Top 19 of ’19: Trib HSSN breaks down the top stories of the year — No. 8

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, December 24, 2019 | 4:01 PM

2106559_web1_PTR-PIAAtrack08-052619 — Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton wins the boys Class AA 110 meter hurdles final during the PIAA track and field state championships Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Shippensburg University.

The 2019 high school sports season is nearly in the books.

While we anxiously look ahead to 2020, let’s reflect on the district high school sports scene over the last 12 months.

Here is a look back at the top 19 stories from around the WPIAL in 2019.

HSSN Top 19 in ’19: No. 8 — PIAA to the rescue

While filing the necessary district paperwork to submit before the WPIAL track and field championships, Waynesburg Central track coach Rick Layton checked off the wrong box.

It was a clerical mistake that nearly cost his son a chance to repeat in the Class AA boys 110-meter hurdles.

Layton accidentally deleted his son Daniel’s name from the electronically submitted event entry form. When the error was discovered by Layton, he pleaded his case to the WPIAL but to no avail.

The WPIAL Board of Directors voted not to allow any changes to be made after the deadline because the events were already set, and they didn’t want to bump any of the scheduled participants to allow Daniel his entry to the event he won in 2018.

The Laytons appealed their case to the PIAA, which overturned the WPIAL’s decision and allowed Layton a chance to participate.

The decision paid off as the Waynesburg senior not only repeated as WPIAL champion, but later in May, he won PIAA gold in the event as well.

Here’s a look at the rest of the top stories of the year:

No. 19 — Big Ben strikes often

No. 18 — Near perfect on the pitch

No. 17 — Five golden rings

No. 16 — Bucs title run is now a teenager

No. 15 — Worldly results lead to district and state gold

No. 14 — Black out

No. 13 — Big time ballers

No. 12 — Four decade wait is over

No. 11 — Fight for survival