Trib HSSN June Madness finals: Tyler Boyd, Clairton vs. Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional

By: Don Rebel
Monday, June 22, 2020 | 9:00 AM

We have finally reached Championship Week in June Madness as we finally determine who fans believe is the WPIAL Athlete of the Century.

HSSN put together two 32-player brackets, one for the boys and one for the girls, of WPIAL alums. Outside of a few exceptions, the field was made up of former district players who excelled in more than one sport.

The following is a little background info on each of the final two boys’ athletes in a tale of the tape.

Starting at 9 a.m. Monday and running through 9 a.m. Tuesday, you can vote below or on the HSSN twitter page on these two outstanding athletes featured in this championship contest.

Tyler Boyd – @boutdat_23
????
Spencer Lee – @LeeSpencerlee36

— TribLive HSSN (@TribLiveHSSN) June 22, 2020

Check the HSSN website at noon Tuesday for the final results.

Here are the finals in the boys bracket:

Tyler Boyd vs. Spencer Lee is a battle of small school against big school and a contest between two athletes who know about streaks. One lost his first football game his freshman year and then never lost again while the other never lost a wrestling match in his illustrious career until his final scholastic match.

Boyd, the three-sport star and pride of Clairton, raced past three fellow NFL players and an Olympic hopeful on his way to the title match.

Lee, a one-sport superstar from Franklin Regional, pinned three NFL stars and a three-sport standout on his way to the finals.

Tyler Boyd — Clairton Class of 2013

(Football, basketball, baseball)

• Defeated A.Q. Shipley of Moon in the semifinals, 59-41%.

• Defeated Pat McAfee of Plum in the quarterfinals, 64-36%.

• Defeated Ayden Owens of North Allegheny in the second round, 71-29%.

• Defeated Justin King of Gateway in the first round, 76-24%.

• 2012 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review football player of the year.

• 2012 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 football all-star team.

• Despite seeing time as a wide receiver and quarterback in his four years at Clairton, Boyd finished as a running back and was fifth on the all-time WPIAL rushing list with 5,755 yards, including a gaudy 11.9 yards per carry and 2,567 yards his senior year.

• Broke the WPIAL record with 117 career touchdowns.

• After losing his first varsity game at Clairton, Boyd and his teammates won the next 63 games over his four years in black and orange while claiming four straight WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships.

• Played in the 2013 US Army All-American Bowl and the 2013 Big 33 all-star football games. Boyd was MVP of the Big 33 Classic after accounting for five touchdowns on two scoring receptions, a touchdown run, a TD pass and a 91-yard kickoff return for a score.

• Was an all-section basketball player his senior year as he helped the Bears reach the WPIAL championship game.

• Came out for the Clairton baseball team his senior year and was the starting shortstop.

• Boyd played wide receiver at Pitt and currently is a wide out in the NFL for Cincinnati.

Spencer Lee — Franklin Regional Class of 2017

(Wrestling)

• Defeated Luke Hagy of Mt. Lebanon in the semifinals, 86-14%.

• Defeated Malik Hooker of New Castle in the quarterfinals, 71-29%.

• Defeated Darrelle Revis of Aliquippa in the second round, 68-32%.

• Defeated Montae Nicholson of Gateway in the first round, 71-29%.

• Four-time WPIAL individual wrestling champion at 113 pounds as a freshman, 120 as a sophomore and junior and 126 as a senior.

• Three-time PIAA individual wrestling champion at 113 pounds as a freshman and 120 as a sophomore and junior.

• Three-time national cadet and junior world champion at 50 kilograms as a sophomore, junior and senior.

• Lee was ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in the country all four years in three different weight classes.

• He was undefeated in his scholastic career until a late takedown by future college teammate Austin DeSanto cost him in a 6-5 loss.

• Lee finished his high school wrestling career with a record of 144-1.

• A breakdown of Lee’s four year record: 49-0 as a freshman, 48-0 as a sophomore, 12-0 as a junior and 35-1 as a senior.

• He helped Franklin Regional win back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA team wrestling championships in 2014 and 2015, his freshman and sophomore seasons.

• Lee wrestles in college at Iowa.

Tags: Clairton, Franklin Regional