is everyone’s team to beat in Class A, but North Catholic and Avonworth are considered two of the best teams again. Brentwood also looks like it has the makings of a team that could challenge for the top of the conference. Here is a look at the Black Hills Conference:Scholastic Notebook – 05/15/2015
May 15, 2015
The name is Aaron, as in Hank. The hitting this baseball season has been Hank Aaron-esque. California senior Aaron Previsky had a regular season for the ages. A year ago, Norwin’s J.J. Matijevic became the first known player to win the WPIAL triple crown (first in batting average, home runs and RBIs). Previsky didn’t do that, but his regular season also was terrific. Previsky finished with a .545 batting average, which was good for 13th in the WPIAL. But he was second in home runs with six and third in runs scored with 35.Scholastic Notebook – 02/20/2015
February 20, 2015
Highlands and Bishop Canevin are in the WPIAL boys basketball quarterfinals. Who would’ve thought you’d read that sentence this year? Highlands and Bishop Canevin are two of the biggest turnaround stories in the league over the past few years. Highlands (13-11) will play Indiana in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals tonight. Two years ago, Highlands finished 1-21 under first-year coach Tyler Stoczynski. Highlands started to show signs of improvement last year, but still finished 9-13 and out of the playoffs.2015 National Letter of Intent Day – MSA Sports Elite Eleven College Destinations
February 4, 2015
Wednesday was National Letter of Intent Day where high school seniors make their verbal commitments official by signing on the dotted line to the school of their choice. What were the final college destinations for the members of the 2014 MSA Sports The Elite 11 football all-star team? Here is a look: CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR - BRETT BRUMBAUGH, SOUTH FAYETTE QB, 6-4, 195, SR. DUQUESNE CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR - BEN DiNUCCI, PINE-RICHLAND QB, 6-2, 195, SR. PITT JORDAN WHITEHEAD, CENTRAL VALLEY RB-DB, 6-0, 185, SR. PITTScholastic Notebook – 01/09/2015
January 9, 2015
New Castle High School’s Malik Hooker apparently isn’t the only one who wears the athletic “genes” in the family. Hooker was one of the best two-sport athletes in the state the past two years, standing out in football and basketball. He now is a freshman football player at Ohio State, but is being redshirted this year. Two of Hooker’s younger brothers are now playing on the New Castle basketball. One of them is the team’s leading scorer in his first year as a starter. Marquel Hooker, a 5-foot-10 junior, is averaging 16.4 points a game. He never saw regular varsity time before this season.Scholastic Notebook – 01/02/2015
January 2, 2015
As WPIAL basketball heads into the new year, two of the best teams – record-wise – are the Southmoreland boys and the Jefferson-Morgan girls. Say what? Yes, it is unheard of the past few decades for the Southmoreland boys and Jefferson-Morgan girls to be doing so well in the same season. Winning isn’t associated much with the two teams. But get this: There is only one loss between them. The Southmoreland boys are 10-1 and the Jefferson-Morgan girls are 10-0.2014 MSA SPORTS ELITE ELEVEN
December 12, 2014
Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci and South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh are prolific passers whose senior seasons have been very much alike in terms of statistics and team success. DiNucci and Brumbaugh are also alike in the MSA Sports staff eyes. They are both players of the year. The MSA Sports staff found it impossible to separate the two in terms of accomplishments this season. So, the two have been selected co-Players of the Year. DiNucci and Brumbaugh also lead the MSA Sports’ Elite 11. The all-star team is made up of the top 11 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. Here is a look at the players of the year and the Elite 11. CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR - BRETT BRUMBAUGH, SOUTH FAYETTE QB, 6-4, 195, SR.Scholastic Notebook – 11/14/2014
November 14, 2014
It has been well-documented how Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci has turned out to be one of the most prolific passers in the history of the WPIAL. But DiNucci also has benefitted from a terrific one-two receiving punch. It looks like you could call seniors D’ondre Gastion and Mike Merhaut are a receiving duo for the ages. There are no records available for best receiving one-two punches, but you can bet you will be hard-pressed to find many duos from the same team who have been as productive as Gastion and Merhaut. How many teams have had two receivers with 100 or more career catches? But that’s what Pine-Richland has in Gastion and Merhaut, a pair of seniors.
